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New York Islanders Confirm Three Signings

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New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello held media availability today, and though he had no update on the negotiations with restricted free agent Mathew Barzal, did confirm several previous reports. Andy Greene, Matt Martin, and Cory Schneider have all agreed to contracts and will be in Islanders training camp, Lamoriello explained to reporters including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. All three veterans were unrestricted free agents.

News of these deals came months ago at the start of free agency, but none of them have officially been announced yet and likely won’t until the situation with Barzal is solved. The Islanders have just under $4MM in cap space, but since the young center is likely going to take much more than that, some salary cap gymnastics will have to be performed. Johnny Boychuk, who was forced to retire due to the eye injuries he sustained last season, is still technically on the books with a $6MM cap hit for this season. That number can be moved to long-term injured reserve at the appropriate time, allowing the Islanders to stay cap compliant.

Still, there is certainly no guarantee of playing time for any of the three veterans. Greene came to the Islanders from the New Jersey Devils at the deadline and ended up playing in 21 of the team’s postseason matches, but with Noah Dobson continuing to push for playing time and some other young defensemen creeping up the depth chart, the 38-year-old may find himself in and out of the lineup. That doesn’t mean he won’t still be a valuable addition to the team, but at this point in Greene’s career he can no longer be that top-4 presence.

Martin, who has played eight of his ten years in the NHL with the Islanders also suited up for every game in the playoffs, but he too could find himself scratched upon occasion this season. The 31-year-old is an effective enough option on the fourth line but normally doesn’t provide much offense at all (though Martin did score five goals in the postseason). The heart-and-soul winger has a place on the team to be sure, but at some point, the Islanders will want to take a look at some of their younger options like Oliver Wahlstrom and Kieffer Bellows.

If Greene and Martin have at least some sense of playing time, it is something of a mystery for Schneider. The 34-year-old goaltender has a long history with Lamoriello which stretches back to the 2013 trade from the Vancouver Canucks, but New York already has Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin locked into the two NHL spots. Schneider has struggled the last few seasons and likely is there only as the taxi squad goaltender, moving into the lineup only in an emergency.

Still, his position in the organization is an interesting one, if only because the Islanders have very little in net behind their top two. Jakub Skarek is currently the only other goaltender under contract, and the 21-year-old has barely any experience at the minor league level, let alone the NHL. Varlamov is also the only goalie eligible to be exposed in the expansion draft, meaning Schneider or some other veteran will have to be signed through 2021-22 if the Islanders want to protect their current starter.

Islanders Expected To Pursue Bridge Contract For Mathew Barzal

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One of the more interesting RFA cases is Islanders center Mathew Barzal.  He has been their leading scorer in each of his first three NHL seasons and GM Lou Lamoriello has publicly stated any offer sheet would be matched in an effort to dissuade other teams from even attempting to go that route.  However, cap space is still a big factor, even after trading blueliner Devon Toews to Colorado and the recent announcement that Johnny Boychuk’s playing career has come to an end (making him eligible for LTIR).

Accordingly, Newsday’s Andrew Gross notes that the industry expectation for Barzal is that he will sign a bridge deal, a two-year or three-year pact around $7MM per season.  That would still represent a substantial raise from the $925K base pay he earned on his entry-level deal (which included his signing bonus) and give both sides a chance to re-assess the financial landscape before he reaches UFA eligibility.  On top of that, it also gives New York a chance to determine if the 23-year-old is capable of getting back to his rookie-season output of 85 points or if he’s likely to check in below that as he did in the past two years where he had 62 and 60 points.

If that is indeed the route they go, there are two big questions to be answered.  The first is the structure of the deal in terms of how much to backload it, particularly with the new qualifying offer rules in place.  Now, the required tender is the lower of 120% of the AAV or whatever the salary on the final season winds up being.  Even if the AAV of this deal winds up near that $7MM target, it’s quite likely that the qualifying offer will be in the $8MM range.

