The New Jersey Devils are creating cap space to make moves this offseason. They started by trading Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators, putting themselves at $14 million in space. They aren't expected to be done after that move, but they are expected to allow the biggest fish in the sea skip their shores. Mitch Marner is reportedly not considering the Devils as an option.
Mitch Marner is expected to get a new contract in the range of $14 million per season. The Devils are more than happy to let another team pay that exhobinant contract, but will they be happy if they have to go through Marner in the Metropolitan Division?
Marner is the top guy in free agency starting on July 1st, and teams are expected to make their move for a 100-point player who has a responsible two-way game and can perform at the highest level. Say what you want about his playoff performance (which is honestly overblown), Marner is worth a massive deal since he's on the open market.
There are a few markets that wouldn't impact the Devils, even in the slightest. If the Anaheim Ducks, Seattle Kraken, Utah Mammoth, or Vegas Golden Knights sign Marner, it doesn't impact the Devils in the slightest. New Jersey will see him at most three times in a season, and they wouldn't cross paths in the playoffs unless it was in the Stanley Cup.
However, one of the top contenders that has emerged for Mitch Marner is the Carolina Hurricanes. Those same Hurricanes knocked the Devils out of the playoffs at the end of April are going after the top player in free agency. The Hurricanes can afford $14 million for a star, and there are few stars that have ever been available as talented as Marner.
The Hurricanes have an interesting collection of stars, led by Sebastian Aho. Nobody is confusing him with one of the top players in the league. Same goes for Andrei Svechnikov. The Canes could use another star, and the Devils would see one of their biggest rivals adding a huge piece just a few months after they eliminated them.
The Devils have bigger aspirations than what they've seen, but it's close to a guarantee that they would have to get passed the Carolina Hurricanes to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. The way the NHL playoffs work, we're still seeing teams matching up with their division rivals in the postseason.
It's honestly why Marner hasn't been able to get out of the second round. The Maple Leafs have had the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, and the Florida Panthers to get through.
New Jersey Devils should root for Mitch Marner to go somewhere not named Carolina
Should fans and the Devils care if Marner signs in Carolina? They should care to a point. This shouldn't be the move that drives the Devils to do anything. Nobody here wants Marner, and especially not for his price.
Yet, the Hurricanes getting much better when the current iteration of the Devils got knocked out of the playoffs by them two times in a row (2023 and 2025), that's bad news. Marner is a great player, and Rod Brind'Amour can get the most out of his players. Will he help Marner get to another level? We don't want to find out.