However, there are still some appealing players available on the market and one of them is previous New Jersey Devils winger Tomas Tatar. Tatar has been linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but fans have picked up on Tatar still skating in full Devils equipment. I figured it would be something to at least touch on.  

If GM Tom Fitzgerald were to be interested in bringing Tatar back on a team-friendly one-year deal to bolster their top-nine, the Devils would most likely have to shed salary or move some money around to make it work. Keep in mind, per CapFriendly, the Devils only have $1,919,167 remaining in cap space. 

Though it’s unlikely, today we will discuss what the positives and negatives of bringing Tatar back on a short-term deal could mean.  

Running it Back with Tomas Tatar: Pros and Cons 

PROs 

• Elite top 9  

It’s clear the Devils have an elite top six, but GM Tom Fitzgerald stressed the importance of also having an elite top nine. Finding a way to bring Tatar back would absolutely bolster the Devils third line and fill the gap at the RW3 position if Alexander Holtz was not ready for that role. Having a third line of Ondrej Palat, Erik Haula, and Tatar would be simply dominant. 

• 5v5 Play 

My favorite attribute about Tatar is his 5v5 metrics, New Jersey outscored their opponents 61-28 with Tatar on the ice at 5v5.  

There’s no question Tatar has very strong on-ice impacts at even strength, he has the playmaking ability to get himself in open areas of the ice and the hockey sense to find an open teammate or bury the puck if needed. Tatar is suitable for 15-25 goals depending on who he is playing with.  

• Defensive Metrics 

Tatar’s defensive game is quite strong as well. He finished the season with a +33-goal differential at full strength finishing second on the team to defenseman Dougie Hamilton. 

Tatar finished last season with an even-strength defense of –0.29 xGA/60 which is impressive.   

CONs 

• Moving Holtz Out of the Lineup 

For quite some time now, Devils fans have been foaming at the mouth to get elite shooter, Alex Holtz on the big club. One can argue he already has the best shot on the team.  

Adding Tatar would come at the price of Holtz either being sent back to Utica to play with the Comets or at least starting the season as the extra forward and watching from the box.  

The Devils have already been down this road with Holtz, and it would probably be the worst scenario for his confidence and development.  

• Playoff Bust 

Bust may be harsh but am I wrong? When the Devils originally signed Tatar, he was already coming off a dreadful playoff performance with the Montreal Canadians where he hardly even played due to his lack of performance.  

Though Tatar’s regular season numbers spiked last year, he still looked nonexistent come playoff time. In 12 playoff games, Tatar posted only one goal and zero assists combining for an abysmal –7 +/-. Tatar finished with 4.58 primary shot contributions at 5v5 (well below his regular season average), and his play-driving ability plummeted to a 48% xGF% over 12 games.    

• Salary Cap  

If the Devils were to add Tatar, there’s no question they would have to move money around to even make a team-friendly deal work. This kind of move is possible by far, but I’m not convinced it would be in their best interest.  

The Devils have just under $2M in cap space, the remaining money should be used at the trade deadline in reserve for injury. Let’s face it, injuries are inevitable, and the Devils don’t know what obstacles they may have to hurdle at the trade deadline.  

• Goaltender  

This one kind of goes with the salary cap narrative but Fitzgerald has stressed over the offseason that he wanted to bring in another starting-caliber goaltender. Fitzy prefers to have Akira Schmid play a full season at the AHL level with the Utica Comets to get in the habit of taking on a full workload. 

With the addition of Tatar, there would be no chance the Devils could possibly manage to add another goaltender to fill in the depth behind Vitek Vanecek.  

Though the addition of Tatar would add tremendous depth and value to the Devils top nine, it seems the negatives heavily outweigh the positives in this case. Sure, adding Tatar on a team-friendly deal for another season would make the Devils’ offense dangerous, but there’s more value in adding depth to other areas or simply waiting until the trade deadline for team needs.  

Not to mention, do we really want to see Holtz in the press box again? I firmly believe it’s finally Holtz season and this is his time to shine! Don’t expect to see Tatar in a Devil uniform again come the start of training camp.  

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Nosek, on the wrong side of 30, will add some veteran presence to a young Devils team that could use a little more experience. Nosek is a 6’2 bottom-six forward who specializes in puck battles and faceoffs.  

Today we’re going to break down what the addition of Nosek means for the Devils. 

 What Nosek Brings to the New Jersey Devils

Playoff Experience

Nosek is no stranger to playoff hockey. He’s made the playoffs every season since the 2017-18 campaign totaling 52 games. Nosek has six goals and eight assists for 14 points in that span.  

GM Tom Fitzgerald has stressed the importance of adding players like Nosek to the roster to help get the younger guys acclimated to NHL hockey and what it takes to grind through a playoff run.  

Adding a player like Nosek to the system should help players like Alex Holtz, Graeme Clarke, and Nolan Foote on and off the ice.   

