Offseason plans, Devils to have some of their younger players play and add a top 4 defender for next year, while the Leafs will get more bottom six forwards and re-work the blueline while they could move Nylander.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Significant Pending UFA:
C R.O’Reilly 16-14-30 53GP
LW M.Bunting 23-26-49 82GP
LW,RW A.Kerfoot 10-22-32 82GP
C D.Kampf 7-20-27 82GP
C,RW N.Acciari 14-9-23 77GP
RW,LW W.Simmonds 0-2-2 18GP
LW,RW Z.A Reese 10-4-14 77GP
C,LW,RW R.Zohorna 1-0-1 10GP
RD J.Holl 2-16-18 80GP
RD L.Schenn 4-18-22 70GP
LD E.Gustafsson 7-35-42 70GP
LD/RD J.Benn 1-1-2 12GP
G E.Kallgren 3-2-0 REC 2.67 GAA .898 SV%
Significant Pending RFA:
C S.D Arguchintsev 0-0-0 1GP
LW,C N.Abruzzese 0-2-2 2GP
C P.Holmberg 5-8-13 37GP
RD M.Hollowell 0-2-2 6GP
LD/RD V.Mete 0-2-2 11GP
G I.Samsonov 27-10-4 REC 2.33 GAA .919 SV%
Current draft capital for Maple Leafs in 2023: 5
1RD BOS
5RD TOR
6RD TOR
What lead the Maple Leafs to exit the second round of the playoffs this year: Now Toronto actually did quite well all around this year, as they were once again one of the dominant teams in the NHL in the regular season as they once again put up over 100 points and hit 111 which was good enough for 2nd place in the Atlantic, and they drew Tampa in the first round and after exiting the 1RD for 6 consecutive seasons including the previous year against that same Bolts team, as well as not having one a playoff round since 2004, they were able to find ways to win even if they weren’t the better team and they beat the Bolts in round 1 for their first playoff series win in 19 years, and although more picked them to win round 2, they ran into a flaming hot Panthers who rattled off 3 straight wins against Boston and took Toronto down in 5 games, so although the Leafs got past round 1 this year, I think there were a few problems in round 2 that contributed to them getting ousted in the 2nd round.
Number one would be the fact that the Leafs key contributors and big time players such as Tavares, Marner, Matthews, Nylander and Rielly really didn’t show up in the 2nd round. Now in round 1 all 5 of these guys were huge contributors as Matthews always seemed to come up clutch for the Leafs when they needed it most, Nylander and Marner were very productive in that first round series and both Reilly and Tavares scored in OT against Tampa, in Tampa that helped the team down the Lightning, but all 5 were almost complete no shows in round 2. Now in round 2 the most productive of all of the players was Reilly who put up 4 points in 5 games, but the other 4 didn’t do to well, Nylander didn’t have a point in the first two games and finished with only 2 goals and 3 points, Marner also had 3 points but two of them came in the teams only win, Matthews who is the teams best goal scorer only had 2 assists and was held pointless in the final 3 games while Tavares mustered only 1 point in the entire series, so the lack of production from the big boys really hurt the leafs as we have seen in the past with all the Leafs first round exits, when the big players don’t contribute, this team doesn’t do too well and after having a stellar first round series, those players production dropped in round 2 and were a big reason why the Panthers were able to end the Maple Leafs.
Next up would be the outstanding play from the Panthers goalie. Now in the Bruins series the Panthers started with Alex Lyon and he did alright until game 3 when he was pulled and Bobrovsky came in and although he lost that game as well as game 4, he was able to help the Panthers come from behind to beat the Bruins, but he didn’t have overly fantastic numbers as he did help the team win in round 1 but didn’t necessarily stop a ton of picks as the Panthers basically had to out score the Bruins to win the series, but against the Leafs it was a completely different story as Bobrovsky only let in 2 goals each and every game against the Maple leafs which gave the Panthers a chance to win every night and with the great play from Bobrovsky against the Leafs not allowing them to get much offense going, the Leafs couldn’t find their way past Bobrovsky who all of a sudden started playing out of his mind as he was able to have no worse then a .917 SV% in any one of the 5 games against the Maple Leafs and given the fact he only gave up 10 goals in the series, he always allowed the Panthers to take control of the game and they did, so although he wasn’t a huge factor in the 1st round, another reason why Toronto was bounced in round 2 was the absolute stellar performance in net by Bobrovsky in round 2.
