One dream, one realistic, and one bargain player for the New Jersey Devils in NHL free agency
With NHL free agency now within three weeks away, the New Jersey Devils must start looking toward a few different players who will help the team rebound.
NHL free agency and the defensive rotation, or at least defensive-oriented forwards, should be synonymous with the New Jersey Devils. They could roll with some former players who fans would like to see return to Newark, or general manager Tom Fitzgerald could seek to bring in some fresh faces who have never played in New Jersey.
That said, however, two of the three names you’ll find below are familiar with the Devils, having played against them as division rivals either at one point in their career or currently.
Those three names have been divided into three different categories: A dream free agent, or a player who could make a significant impact at a higher price. A realistic free agent, or one who would come at a modest price, and a bargain free agent. The latter of which may not cost the Devils much if they decided to bring such a player in, but one who could nonetheless make a high impact.
Dream Free Agent: Sean Walker, D
With so much trouble at the blue line last season, Tom Fitzgerald should have a few defensemen on his shortlist, and Sean Walker wouldn’t be a half-bad name to put at No. 1.
Walker played for an overachieving Philadelphia Flyers team throughout most of the 2023-24 season, and remember, he didn’t play in front of the best goaltenders. You can say the same for his stint with the Colorado Avalanche, as he had either an underperforming Alexandar Georgiev or a young Justus Annunen in the crease. Once again, not the most ideal scenarios despite the fact he played for an outstanding team in Denver.
So it shouldn’t be totally surprising that Walker was on the ice for 65 goals allowed at even strength. But it’s always a plus to note that he would be okay with playing in front of so-so goaltending if this is indeed what the Devils roll with and if they sign Walker - but at this point, it’s all hypothetical.
Let’s also consider the whopping 73 goals he was on the ice for in the same situation, his 53.2 Corsi For, despite over 50 percent of his starts occurring in the defensive zone, and the physical game he brought. Walker would be an upgrade over John Marino and Jonas Siegenthaler, and if signed, he would immediately excite those in Newark.
Realistic Free Agent: Dakota Joshua, W
Defense doesn’t always have to come at the blue line, nor should it, and it’s one of a few reasons I listed Dakota Joshua here. Another is that the winger would more than make the Devils more physical, and for a team that logged just 20.3 hits per game in 2023-24, they will need it.
Some may claim there’s far more to playing successful hockey than landing body checks, and that’s true. However, the Florida Panthers (28.5 hits/game), New York Rangers (24.2 hits/game), Carolina Hurricanes (16.87 hits/game), and Boston Bruins (27.54 hits/game), have set the tone for the Eastern Conference.
Of the East’s top four teams, only Carolina was less physical than the Devils, telling us it’s a good idea for more hitters to make their way to Newark. But Joshua is more than just a hitter, as he showed us in Vancouver that he’s capable of being a half-point per game player who possesses an accurate shot - 21.4 shooting percentage in the regular season.
Dakota Joshua could be a fine pickup for the Devils
The one red flag is obvious, and it’s that Joshua landed on injured reserve this past season and missed 19 games in the process. We know the Devils were no stranger to seeing their own players land on IR, so durability is still an unresolved problem with this team, and there is a possibility that Joshua won’t fix it.
Still, he’s a forward who has seen just 64 goals allowed when on the ice at even strength over the past two seasons. He’s a supplemental asset to the power play and a primary force on the penalty kill. It’s also worth mentioning that Joshua was on the ice for 40 goals at even strength, substantially more than his 33.3 xGA, and he was on the ice for just 23 despite an xGA of 29.4.
Bargain Free Agent: Brett Pesce, D
Once a potential trade chip in what could have transformed into a blockbuster deal, Alexander MacLean of Dobber Hockey has Brett Pesce listed with a projected cap hit of just $1.82 million. But don’t let that number fool you, as Pesce is still every bit as effective of a blueliner. It’s also a more than manageable number for a blueliner who, like Sean Walker, could factor in as a better fit than John Marino or Jonas Siegenthaler.
Pesce once again proved he could play top-four minutes; he blocked triple-digit shots for the second year running, and also, like Walker, Pesce dealt with an unstable situation at goaltender for much of the year, with the Hurricanes starting four goaltenders and playing five.
If Tom Fitzgerald rolls with Pesce or someone cheaper than what Sean Walker could go for - cap hit of $4.56 million, per MacLean’s projections, the Devils would get a good puck mover, and one who often found himself in the offensive zone at even strength when the Hurricanes were taking shots.
His Corsi For sat at 58.1, bettering the career-high he set the previous season of 58.0, and it was even slightly higher at 5-on-5. Pesce was once again one of the Hurricanes top blueliners on the penalty kill, and he saw five short-handed goals scored while on the ice while he was also in the game for just 12 goals against.
Hurricanes goaltenders also had a collective 88.3 save percentage when he was on the PK unit. So, despite the cheaper price, we can’t mistake it for Pesce struggling through a subpar season, even if most of his basic stats imply otherwise.
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