The other is how to fit this in on the cap.  Yes, Boychuk is going to wind up on LTIR but there is a timing factor at stake.  If the Islanders can wait to put him there until the start of the season, they’ll have some more in-season flexibility to work with.

As things stand, they have roughly $3.9MM in cap room, per CapFriendly and that’s with a minimum-sized roster.  If they want to get this deal done and be in cap and roster compliance before placing Boychuk on LTIR, there is going to have to be some roster juggling.  Some high-priced veterans (such as Andrew Ladd, Thomas Hickey, and Leo Komarov) could be waived in camp and sent down, freeing up $1.075MM each in cap space before having to offset that amount by a minimum-salaried recall.  Expected goalie Ilya Sorokin (who is waiver exempt) could also go down and be temporarily replaced by a lower-salaried netminder on their season-opening roster before those transactions were reversed.  Even more of those moves may be required to pull that particular strategy off.

Assuming they can do so, they could utilize almost all of Boychuk’s contract in LTIR room (the cap room freed up is the amount of the contract minus existing cap space at the time of placement, not automatically the full value of the contract) and it appears that they’ve already done some of that spending.  Gross adds that deals are believed to be in place for goalie Cory Schneider (which had been reported back in October), defenseman Andy Greene, and winger Matt Martin.  That money can’t be committed until they get Barzal signed and Boychuk transferred with the latter move happening right at the beginning of the season.  As a result, it’s probable that those veterans will be in camp on PTO deals only.

Bridge contracts are often viewed as the simple solution but in Barzal’s case, there will be a lot of moving parts to this one with several veterans being affected by what he eventually signs for and when the deal is done.

Poll: Which 35+ Player Would You Sign?

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In today’s NHL, by the time a player reaches the age of 35, many consider his career to be over. ’He’s too slow,’ is usually the critique, given how fast the game has gotten over the last few decades. Even players that were once considered strong skaters are being passed by young phenoms, able to carve up the ice. But for some, that isn’t the case. The rare player is still effective into his mid and late-thirties, able to compensate for the declining footspeed with experience and awareness.

Joe Thornton, currently the oldest active player under contract in the NHL, recently signed a new deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs at age-40. He’s just a few months the senior his longtime teammate Patrick Marleau, who also just inked a new deal, this time to return to the San Jose Sharks. Henrik Lundqvist is the oldest goaltender in the league, though he’s only a few weeks older than Mike Smith.

For a long time now, Zdeno Chara has held the title of the oldest in the league. But the 43-year-old defenseman has still yet to sign a contract for the upcoming season. Perhaps after more than twenty years in the league, he’s prepared to hang up his skates, but you certainly can’t rule him out at this point. He’s still an effective penalty killer and can add instant leadership and experience to any locker room.

But beyond Chara, there exist some interesting older players on the open market.

Ron Hainsey, for instance, is coming off a season in which he logged nearly 21 minutes a night for the Ottawa Senators. The 39-year-old defenseman actually led the team in +/- and even recorded 12 points in 64 games, despite heavy defensive deployment. Hainsey averaged more than three minutes of short-handed ice time, but was actually quite an effective penalty killer.

Then there is Andy Greene, a longtime member of the New Jersey Devils who actually served as captain for five seasons. Not only did he earn $5MM on the last year of his deal, but he also netted the Devils a second-round pick at the deadline when he was acquired by the New York Islanders. Greene actually scored at a better point-per-game pace than Chara and is another respected leader.

Then there are the forwards. The whole league just watched Corey Perry go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final with the Dallas Stars, looking rejuvenated and as feisty as ever. Perry scored as many goals (5) in the postseason as he did in the regular season, but could still be a valuable fourth-line addition for a team that wants that bite for the playoffs.

Brian Boyle is also player that has plenty of playoff experience and can add a bit of physical presence. He’ll turn 36 in December but still scored 15 points in 39 games for the Florida Panthers this season, an 82-game pace that puts him over 30. There’s nothing wrong with that kind of production, especially when it comes along with a 6’6″ frame that is one of the most imposing in all of professional hockey.

