4. Dennis Cholowski
We just don’t see the Devils bringing back Dennis Cholowski. They traded Adam Beckman for him close to the trade deadline, and it was fine. He was an extra player who got to get some playoff time. He was needed at the end of the day unlike Beckman would have been needed.
However, the Devils saw what he actually was. Keefe kept him on the bench for most of Game 4 despite his partner Simon Nemec playing so well. In Game 5, Keefe decided it would be better to play rookie Seamus Casey in that spot over Cholowski.
This is a player who once looked promising, but he’s 27 years old now. We know what kind of defenseman he is. He doesn’t do anything good enough to keep around. We just learned that Santeri Hatakka played his last game with the Devils, and he showed promise with this franchise. Cholowski was a fill-in when literally three players got knocked out.
Cholowski’s stats will likely get him another job in the NHL. At the very least, he’s get a PTO that could turn into an NHL contract with the right franchise. Putting up 10 points in 39 points is worth a last-minute contract. We don’t expect him to sign on July 1st, but someone will give him a shot. We just don’t think it’s going to be the New Jersey Devils.