5 Players Who've Played Their Last Game With New Jersey Devils
Every year, the New Jersey Devils see players who've played their final game in red and black. This season, while not as drastic as last season, is no different.
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils season is over. There are a ton of decisions that Tom Fitzgerald has to make, but interestingly, the contract situation isn’t nearly as transformative as it was last season. After the Devils season ended in the second round, they needed to make decisions on about a dozen NHL players.
Of course, we saw the Devils say goodbye to lineup constants like Tomas Tatar, Damon Severson, Miles Wood, Ryan Graves, Jesper Boqvist, Yegor Sharangovich, Mackenzie Blackwood, and more. They also had to give new contracts to Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Erik Haula, and Kevin Bahl. It was an incredibly busy offseason for Tom Fitzgerald.
This year is not nearly as voluminous for the Devils GM. He has 10 contracts ending on the NHL roster, but some are no brainers when it comes to what comes next. He also has 14 AHL contracts coming to an end that will have different levels of impact on the roster. Here, we want to find those contracts that have no chance of being renewed.
Tomas Nosek
Nosek signed an NHL contract last offseason, but he will not remember his time in New Jersey fondly. He was brought in to be a depth piece on the third or fourth line, but he was injured during the Devils second game and didn’t make his return until November. Then, about a week later, he got hurt again. This time, it took him out until February.
The Devils liked Nosek as a locker room presence and someone who did it right on the ice, but numbers are numbers. Nosek finished the season with six points in 36 games. He didn’t get his first point until March 14th. The Devils like a veteran presence on the fourth line, and they do need to add depth, but Nosek is not it. The Devils need someone who at least is a threat to score.