Five Most Intriguing UFAs That Have Played Under Assistant Coach Jeremy Colliton
With the hire of former Blackhawks Head Coach Jeremy Colliton, a connection has been built between current free agents who played under Colliton and the New Jersey Devils.
The New Jersey Devils have recently announced the hiring of Jeremy Colliton as their new assistant coach to be second in command under Sheldon Keefe. According to team reporter Amanda Stein, he will be overseeing the very exciting forward group and power play. In a somewhat contentious move, however, all other members of the coaching staff will be returning for the 2024-2025 season. With Colliton now behind the bench, let’s take a look at some current UFAs with a connection to the newest face in Newark.
1. Erik Gustafsson, Defenseman
Gustafsson's offensive upside would be a decent addition to the New Jersey Devils defense. He has high end skating ability, is talented with the puck on his stick and has a plethora of experience playing under coach Colliton as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks organization. During the 2017-2018 regular season, Gustafsson split time between the NHL and AHL, appearing in 25 contests with the Rockford IceHogs while Colliton served as head coach of the AHL squad.
The following season saw Colliton promoted to head coach in Chicago, with Gustafsson amassing his most impressive season with 60 points in 79 GP in 2018-19. The season after that, before he was traded to Calgary, Gustafsson had a respectable 26 points in 59 GP. One year after signing with Philadelphia in free agency, Gustafsson re-signed with his old club for another stint under Colliton. Even though, early in the season, Colliton was relieved of his duties and replaced, there is no doubt Gustafsson and Colliton have had their fair share of experience with one another. Whether or not this will affect the chances of Gustafsson signing with New Jersey this off-season remains to be seen.
2. Dominik Kubalik, Winger
Dominik Kubalik shared a locker room with Gustafsson as a member of the Blackhawks under Colliton. During a two-season span, Colliton and Kubalik’s time with the Blackhawks overlapped, and Kubalik posted 84 points in 124 GP. Not bad.
Kubalik saw his production go down the season Colliton was let go early on only to eventually find his rhythm during a short stint with the Red Wings. After a down season with Ottawa this past season where Kubalik netted just 15 points in 74 GP, signing a player coming off his worst season statistically in the NHL doesn’t and shouldn’t sound too appealing to Devils fans. However, as was the case with his production, his free agency value went down as well. That, unlike his production, does sound appealing. Maybe a reunion with his former head coach is all Kubalik needs to find his scoring rhythm again.
3. Mattias Janmark
Mattias Janmark would be an intriguing pickup for the New Jersey Devils. Currently a member of the Edmonton Oilers and in the midst of a Stanley Cup Final appearance, Janmark provides a sought-after style of play. For a team in desperate need of grit, Janmark would be a solid option that would fulfill that gritty bottom-six player Tom Fitzgerald is looking for.
Before donning the Oilers blue, orange, and white, Janmark played for Colliton as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks back in the 2020-2021 season. During that time, he appeared in 41 games for the Blackhawks netting 19 points in the process. Janmark would eventually be traded at the deadline to Vegas for draft picks ending his connection to Colliton and the Blackhawks.
4. Patrick Kane, Right Wing
The man who hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup three times. The man who has won the Conn Smythe, Hart, Art Ross, and Ted Lindsay Trophies. The man considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game, who spent 16 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. The man who had his best scoring season under new Devils assistant coach Jeremy Colliton. That man is Patrick Kane.
Yes, that’s right. Patrick Kane scored 110 points in 81 GP during the 2018-2019 NHL season, the year Colliton was promoted as head coach. During the Covid-shortened season after that, Kane potted 84 points overall in 70 GP. Obviously, to even suggest that Jeremy Colliton is the sole reason for Kane’s individual success is ludicrous.
However, based on the statistics provided, it is fair to presume that Colliton got the best individual season out of Kane when he was running things. He didn’t get the best out of those Blackhawks teams, but can he be blamed for that?
Remember, this was at a point when the organization had just dismissed its long-standing Stanley Cup-winning head coach and was in the midst of scandal. A full-blown rebuild was in the works, and nothing could change that—not even Patrick Kane's 110-point season.
Shifting gears, would Patrick Kane be a fit in New Jersey? Quite frankly, not really. Kane would be a nice piece to acquire at the trade deadline to help a contender make the necessary jump into further contention. The Devils are not in this situation. Not yet, at least. Pumping the brakes on Kane's landing in New Jersey would behoove management, especially as they search for players with a healthy combination of grit and skill. Kane does not possess this. At this point, it wouldn’t be a great utilization of available money.
However, at some point a guy with that much hardware and a previous relationship with the new assistant coach may very well be a slam dunk addition for a hungry team.
5. Nikita Zadorov, Defenseman
A notable fan favorite and a very much sought-after asset this off-season, Zadorov is the most intriguing UFA on this list, having spent one season as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks under Colliton. Fresh off a run with the newly formidable Vancouver Canucks, Zadorov is in pole position to cash in on his current situation. About to hit the open market, Zadorov would be a welcome addition to any group with aspirations of competing consistently.
The Devils are in a position to do such a thing. With incoming trades a likely forgone conclusion, it is not out of the realm of possibility that one of the current left-handed defensemen finds themselves in a new Jersey (pun intended) come October. With Luke Hughes, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Kevin Bahl rounding out the left side of the ice, it’s possible that GM Tom Fitzgerald will decide that an upgrade is necessary to ensure a turnaround of fortunes. Santeri Hatakka and Seamus Casey are also in the mix but may very well be valuable assets to utilize in a future trade. Signing a player like Zadorov will not come with questions. It will come with a guarantee that a no-nonsense defense, a defense that fans have been craving for far too long, is here to stay.
If a move is made, it will surely boost a Devils defense that struggled mightily throughout this past season and would elevate any new goaltender wearing a Devils sweater on opening night. Zadorov would bring excitement to this group and be the official start of a foundation where no-nonsense is a formality. Come July, we’ll see if Zadorov in a Devils jersey is a reality and not just a daydream.
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