Reports swirled on Wednesday afternoon that the New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Cal Foote to a two-way deal. Foote is a former first-round pick that has been with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Nashville Predators. He showed a ton of promise at one point, but it seems like his ceiling will never be met.
The Lightning traded Foote to the Nashville Predators in the Tanner Jeannot, but he wasn’t qualified in one of the many confusing moves in the first year under Barry Trotz. He’s still just 24 years old, so there is still time for him to grow. In his 141 games in the NHL, Foote is strictly a defensive defenseman.
Obviously, the Devils make a lot of sense for Cal Foote. They already traded for his brother Nolan Foote a few years ago. Two players once taken in the draft by the same organization are back together again. The Devils are becoming a family affair. They have Jack and Luke Hughes looking to become the Devils’ two stars. They signed Jeremy Brodeur (Martin’s son) to a minor league contract, signed Filip Bratt (Jesper’s brother), and invited Casey Fitzgerald to camps (Tom’s son).
Foote makes sense from an on-the-ice aspect as well. His age is still right where the Devils want to be regarding roster growth. He has immense playoff experience, including playing on the Tampa Bay Lightning during their Stanley Cup run in 2022. While he didn’t play in the Stanley Cup itself, he was around the team and played 13 games leading up to the big matchup.
His contract is very much in the Devils favor, but he gets a few extra perks if he’s in the AHL. It’s going to pay him 800,000 at the NHL level, and $350,000 at the AHL level. If he were to spend 100 percent of the season in the AHL, you can add $50,000 onto the AHL number. The deal is for one year, and the Devils retain his rights after this season (although he is arbitration eligible).
Foote has a large hill to climb to make it on the NHL roster. He has to make the team over former second-overall pick Simon Nemec and has to show he can play over Colin Miller.
It’s still a good signing. The Devils made the right moves to add depth. They had incredible injury luck last year, even with a few players getting hurt. Once the playoffs hit, they largely had a full lineup. That’s how they beat the Rangers in the first round, winning their first series in a decade.
Foote can jump into the lineup at any time. He can even get better. Maybe this is a player who becomes a starter one day. He’s right-handed, so he might even be great trade bait later in the year. It would be strange to trade away Nolan Foote’s brother, but if anyone understands it’s business, it’s them.