Versatility

It’s no secret that head coach Lindy Ruff likes to switch up his line combinations when things are not going well. Nosek was most utilized with the Boston Bruins as a fourth-line center. 

On the Devils team website, he’s listed as a left-winger but I wouldn’t buy too much into this. We know once Ruff starts to shuffle his lines, things tend to become unpredictable. With Nosek, Ruff will have more options to move players around where he feels he has a matchup advantage or if an inevitable injury occurs.  

Lastly, many Devil fans know by now that Michael McLeod may possibly be involved in the Canada investigation. If McLeod is indeed involved, he most likely will incur an indefinite suspension. The addition of Nosek provides the Devils with some insurance at fourth-line center if they lose McLeod.  

Faceoff Specialist 

One of Nosek’s best traits over the span of his career is winning faceoffs. Nosek has won 54.7% of his draws throughout his career and has never been below 50%. Last season alone, he won 59% of his draws with the Bruins.  

With how good Nosek is on the faceoff, there is a chance we see Nosek utilized the same way Ruff would use McLeod. Sometimes Ruff would throw McLeod out there in the offensive zone or overtime to win the faceoff. Nosek will be a good situational addition to the roster.  

Above Average Penalty Killer 

I wouldn’t quite call Nosek “elite”, but he is capable of filling the Yegor Sharangovich role. Nosek doesn’t have the breakaway speed or shot of Sharangovich, but he is reliant and an all-around above-average situational defender.  

Of 12 penalty killers to play 50+ minutes for Boston last season, Nosek was on for 4.28 goals against per 60 placing him middle of the pack in xG suppression. Nosek also averaged 2:33 of shorthanded ice time per game, which ranked him second on the team.  

It’s obvious the signing of Tomas Nosek doesn’t move the needle a ton. The signing is strictly for depth, penalty killing, and faceoffs.  

The presence of locker-room leadership and playoff experience will add to what Fitzgerald was looking for in the offseason. Sitting at 6’2 will also add some size to the Devils as well. Nosek doesn’t play a physically grueling game, but he knows how to use his body in dirty areas of the ice. 

Nosek is not going to give the Devils much offense, if any. He plays a pretty simple game and was signed to add stability in areas the Devils were lacking. However, it’s a smart move by the Devils to add depth to their bottom six and insurance if Mcleod receives an indefinite suspension.   

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With the Devils getting the most important moves out of the way, it still remains to be seen if GM Tom Fitzgerald is going to dip into the goalie market.  

Keep in mind, the Devils don’t have to make a move. There is always the option of running it back in net with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid if that’s the route the Devils decide to go.  

Per Cap Friendly, the Devils have $5.6M remaining in cap space and rumors have been swirling since the start of free agency if the Devils will have interest in adding an elite goaltender. 

Today we’re going to dive into the goaltender market and investigate who the Devils may have an interest in acquiring.  

Remaining Goaltender Targets for the New Jersey Devils

Connor Hellebuyck  

At the beginning of Free Agency, Pierre LeBrun reported on TSN that the Devils have an interest in acquiring Connor Hellebuyck.  

Hellebuyck has one year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $6,166,666 which would bring him to free agency as a UFA (Unrestricted Free Agent) for the 2024-25 season. 

No doubt about it, Hellebuyck is the best goaltender available. He has an average SV% (Save Percentage) of .916 with a GAA (Goals Against Average) of 2.66 over his entire career.  

Don’t get me wrong, Hellebuyck is among the best of the best and gives you elite consistency but that is a huge cap hit. If the Devils acquired Hellebuyck, the Winnipeg Jets would have to retain some salary to make it work. In return, the Devils would have to part with some serious assets for a goaltender who would become a UFA by the end of the season.  

John Gibson  

On 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman added Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson to the list of potential New Jersey Devil targets.  

Gibson is tied to a long contract with a $6.4M AAV (Average Annual Value) with four years remaining that brings him to free agency as a UFA in 2027-28. 

Gibson is a freak athlete who has struggled for the past five years. We know he’s a very athletic goaltender, but his numbers have fallen off a cliff partly due to playing for a struggling Ducks team who tends to give up plenty of high-danger chances. Over the last five seasons, Gibson has been sporting a .905 SV% and averaging a 3.2 GAA.  

 I would not be a fan of acquiring Gibson from the Ducks. There’s simply too much risk in attaining a struggling goaltender who has four years remaining on a relatively pricy contract. Though a change of scenery could be exactly what Gibson needs, there’s just too much risk in taking that chance. 

Logan Thompson  

A week or two ago, it was reported by a few outlets that goaltender Logan Thompson would make sense as a possible fit for the Devils.  

Thompson is a 26-year-old goaltender for the Las Vegas Golden Knights with 57 games of NHL experience under his belt. What is so appealing about Thompson is he’s signed to a very team-friendly deal with a cap hit of $766,667 for the next two years which will bring him to free agency as a UFA.  