And lastly would be the Maple Leafs PK. Now the Maple Leafs had a strong power play in the playoffs, not as strong in round 2 as it was in round 1 but it was still decent against Florida, but the PK was another factor that cost them the series. Now the Maple Leafs didn’t do a fantastic job in round 1 of holding off the Bolts power play as by the end of round 1 the Bolts were 23.8% on the power play and it was one of the big problems coming out of round 1, and it continued to hurt them in round 2 as they would only take 9 penalties against Florida in the 2nd round and were actually quite disciplined when it came to taking penalties in round 2, but of those 9 penalties the Panthers capitalized on 3 of them and the Maple Leafs only had a 66.7% success rate on the power play in round two, which was quite awful and they finished the playoffs 11th on the PK with a 73.3% PK success rate, so in my eyes the Maple Leafs power play also did them in, and the lack of effectiveness in the playoffs on the PK was a big reason why the Maple Leafs bowed out in round 2.
So in my opinion the Maple Leafs exited round 2 against Florida because the production from their big time players in Matthews, Marner etc all didn’t produce too well in the second round after having a stellar round 1, the Leafs also ran into a extremely hot goalie in Bobrovsky who didn’t allow the Leafs to hit 3 goals in any game in round 2, and the Leafs PK which wasn’t great in round 1, also wasn’t too good in round 2 and these three things were in my opinion the biggest reasons the team bowed out in round 2, but they did finally get the monkey off their back and get past round 1 this year and I think if they do a couple of things and tinker with this lineup a bit in the offseason, they could probably make it past round 2 next season.
5 ways of how I think the Maple Leafs can improve in the offseason.
.1) Sign Matthews to a multi year extension.
Now the first order of business has to be Matthews for the Leafs as he is entering the final year of his contract and can be a UFA next season and I think working out a long term deal that would keep Matthews in Toronto has to be a top priority for the Leafs this offseason as they shouldn’t try and trade him and letting him walk is not an option for them.
Now the biggest thing for the Maple Leafs this offseason will be getting one of the top players in the NHL under contract for beyond next year in Austin Matthews. Now Matthews has spent his entire career with the Leafs and has become one of the more high profile goal scorers in the NHL as he has his 40 goals on multiple occasions and also hit 60 goals just a couple of years ago, and is also the Leafs top line Center and their best player on the team, so getting him signed beyond this year is going to be important for Toronto as they look to continue to be competitive. Now all indications point to Matthews wanting to remain in Toronto as he seems to like it there and doesn’t want out, so I don’t think they are at risk of him not wanting to sign with them because he wants out, but they will have to com ego a agreeable deal that works for both sides. Now I think Matthews would probably want a 4-6 year deal instead of a max term deal so he can cash in big one last time after this contract and I think Toronto would be willing to do that and I think the leafs are prepared to make him the highest payed players in the NHL, so that would probably be a $13-14 Million dollar AAV for Matthews which I think would be enough to convince him to stay in Toronto and would be a nice $2-3 Million dollar raise on what he is making now, so I think that may be the makings of a Matthews extension in my eyes, a 4-6 year deal with a AAV of $13-14 Million dollars and I think if the Leafs do that, then Matthews would definitely sign and I don’t foresee them possibly moving him if they can’t come to terms on a extension, but I would say that is unlikely and in my eyes, one way or the other, Matthews should be locked up on a multi year deal in the next couple of weeks.
.2) Either sign to a extension or move Nylander.
Now for the Maple Leafs, Matthews is not the only player who is entering the final year of his contract and needs a new extension and the other guy is Nylander who just like Matthews is entering the final year of his deal, but unlike Matthews, I have a strong feeling if the Maple Leafs can’t get him under contract, then they may wind up moving him.
