Well, the offseason is here for the state of New Jersey. After losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 5 of their first-round series, the New Jersey Devils and GM Tom Fitzgerald have hard decisions to make.
What people often forget — sports fans alike — is that the world of professional sports is also a business. It's a business in the sense that when the offseason arrives, money talks. Moving around teams, contract adjustments, trades, and free agency are to be expected. The National Hockey League is no exception.
Now, taking all of this into account, it's obvious that Luke Hughes is the Devils' biggest pending free agent, as he's a free agent with team control. The Devils will 100% give him a qualifying offer, which he will likely decline, triggering his RFA status. Thankfully — and as we've previously reported — the Devils will then have the option to either match any offer or accept compensation if another team does sign him. However, whatever he's going to make next year is going to cut a lot into the Devils salary cap.
But who isn't wanted? Who should Devils fans not want to return for the 2025-26 season, free agency aside? I'll lay out three options for you.
3. Ondrej Palat
Ondrej Palat signed a five-year deal worth $6M AAV in the summer of 2022. He just finished his third year of that deal with 28 points out of 77 games played — No. 8 on the scoring list. But, $6,000,000 is a lot to pay for that number.
At the end of the day — he's just not worth it.