There’s not too much data to go off, but in a vacuum, he’s done a pretty good job. Over his entire career (57 games) he averages a .915 SV% with a GAA of 2.65.  

If I were the Devils, this is the player and contract I’d be looking into. Thompson isn’t even close to an elite goaltender and certainly isn’t in the category of the last two players we’ve talked about, but risk vs reward here looks pretty good. Thompson has shown he’s capable of an NHL workload and could be a good option with a very team-friendly cap hit.  

Juuse Saros 

There hasn’t been too much noise surrounding Saros and the Devils, but we’ve recently started to hear a few rumblings.  

Juuse Saros has two years left on his deal with an AAV of $5M, bringing him to free agency as a UFA for the 2025-26 season.  

In my opinion, the 28-year-old Finnish netminder should be the Devils’ number one target if they decide to go after a goalie. Over the last five seasons, Saros has an average SV% of .919 with a GAA of 2.59.  

Saros would give the Devils elite goaltending with a more reasonable cap hit than the other two options of Gibson and Hellebuyck. Last season, he led the league in GSAE (Goals Saved Above Expected), shots against, and shots saved.  

With highly drafted prospect Yaroslav Askarov shortly on his way to the Nashville Predators, Saros could be on the move and he checks all of the boxes for what the Devils should be looking for. Getting two years of Saros below market value would be a great addition to this Devils team. 

Adding a goaltender is more of a want for the Devils than a need. The organization could easily run back Vanecek and Schmid as their goaltenders for the upcoming season. GM Fitzgerald has quoted in recent weeks the interest in adding an elite goaltender, but he never ruled out the chance of bringing back Vanecek and Schmid. Whatever the Devils decide to do in the coming weeks, this team is going to be very fun to watch regardless. 

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The trade was a fleece! Yes, I’m not afraid to say it, an absolute fleece! I’m so confident with what Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has done that I don’t even want to waste any more time. Let’s dive right in with three reasons this is a massive win for the Devils.  

Devils Fleece Flames for Tyler Toffoli

Who is Tyler Toffoli?

Toffoli is a 31-year-old top-six right-shot winger who can really rip the puck and play off the rush. He is a well-above-average goal scorer who also ranks in the 93rd percentile with in-zone exits. For the Devils, he is the perfect fit for what they’re looking for, it almost seems like a perfect marriage.  

Per data from CapFriendly, Toffoli has a projected WAR% (Wins Above Replacement Percentage) of 91%. He has an Evolving Offense of 85% and an Evolving Defense of 73% with his finishing coming in at 87%. The guy is a playmaker in many facets of the game who will really give the Devils the scoring boost they’re looking for. You can also get used to seeing Toffoli on the power play where he’s going to feast on goalies in the Devils system.  

Toffoli was so good for the Flames last season, his totals were higher than his previous season. He averaged 0.93 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five and finished with 34 goals and 73 points.  

The Devils can now trot out a top-six of Meier-Hughes-Mercer and Bratt-Hischier-Toffoli giving both lines very capable scoring options. There’s no question the Devils are a much better team with Toffoli now in the mix. 

The Trade Package 

When reports were originally swirling that the Flames may be shopping Toffoli, the assumed return on assets seemed to be much more than what the Devils seemed to have given up.  

For a player of Toffoli’s caliber, coming off a career season on a sub $4.5 million contract, I would’ve expected the Flames to fetch Yegor Sharangovich, the Devils 2025 first-round pick (their 2024 first-round pick was used in a conditional trade for Timo Meier), and an A or B level prospect. Let’s say, Seamus Casey.  

Instead, the Devils were able to land Toffoli for only RFA Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick. The free third-round pick was acquired in the Damon Severson sign-and-trade only a week or so ago. Sharangovich and the Flames haven’t even kicked tires on contact talks yet. This isn’t a scenario where we see a sign-and-trade to get more value in assets coming back the other way. 

This was strictly a fleece from Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald. We’re talking about giving away a player who had a 16-point drop-off (Sharangovich) and a free third-round pick for a guy who the coach of the Montreal Canadians called “captain material”.  

Toffoli will bring leadership and added experience to the Devils. He has 733 games under his belt, 227 goals, and 239 assists, for 466 points.  

The Contract

A very interesting piece that makes Toffoli so attractive is his contract situation. He has a year left on his contract before he becomes a UFA (Unrestricted Free Agent), but he has a cap hit of $4.25 million with a base salary of only $3.5 million.   

In his 2021-2022 season, Toffoli totaled 20 goals and 29 assists for 49 points. This past season, Toffoli’s stats spiked to 34 goals and 39 assists for 73 points. His increase in production makes his contract situation much more appealing.  

Now with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier as his center, there’s no doubt Toffoli will be ready to cook come next season. 

