2. Ondrej Palat
The Devils likely hope that Ondrej Palat still has trade value, which would make it much easier to move him. His salary isn't insane, coming in at a $6 million average annual value. The cap hit is hurtful for what the Devils want to do, and Palat hasn't ever really fit with the Devils. While the contract seemed exorbitant off the bat, a groin injury in his first year really set him back, and it seems like he's never truly recovered.
Palat basically aged overnight, and now he's not carrying his weight. While he still has a knack for scoring clutch goals here or there, there's no consistency to what he's doing. His Hockey IQ is so far behind his current talent level that it's holding the Devils down. They can't keep this up for the two years he has left on the contract.
Palat's buyout isn't nearly as cut and dry as Haula's, and it has a bigger long-term impact. The buyout would put Palat on the Devils cap sheet for four more seasons. He would cost them a little more than $3.5 million next season. While that's better than $6 million, the Devils need more than $2.5 million to do what they want to do this offseason. In 2026-27, Palat's buyout costs the Devils a little more than $2.5 million, which is an extra $1 million savings.
For this savings luxury, the Devils would have to pay $1.483 million in 2027-28 and 28-29. The Devils hope to be well within their Stanley Cup window at that point. They will need a Nico Hischier extension then, and they will hope to have Quinn Hughes on the roster, too. Will it be worth it to take a small short-term relief for long-term pain? They might, but it's not the smartest move.
3. Kurtis MacDermid
Sometimes, a team has to call a mistake a mistake. Giving Kurtis MacDermid a three-year contract has to feel like a mistake at this point. MacDermid was in the lineup a lot early in the season as Sheldon Keefe tried to establish an identity. Unfortunately, MacDermid doesn't do much beyond fighting, and that's just not needed in this Devils system.
The Devils hit plenty already. Paul Cotter literally broke the franchise records for hits this season with 245. Nine players had more than 100 hits, and Jesper Bratt was the only player in the league with 80 points and 80 hits. Physicality isn't needed. The Devils need points.
MacDermid is never going to give the Devils offense. As much as MacDermid might be loved in the locker room, they need the spot on the roster.
With two years left on his contract, MacDermid's buyout would last for years. If the Devils buy MacDermid out, it would save them $666,667 each of the next two seasons. It would cost them $333,333 over the two seasons after that. It's not a huge savings, but it makes sense based on what's left, and the Devils want to open that roster spot.