Coming off of a wildly-successful 2022-23 campaign, last summer’s offseason was set up as one where the New Jersey Devils’ key priorities were to lock up wingers Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier long term. They also had several decisions to make on their own pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), but it was clear most would not be returning. This season, the crop of pending UFAs is also extensive. Still, the difference is that the bigger-ticket free agents were jettisoned at the trade deadline, leaving behind a cadre of role players with a shrinking amount of cap space to allow for retention.
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Last season, the Devils were able to help pending UFA Damon Severson get to his desired landing spot and still be able to benefit from an eight-year contract through a sign-and-trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. None of the current pending UFAs will likely command that level of contract this offseason, but some may be desired to the point the Devils can pick up a late-round draft pick in exchange for early negotiating rights. The other factor to remember is that since most of these players are depth pieces, the Devils are unlikely to move forward with that group until they secure a permanent head coach. The Devils’ crop of restricted free agents (RFAs) will likely all be tendered qualifying offers, though some may earn longer-term bridge deals. Below is a discussion of the internal free-agent forwards the Devils must decide on before going to the market on July 1.
Unrestricted Free Agents
Tomas Nosek
The Devils had high hopes for the 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward when they signed him as a free agent on July 19, 2023, to a one-year, $1 million contract. Nosek was coming off a season where he tied his career high in points for the record-setting Boston Bruins, deftly playing the role of defensive center and wing and winning faceoffs at a nearly 60% clip. The Devils brought him in to solidify their bottom six and penalty kill and seemingly as insurance for the possible loss of Michael McLeod to consequences from the 2018 World Junior Championship Team allegations. Nosek had a good camp, and with Nathan Bastian still recovering from shoulder surgery and Nolan Foote being injured, he was in line for a full-time fourth-line role. Unfortunately, much like the Devils as a whole, everything that could go wrong for him did.
Nosek initially injured his foot on Oct. 13, which kept him out of games through early November, then suffered an upper-body injury when Jacob Trouba smashed his head into the crossbar. While out for that injury, he re-injured his foot, required surgery and was out until after the All-Star Break. Nosek only played 36 games and didn’t score his first goal until March 14. None of his numbers, counting or advanced, really stand out. He plays with good hockey sense, is an excellent forechecker, and can kill penalties. It is difficult to evaluate Nosek’s season as he didn’t even play 40 games. He is set to head to the 2024 World Championships to play for Team Czechia. Perhaps his play in that tournament can give the Devils a better gauge of where his game is at right now. It may come down to him and Chris Tierney for the depth forward/fourth-line center slot, and Tierney is likely to be less expensive and perhaps willing to sign a two-way deal.
Chris Tierney
The fourth-line depth forward, affectionately known as the “Cobra,” had a much more significant role than was expected when he signed over the summer. Tierney has transitioned from being a 15-18 minute player in his early 20s to now a 10-12 minute role player. This season, his value to the Devils was his preparation, versatility, and understanding of his role: “I just try to adapt to where you’re playing, what role you’re playing for the night<” he explained. “You know who’s out there with you; you know guys’ strengths and weaknesses just by watching and playing with them. You know what guys are good at, what you want to try to help guys do…you just adapt to that way. It’s just about understanding the role you’re in and who you’re on the ice with and then playing the right way and playing the team system.” He demonstrated this value by weathering long stretches of being scratched in December and February, only playing three games in each month, and was able to return each time and immediately contribute.
“He’s a good pro. We talked (earlier in the press conference) about maturing and being in the league for a while, a lot of times players (also) understand what it takes to stay in the league as well. That consistency is a big thing. He understands that when playing the third or fourth line roles coaches are looking for certain certain attributes in that spot. He’s learned that, he’s provided that, he’s done a good job.”
Interim Head Coach Travis Green on Chris Tierney, April 9, 2024
Tierney isn’t flashy with the puck and is not the fastest skater, but his teammates appreciate his work throughout the locker room. Veteran defenseman Brendan Smith singled out Tierney when asked what players in the room impressed him this season, saying “Chris Tierney is arguably one of the most impressive players I’ve seen this year. He has so much patience. He’s such a smart player. He can play all the way up through the lineup.
He has welcomed his role on the Devils and thrived as a defensive forward. Despite often playing against other teams’ top lines, he finished the season a plus-3; he also set a career-high at the faceoff dot, finishing with a 57.2 winning percentage, which helped make up for McLeod’s mid-season departure . He also was adept at not taking penalties, only being sent to the box three times in 52 games, other than the unexpected line brawl against the New York Rangers. While lacking in pure speed, Tierney could fill the low-cost, depth forward role should the Devils spend big elsewhere.
Kurtis MacDermid
General manager Tom Fitzgerald’s only real addition to his skaters near the trade deadline was the acquisition of Kurtis MacDermid from the Colorado Avalanche. MacDermid can play both wing and defense and is best known for the toughness he brings to a lineup through physicality. He is as close to an old-school enforcer as the Devils have had in years. In his first game as a Devil against the Rangers, he immediately made his presence felt when he called out Matt Rempe for refusing to drop the gloves in response to a dirty hit Rempe had laid on Bastian earlier in the year. This set up the now-infamous April 3 line brawl between the teams that featured a center-ice heavyweight fight between MacDermid and Rempe. All of MacDermid’s teammates praised the veteran for standing up for his teammates for events while he was still in Colorado.