One could argue that Tom Fitzgerald and the New Jersey Devils have won the offseason so far to this point. We aren’t even to the NHL Draft yet and Fitzy seems to have made plenty of positive moves to better the team. I have full confidence that Fitzgerald will keep making the right decisions to better the Devils’ chances of becoming cup contenders for many years to come. Get ready Devils fans, it seems next season is going to be a heck of a ride.  

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LeBrun on Insider Trading: “The New Jersey Devils are one of the teams we understand that Connor Hellebuyck would be interested in signing an extension with in a sign-and-trade. New Jersey has investigated it, and they’ve had a conversation with Winnipeg, but I think what probably would give NJ pause and some other teams is the kind of money that Hellebuyck would want in an extension, we believe that to be in the Vasilevskiy range, $9.95M per year.” 

As exciting as landing a goalie of Hellebuyck’s caliber would be, today we’re going to play devil’s advocate and list four reasons why the New Jersey Devils should not trade for Connor Hellebuyck. 

Three Negatives on the New Jersey Devils Possibly Trading for Hellebuyck 

Too Much Money

As LeBrun mentioned above, Hellebuyck is asking for Vasilevskiy-type money which would be around the $9.5M range. If a trade were to take place, do the Devils have the money to take on a long-term extension for Hellebuyck? The answer should be no, but they could make it work if Hellebuyck is who they really want. 

The Devils already have five players on contracts making north of $7 million dollars with Timo Meier looking for an extension between the $8-9 million range.  

Considering Dougie Hamilton is getting paid $9M, extending Hellebuyck to a $9.5 million dollar contract (what he’s asking for) would give the Devils two players on long-term extensions of $9 million or above. 

With Dawson Mercer, Luke Hughes, and Simon Nemec looking for extensions after their ELC (Entry Level Contracts) burns up, taking on another long-term extension could be a recipe for disaster. 

Age  

Let’s face it, Hellebuyck is already on the wrong side of 30. He’s got one year left on the expiring contract he already has and will be looking for a long-term extension of say eight years.  

Does GM Tom Fitzgerald really think signing an eight-year contract to an elite goaltender north of 30 is a good idea? We would be looking at Hellebuyck’s extension expiring near the age of 38 to 39.  

Don’t get me wrong, Hellebuyck is the real deal and has shown no flashes of regression, but you’ve got to think as he grows older the wheels will start to fall off or the risk of injury is much greater. 

This also comes from an organization that knows a thing or two about signing goalies to long-term contracts and ends in disaster, a la Corey Schneider.   

Asset Management 

So, let’s say the Devils and Jets agree to terms on a sign-and-trade to bring Hellebuyck to New Jersey. Even after a massive cap hit, there’s still another obstacle to hurdle. What assets would a sign-and-trade for an elite goaltender in Hellebuyck cost the Devils? 

Well, for starters, the Devils would almost certainly have to give up their 2025 first-round pick. The Devils 2024 first-rounder can’t be moved due to conditions from the Timo Meier trade.  

The Jets would then need a goaltender to replace Hellebuyck so one would assume they would try to pry Akira Schmid from the Devils. Though it’s doubtful the New Jersey Devils will give up Schmid, they’d likely try to give up Vitek Vanecek to shed some cap.  

Losing Vanecek to add Hellebuyck sounds like a pretty good deal for the Devils, right? Well, if Winnipeg was forced to take on Vanecek then they would most likely demand the rights to the number seven overall pick in the 2020 draft, Alex Holtz.  

I’d imagine Yegor Sharangovich would be part of a deal to give the Jets some added scoring and help on special teams as well.  

Another direction the Devils could move with Hellebuyck is adding him on a shorter-term contract to avoid regression and cap implications far into the future. Still, as earlier reported, that is not what Hellebuyck is looking for.  

Whatever Tom Fitzgerald and the New Jersey Devils decide to do with Hellebuyck, it will be a franchise-altering decision. Though nothing in the NHL is guaranteed, adding an elite goaltender in Hellebuyck could dramatically improve the Devils’ chances of winning a cup, but it could also damage the cap for the future.  

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The deal lands the Swedish winger the third highest-paid contract on the team sandwiched between center Jack Hughes ($8M AAV) and captain Nico Hischier ($7.25 AAV). 

Today, we’re going to go over four important takeaways from the lucrative contract the two sides agreed upon.  

Four Takeaways from Jesper Bratt’s New Contract 

Hidden Gem

One of the most fascinating takeaways is the fact that Bratt has come from being a #162 overall draft pick to a $63 million man at the young age of 24. Bratt was a sixth-round pick in the 2016 NHL Draft who hit the ground running right out of camp.  

Finding a player that late in the draft with as much success in the NHL as Bratt has had is like finding a needle in a haystack. On average, only 15% of fifth and sixth-round picks play some games in the NHL, let alone becoming a star and bonafide play-driver.  

