Players from the Atlantic Division the New Jersey Devils can steal in NHL free agency
With Sheldon Keefe now at the helm for the New Jersey Devils, there will definitely be a few players from the Atlantic Division whom he could have his eye on in NHL free agency. Keefe spent five seasons as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, so it would make sense for him and general manager Tom Fitzgerald to target players in the Atlantic as opposed to the Metropolitan Division.
Keefe’s time with the Maple Leafs didn’t end the way many hockey fans envisioned, as he snagged just one playoff series win despite leading Auston Matthews and company to the postseason in each of his five seasons. So Keefe would also want to use the early portion of his time in Newark to correct the mistakes made in Toronto.
Yet, while with the Maple Leafs, it seemed like neither general managers Kyle Dubas nor Brad Treliving constructed an elite team for Keefe. Instead, the Maple Leafs won just one division title, and that was during a 2020-21 season that saw them playing just a handful of the league’s opponents before the upstart Montreal Canadiens knocked them out in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
New Jersey Devils could raid the Atlantic in NHL free agency
Far too often, those in Toronto relied on their “Core Four,” and as a consequence, the Leafs suffered defensively and at goaltending. Sure, they were good hockey teams, but can you really sit there and honestly claim they were great? It seems like a far cry and general manager Tom Fitzgerald knows this as well as anyone.
So when concocting this list of free agents the Devils could steal from the Atlantic, I had those weaknesses over in Toronto in mind. Ironically enough, the Devils struggled in the same capacities this past season, so don’t be surprised when Fitzgerald looks for two-way forwards and primarily defensemen who can more than just bolster the blue line - though there is one outlier in that realm.
Jake DeBrusk, LW/Boston
Jake DeBrusk will probably be Priority No. 1 on the Boston Bruins to-do list. But if he tests the free agent market, there may not be a better player in the Atlantic Division for the Devils to pursue.
DeBrusk will provide supplementary scoring, and it’s something I listed in my updated offseason checklist that the Devils could use. But perhaps more importantly for New Jersey, DeBrusk will also improve the team’s defensive play, and it’s something they need more than anything else after opponents scored too easily on them.
He’s been one of Boston’s most physical forwards over the last two years, and he would also provide more short-handed help. While the Devils penalty kill was better than you may think last season, someone like DeBrusk could help transform it into a top-10 unit.