The New Jersey Devils are already making moves this offseason. They traded Erik Haula to the Nashville Predator on Tuesday to clear cap space. They came into the offseason with just $12 million in cap space with a Luke Hughes contract still to be negotiated. Now, they have a little over $14.2 million.
Outside of the Hughes contract, the Devils desperately need to add to their bottom six. They are losing Tomas Tatar, Nathan Bastian, Curtis Lazar, and Justin Dowling to free agency. With the Haula trade, that's another bottom six piece playing on another team. They need to make moves to add talent to the forward group.
One of the players that Devils fans always wanted to circle back on is Fabian Zetterlund. He was part of the package sent to the San Jose Sharks for Timo Meier. He was very good for San Jose this season, adding 17 goals and 19 assists before he was traded to the Ottawa Senators.
Zetterlund struggled with Ottawa, scoring just two goals and adding three assists in 20 regular-season games. He went pointless in the playoffs, failing to contribute to the Ottawa Senators' playoff quest against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
However, dreams of a possible offer sheet is off the table. The Senators decided to pay the man.
Deadline-acquired Fabian Zetterlund is signing a 3 x $4.275M extension in Ottawa
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 19, 2025
The Fabian Zetterlund dream is dead for Devils fans
This should end the dream of adding Zetterlund for good. The big-bodied forward was given more money than the Devils would probably be willing to spend on a bottom-six winger. He has upside, showcasing what he could do with his 20-goal season.
The Swedish powerhouse is turning 26 years old this offseason, and this is probably his peak, but if he can play this way throughout his contract, it will be a steal. Getting a 20-goal bottom-six winger for under $5 million with a rising salary cap is a great way to do business.
There is risk to the deal for the Ottawa Senators, but it's a calculated risk. The Devils probably see how the market is playing out, with Matt Duchene and Ryan Donato also signing deals that are under $5 million. It seems like this type of player is getting this type of deal. You can no longer sign these guys for under $3 million, but those players are also not getting the $6 million that they have gotten in the past. The market is very clear for bottom-six wingers.