The New Jersey Devils really stacked the roster this offseason, and if it wasn’t for the special circumstances they had thanks to the Global Series or injuries to Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce, the Devils would likely have some very hard decisions coming up with some players who were not exempt from waivers.
While the Devils and Tom Fitzgerald saw their job get easier when we thought the trip to Prague, in which they got four out of four points, was going to make life harder, in actuality, it was much easier. They brought everyone on an NHL roster exemption, including Colin White, who had no chance to make the roster.
One player they didn’t bring to Prague was Kevin Labanc, who was signed to the New Jersey Devils on a professional tryout (better known as a PTO). They wanted him to stay behind and play in the final preseason games with the Devils.
When the Devils signed Labanc before training camp, nobody thought he would do what he did. Labanc, at the time of this writing, has more preseason goals (six) than anyone in the NHL. Putting up six goals in four games is huge, and he was doing it with AHL lineups around him. The Devils looked great when he was on the ice, even with opposing teams gameplanning to stop him.
That really put the pressure on the Devils to figure out a way to get him in the lineup. Labanc looked like the best option for that 12th forward spot, playing better than Nathan Bastian, Nolan Foote, and Kurtis MacDermid.
While the Devils were trying to make it work, another team provided a better opportunity for Labanc. The Columbus Blue Jackets signed Labanc to a one-year, one-way deal for the minimum veteran’s salary. It’s a great opportunity for Labanc, who could revitalize his career with a franchise desperate for talent.
It’s an unfortunate situation for the Devils. Labanc earned himself the contract he was given, but the Devils were just dealing with roster size issues and salary cap issues. The Devils are hoping to stay below the salary cap without using long-term injured reserve (which they could use for Luke Hughes).
Labanc went to a place where he gets not only an opportunity to play in the NHL right away but he has a chance to earn a spot in the top six. Meanwhile, the Devils aren’t losing very much. They still have a pretty stacked lineup, and they will likely target forward help at the trade deadline. Hey, they could even target Labanc! (Kidding, that would be ridiculous.)