Thomas Bordeleau entering make-or-break season after signing with New Jersey Devils

After being acquired from the San Jose Sharks, the young Thomas Bordeleau was only able to secure a one-year, league-minimum deal with the Devils. Is it already do or die for the former second-round pick?
San Jose Sharks v Anaheim Ducks
San Jose Sharks v Anaheim Ducks | Sean M. Haffey/GettyImages

Just over three weeks after he was acquired in a trade with the San Jose Sharks, Thomas Bordeleau has signed a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils worth the NHL minimum $775k.

Bordeleau, 23, probably could have bargained for a little more, both in terms of salary and contract length, as a former second-round pick with 44 games of NHL experience and still-unearthed potential.

But, it's clear the Devils didn't see it that way, and the Sharks certainly didn't see it that way.

The 5-foot-10 forward managed to play in only one NHL game for the Sharks this past season despite playing in 27 the year before, scoring six goals, five assists, and 11 points, complemented by a solid 12.5% shooting percentage and a strong 52.8% faceoff percentage.

In that extended run in the big leagues - his only one to date - Bordeleau put up some solid underlying metrics on the power play and, despite the decent scoring totals, was victim to some poor finishing. There's reason to believe that, with a strong showing at training camp and in the preseason, Bordeleau can make the Devils roster as a bottom-six center.

The University of Michigan product was drafted as a smaller but skilled center with good, not great tools; EliteProspects ranked Bordeleau 23rd overall in their 2020 draft rankings.

Given how dismal the Devils' center depth was last year, particularly offensively, and especially after Jack Hughes went down, there's a real opportunity for Bordeleau here.

We can safely assume that Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Cody Glass will operate as three of the team's four centers. Whether Glass slots in as the No. 3 or No. 4 center, and who fills in the last spot, is up for debate. Given his lack of size and his offensive skillset, Bordeleau fills a third-line center role better than a fourth-line checking role.

Thomas Bordeleau's 2025-26 season is essential for his career

In 161 AHL games across five seasons, Bordeleau has produced 47 goals, 60 assists, and 107 points (0.66 points per game overall). There's reason to believe he can be a 30-point player for the Devils in the right environment.

Assuming Hughes, Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Stefan Noesen, and Evgenii Dadonov fill out the top six, Bordeleau could find himself playing alongside some combination of Ondrej Palat, Dawson Mercer, and rookie Arseniy Gritsyuk.

That leaves Paul Cotter and newcomer Juho Lammikko at the bottom of the lineup to contend for a lineup spot alongside Glass on the fourth line, hypothetically.

If Bordeleau pans out for the Devils, the trade with the Sharks will look ingenious. If not, no harm, no foul for Tom Fitzgerald and Co.

It doesn't excuse them for not getting a bona fide No. 3 center, to be clear, but this is an upside move for them that comes with virtually no risk.

As for Bordeleau, coming up on nearly 200 AHL games if he spends another season in the minors, the time is now to make the NHL. On a Devils team in desperate need of center talent, it's make or break for the former Michigan star.