Assessing Every New Jersey Devils Free Agent Decision
Before we get started looking at the rest of the group, let’s wish Damon Severson well on his departure and good luck on his new team. The New Jersey Devils doing a sign and trade was surprising but getting a third-round pick for a guy who they were not going to sign was incredible. GM Tom Fitzgerald deserves a lot of credit. More than $6 million per season for a guy who was relegated to the third pairing would have been a bad play for the Devils.
This team has a lot of players to sign now that their window is finally opening to compete for the Stanley Cup. Let’s take a look at each free agent decision and how the Devils should act.
Nathan Bastian
Nathan Bastian put up decent numbers for only playing half the season and continued to be really solid in his depth role last season. It was a gift when the Seattle Kraken put him on waivers. He doesn’t need to play a ton at 5v5, but when he does, he brings energy every shift. If you can get a 25-30 point season out of a fourth liner, your team is showing great depth. On top of this, he was on the penalty kill while in the lineup. This was a big strength of this team this season.
Prediction: 2 years $1.2 million AAV
Jesper Boqvist
The up-and-down career of Jesper Boqvist finally got in a nearly full season in 2022-23. However, he still hasn’t carved out a definitive spot on the roster. He is clearly NHL ready and in the upcoming season, he should get a solidified spot on the fourth line next to Bastian and McLeod. He is a good skater and plays well enough to be a consistent member of this team.
Prediction:1 year $925k
Miles Wood
Miles Wood was once again the model for inconsistency. While he can be the fastest guy on the ice, can be the biggest hitter, and could be a 20-goal scorer, he almost looks like he lacks motivation sometimes. He has massive dry spells and doesn’t do anything else to help when he is off. Of course, we all know about the bad penalties. The guy has all the tools to be great, but his time has come to an end in Jersey.
Prediction: Let him walk
Michael McLeod
This season, Michael McLeod had a big point drought when Bastian went down but still managed some good fourth-line numbers, though it would have been nice to see a couple more goals. Outside this, he continued to be good on the penalty kill and showed that he is a beast specialist as the faceoff guy for the team. This in itself for a fourth-line guy is huge. Winning key faceoffs late in the game is massive.
Prediction: 2 years $1.2million AAV
Jesper Bratt
Jesper Bratt had another great season tying his career high in points and beating it in goals. Bratt and his agent also made it rather clear last negotiation that they wanted big money, and the team was not willing to give it to him just yet. This will probably be the hardest negotiation as he comes off the $5.4 million dollar deal. After his strong regular season, he had an awful playoff. This might make the negotiation even harder. His only playoff goal was an empty netter. He is a key piece moving forward though, and if he wants to win, he will at least be somewhat agreeable when it comes to his salary. Bratt has also never been a point-per-game player. Though he is only 24, this deal might feel bad for a lot of fans after the tough negotiations.
Prediction: 6-8 years $8 million AAV
Timo Meier
Timo Meier had a 40 goals for the first time in his career this season. The guy was snake-bitten in the playoffs but played well overall. His heavy game is something this team lacked in the top six in a big way. When he gets in a full season next to Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes, he could explode in points. He might even challenge for 50 goals. Just like Bratt, he has never been a point-per-game guy. Despite that, he is expecting a big payday. Because of those other noted things, spending on him shouldn’t be a problem. Even though he is not the best player due to the nature of contract negotiations, expect he will be the highest-paid forward on the team shortly.
Prediction: 8 years $8.5 million AAV
Yegor Sharangovich
Yegor Sharangovich had some rough deployment this season, moving around the lineup far too much. He faired much worse year than he should have. It is very hard to tell what the team or coach thinks of him, but he plays solid on both ends of the rink and can kill penalties. He needs a play-driver at center like most snipers in the league. Given the opportunity, he can be a 30-goal scorer, but it is hard to tell if the organization sees it that way. Expect this to be a show-me-style bridge deal.
Prediction: 1-2 years $2.25million AAV
Erik Haula
Erik Haula had a bad start to the year in terms of points, and he had a ton of opportunities to score with Jack Hughes that he failed to finish, but he turned it around thanks to his consistent effort and heart. His playoff performance was great and his versatility in the lineup adds value and gives the team depth. He moved around a lot the last few seasons and should be really happy to have a place to stay for longer than a year or two. So, getting a contract done should not be difficult, especially considering this team is competitive.
Prediction: 2-3 years $2.5 million AAV
Tomas Tatar
Tomas Tatar had a great bounce-back year being on the first line next to Nico Hischier for virtually the entire season and dominating most advanced stats. His playoffs, however were beyond underwhelming, with one point over 12 games. Moving forward, it is hard to tell where he will be next year thanks to the season’s finish. If the team wanted to keep him next to Nico or move to a 3rd line role neither would surprise me. At 32 years old, he is probably going to be winding down soon and the Devils certainly shouldn’t look at doing anything long term. If he wants to be a part of a strong team, he would be a safe re-sign for the right price. If he doesn’t, this opens the door for Alex Holtz.
Prediction:1-2 years $4.25 million AAV
Ryan Graves
Ryan Graves had a great season on the shutdown pair with John Marino. It seemed like he should be a lock to return, but those opinions have wavered. Despite his size, he wasn’t using it as much as he was on Colorado. His foot speed is barely hanging on at times. If the 28-year-old loses one step, which he will in the next few years, he will be relegated to the third pair on any competitive team with the direction the NHL is moving. Luke Hughes looked rather ready to take the spot currently held by Graves. Sure the kid made mistakes but his hockey IQ and skill were insane and he will need to play regular games next season no question. Bahl has also moved into the position of legit NHLer, something we will talk about later. No matter what the team does here is risky but they can’t afford to have him long term and someone will offer him that just like Severson.
Prediction: Let him walk
Kevin Bahl
Kevin Bahl’s offensive numbers are nothing big, but the team doesn’t need them to be. He really came into his own this past season, especially near the end when he was played next to Dougie Hamilton in the playoffs. He is big with a massive wingspan and moves well on the ice. He’s not even into his prime at only 22 years old. Next season, he continues to solidify himself as an NHLer quietly while most people pay attention to the young offensive Devils defensemen. His style will allow the others to thrive much like a guy like Jonas Siegenthaler did for this roster.
Prediction: 2 years $1 million AAV
Mackenzie Blackwood
The fall from grace for Mackenzie Blackwood has been in a spiral for years now. It is time for his Devils career to sail off into the sunset. There is nothing to even discuss on this. The guy has been struggling not to be the worst goalie in the NHL for a while now, and it would be insane for a team to look at him as a helpful addition.
Contract: Let him walk
dark. Next. Devils Final Season Grades
This would all amount to $29.825 million of the Devils’ current 34.282 million in cap space giving them room to add a 7th defender or whatever else they want at the deadline. It is also worth noting that after this season they will need to re-up Dawson Mercer and Akira Schmid, so having some room for that without needing to make space is the smart way to go about it. This team on paper looks like a legit contender. The rookies must pan out on the back end though, so this is not without risk.