Pucks and Pitchforks
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Players from the Atlantic Division the New Jersey Devils can steal in NHL free agency

The New Jersey Devils need to be active in NHL free agency, and the Atlantic Division has plenty of solid players who wouldn’t mind playing in Newark.

By Todd Matthews

Apr 8, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) tries to poke the puck away from Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier (13) tries to poke the puck away from Boston Bruins left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) during the first period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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Brandon Montour, D/Florida

Between Brandon Montour and Shayne Gostisbehere, the former would be the ideal pickup since he’s more of a complete player. While Montour didn’t set a new scoring record this season, he still played a physical game, saw time on the top-pairing, and reached the half-point per contest milestone. 

Like Gostisbehere, Montour can also quarterback the man advantage, and he’s sensational at setting up scoring chances at even strength, 5-on-5, and especially on the power play. It would be tough to see such a valuable asset leaving Sunrise, but if Montour becomes available, Tom Fitzgerald would have to find a way to outbid a lot of teams if he wanted to bring the blueliner to Newark.  

Yet signing a veteran player whose current team has made two deep playoff runs would be an excellent investment for the Devils. Montour won’t be easy to sign, and he wouldn’t come cheap, but he’s one of the most valuable blueliners in the free agency pool. 

Anthony Duclair, W/Tampa Bay

Anthony Duclair has come on strong regardless of which team he suits up for, and there have been plenty throughout his decade of NHL experience. Recently, he’s been an excellent scorer, especially when he’s on a team that has a strong group of forwards, something that the Devils possess. 

But he’s even put up his fair share of solid numbers on bad teams when it comes to finding the net, and we don’t need to look much further than what he did during his short stint with the San Jose Sharks. But what you may not know is that Duclair will pitch in solid play when his team doesn’t have the puck, which occurred often with the Sharks. 

He was on the ice at even strength for 41 goals in San Jose, yet Duclair’s xGA in the same situation was just 40.8. Duclair’s on-ice save percentage was also a surprising 91.4, and that same number crept up to 92.5 at 5-on-5. Overall, Duclair would help the Devils out not only in an effort to put up more goals but also in the defensive zone. 

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