While the opening of free agency is still almost certainly several months away, it certainly seems as if the Devils will be looking for help on the wing on the open market. They’ve moved from Taylor Hall, Blake Coleman, and Wayne Simmonds in trades this season and as Corey Masisak of The Athletic notes (subscription required), there are some questions surrounding the current NHL readiness of some of their prospects. With Kyle Palmieri and Nikita Gusev each just a season away from unrestricted free agency as well, adding some help on the open market would serve as insurance if New Jersey can’t come to terms on extensions with those two between now and next offseason. Of course, Hall is arguably the top winger that will be available while others like Mike Hoffman, Evgenii Dadonov, and Tyler Toffoli will also garner plenty of interest.
More from the Metropolitan Division:
- After getting an extension done with their AHL affiliate in Hershey, the Capitals now have to turn their focus to doing the same with their ECHL team in South Carolina. The Stingrays team owner Todd Halloran told NBC Sports Washington (audio link) that he expects that they will get a deal done in the coming weeks. Washington has been affiliated with them since 2014 and previously had been with them from 2004-2012 as well with a two-year stint in Reading in between.
- The Hurricanes are nearing an agreement on a five-year extension on their current arena lease, reports Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer. The deal would overwrite their current one that is slated to expire in 2024 and would run through 2029. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is expected to delay the official announcement while any potential arena renovations are now on hold.
Aaaaagh
Sweet stability in these unstable times….