Free agent forward Max Willman will attend the New Jersey Devils training camp on a PTO, the team said today.
Willman, 28, had spent the last four seasons in the Philadelphia Flyers organization after going unsigned by the Buffalo Sabres, who selected him in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in the 2021-22 season and has amassed 50 games in the last two seasons, scoring four goals and adding two assists for six points while playing a limited role. While a strong skater, that hasn’t translated into successful backchecking at the NHL level – he’s been eaten alive in terms of possession in his limited usage, although that’s likely exacerbated by his excessive defensive zone start rate of 66.7% at even strength since making his NHL debut.
He’s posted solid middle-six production in the minors, recording 32 goals, 35 assists and 67 points in 142 games with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms since 2019. He’s found his way into mainstay territory in AHL lineups and can shuffle around all forward positions, making him a valuable farmhand for the Flyers in recent years.
That being said, his chances of landing an NHL role with the Devils out of camp are near zero, so he’ll be battling for either a two-way deal or an AHL contract with their affiliate, the Utica Comets. The Devils’ 42 contracts sit well below the 50-contract limit, and they do have just nine forwards signed and projected to serve in the minors. There’s certainly room for Willman’s services in Utica.