This afternoon, the New Jersey Devils announced their list of qualifying offers. Of the 10 restricted free agents (RFAs) they did have, six were tendered QOs and four were left omitted from the list, meaning that they will all be heading to free agency come July 1.
Arseny Gritsyuk was the only real NHLer who was given a qualifying offer, with the other five members of this list being minor leaguers Nico Daws, Jakub Malek, Amadeus Lombardi, Xavier Parent, and Topias Vilen.
That left Tyler Brennan, Calen Addison, Dylan Wendt, and Paul Cotter as the foursome not receiving QOs. Cotter, of course, is the most notable name on that list. It's anticipated, given that his qualifying offer was just $850,000, that he is destined to hit the free agent market rather than having a contract offer come in below his QO value.
Cotter, 26, was in the last year of his RFA status this season, and it's likely that he was asking for much more in a contract than the Devils were willing to give. His shootout utility is worth legitimate monetary value, and he has excellent puckhandling abilities that allow him to be a stud on breakaway opportunities, but his lack of hockey sense and penchant for over-carrying the puck ultimately made him a bit of a head-scratching player at times.
Addison was a free agent signing last off-season, with a few cups of coffee in the NHL to his name but ultimately too many defensive liabilities in his arsenal to warrant keeping around. Tyler Brennan and Dylan Wendt were both ECHLers with the Adirondack Thunder.
Gritsyuk is easily the most notable player who did receive a qualifying offer, with the assumption that he will be given a medium-term contract given the reports throughout the off-season. Daws and Malek should be the Comets' duo for at least next season, and all of Lombardi, Parent, and Vilen are slated to be significant contributors for Utica as well. Lombardi and Parent should be staples in the top six, while Vilen will almost certainly be a middle-pair mainstay. All three have NHL upside to boot.
While it is encouraging to see the Devils make prudent decisions based on on-ice results, it is admittedly bittersweet that Cotter's silky mitts won't be seen for the black and red next season and beyond.
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