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New Jersey Devils fans will be shocked to see who is the number one center on the free agency market

It's clear that NHL Free Agency is desperately bare this season, but after Evgeni Malkin re-signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, that market is in rough shape. New Jersey Devils fans are inherently aware of the guy at the top of the list, and they would respectfully decline his services.
ByNick Villano|
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Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates with the puck against New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce (22) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates with the puck against New Jersey Devils defenseman Brett Pesce (22) during the first period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

New Jersey Devils fans have to look at the free agency class and set the expectations. Right now, the top free agent is probably Buffalo Sabres’ winger Alex Tuch, but he is going to get stupidly overpaid. The Devils should steer clear there, even though he would be a top-six upgrade and help their situation moving forward.

After Tuch, the situation becomes dire. The next best free agent is Rasmus Andersson, who has major question marks right now. Fifth on the list is Jacob Trouba, who the New York Rangers couldn’t wait to exile to Anaheim. 

At one point, Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, Kyle Connor, Martin Necas, and Artemi Panarin were all set to become free agents this season. As is always the case, nobody actually makes it to free agency anymore. 

Just look at who the Devils have going to unrestricted free agency. The list, when it comes to NHL players, is Evgenii Dadonov, Zack MacEwen, and Dennis Cholowski. It’s a dire class.

And it got even worse on Tuesday. The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed Evgeni Malkin to a one-year deal. Despite his advanced age, Malkin was probably the best center on the free agency market. He’s still a quality player, and a team would love to have him, but the Penguins decided to keep him in the Steel City. 

When it comes to centers, there are none in most rankings’ top 20 of the entire class now that Malkin and Charlie Coyle have signed. However, there are two who are traditional third-line centers, and one that Devils fans are very familiar with. 

Former New Jersey Devils center Erik Haula is one of the top free agents at his position

The top two centers on the market are Erik Haula and Boone Jenner. Depending on who you ask, one of those is the top center on the market.

Last offseason, Devils fans rejoiced when Tom Fitzgerald offloaded Haula to the Nashville Predators. They got out of a contract extension they signed and immediately regretted. 

There is no world where the 35-year-old Haula returns to the Devils. He’s not what they need right now, and a team is going to pay him well. The Devils were that team when he was younger, and they didn’t like the output. 

Haula is a guy who can be an asset for a team. He has spurts where he’s a top-six player. The Devils can’t deal with that inconsistency. Let another team pay for that this time. 

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