Notably, MacDermid is the only one of the Devils pending UFAs Fitzgerald has specifically mentioned working with on an extension. While not an 82-game player, MacDermid brings a work ethic and toughness that is felt throughout the entire lineup. This means something after interim head coach Travis Green and Fitzgerald spent much of their postseason interviews urging their team to spend more time in the weight room. Tierney recognized MacDermid’s impact on the team, saying “whenever there’s something that’s questionable. He’s standing up on the benches. He’s making sure the other team’s hearing about it, he’s going on the ice and hitting guys he’s getting into it.” Both the staff and team have taken notice which bodes well for MacDermid returning to Newark next season.
Max Willman
The Devils signed winger Max Willman, a Massachusetts native, to a league-minimum, one-year, two-way deal as training camp ended. Due to the extent of the injuries New Jersey faced, Willman ended up playing a bigger role than expected. The 29-year-old finished the year with four points in 18 games. He was recently injured playing for the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Utica Comets, breaking his sternum and some ribs in a collision with a Toronto Marlies player. Willman fits the team’s style with his speed and would be a good candidate for another one-year, two-way minimum deal after an invite for training camp in the fall should he not be picked up by any other clubs.
Restricted Free Agents
Fitzgerald removed some of the suspense by confirming that, as of now, he plans to qualify all of his RFAs. Per CapFriendly, only Shane Bowers and Brian Halonen own arbitration rights, so the qualification process should be reasonably simple. Still, a wrinkle or two may be thrown in during the process.
Dawson Mercer
Dawson Mercer and the Devils have an interesting decision to make this summer. With Mercer coming off his entry-level contract and still being a year away from securing arbitration rights, the team could tender him a qualifying offer and force him to play for that number for a year. The more likely scenario is working out a bridge deal where the team would sign him closer to market value that eats away some or all of his remaining years as an RFA. The main stumbling block in that plan is calculating value.
Mercer has not missed a game in three years as a pro. He is the only Devil to have played every game of the last three seasons. His durability, despite his smaller frame, is valued by New Jersey. The team identified Mercer as one player who must continue to get physically stronger to compete more along the walls. Coming off his second season, he was poised to compete for 30 goals and 70 points and take his place as one of the top players in the NHL for his age. Instead of making that leap, he regressed, with all of his counting stats, except ice time, declining. Entering free agency following a 32-point season is markedly different than a 56-point 2022-23 where Mercer was clearly on an upward trajectory. Perhaps the best plan for both sides is to meet somewhere in the middle on either a one or two-year “prove it” deal, much like the team did with Bratt.
Mercer professes not to get involved in his contract issues, saying in his exit interview that he leaves that for his agent and the club. The Devils would be wise to push a longer-term deal when they are closer to having some veteran deals expire and the cap increases. Ideally, a two-year deal for between $3 and 4 million makes the most sense. Mercer has been sought after by many teams and would bring back a significant bounty in a trade, but the Devils have shown no desire to move him, even for an elite goaltender.
Nolan Foote
Fitzgerald was pointing to Nolan Foote as an example of proper player development only a year ago, indicating he believed the young winger had a future role on the team as early as the 2023-24 season. Unfortunately for Foote, his body did not cooperate, and he missed most of the season due to a back injury. The Devils will likely qualify Foote, give him another chance to earn the fourth-line left-wing spot out of camp, and allow him to share the role with MacDermid (and perhaps play him up on the third line if his play warrants.) The biggest detriment to his game is his lack of speed, but he is one of the few Devils forward prospects who can play a heavy game at the NHL level, and he possesses an NHL-ready shot. Filling a fourth-line spot with a player on a sub-million dollar deal will allow the team flexibility in their hunt for a goaltender and help in the top six and on defense.
Brian Halonen
Older than the other RFAs, Brian Halonen is coming off a successful year in the AHL, where he scored 22 points in 27 games while battling through injury. Like Foote, Halonen brings toughness, size, and a heavy shot to the Devils’ prospect pool. Due to his age, Halonen has arbitration rights, which may lead to a short-term, two-way bridge deal or conversely, lead to the Devils allowing him to walk as a free agent to find a team where he can compete for a role in their top nine. He has demonstrated a knack for scoring since his days at Michigan Tech and is a right-shot and an important commodity for the Devils. If they can make it work, he could be a valuable depth player and worth re-signing for a two-way deal with an increase in his AHL pay and an NHL salary of around $950,000.
Shane Bowers
The Ottawa Senators’ 2017 first-round draft pick has never lived up to his draft slot despite his skillset and excellent mustache. The Devils took a flyer on Shane Bowers in a trade with the Boston Bruins in exchange for Reilly Walsh. Like several other teams the Devils were unable to unlock Bowers’ potential only contributing 14 points in 43 AHL games. He is a candidate for a two-way deal for depth but likely not much more.
Graeme Clarke
For the second consecutive year, Graeme Clarke lit up the AHL for 25 goals in just under 70 games. Clarke has proven all he can at that level and is now poised to have his shot in the NHL. Whether that shot happens with the Devils remains to be seen. With little room for him in their middle six, Clarke could be a valuable trade asset this summer as the team looks to solidify goaltending and defense and add a top-six winger. Either way, the Devils are certain to qualify Clarke at the $813,750 offer, as there is no reason to move forward with a bridge deal.
Kurtis MacDermid is The only UFA assured of being given a chance to return. The others will likely have to sweat out the early portion of free agency to see if New Jersey comes back to them when trying to fill depth roles. Fitzgerald has already indicated he plans to qualify all of his pending RFAs, and the biggest one to watch is Mercer. How the team approaches Mercer will impact how they may proceed in both the trade and free agent markets this summer.