The bulk of the New Jersey Devils’ offseason work has gotten done. They re-signed Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier to eight-year extensions, acquired Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames for more scoring, and added defensive depth in a trade with the Dallas Stars for Colin Miller.
You could argue there’s nothing left to do for general manager Tom Fitzgerald, and you’d be right. But even though the Devils could start the 2023-24 season with their roster as is, they have just over $5.6 million in cap space with only Kevin Bahl to re-sign from their restricted free agents.
There is some room to add, and Fitzgerald shouldn’t hesitate to do so if something that makes sense comes along. There are two ways to go: more top-nine scoring or a goaltender. But based on the team’s build, the latter should be the choice if Fitzgerald is to make one more move this summer.
Devils Seem to Have Interest in Adding a Goalie
The Devils don’t need a goalie, per se. Though he did struggle mightily in the playoffs, Vitek Vanecek finished with a .911 save percentage in the regular season. Meanwhile, Akira Schmid made a name for himself, totaling a .921 save percentage in 27 games between the playoffs and the regular season.
But based on the Devils’ reported interest in Connor Hellebuyck, they seem to be in the market for upgrading the position. Frank Seravalli also mentioned on the July 10 episode of DFO Rundown that the Devils’ preference would be to have Schmid start the season in the AHL to play as many games as possible with the Utica Comets. That’ll only fuel speculation that they’re looking for another goalie.
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That might seem unfair to Schmid, who was a significant factor in the Devils advancing a round in the playoffs. But starting him in the AHL with the Comets for 2023-24 probably wouldn’t be the worst for his development. He only has 33 games of NHL experience between the last two seasons, plus 61 games of AHL experience. He just turned 23 at the end of May and is still developing, so the Devils shouldn’t force him into the NHL full-time if they think he needs more AHL seasoning.
If the Devils go after a goaltender, it sure seems like Hellebuyck would be their top choice. And could anyone blame them? He’s coming off a Vezina Trophy nomination and has been one of the NHL’s best goalies for nearly a decade. However, it’s worth noting that Seravalli said the Winnipeg Jets are having trouble drumming up interest for Hellebuyck, so it doesn’t appear anything is close.
It could also mean the Jets’ ask for Hellebuyck is too high, but he shouldn’t be the only option for the Devils. Jeremy Swayman has an arbitration date set for July 30. The two sides will likely agree to a deal before then, but depending on what his cap hit looks like, the Boston Bruins could consider dealing him or Linus Ullmark for cap reasons; if Swayman’s number is $3.5 million or less, they should be fine.
Swayman and Ullmark are obviously not Hellebuyck, but they’re legit 1A options. Ullmark is coming off the best season of his career, finishing with a .938 SV% and the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie. He’ll likely regress in 2023-24, but he had a .916 SV% in 95 games over the previous three seasons. That’s still a top-end goalie. Meanwhile, Swayman is 24 years old and has a .920 SV% across 88 career games. He’d be quite the upgrade for the Devils too.
If the Devils acquire either Ullmark or Swayman, it’d almost certainly be to pair up with Vanecek while giving Schmid plenty of reps with the Comets, especially if there’s a path to retaining Ullmark’s $5 million cap hit through a third-party facilitator. There’s probably a path to pairing Vanecek and Hellebuyck for a year, too, if the Devils can get 50 percent retention on the final year of Hellebuyck’s contract before an extension would kick in for 2024-25.
Holtz & Clarke Provide Internal Scoring Options
Because there’s a saturated goalie market that’s had zero movement, the Devils still have all their options available to them this offseason. When it comes to adding more top-nine talent, that isn’t necessarily the case anymore. They could re-sign Tomáš Tatar to a one-year deal, but they’d need to have their goaltending situation settled first. If they run it back with Vanecek and Schmid, they’d have room to re-sign Tatar.
Vladimir Tarasenko is still a UFA. The Devils have had interest in him over the last couple of years, but that ship has probably sailed by now. In reality, there’s not much Fitzgerald can do to add an external top-nine talent right now. Toffoli should be enough too. But if they really want more scoring, they have a couple of internal options to consider, namely Alexander Holtz and Graeme Clarke.
The Devils made Holtz the seventh overall pick in 2020, and while he’s had some flashes in the NHL, he has yet to stick permanently. But one has to think that’s coming soon since he’s produced at every level he’s played in. He had 26 goals and 51 points in 52 AHL games during the 2021-22 season, and though he had limited time with the Comets this past season, he still had 11 points in 14 contests.
There’s no denying Holtz’s talent, and he has the offensive makeup to be a big-time scorer in the NHL due to his shot and underrated playmaking. He’s gotten quicker over the last couple of years, and if the Devils give him a role that plays to his offensive strengths while not worrying about his two-way game too much, he could make an impact this coming season.
As for Clarke, he looks like he could be another mid-round find for the Devils’ amateur scouting staff. A third-round pick in the 2019 draft, he had a strong year for the Comets this past season, totaling 27 goals and 64 points in 74 games between the regular season and playoffs. Holtz may have a leg up on him, given his draft pedigree. But Clarke will certainly be in the thick of the competition for an NHL roster spot when training camp begins in September.
Holtz has more upside than Clarke. If he’s ready for a breakout campaign, it’s easy to envision him alongside one of Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier in the top-six. But even on the third line with Ondrej Palát and Erik Haula, he could probably contribute offensively. It’s hard to envision Clarke playing in the top-six, but he could also provide scoring depth in a third-line role. Given what’s left in free agency and on the trade market, plus considering the Devils’ cap situation, Holtz or Clarke are likely the Devils’ best path to adding more top-nine talent. And that makes the case for pursuing a goalie even stronger.
Can the Devils Do Both?
If the Devils add Hellebuyck or one of Swayman or Ullmark, getting more scoring help through a trade or free agency would be difficult for cap reasons. There is one path to doing both, though, and that would revolve around Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson. Kevin Weekes reported earlier this summer that a few teams had called the Golden Knights to see if he’s available:
I’m not sure how many Devils fans know this, but Thompson was briefly part of the organization during the 2018-19 season. He played eight games for the Adirondack Thunder in the ECHL and one for the Binghamton Devils in the AHL. Fitzgerald likely has a bit of familiarity with him, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they were one of the few teams who called the Golden Knights about him.
What makes Thompson uber-valuable is his play at a cap hit of $766,000. Though he did miss the last few months of the 2022-23 season with an injury, he posted a .915 SV% in 37 games with the Golden Knights. He fits with the Devils’ timeline at 26 years old, and his six-figure cap hit for the next two years would allow Fitzgerald to add another forward if he wants (most likely re-signing Tatar).
The chances of Thompson being available seem low since the Golden Knights are tight on cap space. But it may depend on Robin Lehner’s availability for the coming season after having hip surgery. If he’s ready to return, the Golden Knights will have a decision to make between Lehner, Thompson and Adin Hill, who just re-signed with the team for two years after leading them to a Stanley Cup. And if it’s Thompson who goes, the Devils would be wise to target him.
If the Devils make one more move this offseason, goaltending would be the way to go. It isn’t a priority, per se, but it’d provide more of an upgrade to their 2023-24 roster than adding more scoring talent. They have enough of that, plus internal options in Holtz and Clarke. And getting another goalie while allowing Schmid to get a significant workload with the Comets would better the team in the long run.