The New Jersey Devils plan to make a splash this offseason, but there's a problem with their plan. Almost every team is hoping to make a plan. The Anaheim Ducks already flexed their ridiculous cap space by trading for Chris Kreider. They could be in on the biggest players in the league. There are very few teams that are considered sellers on this market, and those that are might not have anything other teams want.
So, that has teams looking deeper at free agency. There are a few major players on the market. The top guys are expected to break the bank. Mitch Marner is supposed to make $14 million per season, and for Sam Bennett to leave Florida, it might take $10 million himself.
If the New Jersey Devils signed one of the top free agents, it might hurt. They'd have to make moves like trading Ondrej Palat and buying out Erik Haula to make it work, but that doesn't really hurt them much. However, spending to the cap for the wrong players would hurt. These five players who be the wrong player.
1. Mikael Granlund
Current Team: Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars at one point were committed to bringning Mikael Granlund back. They spent a first-round pick to grab the unrestricted free agent. He had 21 points in 31 regular season games for the Stars, and he added 10 points in 18 playoff games. He was good for the Stars, but he's about to get a considerable pay bump.
Remember, this was a player who was a throw in to the Erik Karlsson trade just a few years ago. Prior to this season, his last 20-goal season was in 2017-18. He went on an insane heater when he absolutely had to.
The Stars are once again committed to Jason Robertson, which likely removes the necessary money to sign Granlund. It seems like he is going to market, and he will probably be overpaid. He's also likely going to be one of the bad contracts that come out of this free agency period. He could have been had for free not too long ago. The Devils are better spending their time on a reclamation project rather than paying for one that already happened.
2. Jonathan Drouin
Colorado Avalanche
Jonathan Drouin found himself in the best possible scenario last season. He was paired on the Colorado Avalanche with Nathan MacKinnon, sharing the ice with his friend. He had 37 points in 43 games this season, which is great. He was legitimately good for the Avalanche as a top-six contributor.
Devils fans will think Drouin, who is a former top-five pick, could be a relatively cheap add to add offense alongside Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes. While they aren’t at the level of MacKinnon, both are skilled enough to get the best out of Drouin. Still, he felt like he was in the best-possible situation last season.
On top of that, Drouin disappeared in the playoffs. He failed to score in the Avs first-round loss to the Dallas Stars. The Avalanche needed all hands on deck, and Drouin did not step up to the plate.