Not to be forgotten of course is Ilya Kovalchuk, the enigmatic winger that is likely headed for the Hall of Fame one day. He could reach the 1,000 regular season game threshold if he plays in the NHL in 2020-21, and will likely break 900 career points as well. Kovalchuk is certainly not playoff-tested and has seemingly disappeared at times throughout his career, but that short stint in Montreal this season—when he scored 13 points in 22 games and looked re-energized—may excite a front office even as he approaches his 38th birthday next spring.

Who would you sign? All of these players would be eligible for bonus-laden deals, if they agree to a one-year contract. Could they still play a role on your NHL team? Cast your vote below and make sure to explain your thoughts in the comments.

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Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Free Agent Notes: Niku, Greene, Granlund, Jost

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It appears that Jets forward Jack Roslovic isn’t the only player that Winnipeg has made available in trade talks.  Murat Ates of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that that RFA defenseman Sami Niku is also being shopped around the league.  The 24-year-old has been dominant offensively in the past in the minors but that hasn’t resulted in much of a consistent NHL opportunity as of yet.

Last season, Niku played in 17 games with Winnipeg, recording five assists while averaging over 16 minutes a night.  However, the Jets often made him a healthy scratch as well.  He also got into 18 games with AHL Manitoba, picking up three goals and 11 helpers.  There is some intriguing upside with Niku but it’s also telling that he didn’t get more of an opportunity despite all of their injuries.  There should be some interest but given his limited chances so far, his inclusion in a package with Roslovic may not move the needle much.

Other free agent notes from around the NHL:

  • Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello told reporters, including NHL.com’s Brian Compton (Twitter link) that veteran there is a “strong chance” that veteran UFA defenseman Andy Greene will return. New York acquired the 37-year-old from New Jersey back in February but instead of using him as a top-four blueliner like he had been previously, Greene was deployed in more limited minutes.  After making $5MM per season for the last five years, it’s safe to suggest that he’ll be taking a significant pay cut to stick around.
  • UFA forward Mikael Granlund is in the process of trimming down his list, notes Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch (Twitter link). The 28-year-old had 30 points in 63 games with Nashville last season, the lowest full-year point total of his career.  He had 69 points in 2016-17 and followed it up with 67 a year later so the upside is certainly there which is why he was voted as the eighth-best UFA on our Top-50 list.  While he can play down the middle, Hedger notes that most suitors view him as a winger.
  • Colorado is working on a two-year bridge deal for RFA center Tyson Jost, relays Adrian Dater of Colorado Hockey Now (via Twitter). The Avalanche drafted the 22-year-old tenth overall in 2016 but he has yet to become a productive player in the NHL.  Jost had eight goals and 15 assists in 67 games last season and has been between 22 and 26 points in each of his three full NHL campaigns.  Between that and Colorado’s pending stars needing new deals, a short-term pact to keep the AAV low makes a lot of sense.

East Notes: Stamkos, Zadina, Islanders, Lundqvist

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are now down 1-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals and, of course, the question of Steven Stamkos’ availability came up in the most recent press conference. Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said he doubted that Stamkos would be ready for Game 2, but did speculate further on the possibility that Stamkos could make an appearance for the Lightning at some point in the series, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith.

Cooper said that Stamkos is “inching closer” to a return and it’s “killing him” not to play, but the coach also said he refuses to put him in if he’s not ready. Cooper said the team needs to make sure his conditioning is up and both he and the medical staff are both comfortable with Stamkos on the ice.