Bratt has turned into a dynamic two-way forward with an accurate shot and skilled rush play who has no issues with driving a line if needed. His 2022-2023 scorecard projects to have an Offensive WAR (Wins Above Replacement) value of 94% with a finishing WAR% coming in right below at 91%. There’s no question this guy knows how to generate offense and put the puck in the back of the net.  

I’ve seen a lot of Twitter GMs and Devil fans breaking down the value of Bratt’s contract and I think everyone needs to just stop what they’re doing and take a second to acknowledge the fact the New Jersey Devils hit a home run with Jesper Bratt and the progression he’s made since his eligible draft year. Not often do you find a star player of Bratt’s caliber in the sixth round of the NHL Draft. 

Term That Should Age Well

In the last few months, much of the debate has been around GM Tom Fitzgerald’s comments stating he wanted to keep his players’ AAV below the Jack Hughes contract signed for $8 million. Getting lost in this topic was the length of the contract. 

With the NHL salary cap projected to rise within the next couple of years, we’ve seen RFA (Restricted Free Agent) contracts getting shorter. Star players are wanting to sign deals at a higher AAV on a lesser term contract of maybe three-to-five years. The process behind a deal like this offers a star player the opportunity to cash in on another contract when the cap goes up. 

With that being said, I expected Bratt and his camp to settle on a three-to-five-year contract of around $8 million so they can yet again cash in when Bratt hits the healthy age of around 28-30. However, that was not the case. Fitzgerald and the New Jersey Devils did a spectacular job of getting Bratt locked up for eight years.  

The term on the Bratt contract is a win in many different ways for the Devils. Having Bratt locked up at $7.875M for the next eight years will allow the Devils more cap space to work with down the road. Since the Devils’ core is all but locked up aside from Timo Meier, the added money can be used to add extra depth pieces in the bottom six when needed for a playoff run.  

Reasonable AAV

I’m not going to waste too much time on this one because it’s a topic that has been beaten to the ground the last few weeks. 

I don’t think the $7.875 AAV was a slam dunk or an out-of-the-park home run, but I do think it’s a healthy number for the Devils. Recent rumors had Bratt projected anywhere between $7.7M and $8.5M so it’s nice to see Bratt get in at the lower end of these projections.  

As I stated in the previous takeaway, GM Fitzgerald wanted to keep Bratt’s contract below star centerman Jack Hughes’ $8 million cap hit and that’s exactly what he got.  

Front Loaded Contract

As previously stated by New Jersey Devils team reporter Amanda Stein, Bratt’s contract has been front-loaded. Below is a breakdown of the contract.  

• 23-24: $10M 
• 24-25: $9M 
• 25-26: $9M 
• 26-27: $8M 
• 27-28: $7.2M 
• 28-29: $7.2M 
• 29-30: $6.6M 
• 30-31: $6M 

Total $63M (Bratt’s jersey number)  

 As you can see, the contract is very top-heavy in the beginning and drops off year by year. I’m a big fan of this considering the Devils have a few players coming in on ELC (Entry Level Contracts) this coming season. The Devils have the money now to take on a little extra cap to set themselves up down the road. Once the young players ’ELCs burn up, they will need a heavy extension and the fall-off on Bratt’s contract is a nice place to find some extra needed cap space for the future.  

Considering it took two years for Fitzgerald and Bratt’s camp to come together on a deal, this is a win for both sides. Fitzgerald stands his ground getting Bratt locked up below $8 million and Bratt gets a lucrative contract paying him for the next eight years while staying in New Jersey. 

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The deal for Severson is 8 years at $6.25M AAV (Average Annual Value) with $10.8M in bonuses which bolsters the Columbus Blue Jackets’ top-4 on the blue line. Below is a breakdown of Severson’s contract.  

-2023-23: $6M salary, $2M Bonus
-2024-25: $6M salary, $2M Bonus
-2025-26: $5.5M salary, $2M Bonus
-2026-27: $4.1M salary, $2M Bonus
-2027-28: $3.3M salary, $1.8M Bonus
-2028-29: $5.1M salary, $1M Bonus
-2029-30: $5.1M salary, No Bonus
-2030-31: $5.1M salary, No Bonus 

Today we will quickly take a look at what the trade does for both sides.  

Damon Severson Traded from Devils to Blue Jackets 

New Jersey Devils

There’s no question that losing Severson is a bitter taste in the mouth of Devils fans. He was New Jersey’s longest-tenured Devil and had overcome a ton of adversity. Most of his lengthy career with the team was during a rebuild. The reality of the situation is the Devils were going to lose Severson regardless. 

If GM Tom Fitzgerald wants to re-sign star wingers Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt, then something had to give in other areas due to cap complications. The Devils have a young star in the making Luke Hughes, who is more than prepared to step in and fill Severson’s role next year on an ELC (Entry Level Contract).  

