The way the New Jersey Devils season ended in the first round -- a double-overtime elimination at the hands of the Hurricanes in Game 5 -- should leave everyone hungry for more entering the offseason.
With just a few additions to fill out the roster, the Devils will almost certainly be a top contender led by the likes of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier. If the following boxes can get checked off over the summer, New Jersey will be primed for success in the 2025-26 season.
Add goaltending depth
Jake Allen's stint in New Jersey panned out exactly the way GM Tom Fitzgerald had hoped. He stepped up to post a .919 SV% and two shutouts when starter Jacob Markstrom went down with an injury for close to six weeks, finishing with a respectable statline of 13-16-1, 2.66 GAA, .908 SV% and four shutouts to boot.
But as Allen prepares to test the free agent market, it would seem the Devils don't have the salary cap space to offer him what he deserves and there is almost certainly more money on the table elsewhere. Rumor has it he could get up to $5 million AAV in the right deal.
"As far as goaltending, Jake Allen is one of the better ones on the market. His camp tells me he would like to stay. He really enjoyed his time here. We’re trying to figure out what that number is, and then does it work for us?"GM Tom Fitzgerald to NHL.com
Where does this leave the Devils in terms of a backup for Markstrom? Minor leaguer Nico Daws doesn't seem ready for the workload that the team would need.
Anton Forsberg would likely be the best fit if the Devils dip into free agency, having a similar statline to Allen this season with record of 11-12-3, a 2.72 GAA and .901 SV%. There's also Ilya Samsonov, Dan Vladar, David Rittich, and Alex Lyon on the market -- all of whom finishing with save percentages below the .900% mark.
The best option then would be to make some calls and see who's on the trading block. The unfortunate answer for now, is that there's likely no one on a team-friendly deal that is also capable of what Allen was. Two guys known to be available are Thatcher Demko and Elvis Merzlikins, who wouldn't be pleased to play a backup role and each make $5 million or more.
Fitzgerland is going to have to get creative with the Devils remaining cap space in order to address this need in terms of goaltending.
Round out the middle six
New Jersey has $14.3 million in cap space as of Monday afternoon, which isn't much when trying to navigate goaltending, qualifying RFAs, and bringing free agents on board. But one of the top priorities should be signing a foward who can reliably produce offense in a second-line role.
That isn't going to be Dawson Mercer or Ondrej Palat, try as coach Sheldon Keefe might to get those two to produce. So who on the market might be of service?
Patrick Kane is a fantastic option if he doesn't end up re-signing with the Detroit Red Wings. Kane is expected to garner a similar amount to his last contract, which was a $4 million, one-year deal. That's a great price for a winger that has scored 20 or more goals in his last four seasons, including 59 points in 72 games this season.
Kane is of course not the same 100-point producer of his youth, but the 34-year-old offers speed and innate hockey sense that would go a long way in generating more goals for the Devils.
Brad Marchand could be another worthy target, especially after proving what he is capable of in a smaller role in the lineup with the Cup-winning Florida Panthers. The upside with either of these guys is they have the potential to skate anywhere in the top six, bringing some versaility to the lineup.
Re-sign Luke Hughes
This one is a gimme, but the Devils will be working hard to get the youngest Hughes brother a new contract. It would be wise to pursue a bridge deal for the 21-year-old defenseman, which would look something like a shorter-term contract valued at $5.75 million annually versus a long-term deal that could carry a $8 million AAV or more. It's simply too soon to tie up so much cap space in Hughes. but the Devils camp will be prepared to give him what he wants, so it could go either way.
After having offseason shoulder surgery shortly, Luke will be ready to develop his game even further after showing plenty of flashes of what he's capable of. The young blueliner has had some growing pains, giving more merit to a bridge deal over a long-term contract, but regardless, this is at the top of Fitzgerald's list of things to do on July 1.