Now Nylander has showed over the past few seasons just how good of a player he can be, now he is part of the core four of key guys in Toronto and although he isn’t at the level of Matthews or Marner, he is still a solid top 6 forward for the Maple Leafs and has proven it especially in recent season as after being a usually 50-60 point player per season, the past two year he has gone off, as in the 21-22 season he put up 34 goals and 80 points for his first 80 points season, and top it off this past year when he put up his first ever 40 goals season and a career high 87 points in 82 games and has shown he can a really big piece of the Maple Leafs top six, and that $6.96 million dollar contract is actually quite a steal right now, so I do think Nylander is a big piece of the Leafs team, but his contract will decide if he stays. Now Nylander is in the final year of his deal and I think the Leafs would like to get him under contract, but if the Leafs sign Matthews to a $13-14 Million dollar AAV, I think that would handicap them being able to give Nylander the contract he wants, as I think Nylander could get a 5-8 year deal in the open market at between $9-10 Million dollars, so in my eyes that may be too costly for the Leafs to sign him, now if Toronto convinced Nylander to lower his ask and maybe signed him to $8-8.5 range then I think they could wind up keeping, but if he really wants to test free agency and won’t sign at a lower AAV with Toronto, then I think the Leafs may have to consider moving him, as they can’t let him walk to free agency and they could get a haul in return, so in my eyes whether the Leafs keep or move Nylander will depend on what sort of contract they offer him, and I think if they feel they can’t sign him to a extension in the next week or two, he could be a name that people should keep their eye on in the rumour mill.
.3) Re-Work their bottom six.
Now the Leafs do this almost every year, as with their tight cap situation they bring in some cheap bottom six forwards on 1-2 year deals to help them with their depth scoring, and then those guys leave and they have to find new guys, and they will have to do that again this offseason.
Now at this point in time a majority of the Leafs bottom six forwards are going to be gone to free agency, as deadline acquisitions O’Reilly and Acciari are both UFA’s, as well as Kerfoot, Kampf, Bunting and Aston-Reese. Now I could see the Leafs try and bring back O’Reilly who actually fit in quite well in Toronto on the third line or Kampf who was a solid bottom six Center and was really good on the PK too so I could see the Leafs seriously try to bring at least one of those two players back. But there is a good chance they will have 2-3 holes in the bottom six they will need to fill in free agency and via trades, so I could see them look at other options for trying to acquire some more depth, as on the free agent front, I could see them look at a guy like Bellemare, Bjugstad, Motte, Foligno or Kassian as all would be solid bottom six forwards and some would have the ability to play a bit higher in the lineup like Motte or Bjugstad and all would come at a less then $2 Million dollar cap hit, while if they looked at the trade market I could see them target guys like Laughton, Lorentz or Trenin as all 3 are solid 3rd line forwards and would be able to help in a variety of different ways for the Leafs, so in my opinion whether they bring back some of their pending UFA’s, or go out via free agency or trade and acquire a couple, I think there is no doubt that the Maple Leafs will be adding multiple bottom six forwards this offseason and they will try to replace some of the bottom six forward depth they are losing this offseason to free agency.
.4) Either add or bring back 1 or 2 defensemen to add to the lineup.
Next on the list is their defence, as I think the Maple Leafs already have a pretty solid defensive game right now and do have some pretty good defensemen under contract, but I do see a couple holes in their lineup and could see them maybe bring in one or two more solid defenders to really improve the D-Corp and round out the defence.
Now the Leafs currently have a solid defence and I think they could just make a couple of minor moves as they have a solid top 4 of Rielly, Brodie, McCabe and Liljegren, but I do think there is room for some more depth and experience on the Leafs team and I could see them try to add to their depth. Now there is a pending UFA for the Leafs in Luke Schenn who is a really good physical top 4 defensemen who the Leafs acquired at the deadline and really did like and if they can get him on a cheap enough deal then I think there is a likely chance the Leafs would re-sign him to a 1-2 year deal to remain in the top 4 maybe with a guy like Reilly, but Schenn may wind up being too expensive for them, so I could see the Leafs look to free agency or the trade market to improve that blueline. Now in free agency I could see them go after a guy like Mayfield or Shattenkirk who could help really bolster that top 4 for the Leafs and if it makes sense cap wise I definitely think that those two could be options to improve that top 4, while if they were looking for more depth options I could see them go after Mikkola or Kulikov who are both solid 3rd pair defensemen and may be a upgrade on Giordano, while if they were to go the trade market, I could see them have interest in guys like Stanley, Merrill or Hanafin as all would really bolster their defence and improve their depth while Hanafin especially would help improve the teams top six, so it definitely has to make sense in a trade package if they go via trade and the contract has too make sense of they are looking to improve via free agency, but I think one thing is for sure, and that is the Leafs hope to bolster their defensive core for next year.
.5) Move Murray and re-sign Samsonov.