Decision 

With Hughes ready to step up and UFA (Unrestricted Free Agent) Severson looking for a huge bag of money with a lengthy term, losing Severson was only a matter of time. The Devils only had two choices in this situation. 

Choice 1: Let Severson walk to free agency as the #1 touted prospect where he would be able to choose his future destination and risk receiving nothing in return. 

Choice 2: Trade Severson’s rights to an interested team and receive somewhat of a return in the process. 

The Devils seemed to go the second route by not only trading his rights to Columbus but signing Severson beforehand to maximize the return. The deal fetched the Devils a 3rd round pick which holds decent quality value for this year’s NHL Draft. Some pretty good work by GM Fitzgerald and the Devils. 

Columbus Blue Jackets

As a Devils fan, I can sit here all day and rave about the person and player Columbus is getting in Severson but nobody has time for that so I will try and make this brief. 

The Saskatchewan native, right-side offensive defenseman is an analytical darling with incredible passing ability. He has a knack for making bold passes which would result in either the occasional silly mistake or an incredible stretch pass across the ice for a high-danger chance.  

Severson has a WAR% (Wins Above Replacement) of 94%, which is very impressive. He can quarterback the PP2 (2nd line power play) and has a heavy shot that can get through traffic from the blue line.  

The Trade 

In the last 72 hours, the Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired Severson and Ivan Provorov, setting themselves up for a lethal blue line and a run at the playoffs. The trade clearly speeds up any sign of a rebuild in Columbus.  

I’ve always believed that if you feel the perfect player to fit your system is available on the market, then you should go get him and that’s exactly what the Blue Jackets did.

Giving up a third-round pick to solidify getting your player is more than worth the risk. I applaud Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen for locking up Severson before hitting the market and becoming available to other teams.  

The only thing about this trade I’m skeptical about is an 8-year contract will bring Severson to age 36, which will be after his prime. The back end of this contract just screams a buy-out if Severson cannot sustain the above-projected analytics.   

For now, the trade seems to be a win for everyone. The Devils receive a 3rd round pick, the Blue Jackets get their guy locked up for 8 years, and Severson gets the big bag of money he’s worked so hard to earn.  

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There was speculation for some time that Ruff would move into a front office role and hand the reins over to assistant head coach Andrew Brunette. However, this never came to fruition considering Ruff coached the Devils to a 55-22-8 record.  

Once Fitzgerald made it clear in the Devils end of season media availability that Ruff would be back as head coach, Brunette decided to part ways and take on a head coaching role with the Nashville Predators.  

Today we’re going to explain why Fitzgerald is making the right move in bringing Ruff back into a head coaching role. 

Bringing Back Lindy Ruff: New Jersey Devils

Jack Adams Award Finalist  

For the fourth time in his career, after already winning the award in 2006 with the Buffalo Sabers, Ruff has been named a Jack Adams Award finalist after making the biggest turnaround in NHL history. Though he didn’t win the award, it’d be very hard to let go of a coach who was in the running considering you almost never see Jack Adams finalists available looking for a new job.  

After coaching the Devils to their 55-22-8 record and finishing second to only the Carolina Hurricanes in a tight race for the Metro, the Devils didn’t stop there.  

They went on to win a round in the Stanley Cup Playoffs against their rival New York Rangers. Though Akira Schmid stole the show, the Devils certainly wouldn’t have won that series without Ruff’s adjustments to the Rangers. 

Players Coach 

There’s no question Ruff is highly respected in the locker room by players. Superstar Jack Hughes has made it very clear in post-game interviews that Ruff has been a big part of the identity and culture the Devils have developed in the 3 years he’s been behind the bench.  

Ruff has a knack for trusting young players with a lot of ice time and allowing them to develop in ways most coaches would never give an inexperienced player.  

For example, look at how he handled Luke Hughes towards the end of the Devils’ season. Ruff put his trust in Luke and he delivered, eventually getting rewarded with the second most ice-time in the last two games of the playoffs by a Devils defenseman.  

According to team reporter Amanda Stein, in Fitzgerald’s end-of-season media presser, he mentioned “I’ve always said that Lindy Ruff was the right coach for this team. So here we are today. He’s still the right coach for this group, he’s earned that right. He deserved that; we deserve him to be quite honest…those kids love him.” 

Experience

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be the first to admit Ruff makes some head-scratching lineup decisions from time to time. He catches plenty of criticism when, for example, he takes Kevin Bahl out of the lineup for Brendan Smith. 

Ruff, at 63 years of age, has coached in 1,713 games with an overall record of 834-652-78-149. He is currently the fifth-most-winning coach in NHL history, as he was previously the coach of the Buffalo Sabers and Dallas Stars before he took over the New Jersey Devils. 

