3. Jimmy Vesey
Many are hoping the Devils are going to target top-six forwards, and they will likely salivate at the thought of adding someone like Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trochek, or Kreider, but the more realistic option is to target their bottom six. Jimmy Vesey is a player who came to New Jersey when his career was on the brink, and he earn this new version of his career by showing he can play a different type of game. He’s gritty, adding to the bottom six and killing penalties.
It is no secret the Devils have been trying to add to their bottom six after injuries to Curtis Lazar and Nathan Bastian. Bastian is already back in the lineup, and Lazar is apparently close, but that won’t stop the Devils from adding to the forward group.
Vesey adds 10-15 goals from the fourth line. The Devils would love that. Tom Fitzgerald has signed this guy before, and we feel like he fits so much better into the Sheldon Keefe system than he did in the Lindy Ruff system. Vesey likes playing for the Rangers, and that’s a huge character flaw, but if he has a chance to choose his next destination, why wouldn’t he want to just go across the Hudson River to a contender?
The Devils and Rangers likely won’t make a trade, but the option is on the table. It would be the icing on the cake if the Devils ended up taking advantage of their biggest rivals. We definitely see Chris Drury as one of those general managers who just looks for the best deal and doesn’t care about the rivalry.