  • The Detroit Red Wings sent 2018 first-round pick Filip Zadina to the Czech Republic to continue playing until the 2020-21 begins, but already have felt the danger of loaning out one of their players. HC Ocelari Trinec announced that Zadina will miss the next few weeks with a upper-body injury that he sustained during a game Sunday. While there is no word on how serious the injury is, the diagnosis that he will be out a few weeks likely means it won’t threaten his availability when the NHL begins their 2020-21 season, which likely now won’t be until at least January 2021. Zadina took over a top-six spot late in the season, scoring eight goals and 15 points in 28 games and is a key component to the team’s 2020-21 season.
  • With four pending unrestricted free agents coming up in the offseason, the New York Islanders have quite a few decisions to make about who they intend to keep. While general manager Lou Lamoriello was able to re-sign most of his UFA’s last season, that’s not likely to be the case. Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that the team may only keep one of them this time around, suggesting that forward Matt Martin could be the only one to retain. The team isn’t likely to bring back goaltender Thomas Greiss now that Ilya Sorokin is on board, although Gross does add that Lamoriello does have a long-standing relationship with Andy Greene, so the team could potentially bring him back as well.
  • USA Today’s Vince Mercogliano looks at the Rangers goaltending situation, suggesting the Rangers may have no choice but to buyout long-time Rangers icon Henrik Lundqvist when the buyout window opens on Sept. 25. General manager Jeff Gorton said he doesn’t plan to keep three goaltenders on the roster and word is the Rangers have not liked any offers they’ve received for Alexandar Georgiev, suggesting the team could save significant cap space in the future if they let go of Lundqvist, including $3MM next season and quite a bit more in 2021-22. With a trade unlikely for Lundqvist even if the Rangers retain half of his $8.5MM salary, the team could announce a buyout as soon as Friday, although at this point, anything is still possible.

 

Evening Notes: Greene, DeBoer, Gostisbehere

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The New York Islander paid a premium price to acquire 37-year-old defenseman Andy Greene from the New Jersey Devils at the trade deadline, sending the Devils their 2021 second-round pick. However, with the suspension in place, the Islanders have only gotten 10 games from the veteran blueliner.

Newday’s Andrew Gross writes, however, that Greene has made it clear that he doesn’t have any intention to retire at the end of this season.

“Oh, yeah, for sure, in my mind, I’m definitely going to play,” Greene told Newsday this week.

While that doesn’t necessarily mean that Greene, an unrestricted free agent this offseason, would return to the Islanders next year, at least it’s still a possibility. Greene finished his 14th season in the league with two goals, 14 points and 155 blocked shots in 63 games.

  • If the NHL decides to go with a playoff system with more than the standard 16 games, the Vegas Golden Knights would receive a bye in the first-round of the playoffs as they are the No. 1 seed in the Pacific Division. However, head coach Peter DeBoer suggested recently, via SinBin’s Ken Boehlke, that he isn’t enamored with that idea and would not be interested in a bye for his team. “I don’t want to be the team with the bye, sitting there after being off for a month or two months or three months. Having teams play two-out-of-threes and play-in games while you’re sitting there. There’s a huge advantage to having actually played games. I know the bye sounds like an advantage. And it is an advantage if you’ve been playing an entire 82-game season and you roll into that and you have 10 days to prepare for the next round. But when you’ve been sitting around for months, it’s a disadvantage. From a fairness point of view, that would be a concern for me.”
  • Once considered to be a future franchise piece to their defense, Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere has struggled for two straight years, which includes a five-goal, 12-point season last year in 42 games. While there was talk that he could have been a trade candidate at the trade deadline, Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sam Carchidi writes that it’s extremely likely that Gostisbehere will be traded within the next year due to the expansion draft in 2021. With the team likely to only protect three defensemen, it’s a lock that the Flyers will protect Ivan Provorov, Travis Sanheim and Philippe Myers, leaving Gostisbehere available to Seattle. However, the scribe believes that team is more likely to trade him rather than just hand him over to Seattle for nothing.

