New Jersey Devils: 5 Questions Still Yet To Be Answered
The New Jersey Devils signed Kevin Bahl this week, which was one of the last items on the agenda. Tom Fitzgerald did just about everything he needed to. He re-signed Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier to fair contracts. He traded for help on the wings in Tyler Toffoli. Damon Severson wasn’t lost for nothing. He didn’t overspend on any free agents. Fitzgerald replaced just about every lost player.
This roster looks stacked. Lindy Ruff will have options at forward, and the defense has depth to survive any injuries. The Devils are a true contender because of the moves Fitzgerald made.
While it looks like Bahl was the last piece of the puzzle for now, the Devils are not done. There’s a lot to do between now and training camp. It might not be so much player personnel, but the Devils will need all their ducks in order if they want to win a Stanley Cup. One question that hasn’t been answered is something we’ve talked about to death.
Is This The Goalie Duo Going Into The Season?
The New Jersey Devils will have Vitek Vanecek on the NHL roster at the start of next season. That is the only thing that’s guaranteed at the position. Vanecek was great in the regular season, posting 30 wins. Nobody has posted 30 wins with this franchise since Martin Brodeur retired. However, his putrid play in the playoffs has everyone questioning whether he’s the right man to bring another Stanley Cup to the Garden State.
The rumors remain. Connor Hellebuyck hasn’t been traded. Neither has John Gibson. The Minnesota Wild and Boston Bruins signed their restricted free agents, taking two trade options off the board. It’s getting very late into the offseason. Most GMs take August off to prepare for the start of the season.
At this point, we’d guess a goalie move will happen midseason, if at all. It is strange that the Devils have said they want Akira Schmid to start in the AHL, but Nico Daws is hurt, and Erik Kallgren was the only goalie addition. Don’t be surprised if Kallgren is the backup goalie to start the season.
What’s Going On With Lindy Ruff’s Contract?
Tom Fitzgerald said that Lindy Ruff’s contract was being worked out. He’s technically a free agent that can sign with any team, but there are no head coaching openings, and the Devils aren’t interviewing anyone else. We have to believe they are working out the details.
It is very strange there has been nothing released on these negotiations. Are they disagreeing over money? How long will the contract be for? He is approaching 65 years old. How much longer does Ruff want to do this?
For all we know, the contract is already signed, sealed, and delivered. Maybe the Devils have the clarity, but they just haven’t announced it for whatever reason. That would be so unlike them. They’ve been pretty open about everything, and this is largely a positive after the season Ruff and the Devils just enjoyed.
This is the last major notch that hasn’t been announced publicly. Maybe we’ll never know the length of the contract. It was a well-known situation that Ruff needed a new contract, but it wasn’t exactly public knowledge like free agent players. It’s possible we’ll never know, but it will be interesting to see if Ruff puts an end date to his coaching career.
Will Dawson Mercer Sign An Early Extension?
The New Jersey Devils have signed a few extensions before they had to. Jack Hughes signed his eight-year deal worth $8 million per season before he even got to the offseason. Now, he has one of the best contracts in hockey. Could the Devils try to do the same thing with Dawson Mercer?
Mercer has one year left on his entry-level contract. Then, he’s due for a tremendous raise. However, right now, Mercer has not earned anywhere near the contract Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, or Timo Meier have. This isn’t to say he can’t hit that kind of production. He’s still just 21 years old.
If the Devils come to Mercer with a contract that pays him $5 million over the next five years, would he say no? Would the Devils push for a seven or eight-year deal? That’s likely. They usually give out contracts that keep them within RFA eligibility. At that point, there’s no reason to sign that deal now.
We’re sure Fitzgerald had the conversation with Mercer’s agent. We’re sure that conversation will pick up again at training camp and continue throughout the season. Maybe the Devils get the deal done prior to the season, but if they do, it’s likely going to be for seven or eight years. That deal would have the fanbase rejoicing.
Who Are The PTOs?
The New Jersey Devils always seem to add multiple PTOs to their roster before the season starts. This season might be different. Players know this Devils team is good. It isn’t hope anymore. This is going to be a contender. The best PTO candidates will look at the Devils as a desirable destination.
We aren’t going to get into who the PTOs are exactly. There are still a few players who will get guaranteed contracts. We expect former Devil Tomas Tatar to be one of them. Heck, maybe Tatar re-signs with the Devils on a one-year deal to play on the third line. However, there are players who are looking to fight for a spot in the NHL.
Sometimes, these players end up accepting spots in the AHL. This happened last season with former first-round pick Zach Senyshyn. He spent most of last season with the Utica Comets until he was traded to the Chicago Wolves in February.
Tom Fitzgerald loves the depth of PTOs. Every so often, it turns into an NHL contract. That’s how it worked with Jimmy Vesey a few years ago, and he has been on the New York Rangers NHL team ever since. It can be how an NHL career restarts, or it can be the last-gasp effort.
Will Broadcast Crew Return Intact?
The New Jersey Devils have one of the best broadcast crews in sports. We learned last May that Steve Cangialosi was leaving his role as the Devils broadcast play-by-play man, and a search for a new one would start. MSG Network ended up hiring Bill Spaulding, and he was fantastic in his first season with the Devils. One would assume he returns since these contracts rarely work in a year-by-year fashion.
However, the rest of the crew has been here for a long time, so it’s a mystery if they will all be back. It’s not for lack of want or need. Again, this crew is amazing. Everyone plays a role that is crucial to the broadcast, both radio and TV. However, all three of Ken Daneyko, Erika Wachter, and Bryce Salvador have done national programming. They could easily get that gig full-time.
The radio team has been together for a long time. Matt Loughlin has been in sports journalism for three decades. He did great jumping in for Wachter during her maternity leave last season. Maybe he expands in that role.
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Then there’s Chico Resch. It just doesn’t feel right to ever have a Devils season where Resch isn’t directly involved. He is getting older, but there’s no reason to get off the bandwagon now. We expect most of the broadcast crews to return, but the New Jersey Devils broadcast already lost someone when Chris Wescott moved on. We’ll see if the rest of the Devils pre and postgame shows stay the same.