5 free agents the New Jersey Devils need to sign this offseason
The New Jersey Devils face a critical offseason after their rebuild took a step backward in 2018-19. Here are 5 free agents they should look at.
It’s hard to believe it has already been three years since the Edmonton Oilers traded Taylor Hall to the New Jersey Devils. What’s even harder to believe is how far back the Devils are now compared to where they were last year. In 2018, they made the postseason and their future looked bright. Now it’s a bit more unclear.
This offseason will be one of the most critical in Devils history. That’s not a stretch either. The Devils must re-sign Taylor Hall or trade him because losing him for nothing is simply not an option. It would set the franchise back several years.
Luckily, the Devils already have the number one overall pick because Hall is some sort of lottery diety. They’ll likely pick Jack Hughes, who has all the tools necessary to be a top-tier center. Nico Hischier and Hughes should form a lethal one-two combo down the middle.
Must Read. Jack Hughes Prospect Profile. light
Another reason this is an important offseason for the Devils is that they have a number of free agents. Let’s take a look at them. I’ll just be covering the primary ones, but you can check their entire list right here.
Restricted Free Agents (RFAs)
Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs)
CapFriendly lists them at 13 players under contract for next season, but that’s with Taylor Hall on the long-term injured reserve list. With him off of it, they have 14 players signed. If you include Hughes or Kappo Kakko, that’s 15. With Hall and the first overall pick factored in, they’ll have just under $35 million of cap space, assuming the cap ceiling is set at $83 million.
This gives them a ton of flexibility. In order to win over Hall, the Devils are going to have to speed up their rebuild. Getting Hughes will certainly get it started, but the onus is on general manager Ray Shero to prove he can build a winner in New Jersey. Here’s a look at five free agents they should sign.