The New Jersey Devils have an intriguing offseason ahead of them. Tom Fitzgerald already put ink to paper on a Jesper Bratt contract, taking a major initiative in his offseason plan and securing it in place for eight years. Then, he reportedly hired former Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green to join Lindy Ruff’s staff. The move came with mixed reaction, but Green chose the Devils over the Flames and Maple Leafs, which definitely proves this team is making major headway in national relevance.
With free agency beginning in less than two weeks, it’s time to focus on players the Devils can add. Some will be expensive, and there’s a chance the Devils could go after a few stars, but unlike previous years when the Devils targeted Dougie Hamilton and Johnny Gaudreau (to very different results), this year will be about depth.
The Devils have a lot of holes to fill, and they have to decide whether the internal options are best. Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, Yegor Sharangovich, Jesper Boqvist, and Kevin Bahl are just some of the depth pieces that are looking at restricted free agency. Erik Haula, Miles Wood, and Tomas Tatar are all looking at unrestricted free agency. The Devils could look to replace some of these pieces with a flier in the market.
Evan Rodrigues
What a strange offseason it was for Evan Rodrigues. He was once a very promising prospect with the Buffalo Sabres. He’s since played with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche, two teams with constant Stanley Cup aspirations. Rodrigues is now going to a new team to bring his experience with him.
Rodrigues is still just 29 years old, and he’s coming off a 39-point season. Some might think that’s less than stellar on the Avs, but this was a team that was as ravished as any when it came to injuries. There were times where he had to carry the load.
The Devils could use Rodrigues on the bottom six, with some power-play upside. He could give the Devils 15 goals, more than all but five Devils forwards from last season. His six PP goals would make him the top scorer on the second unit. There’s value here, and we know how much Fitzgerald loves to prioritize value.