Five Key Stories: 02/10/20 – 02/16/20

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Can you really pick just five? In a news cycle in which superstar Erik Karlsson being ruled out for the season doesn’t even crack the top ten headlines, here are the five most important stories (admittedly with some other notes sprinkled in) of the week that was:

Bouwmeester Suffers Cardiac Incident: The hockey world stood still on Tuesday night, after the game between the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks was suspended under very scary circumstances. Veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffered a “cardiac event” while on the bench during the first period of the contest, collapsing onto the ground. Bouwmeester required resuscitation by the teams’ training staffs to re-start his heart before he was rushed to the hospital. While awaiting word on his condition, there was an outpouring of support from teams and players in all corners of the hockey world for the well-respected veteran. Fortunately, the team issued a statement that Bouwmeester was in stable condition, followed by a report on Friday that he had undergone successful heart surgery. While questions remain about Bouwmeester’s availability to the reigning Stanley Cup champs this season, as well as the future of the impending free agent’s career, the focus will be on rest and rehabilitation for a while still to come.

Minnesota Fires Boudreau: In 13 seasons as an NHL head coach, Bruce Boudreau has only missed the playoffs twice and those seasons occurred seven years apart. However, one of those seasons was 2018-19 and things were not looking good for a return to the postseason in Minnesota this year. New GM Bill Guerin opted to cut ties with his veteran coach on Friday before he could miss consecutive postseasons for the first time in his career. Assistant Dean Evason was named the interim replacement, while Boudreau will begin looking for a new home – a process that historically has not taken him very long.

Elsewhere in the division, Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice received the opposite treatment, despite similar struggles this season. Already one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NHL, Maurice received a three-year contract extension from the Jets.

Penguins Acquire Zucker: Firing Boudreau was not the only major shake-up in Minnesota this week. Long-time Wild star Jason Zucker was finally traded on Monday after more than a year of speculation, even through front office changes. In the end, he winds up with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the same team that nearly acquired him this summer for Phil Kessel. Former Pittsburgh executive Bill Guerin made good on his major trade as Minnesota GM, landing a 2020 first-round pick, top prospect defenseman Calen Addison, and a capable forward and potential extension candidate in Alex Galchenyuk. Meanwhile, the Penguins add the forward they have been seeking – especially in light of Jake Guentzel’s season-ending injury – in Zucker, a veteran with the speed and skill to keep up with Sidney Crosby and three more years remaining on his contract at a reasonable rate. Zucker scored two goals in just his second game with the Penguins on Friday.

Devils Deal Two Key Players: The trades kept rolling on Sunday with the New Jersey Devils as the center of attention. Another new GM, Tom Fitzgerald, is making good on his promise to maximize the return on tradable assets from the rebuilding club. In two separate deals, the Devils added a first-round pick and second-round pick in 2020, promising forward prospect Nolan Foote, and minor leaguer David Quenneville. Of course, it came at a cost, as long-time captain Andy Greene was dealt to the rival New York Islanders and fan-favorite forward Blake Coleman was moved to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, with such strong returns and pieces like Sami Vatanen, Wayne Simmonds, and more expected to go as well, this is the beginning of potentially franchise-altering deadline for New Jersey.

Oilers Extend Nurse: The Edmonton Oilers needed some good news this week, with superstar Connor McDavid out two-to-three weeks with an injury and fellow forward Zack Kassian suspended for seven games. They got it with news of a contract extension for young defenseman Darnell Nurse. Nurse, 25, signed a two-year, $11.2MM deal prior to restricted free agency and a potential arbitration battle this summer. The new AAV for Nurse represents a sizeable salary bump, but for good reason, as he has established himself as a dependable top-pair defender and a point-producer. While the relationship between Nurse and the Oilers was once a concern, it now seems to be in good order, with expectations already that the two sides will negotiate a more long-term extension after next season.

Tampa Bay Lightning Acquire Blake Coleman

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Just a few hours after reports emerged that the New Jersey Devils had traded forward Blake Coleman to the Colorado Avalanche, after which he was scratched from tonight’s game, the forward has officially been dealt. However, not to Denver. TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report that Coleman has been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He adds that the return for New Jersey is a 2020 first-round pick and forward prospect Nolan Foote. The first-rounder will be the Vancouver Canucks’ pick acquired in the J.T. Miller trade, rather than the Bolts’ own selection. Both teams have confirmed the deal.