Experience is certainly not an issue with Ruff behind the bench for this young team and more importantly, he has plenty of playoff history as he’s coached in 120 games with a record of 66-54. 

Bringing back Lindy Ruff as the go-to guy behind the bench may not seem like an absolute slam dunk but it certainly is the right move. The positives immensely outweigh the negatives and if the players are happy then it’s a good sign we will even see him past the 2023-2034 season. 

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In April, Corey Pronman of The Athletic released his infamous NHL Prospect Pipeline Rankings. He had the New Jersey Devils ranked third. That’s an extremely promising pipeline for a team whose window is just opening for a long Stanley Cup run. The Devils will certainly need some of these guys on ELCs (Entry Level Contracts) to balance the Salary Cap. 

Let’s dive right into which star-studded prospects should have a chance to make the team next year! 

 New Jersey Devils: Prospects Who Could Shine in 2023

Luke Hughes 

Luke Hughes is all but a lock to make the team next year. He finished his college career with the Michigan Wolverines totaling 10 goals and 38 assists in 39 games, but most importantly, he sharpened up his defense.   

Lindy Ruff decided in the final game of the regular season to put Hughes out there and he shined. Hughes had an assist and the overtime game-winning goal against the Washington Capitals. He blew through the zone, toe-dragged through three defenders, and turned on his speed for a beautiful wrap-around goal. 

Hughes was then thrown to the wolves in the playoffs after gaining Ruff’s trust and held his ground. He finished with two points in three games and 19:15 of time on ice. He will no question be on the team next year. 

Šimon Nemec 

Šimon Nemec, the rangy Slovak right-shot defenseman taken second overall in the 2022 NHL Draft, has been more than solid in his first stint in American pro hockey. He played in 65 games and finished with 12 goals and 22 assists for a total of 34 points with a goal share of +5.2% at even-strength. Doing all this at only the age of 19. 

When the puck is on his stick, he shines with confidence and uses his deception and body control to his advantage. Nemec is an outstanding two-way defenseman with a high-end hockey sense. He excels with his passing and has a knack for finding the open man. Some compare his play to Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings. His control and patience are why he will find himself in the NHL next season.  

Akira Schmid  

Schmid is in an interesting position. He had an outstanding season and playoff performance. He stepped up and did everything right when called upon. I think everyone will agree, he saved the season against the New York Rangers with his incredible comeback.  

It’s really going to depend on what the organization decides to do at the goaltender position. Mackenzie Blackwood will be gone. Will GM Tom Fitzgerald want to pay up to bring in a proven goaltender like Connor Hellebuyck? I think that’s a terrible idea considering it would block Schmid’s development and crush the salary cap. 

Fitzgerald and the Devils should decide to run with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid as their tandem next year and it shouldn’t be a surprise.  

Alex Holtz

The Swedish winger has been a highly regarded pick in the New Jersey Devils system for some time now. Alex Holtz was drafted seventh overall and has high expectations. Many have expected him to be in the big league by now, but his skating and pace have really held him back.  

Holtz has an elite shot that has New Jersey Devils fans foaming at the mouth to get this guy on Jack Hughes’s wing already. The question is, can he keep pace with the speedy center? It’s been frustrating for both parties considering he hasn’t found his footing and he had a rocky season in the AHL as he only played in 14 games.  

In those 14 games though, he produced six goals and five assists. I think Holtz will finally take advantage of the opportunities in front of him and join the big-league next year. He’s just too talented.  

Graeme Clarke  

Graeme Clarke, the big brother of the highly touted defensive prospect for the Los Angelos Kings, Brandt Clarke. Graeme, however, hasn’t had the smoothest transition to the NHL like his little brother is expected to have. He was drafted in the third round at 80th overall in the 2019 draft class.  

In his D+1 season, he had a gruesome shoulder injury. In his D+2 season, the OHL canceled forcing him to develop in the Chechia league. 

However, Clarke has been improving year after year and lit it up this AHL season finishing with 25 goals and 33 assists in 68 games for the Utica Comets. He’s been one of Utica’s top players and has proven he can overcome adversity. Look for Clarke to possibly carve out a role as an NHL regular next year.  

Nolan Foote 

Nolan Foote was drafted 27th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2019 draft. He was eventually traded to the Devils as a piece of the Blake Coleman trade. Foote had a rough start to his development as he was injured for quite a while.  

By the time Foote was traded to the Devils, his injury was still nagging him, and he struggled in the AHL. Now he’s turned it up a notch scoring 20 goals and 17 assists for 37 points in 55 games.  

Foote’s most dangerous attribute is his shot. Like Holtz, Foote has had trouble keeping pace in the AHL but has certainly turned a corner this year and should have a shot at joining the Devils next season.  

Reilly Walsh

Reilly Walsh is an interesting prospect; I believe he could be playing in the NHL now if he was in a different organization. He’s probably hit the peak of his production as he’s 24 years of age.  

