It has truly been a rough couple of months for New Jersey Devils fans. After both Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton fell to season-ending injuries, the season has ground to a halt. One key issue that plagued the team, even before the injuries, was a lack of bottom-six skill and scoring depth. Cody Glass, a center acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins at the deadline, has found a home in New Jersey and is providing much-needed help in a depth role.
Glass, a former 6th overall pick in the Golden Knights' inaugural draft, has not had the career his draft slot would indicate up to this point. After a short stint in Nashville, Glass found himself in a productive shutdown role in Pittsburgh. In elevated minutes in New Jersey, Glass has shown flashes of what he can become, given the opportunity.
Cody Glass has been everything the New Jersey Devils have needed in the bottom six
In his short Devils career so far, Glass has amassed six points in eight games while providing good underlying numbers. He tilts the ice in his favor when looking at CF% xGF%, and HDCF%. Beyond that, he has been on the ice for only three goals against while the Devils scored eight goals.
Glass's presence has also elevated his bottom-six counterparts. Players like Paul Cotter and Erik Haula have seen some recent scoring form. For as much as Fitzgerald has messed up this team, Glass has been one move that is hard to critique.
Glass is a restricted free agent this offseason, and it would behoove the Devils to re-sign him. Finding cheap, versatile, and defensive forwards is not an easy feat, and when one of these players is already in-house, it is a no-brainer to keep them around. Glass is coming off a $2.5 million AAV contract, and it should not cost much more to extend him. A three-year, $8.75-9 million contract seems fair for both parties.
A three-headed combo of Hischier, Hughes, and Glass seems like a good first step in the upcoming retooling of this team. It immediately solves the issue the Devils had with center depth. Despite the complaints about Tom Fitzgerald's NHL Trade Deadline performance, Glass has been universally accepted as a slam dunk.