Now with the Leafs goaltending, I know there have been some speculation they could go after a better goalie then Samsonov, but in my eyes, Samsonov did stellar last year and the Leafs would be better to sign him to a extension then replace him, but with young goalie Will probably ready to take over the backup duties, and with Murray not doing too well this year, I think there is a strong chance that the Leafs look to move Murray this offseason. Now I know there have been sources that have said the Leafs are linked to stellar goalies like Hart and Hellebuyck and they could be looking for a goalie upgrade, but in my opinion I don’t think that is the case, as acquiring those goalies would be extremely hard and Samsonov actually did quite well last year, so I think instead of trying to replace Samsonov, the Maple Leafs should look to sign him to a extension and I think a Samsonov extension would come in at 3-5 years with a AAV of around $5 Million dollars and I think that would be a pretty good deal for both sides as Toronto would have their goalie and Samsonov would get a pay bump, so I think Samsonov sticks around, and I also think that Woll who did play mostly in the AHL last year but did get called up on multiple occasions due to injuries and even played in the playoffs, and he looked stellar at the AHL level and pretty good at the NHL level to and didn’t look out of place, so I think with Woll signed cheap for the next few years, he will be the teams backup for next year and that means Murray is out. Now Murray had a injury riddled first season in Toronto and eventually lost the backup job to Woll, and I think with the Leafs tight cap situation and needing to sign Samsonov, the Leafs would look to move the final year of Murray’s contract elsewhere, and I could see teams like Chicago or Anaheim who could use a goalie, use a draft pick or prospect to take on a bad contract and aren’t worried about taking on money could both be willing to take on Murray’s contract for the next year for the right price, so in my opinion once the Leafs find the right deal, I think Matt Murray will be elsewhere, while I do think Woll will be the teams backup next year and Samsonov will be extended at some point this offseason to a solid longer term extension.
But definitely I feel that Matthews and Nylander are their top two priorities this year, as signing Matthews beyond next year is a must, while they have to figure out if they can extended Nylander, because if they can’t I have a feeling the Leafs could wind up moving on from him, then the Leafs need some new bottom six forwards for next year as most of their current ones are pending UFA’s and they could also benefit from adding a top 4 defender to the lineup to round their D-Corp and in Net I expect Samsonov to get extend while Murray will most likely be moved with Woll the new backup, and I think if they can do a lot of these things in the offseason and re-work a couple of things that might make their team better, I would definitely say they would be a playoff team next year and have another great regular season, but maybe they could even make it past round 2 and to the Confrence Finals next year.
If you liked this blog post, then check out my YouTube video on the Maple Leafs offseason here. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PXGfpzh8jLU
New Jersey Devils
Significant Pending UFA:
LW,RW T.Tatar 20-28-48 82GP
LW M.Wood 13-14-27 76GP
C,LW E.Haula 14-27-41 80GP
LW,LD M.Geertsen 0-0-0 0GP
LD R.Graves 8-18-26 78GP
G J.Bernier 0-0-0 REC 0.00 GAA .000 SV%
Significant Pending RFA:
LW,RW T.Meier 40-26-66 78GP
RW,LW J.Bratt 32-41-73 82GP
LW,RW,C Y.Sharangovich 13-17-30 75GP
C M.McLeod 4-22-26 80GP
C,LW,RW J.Boqvist 10-11-21 70GP
RW,C N.Bastian 6-9-15 43GP
RD R.Walsh 0-0-0 0GP
LD K.Bahl 2-6-8 42GP
G M.Blackwood 10-6-0 REC 3.20 GAA .893 SV%
Current draft capital for Devils in 2023: 6
2RD NJ
3RD CAL
4RD NJ
5RD NJ
6RD NJ
7RD NJ
What lead the Devils to exit the second round of the playoffs this year: now the Devils wound up being one of the good stories this year and we’re a surprise team to make the playoffs as I was one of the people who had Jersey finish outside of the playoffs, and after a strong start to the season they kept on climbing the standings and to most peoples surprise, wound up not only making the playoffs, but getting over the century mark with a 112 point season and finished 2nd in the metro where they faced the Rangers, and after not having a good start to the playoffs and losing the opening 2 games to NYR, they stormed out and won 4 of the next 5 games and wound up taking the 1st round series in 7, but would run into a brick wall in Carolina in round 2 as the Canes would easily handle them and oust them in 5 games, and there were definitely a couple of major reasons as to why the Devils lost so quickly in round 2.
