The carousel of former New Jersey Devils cult heroes continues to spin around the NHL, this time with an old tryout player.
On Tuesday, the Metropolitan Division rival Carolina Hurricanes released Kevin Labanc from his professional tryout offer, along with talented defenseman Oliver Kylington.
Labanc, 29, scored six goals in four preseason games with the Devils last year, but ultimately left the organization without a contract and signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 34 games with them, he scored two goals, 10 assists, and 12 points.
Many Devils fans were hoping Labanc would return to New Jersey in a similar capacity this summer, but the additions of Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov made it an impossible situation for both sides.
However, now that Labanc has missed out on making an NHL team off of a PTO two years in a row, it's possible he may be forced to accept an AHL contract somewhere and sign an NHL contract if and when needed to fill in for injured players.
If Labanc and the Devils had a mutual willingness to reconnect, there could be a fit there. Aside from Brian Halonen, the Devils aren't blessed with a wealth of experienced veterans to bring up from the AHL in a pinch if needed.
Center Justin Dowling is now with the New York Rangers organization, and Curtis Lazar has joined up with Edmonton. The Devils could turn to prospects like Lenni Hameenaho and Shane Lachance, but that should be reserved for only the most significant injuries given their inexperience.
The Devils are likely satisfied, at this point, with an AHL forward depth of Angus Crookshank, Thomas Bordeleau, Halonen, Mike Hardman, and Marc McLaughlin, though none have the NHL pedigree Labanc has amassed over the years.
Time will tell if this is it for the 2024 preseason star, or if he'll manage to land on his feet with another NHL team in the near future.