NHL free agency: 5 teams who need to sign Erik Karlsson

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 28: {L-R} Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brayden Point #21 of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Erik Karlsson #65 of the Ottawa Senators wait to be introduced during the 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Amalie Arena on January 28, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) /

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Photo by Greg Thompson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /

3. New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils aren’t Stanley Cup contenders – yet. But they are a very desperate team trying to do enough to convince 2017-18 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall to stick around. The Devils could also use a significant upgrade to their defense. Ergo, signing Erik Karlsson would make a ton of sense for them.

That said, this isn’t something the Devils are expected to do. They rarely get involved in free agency, preferring to draft, develop, and trade for their players. However, there’s no excuse for the Devils if they don’t at least kick the tires on the best defenseman available.

If Karlsson wants to get paid, no team is in a better situation to hand him a huge deal than New Jersey. They have a ton of cap space and a lot of flexibility with their roster. Also, the Devils need to make sure to do things while Jack Hughes (assuming he’s the guy they draft with the first overall pick) is dirt cheap.

A reason the Devils are the fourth-most popular team in the New York/New Jersey area is that they usually don’t make big moves. And when even when they do make big moves like trading for Hall, the Canadiens and Predators break Twitter by trading P.K. Subban for Shea Weber. The Devils need Karlsson if they want to build a contender.

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