So first I would say the biggest reason they fell in round two in the playoffs would be their offense. Now during the first round the Devils were not able to get any offense going in the 3 losses to NYR as they only mustered one goal in each game they lost, while the Defense and goaltending really helped them win the 4 games to get out of round one as they only scored 13 goals in the games they won and only got 10 of you don’t count the empty net goals, and so they were able to overcome the inability to score in round 1, but in round two it was a whole other level of bad, as they would blowout the Canes in the one game they won, putting up 8, while they scored 5 in the other 4 games which is not a recipe for success as I think you need to score more then one goal a game to have a chance to break a team like Carolina, and even though they played 12 games, only 4 players in Hughes, Mercer, Palat and Hischier had more then 6 points and only two players in Hughes and Haula had more then 3 goals, so their offence was non existent in the playoffs and in my opinion was the biggest reason for their collapse in round 2.
Next would be the fact that there was no goaltending whatsoever in the second round. Now the Devils started Vanecek in the playoffs and he had two consecutive bad outings, so they turned to Schmid who would hold the Rangers to 2 goals in the next 3 games to help the Devils take the lead in the series, and after a bad outing in Game 6 he was able to recover and helped the Devils shutout the Rangers in the winner take all game 7, and was supposed to help shutdown the Canes battered up offense, but instead the Devils goaltending was a no show during the second round as they would start Schmid in game 1 and 2 and in each game he was pulled, then they started Vanecek in game 3 and even though he gave up 4 goals he got the Devils the win so they turned to him in game 4 and for the third time in 4 games, the Devils pulled a goalie as he was pulled with Schmid coming on in relief, and then Schmid was able to start and finish the season finale for the Devils as he gave up 3 goals in the series clinching game 5 for Carolina. So both goalies played in part of 4 games in the 2nd round for New Jersey and neither did good as in the first round Schmid had at least a .950 SV% in 4 of the 5 games he started, while he averaged a .852 SV% in the 2nd round, and after playing pretty bad in games 1 and 2 in the first round, Vanecek averaged a .821 SV% in the 4 games he played in the second round, so the poor play from the Devils goalies in round 2, not being able to stop anything that came their way was another significant reason the Devils were ousted in round 2.
And lastly would be the Devils power play which was a absolute no show in the playoffs. Now in round one as I said before the Devils relied a lot on the good play of their goalies to help them get out of round 1 and beat the Rangers as their power play was not going in round 1 just like the offense wasn’t as by the end of the series the Rangers had a PK percentage of 83.3% which had them wind up finishing 3rd in the playoffs on the PK as the Rangers stifled the Devils PP and the Hurricanes basically replicated what the Rangers did to the Devils power play, as the Canes would only allow two power play goals on 12 attempts against the Devils during the second round series and that would leave the Devils with a power play success rate of only 16.6% which isn’t good at all and for the entire playoffs they had a success rate on the power play of 16.7% which had them 13th in the playoffs and was only ahead of 3 other teams, so while they finished in the bottom end of the power play in the playoffs, the two teams who played against them both finished top 3 in the playoffs on the PK, so the Devils power play was another big problem for them and helped contribute to the team getting bounced in 5 games by Carolina in round 2.
So in my eyes the Devils were ousted in round 2 and quickly because they couldn’t get any offense from anywhere besides guys like Hughes, Haula and Palat, the goaltending, especially from Schmid which was a big reason they got out of round 1 was just not there in round 2, and the Devils power play was no show throughout the playoffs and was a bottom 4 unit in the playoffs, and these factors all contributed to the Devils getting kicked out of the playoffs in round 2 by Carolina, and it seems that even though the Devils made the playoffs and won a round, they still have a lot to learn to be a solid Cup Contender, but they have the makings of a solid team and if they can improve their team in the offseason then I would have no doubt they would once again make the playoffs and maybe even be cup contenders.
5 Ways of how I think the Devils can improve in the offseason.
Morgan Tencza USA Today Sports
.1) Re-Sign Meier on a long term extension.
Now the Devils had 2 extremely important RFA signings to take care of this offseason, and they were for Bratt and Meier, but earlier in the offseason Bratt signed a long term extension with the Devils to remain there, and now the focus has shifted to Meier.