Walsh is an offensive defenseman who has above-average skating and a decent shot. His defense is what holds him back from really excelling in his development. Walsh has turned himself into one of Utica’s star players as he’s finished this season with nine goals and 32 assists in 71 games.  

I could see the Devils using Walsh next season as either the extra defenseman or sending him to another team in a trade to give Walsh a chance to better his career.  

 The New Jersey Devils have plenty of talented prospects in their system. It should be interesting to see how things unfold with some veterans leaving and younger prospects getting a shot at making the big club. Time will tell who is going to step up and make the best of their opportunities. 

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Who Stays and Who Goes: New Jersey Devils

Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier

Currently, the Devils have eight restricted and five unrestricted free agents on the roster with the two most important players being wingers Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier. Bratt should land somewhere around five years to give him another big contract for the future. Whereas Meier will probably be looking for a max contract. These two players will be GM Tom Fitzgerald’s top priorities as it’s a no-brainer to get them signed long-term. Guys like Bratt and Meier don’t grow on trees. 

Kevin Bahl and Nathan Bastian

Once Bratt and Meier are taken care of, we should then see the trickle effect of what’s to come afterward. I’d imagine Kevin Bahl and Nathan Bastian will be back. Each should expect a 2-3 year bridge deal to reevaluate their play at another time. 

Bahl’s size and physicality make him an attractive player to want to keep around. He has developed into a very capable defenceman who can play top-4 minutes if needed. It’s not every day you see a guy as big as Bahl be able to skate, hit, and get the puck where it needs to be with competence.

Bastain is a player who fits his 4th-line role perfectly. He’s not afraid to muck it up in front of the goaltender and he helped the Devils to 59% goal-sharing at 5v5 this year. He plays on the power play when needed and produced at a 30-point pace. However, the remaining FAs should be a question mark.  

Michael McLeod and Jesper Boqvist

Michael McLeod impressed in the playoffs and is relied upon heavily for the penalty kill and his elite faceoff percentage, but he is still dealing with the Canadian World Junior investigation which has raised some eyebrows. If the investigation works out in McLeod’s favor, I’d expect a healthy extension of 3-4 years.  

Then you have Jesper Boqvist with solid defensive metrics who could come back on a cheap one-year deal. Boqvist should not be fetching much money because he doesn’t offer much offensively. The question is, are the Devils content with his lack of offensive production in a top-9 role? 

Mackenzie Blackwood and Yegor Sharangovich

I would not expect Mackenzie Blackwood or Yegor Sharangovich to return. Blackwood has had a rough go with the Devils due to injury and issues inside the organization. I’d expect him to move on to a team that will give him opportunities for more ice time. Blackwood would fit nicely on a team like the Senators. 

Sharangovich should be expecting a decent raise and I don’t think the Devils have the money to fork over if they sign Bratt and Meier. However, I could see Sharangovich sticking around if the Devils value his finishing and PK (penalty kill) abilities. If the Devils decide to bring him back, expect somewhere between a one or two-year deal. 

Miles Wood

Then we have the five remaining unrestricted free agents of Miles Wood, Erik Haula, Tomas Tatar, Damon Severson, and Ryan Graves. Wood should have a relatively decent cap hit so I think he will definitely be out of the question as far as his future with the Devils. His lack of finishing ability and knack for stupid penalties makes a new contract look very unrealistic. 

Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar

Haula seems like he really wants to be back in New Jersey. He stressed at the end of the season how he really believes in the culture the Devils are building and Jack Hughes seems to love him. He had a rough start to the season due to not being able to catch a break finishing plays, but all of that regressed towards the end of the season and come playoff time. The Devils should absolutely offer him a team-friendly deal. He offers value in the top six and brings much-needed leadership to a young locker room.

Tomas Tatar is a tricky one, he’s currently getting $4.5M a year. That’s a lot of money for a guy who has a history of not showing up in the playoffs when it counts. Fitzgerald should part ways with Tatar and bring a bigger body into the top 9 that can put the puck in the back of the net.  

Damon Severson and Ryan Graves

Damon Severson is all but gone. Don’t get me wrong, he has been very good for the Devils, and it’ll be a hard pill to swallow but it only makes sense with the young talent in the prospect pipeline on defense. Fans are going to miss his beautiful cross-ice stretch passes, but he will be inquiring about a hefty price tag of around $6M a year. Money the Devils certainly will not have if they bring back Bratt and Meier.

Ryan Graves can go either way. I’m going to lean toward not bringing him back due to his putrid playoff performance. Graves’ roster spot should be filled with an upcoming superstar which we will discuss in the next article sometime shortly.

Regardless of what is to come, GM Tom Fitzgerald and the New Jersey Devils have many decisions to make this offseason. Getting Bratt and Meier signed should be the first priority and I would still expect the Devils to add more top 9 scoring to their roster. 

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