Will Butcher
Signs with Barys Astana
It is rare to see a career fall off the rails faster than the career of Will Butcher. The former Hobey Baker Award winner as the best player in college hockey signed with the Devils in 2017. He was one of the most coveted college free agents in recent history, spurning the then-floundering Colorado Avalanche to join a supposed up-and-coming Devils team.
It looked like a smart decision at first. Butcher was incredible in his rookie year, making a huge impact on the offense as his instincts and skills immediately translated to the NHL. In his very first game against the team that drafted him, Butcher had three points, the first Devils rookie to do that in his very first game.
Butcher had 44 points in his first season with the Devils, and he added four points in five playoff games. He wasn’t as good in 2018-19, but the Devils still gave him a three-year deal for decent money. Butcher fell off a cliff, and the Devils were forced to give the Buffalo Sabres a fifth-round pick just to take him away.
Butcher was never the same again, and he’s been floundering in the AHL for the Sabres, Penguins, and Wild franchises. Now, still not yet 30 years old, he’s looking to use a change of scenery over trying again in the AHL. He signed with Barys Astana, which is based in Kazhakstan. Hopefully, being a big fish in a little pond can revamp his confidence and line his pockets.