5. Brian Dumoulin
This one hurts because Brian Dumoulin was an absolute dog in the playoffs for the New Jersey Devils. Tom Fitzgerald traded too much to get him at the deadline, sending a second-round pick and prospect Herman Traff, but he was everything the Devils could have asked for from him. He played dominant minutes versus the Carolina Hurricanes, and he took every shift when Keefe shortened the bench.
He finished Game 5, which will likely be his last game with the franchise, with 37 minutes of ice time. It was chaotic all game. Carolina was peppering the Devils with shots when Dumoulin was on the ice, but he held down the fort. He was blocking shots and stopping high-danger chances.
Unfortunately, this becomes a math problem. Even if the Devils make a move or two on defense, they still don’t have room for Dumoulin. After his insane playoff performance, the Devils already have to find space for Simon Nemec, and eventually, Seamus Casey. They have Dougie Hamilton, Johnny Kovacevic, Jonas Siegenthaler, Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce, and Brenden Dillon. Not sure if you’re a math major, but that’s six guys without Nemec.
Dumoulin is also 33 years old. The Devils don’t need to be investing more in older defensemen. They have a youth movement that’s almost ready to go, and that’s not even considering the addition of the last Hughes brother.