At first glance, it is clear that the Lightning paid a hefty price in this exchange. Not only did Tampa give up a first-round pick, and the likely higher pick of the two they owned, but Foote was also their first-round selection just last year and the top forward in the pipeline. The big winger, who is the son of former NHLer Adam Foote and brother of Bolts prospect Cal Foote, already has pro size and is continually developing a next-level skill set and hockey IQ. Foote, the captain of the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, has scored at more than a point-per-game pace this season and also added five points in seven games at the World Junior Championship. Foote looks ready to help an NHL team sooner rather than later and the Devils will now be the club to reap that reward.

However, the metrics of production versus pay may help to explain why Coleman commanded such a sizeable cost and why he may be a crucial addition for the cap-strapped Lightning. Coleman is in the second year of a three-year, $5.4MM deal signed with the Devils. That means he is making just $1.8MM against the cap this year and next. At that value, the 28-year-old has recorded 21 goals and 31 points through 57 games this season, his second 20-goal season in a row. Not only that, but Coleman is also an intelligent two-way player who brings physicality and poise with his defensive game. Coleman has been one of New Jersey’s best players this season and his addition to a deep Lightning lineup makes for an embarrassment of riches in Tampa. After a shocking first-round sweep last season, the 2019 President’s Trophy winners are loading up in hopes of ensuring that such a collapse does not occur again.

TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, who had reported earlier today that a Coleman deal to Colorado was done, maintains that the Avalanche as well as the Boston Bruins were in the running for the versatile forward until the end. It’s fair to assume that the cost of beating the Bolts’ offer likely proved to be too much for either squad. It will be interesting to see if either team circles back to New Jersey to discuss another term forward in Kyle Palmieri, or if that asking price – probably even higher – will be too much as well. The Bruins especially are feeling the pressure of this addition by Tampa Bay, the biggest threat to unseat them at the top of the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division as well as a very likely playoff opponent.

While Foote sticks out as the most impressive piece heading to the Devils, it is worth noting that the team now has three first-round picks in June: their own, the Arizona Coyotes’ pick from the Taylor Hall trade, and now Vancouver’s pick via Tampa. They also added a second-round pick earlier in the day from the New York Islanders in exchange for veteran defenseman Andy Greene. With Palmieri possibly on the move and a Sami Vatanen even more likely to be dealt (Travis Zajac and Wayne Simmonds are also names on the rumor mill), the Devils are not done making moves and could at least one more first-round pick before the trade deadline passes next week.

New Jersey Devils Trade Andy Greene

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The New Jersey Devils have decided to trade captain Andy Greene, sending him to the New York Islanders in exchange for David Quenneville and a 2021 second-round pick. Greene waived his no-trade clause to go to the Islanders, where he will be reunited with GM Lou Lamoriello who originally signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2006.

Greene, 37, has spent his entire career to this point with the Devils and was named captain in 2015. The minute-munching defenseman is in the final season of a five-year, $25MM deal negotiated in 2014 and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer. Even as the end of his career creeps closer, Greene has still been a reliable option on the back end, logging more than 20 minutes a night for the Devils and leading their penalty killing efforts.

That’s exactly the type of addition the Islanders were looking for after losing Adam Pelech for the rest of the season. Greene can slide right into their structured defensive system and give head coach Barry Trotz another veteran option to deploy in their playoff hunt.

The Devils have been forced to move on from some of the team’s most recognizable faces after a disastrous first half, trading Greene and Taylor Hall, while firing John Hynes and Ray Shero. It’s tough to watch the team be dismantled, but a second-round pick is a solid return to help the rebuild efforts.

