New Jersey Devils: 5 Players Where Anything Could Happen

The New Jersey Devils have a lot of negotiations that can go one of two ways. Miles Wood will either get a contract offer or go away in free agency. The Devils will either find the money for Ryan Graves, or someone could sign him to a big deal. Jesper Bratt is either going to sign long term, or the Devils are going to force him to face arbitration.

However, there are quite a few negotiations that could go in a number of different directions. Some are prospects who might not have a bonafide spot on the NHL roster. Others are NHL players who could go in multiple different routes with their negotiations. Let’s start with one that is going to be a grind.

Michael McLeod

Did you expect to see Timo Meier? His negotiation is a little more straight forward. However, we have no idea what is going to happen with the Michael McLeod negotiations. For a large portion of the season, it seemed like there was a real chance that McLeod wouldn’t even be qualified. The Hockey Canada investigation aside (which, obviously, would make things very simple), what the Devils expect to do with a 26-point center is beyond us.

Then, McLeod was a beast in the playoffs. He had two goals and six points in 12 games. Lindy Ruff trusted him in big moments, and he was a catalyst in solidifying the penalty kill after a horrid start. He even scored two shorthanded goals.

McLeod was a momentum machine in the playoffs, and that is important moving forward. So, what happens now? McLeod was a league-minimum player in the regular season. Could he push himself to a $2 million or even $3 million contract? It would floor us, but it could definitely happen. Teams often overreact to playoff performances.

Yegor Sharangovich

Lost in the amazing season the New Jersey Devils just enjoyed was the very strange season of Yegor Sharangovich. He was once one of the best young wingers on the team, but now he’s on the outside looking in. He was a healthy scratch for more than anyone expected. He only slotted into three playoff games, and he had zero points. He never really got his skates under him, impacting him all season.

He did play 75 games during the regular season, putting up only 30 points. He put up the same points in his rookie year, where COVID shortened that season to just 54 games. Also, he had 17 goals in the KHL that season. Sharangovich looked like a great prospect for the past three years.

Now? Who knows what could happen? He’s coming off a bad season. He’s also coming off a contract that paid him $2 million per season. Would he be willing to take a pay cut to stick around? Can he get back to that top-six forward he’s been before this season?

Just last year, Sharangovich was coming off a 24-goal season. This year, he got stuck on the third and fourth lines. He dropped to 13 goals. Can he really argue he wants a raise? Will the Devils trade his rights? We have no idea what’s going to happen here.

Tomas Tatar

Here’s another player that’s complicated because of the difference between his regular season and playoffs. Tatar seemed like a lock to re-sign after his impact in the regular season. Then, he likely cost himself a deal in the playoffs. Can the Devils still give Tatar the kind of deal that would get him to re-sign?

One has to think Tatar isn’t signing for any less than he just got. That was a two-year deal with an average price of $4.5 million per season. Can the Devils even afford to pay a winger $4.5 million when they have to pay Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier? In theory, yes. However, the Devils would need to understand that they could pay nobody else.

Will Tatar take a pay cut to stay? He is 32 years old, so that seems out of the question. Will the Devils give him a price that forces him to stay? They have limited cap space, so that also seems out of the question. On top of that, Tatar only had one point over 12 games.

It seems like after a really good season, the Devils should want Tatar back. His playoff performance likely cost him a raise with the Devils. This seems like it will go to free agency, but that doesn’t knock the Devils out of the running. He very well could come back on a cheaper deal if nobody else wants to pay him.

Reilly Walsh

The New Jersey Devils want to figure out what to do with the right side of the defense. They just traded Damon Severson to the Columbus Blue Jackets, ending the longest-tenured player’s time with the Devils. He signed an eight-year deal in Ohio, something the Devils were never going to give them. Now, the Devils have a glaring opening on the right side.

The general consensus is that Simon Nemec will get an opportunity to take that spot. That’s probably true, but it’s not a guarantee. Nemec will get any and all possible chances to take that spot.

However, if he doesn’t steal that spot, most fans expect the Devils to bring in a veteran presence to help implement a decent defense in the meantime. That might not be the case. The Devils have a right-handed defenseman who played very well over the last two years.

Reilly Walsh had 43 points last season and 41 points this past season. He focused more on the defensive side this season, but he still did very well on the offensive side. Walsh was the best player for the Utica Comets in the playoffs. Now, he’s heading into restricted free agency. Will the Devils be able to come to an agreement with the University of Harvard grad? Will they need to guarantee a roster spot to do it? Don’t be surprised if Walsh gets a one-year deal.