Now with Bratt signed to his max term deal at a cap hit under $8 Million per year, the focus shifts to Meier. Now Meier has had a productive last few season in San Jose but didn’t have the best of time in New Jersey, as he did alright in the regular season, getting 9 goals with them to hit 40 on the season and putting 14 points in 21 games post trade deadline, but in the playoffs he was a no show, as for a player who is supposed to be brimming with offensive upside, getting 2 goals and 4 points in 11 playoff games isn’t too good, and on other thing to consider for Meier is that the Devils have filed to take Meier to arbitration, and the point in that is if they aren’t able to come to terms on a long term deal, then by taking Meier to arbitration, it would mean his $10 Million dollar qualifying offer could be reduced to a lower salary on a one year deal and it hits them some time to work out a extension beforehand. Now I do think both sides would be willing to sign a long term extension, as I know the Devils really like the top 6 winger while I do think Meier liked his time in New Jersey after the trade, but a long term deal would have to work for both sides, and I know the Devils want to try to keep all of their contracts under Hughes $8 Million dollar deal, but I feel they may have to bend a little bit to sign Meier to a long term deal, as I think a deal that could work for both sides would be a 6-8 year contract extension that has a AAV of $8.5-9 Million, as it would be a bit more expensive then the Devils would like it, but it would definitely be under Meier’s $10 Million dollar qualifying offer, so I think that sort of a deal could be a good one for all parties involved, so although no deal is guaranteed as of yet, I think they could sign him to a one year deal, but the more preferred and in my opinion more likely scenario is Meier signs a long term extension with the Devils at some point this offseason.
.2) Will they be okay with a Vanecek-Schmid tandem or do they want an upgrade.
Next is in Net for the Devils as some people have said that the Devils may be in search of a starting net minder to help the Devils next year and they may be looking for a upgrade on Vanecek.
Now last season the Devils had a solid goalie tandem at the NHL level in Vanecek and Blackwood and those two as well as Schmid who came in when there was a injury all did good last year and all helped the Devils make the playoffs, but in the playoffs Vanecek had a poor showing and had some extremely poor numbers in both round 1 and 2, and if not for the brilliant play of Schmid in round 1 the Devils may have been first round exits, but the question remains, should the Devils look for a upgrade or continue with their goalie tandem. Now Blackwood is a RFA who looks like will not be qualified by Jersey which means that if he leaves and they don’t try and add anyone, they would have a tandem of Vanecek and Schmid in the regular season next year, and I think a duo like that could work in my opinion as Vanecek was solid in the regular season and Schmid showed flashes of being a potential NHL starter, but the question is will one of them be reliable enough to hold down the fort in a playoff series, because as they showed in round 2 against Carolina, neither is really ready to start a playoff series, so maybe a upgrade make sense, and they have been linked to Hellebuyck this offseason and I wouldn’t be shocked if they checked in on guys like Gibson or Hart, and I really could see the Devils go either way, because I think if Schmid can learn a bit more next year, maybe he can be the guys in the playoffs and a duo of Vanecek and Schmid could work, but there is always the possibility that they aren’t ready and maybe adding a solid veteran like Hellebuyck or Gibson and moving Vanecek back in return is the right move, so I see pros and cons with each move and I would love to hear your opinion in the comments about what you think, but the Devils will have to deceive this offseason if they want a upgrade in Net or if they want to run it back with a Vanecek-Schmid tandem and it will be interesting to see what they do.
.3) Add a top 4 left side defensemen.
Next is the Devils defence as their defence is quite solid right now and in pretty good shape with some more youth coming in the not too distant future, but one thing I do think the Devils could do this offseason would be add a top 4 defensemen with some of the veterans leaving.
Now the Devils had a solid and well rounded D-Corp this season and it was a huge reason as to why the Devils not only made the playoffs but got to round two, but they will most likely be losing two key guys on that blueline, as earlier in the year they already moved on from Damon Severson as they traded him to the Jackets for a draft pick and were not going to sign him anyway, while top 4 defender Ryan Graves is currently a UFA and may wind up not resigning in New Jersey. Now the Devils still have 3 solid NHL defenders on the lineup right now in Hamilton, Marino and Siegenthaler who are all solid defensemen and they have kids like Hughes and Nemec coming into the lineup most likely next year, so that gives the Devils 5 solid defensemen and they have a guy like Kevin Bahl as well, but if they had Marino play with Hughes, I think getting someone to play with Nemec would make a lot of sense, so I would see them looking to add a defender who can play on the left side on either pair 2 or pair 3, and there are a couple of guys I could see be of interest to the Devils, as on the free agent market, I could see guys like OEL, Dumoulin or Soucy be of interest to the Devils as all 3 are veterans and would pair well with a younger player and they all play on the left, and I also wouldn’t completely rule out them looking to get back Graves as he did fit well with Jersey, and if the look at the trade market then guys like Hanafin, Krug or Edmundson as all I think could be solid 2nd pair defensemen for the Devils, so New Jersey has options but with Graves possibly leaving and the Devils looking for a replacement, I could see them be in the market to try and get a top 4 defender at some point this offseason.