Quenneville, 21, is essentially just a throw in to balance the number of contracts, given that he has found little success in professional hockey to this point. The brother of former Devils prospect John Quenneville, he has split the season between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL and Worcester Railers of the ECHL. The seventh-round pick has another year remaining on his entry-level contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

 

Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils

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With the trade deadline now less than two weeks away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the New Jersey Devils.

It’s been quite a disappointing season for the New Jersey Devils who looked to be a contender before the season started. The team was planning to do everything it could to prove to soon-to-be free-agent Taylor Hall that they would be contenders. They struck the jackpot at the draft, netting top pick Jack Hughes and then traded for defenseman P.K. Subban and KHL star Nikita Gusev, while signing Wayne Simmonds as a free-agent. However, it all backfired as all of their offseason acquisitions have struggled and Hall, in the meantime, has been traded to Arizona, while general manager Ray Shero has been fired as well. With the team looking to undergo a rebuild, the team are extremely likely to move on from a number of players at the trade deadline.

Record

21-26-10, eighth in the Metropolitan Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$28.697MM in a full-season cap hit, 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 45/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: NJ 1st, ARZ 1st*, NJ 4th, BOS 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th
2021: NJ 1st, NJ 3rd, ARZ 3rd**, NJ 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th

* If Arizona’s pick falls in the top three, then the Devils will get Arizona’s 2021 first-round pick.
** The 2021 third-round pick is conditional and can upgrade into a second-round pick if Arizona wins a playoff round this year or if Taylor Hall re-signs with the Coyotes.

Trade Chips

The team isn’t overloaded with pending UFAs, but one name that is likely to garner significant attention is defenseman Sami Vatanen. The blueliner is in the final year of his contract and with the rate that defensemen are getting injured, Vatanen’s price could be rising. The 28-year-old may not post big offensive numbers, but he is a solid second-pairing defenseman, who is averaging 21:45 of ice time with the Devils and should be able to offer a significant upgrade to many playoff teams. Vatanen has five goals and 23 points, which is pretty good for the blueliner, but also adds some physicality with 80 hits already this year to go with 50 blocked shots. Unfortunately for the Devils, bad timing hits as well, as Vatanen was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury on Thursday. However, he is eligible to come off whenever he is ready, so the team hopes he may be back on the ice on Sunday or soon thereafter, which shouldn’t limit his trade value.

The team also is likely to consider moving Simmonds, who signed just a one-year deal with the Devils, and could provide a team with some bottom-six depth. While his skills have declined significantly over the last few years, the 31-year-old still can give a playoff team some much-needed physicality, although his $5MM price tag could be a challenge for many playoff teams to take on, although New Jersey does have the cap space to retain half of Simmonds salary, making a $2.5MM contract more palatable. His leadership skills in the locker room shouldn’t be dismissed either. Simmonds has just seven goals and 23 points this season, but does have 120 hits this season.

Andy Greene’s $5MM expiring contract is another option for playoff teams looking for a veteran blueliner who could make a difference in the playoffs. Once again, the Devils could retain half his salary if needed, but even at $2.5MM, several teams may balk at that. However, despite already being 37 years old, Greene could give a team a top penalty killing blueliner and play between 20-22 minutes a game, making him a valuable commodity.

Five Players To Watch For: F Blake Coleman, D Andy Greene, F Kyle Palmieri, F Wayne Simmonds, D Sami Vatanen

Team Needs

1) Draft Picks: While the Hall trade brought back a first and a conditional third-round pick (which could become a second in 2021), the Devils moved several picks, including two second-rounders for Subban and a second and a third-rounder for Gusev, leaving the team that is looking to rebuild with a shortage of draft picks. That likely will be their top focus.

2) Young Players: The team is building around their two star centers in Nico Hischier and Hughes, so they need to find as many young players and prospects who can step in as soon as possible to hasten the team’s rebuild. Especially if the Devils trade off a number of their players, New Jersey will have to replace them as quickly as possible.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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