New Jersey Devils: 5 Players You Don’t Realize Aren’t Here Anymore
The New Jersey Devils were one of the best teams in the league last season. They did it with a ton of contracts about to expire. There are a few new names in the Devils organization. Tyler Toffoli came to the team in a trade with the Calgary Flames. That sent Yegor Sharangovich north of the border.
Honestly, many fans are probably going into this season forgetting that Yegor Sharangovich is no longer on this roster. Who else might be gone that many didn’t realize? Ryan Graves and Damon Severson are gone, and just about every fan knows about their departure. Miles Wood signed a ridiculous contract in Colorado, and most of us are still raising eyebrows.
While we know most of the big names that left the Devils, who are some of the smaller names that fell under the radar when they chose a different franchise?
Jesper Boqvist
New Team: Boston Bruins
Jesper Boqvist was a former second-round pick who always showed flashes throughout his time on the main roster. He was never able to find his offensive flow. The Devils challenged him to prove he was a part of the team’s future. He was given a legit role on a really good team. Boqvist didn’t exactly fall flat on his face, but he didn’t really step up either.
He had 21 points over 70 games. There was some solid two-way play, and he had decent penalty killing numbers, but that wasn’t enough to keep him around.
What’s wild is the Devils could have kept Boqvist’s rights for free. He was a restricted free agent. They chose to waive that right and let him sign anywhere. He chose to go to the Boston Bruins on a one-year, $775,000 deal. It’s interesting to see how the Bruins use him next year and if he taps some unheralded potential.
Aarne Talvitie
New Team: TPS Turku
One of the only players on this list to already start his hockey season, Aarne Talvitie made it clear at the end of last season that he wasn’t returning to the Devils organization. There were reports he signed with a new team when the Utica Comets were in the playoffs. It was a strange end to a promising career that was never the same after a devastating knee injury.
Talvitie looked like another Devils late-round steal early in his career. When he came over from Europe to join the Penn State hockey team, it looked like he would eventually develop into an NHL player. He signed with the Devils after the 2020-21 season. He spent the rest of the season in Binghamton before the Devils minor league affiliate moved to Utica.
It’s honestly just a sad situation for the Devils and Talvitie. He would actually have a really nice role on this Utica roster. The Devils are lacking centers in the organization. Utica probably could use Talvitie at the position, but now he’s playing in his native Finland for TPS Turku.
Talvitie was always a strange player whose offensive upside never manifested. If he breaks out in Europe, we’d be pretty surprised.
Mason Geertsen
New Team: Vegas Golden Knights
It seems like forever ago that Tom Fitzgerald claimed Mason Geertsen off waivers from the New York Rangers. He would keep him on the NHL roster for most of the 2021-22 season. That was literally a year ago! Geertsen ended up playing 25 games for the Devils, the only 25 NHL games of his career. Last season, he spent the entire year in Utica, providing a physical presence after transitioning to forward.
The Devils basically tried to develop Mason Geertsen into a Ryan Reeves type, but it never really landed like we wanted it to. He was a fun player and honestly seemed like a good guy to have around the young guys. However, he’s not nearly good enough to play on this New Jersey Devils roster.
Geertsen signed with the Vegas Golden Knights for two years. It’s a two-way deal that pays him $775,000 at the NHL level. The Devils weren’t offering Geertsen term, so he is going to the defending Stanley Cup champs.
Overall, the short legacy for Geertsen on the Devils will be a positive one. Most fans were sick of seeing him in the NHL, but he played a very nice role with the Comets last season.
Reilly Walsh
New Team: Boston Bruins
This one came as a real surprise when it happened, but it fell into the ether of the offseason. Reilly Walsh was sent to the Boston Bruins for Shane Bowers. Bowers is another failed prospect who didn’t hit the hype. Walsh was highly touted coming out of Harvard, and the Devils are probably lucky he played with them at all. He signed during the pandemic when it seemed like hockey in the Ivy League was taking a year off. So, the Devils got to develop Walsh for three years.
Then, Walsh’s entry-level contract ended, and the Devils had to decide what to do next. Walsh is in this weird position where he’s a top prospect, but he’s behind multiple people at his position. Drafting Simon Nemec showed the Devils weren’t serious about hitting Walsh’s potential.
The Devils sent Walsh to Massachusetts. That’s where he made his name with the Crimson. He grew up in Framingham, and this is where he calls home. The Devils want to be known in a positive light with former players. Word travels fast, and Walsh has had a strange relationship with the team in the past. Coming out of this with a trade home has to put his time in New Jersey/Utica into perspective.
Walsh didn’t make the impact we thought he could, but he definitely grew into a decent offensive defenseman. Now, we’ll see what he becomes in Boston. He could be a really good value.
Mackenzie Blackwood
New Team: San Jose Sharks
This one might be obvious to some, but we bet a large contingent of Devils fans completely forgot about the loss of Mackenzie Blackwood. Technically speaking, the Devils also lost Jonathan Bernier who retired this offseason. However, he didn’t play a game last season. Blackwood went into last season as the starter, and he didn’t even make the final roster for the playoffs. He lost his job to Akira Schmid during the last game of the season.
The Devils traded Blackwood to the San Jose Sharks this offseason for a sixth-round pick. It’s honestly a win-win for everyone involved (at least on paper). The Devils were likely going to let Blackwood go for nothing, but they took a late-round pick to send his signing rights to the West Coast. Blackwood gets the change of scenery he desperately needs, and the Sharks either get assistance with the tank or find a gem who can help when the rebuild is over.
The story of Blackwood is a sad one, looking back at it. He was the player who was going to usurp Cory Schneider after his injury woes derailed his career. Blackwood proved it on the ice for two seasons, showing he had what it takes to be the guy in net. Then, injuries and uncertainty ruined him. He quickly became a liability in net, and the Devils needed to move on.
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Many Devils fans will still root for Blackwood to succeed. He’s had the tools, but sometimes things don’t work out like their originally scripted.