5 NCAA Free Agents New Jersey Devils Should Target Now
The New Jersey Devils need to improve their roster by any means necessary. This includes taking a chance on late bloomers who were passed over in their draft years and signing undrafted free agents to fill out their depth.
Every year, players slip through the cracks in the draft. More often than not, a handful of undrafted or unsigned free agents make it to the league and have success. For a brief period, the New Jersey Devils were the beneficiary when they signed Will Butcher out of college. They also went head-to-head with the New York Rangers for Jimmy Vesey's rights nearly a decade ago.
While most of the time undrafted or unsigned fee agents fail to make a major impact at the NHL level, there are occasions where they contribute at the NHL level. In a worst-case scenario, they can help provide depth in the AHL or ECHL.
Recently, the Devils signed undrafted defenseman Mikael Diotte to an entry-level contract. The 6-foot-3, 20-year-old was passed over in the draft and has spent the last four years in the QMJHL with Drummondville. Also, a former undrafted free agent, Brian Halonen, made his NHL debut with the Devils this year. Halonen was signed from Michigan Tech after a tremendous 44-point senior season.
As the Devils championship window begins to creak open, general manager Tom Fitzgerald may have to get creative regarding adding depth players. The chance to compete for depth roles on a team whose Stanley Cup window is opening could be enticing enough to get a player or two to sign. Corey Pronman of The Athletic recently highlighted a bunch of undrafted free agents, so let's take a look at a few who would fit the best with the Devils.
Collin Graf - RW - Quinnipiac, NCAA
Collin Graf is the prized possession of this year's undrafted free-agent class. The 21-year-old was the leading scorer by a large margin on a Quinnipiac team that won the National Championship last year. In 2022-23, he registered 21 goals and 38 assists and was third in points in the NCAA. Graf has followed it up with another tremendous season, scoring 22 goals and 26 assists through 31 games so far. There was reported interest last season before he decided to go back to school, and it'll be curious if Fitzgerald joins the queue for his signature at the end of the year.
The Devils farm system lacks depth after a lot of prospects turned pro over the last few years. Graf would give the Devils another higher-end wing prospect to go along with Arseni Gritsyuk and Lenni Hameenaho.
He has a ton of offensive talent and has the potential to score in the NHL. He is a very skilled puckhandler who skates well and can create on the move like a pro. He sees the ice well, can run a power play with quick decisions, and has a good shot as well. His game can lack physicality at times and stick too much to the perimeter, which is my only concern about him, but I wouldn’t call him soft or a low-compete type.
Jacob Quillan - C - Quinnipiac, NCAA
Back-to-back Quinnipiac players on the list, which makes sense given their dominance over the last two years. Quillan is second to Graf in points for the Bobcats this year with 44. He put together a solid 2022-23 season with 19 goals and 19 assists but has taken up a bigger role and his production has followed.
Quillan is best described as a strong-skating, two-way center, something the Devils lack depth in. In fact, the Devils center depth is non-existent. 2021 third-round pick Samu Salminen is likely considered their top center prospect, and his chances of ever touching NHL ice are slim. Quillan won't turn into a top-six or even top-nine center, but he would give the organization some depth at the position and could feasibly see some NHL time.
He’s a strong skating center with good puck skills who can create offense with pace. His hockey sense is fine, good enough, to go with a strong compete level and ability to play both ways. At 6-0 without dynamic enough puck play, whether there’s enough to his game to be a real player is debatable, but he could be a very useful depth piece for an NHL organization.
Cooper Black - G - Dartmouth, NCAA
Who wouldn't love another goalie in the mix? The Devils organization has struggled mightily to find a long-term franchise goalie since the decline of Cory Schneider. Until one becomes available, the best strategy is to continue throwing things against the wall and see what sticks. Black could be one that sticks. He is a behemoth of a man, standing at 6-foot-9, something Fitzgerald would covet. In his first season at Dartmouth last year, he was a bit underwhelming but has put together a solid 2023-24 season thus far. He boasts a 13-7-8 record, with a 2.52 GAA and a 0.911 SV%.
As we mentioned, the Devils have yet to find anyone capable of taking the net and running with it. Nico Daws and Akira Schmid have shown flashes but are far from sure things. The position will be addressed this summer, but with talks of Jacob Markstrom, the Devils will still be in the market for a long-term option. Schmid reportedly may want out, meaning Black would have the chance to compete with Daws, as well as Isaac Poulter.
Black is a 6-foot-9 goalie, so his lower half is understandably sluggish getting around the net, but when you have a 6-foot-9 goalie who has some ability it’s still very intriguing. He reads the play quite well and is efficient moving around the net.
Samuel Mayer - D - Ottawa, OHL
If Fitzgerald is looking to double up on undrafted free-agent defenseman, then he should take a look back in the CHL. Mayer is another 20-year-old, 6-foot-3 defenseman similar to Diotte. However, where Mayer usurps, Diotte is on the offensive side of the game. In his first two seasons in the OHL, Mayer had 37 and 48 points, respectively, and currently has 52 points between his time with Peterborough and Ottawa.
Projected bottom-pairing defenseman may be the one spot the Devils have the most depth in, but it wouldn't hurt to add fresh blood into the mix. Mayer is still young enough that he can take two to three seasons in the AHL to develop before making any kind of run at an NHL spot.
He’s an athletic defenseman who may not have the strongest first few steps but has NHL footspeed in a 6-foot-3 frame. He plays hard and projects to be able to make stops and retrieve pucks versus men... He doesn’t see the ice at a high level and whether the junior offense he’s shown translates is questionable, although I do think he has a pro-level point shot.
Jakub Rychlovsky - LW - Bili Tygri, Czechia
The last player on our list brings us to Europe with Czech winger Jakub Rychlovsky. Rychlovsky was a minimal point producer at the top league in Czechia until this season, where he's exploded for 26 goals and 20 assists, and his ninth in the league in points. Despite a lack of production before this season, Rychlovsky has represented the Czechs at multiple international competitions including the U-20 World Junior Championships.
Similar to Graf, the Devils lack forward depth and high-end skill forwards. Rychlovsky has shown this year that he's added a scoring touch to his strong skating. The Devils fast-paced style of play gives anyone with above-average foot speed a fighting chance to play an NHL game. Add in an ability to score and maybe Rychlovsky could sniff an NHL game or two.
The 22-year-old winger is a strong skater with good hands, offensive hockey sense and can finish from range. There’s a reasonable debate on how dynamic he is skill-wise for a 5-11 forward but he skates well enough to give himself a real chance to play games.
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