Despite signing a two-year deal with the club in the offseason, former New Jersey Devils forward Justin Dowling has already been cut by the Metropolitan Division rival New York Rangers with preseason games still ongoing.
According to multiple reports, Dowling, 34, was placed on waivers by the Rangers on Monday, along with Rangers teammates Anton Blidh, Trey Fix-Wolansky, and Derrick Pouliot, as part of training camp roster cutdowns.
It's conceivable that the Devils could consider bringing back the veteran center, given that he spent the last two seasons in the organization. Dowling scored a goal in two appearances in 2023-24, then scored two goals, five assists, and seven points for Sheldon Keefe and Co. in 52 games, largely playing in an impossible position to succeed.
Dowling was also trusted to play in all five playoff games for the Devils, so if the team isn't convinced of PTO additions like Kevin Rooney and Luke Glendening, it could be worth bringing back the 34-year-old for the sake of familiarity and adding a known commodity.
At the same time, Dowling has played 573 AHL games across 15 seasons for a reason, and he and the Devils obviously didn't agree to a reunion during the summer.
The formerly undrafted forward is signed to a two-year, $1.55 million contract ($775k AAV) and wouldn't cost the Devils very much at all to bring back, but there would have to be some mutual interest and a successful waiver claim for that to take place.
With Dowling now out of the fold, younger players like Noah Laba, Carey Terrance, Dylan Roobroeck, Adam Edstrom, and Bryce McConnell-Barker will have greater opportunities to establish themselves on the Rangers' roster.