.4) Make sure Nemec and Hughes are regular NHL defenders next year.
Now the Devils have a pretty good D-Corp right now and it was solid enough to help them not only make the playoffs but also win a round in the playoffs, and guys like Severson and Graves could both be gone next year as I said above, so I think getting young defensemen Nemec and Hughes in regular NHL spots next year is a must for the Devils on that blueline.
Now both young defensemen have next to no NHL experience up to this point and would both be rookies next year, but I think both project to eventually be stud top 4 defensemen and I think eventually both should be stellar offensively gifted defensemen. Now Nemec was the 2nd overall pick in last year (the 2022) draft and he didn’t play at the NHL level but did get into his first pro season after playing in Slovakia the year prior, and for a young defender in his first pro season he actually did alright, as he got 34 points in 65 games and looked solid for the Devils AHL affiliates and I could see him be a 3rd pair defensemen next year with someone the team gets in the offseason, but I can’t see him not make the NHL roster with how good of a player he is, and same thing with Hughes as he was the 4th overall pick back in 2021, and after finishing up a stellar season in college this year, he played in 2 NHL games in the regular season and put up a goal and a assist, and had 2 assists in 3 NHL games and didn’t look out of place at all, and I think Hughes could be a consistent top 4 defender next year playing maybe with a guy like John Marino on pair 2, and with his offensive abilities maybe he could also man a power play unit as well, but I think one thing is definitely for sure, but of the Devils top 5 picks from the last two years will make the NHL this upcoming season and I think both will get opportunities in the top 4 and will help round that defence nicely and add some much needed youth to the Devils and I think having both in the lineup next year will really help them round out the D-Corp for next year, so don’t be shocked if the Devils add both young players into consistent defensive roles for their team next year.
.5) Add one or two middle six forwards.
Now the Devils have a solid forward group right now with a lot of high end talent, but some of those players are going to be UFA’s in a couple of days and I think the Devils would be smart to try and either bring them back or replace them in the teams top 9.
Now the Devils have a pretty deep forward group and have a lot of solid forwards which includes a stellar top six of Meier, Bratt, Hughes, Hischier, Palat and Mercer, and they do have some decent 3rd line forwards like Haula, but with a guy like Sharangovich possibly being moved and both Tatar and Wood UFA’s, the Devils could look to add a couple of middle six forwards to help round out the top 9. Now I wouldn’t be shocked if the Devils had some interest to bring back Tatar who actually fit in really well with the Devils, or Wood who has played basically all of his career with New Jersey, but it wouldn’t surprise me if both weren’t back next year, so I could see them look in a different direction, now if they were looking at the free agent market I think there are a couple of different ways that they could go, but I think guys like Sundqvist, Fast and Suter would all be of interest to the Devils as all could play quite well on the Devils 3rd line and would really round out the teams top 9, while they could also look for a trade and use some of their cap space and picks to grab a guy like Olofsson, Barabanov or Laughton as i think all three would be extremely versatile and solid middle six forwards for the Devils and I think would round out the Devils offence nicely, but whether they bring back someone, or go out via trade or free agency and acquire someone to help round out their forward group, I definitely think adding one or two more forwards will be a priority for this team this year.
So in my eyes if the Devils can sign Meier to a long term extension, figure out if they want to keep their goalie tandem from the playoffs or move Vanecek for a upgrade, then also if they can get Nemec and Hughes to play consistently in the NHL next year and add a top 4 defensemen to play on the left side as well as adding one or two more middle six forwards to round out their top nine, I think this team will be much better then last year as if they can not only get younger but also a little deeper too, then not only would I see them getting back to the playoffs next year, but also maybe getting back to round 2 and maybe getting past that round next year.
And if you like this blog post, then check out my YouTube video about New Jersey’s offseason right here. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PXGfpzh8jLU
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