The New Jersey Devils are in a position to make major changes to their forward group. Curtis Lazar, Tomas Tatar, Nathan Bastian, Justin Dowling, and Daniel Sprong are all unrestricted free agents this season. Tatar is already off to his next team, choosing to play overseas rather than see what options are available in the NHL. The rest of the options are likely gone, as well.
On top of that, the Devils have Cody Glass and Nolan Foote as restricted free agents. They can choose to let them go to free agency if they don't send them qualifying offers. This can be a transitional offseason for the Devils' bottom six.
The team only has $12 million in cap space this offseason and Luke Hughes needs a new contract. Their options are limited, but with the right moves, they can have an ideal offseason. These three forwards should be top targets in free agency.
1. Ryan Donato
Current Team: Chicago Blackhawks
The top free agent option that is realistic is Ryan Donato. The Chicago Blackhawks center was awesome this season. He is going to be more expensive than some would want. However, Donato is exactly what the Devils need, and he will be worth the price. He's fifth among NHL free agents in goals per 60 minutes with 1.3. He's also fifth among ALL players who have played at least 1,000 minutes last season. He finished the season with 31 goals and 31 assists.
Donato is reportedly in talks with the Blackhawks on an extension, but we're getting way too close to July 1st to think a deal happens now. The Devils should force the Blackhawks' hand. Chicago is still far away from contention, and the questions surrounding Connor Bedard don't help. Donato would join the Devils' bottom six and get more favorable matchups on the team's third line.
This year was an outlier for Donato. He had never scored more than 16 goals prior to this season. He almost doubled his previous career high, and that's a concern, but there is reason to believe he can do it for at least two more seasons. That might be the Devils' window.
Christian Dvorak
Current Team: Montreal Canadiens
Christian Dvorak was a complete bust with the Montreal Canadiens. They gave up a massive price to get him from the Arizona Coyotes, and he immediately became a decent third liner. They thought he could grow into a first-line player. It's been four years since that trade, and we know what Dvorak is now. He's a fine player for your fourth line who maybe can jump onto the third line.
Dvorak is coming off a 12-goal season. It's honestly one of the better seasons he had in Montreal. He played all 82 games this season, and he appeared in five playoff games for the Canadiens. In those games, where they faced the top-seeded Washington Capitals, Dvorak scored two goals. He still has some clutchness to his game despite his overall struggles.
Dvorak getting paid what he's "worth" would be really good value for the Devils. Add him in a place where he can earn a better contract since he's still just 29 years old. This can be a really good match for both sides.
3. Anthony Beauvillier
Current Team: Washington Capitals
Another underrated goal scorer, the Devils should target Anthony Beauvillier. He’s had an interesting run over the last two years. The New York Islanders spent years trying to make the former first-round pick work. They finally gave up, as did many other teams. Beauvillier has played for five teams in the last two seasons.
After a disaster 2023-24 season, Beauvillier bounced back last season. He started the season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he got to play more than 200 minutes alongside Sidney Crosby. Then, the Penguins traded him to their rivals, the Washington Capitals.
Beauvillier was pretty good in Washington, but the big reason we want Beauvillier on the Devils is he would fit into the Sheldon Keefe system. He’s a scorer who has made hitting a priority as of late. He broke 130 hits this past season, which is what Keefe wants in his bottom six.