The Devils are fielding offers for depth defenders Colin Miller and Brendan Smith, reports Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. While secondary targets for teams compared to top-six winger Tyler Toffoli, Miller and Smith have a fair amount of playoff experience and are pending UFAs.
Miller, 31, could be flipped for more than the Devils paid for him last summer. The Stars signed him to a two-year, $3.7MM contract in free agency in 2022, but a cap crunch in Dallas forced him out after one season. He headed to New Jersey in exchange for their 2025 fifth-round pick.
The veteran right-shot defenseman has posted four goals, four assists, and eight points in 41 games in 2023-24, adding a +10 rating and 55.3 CF% at even strength while averaging 15:55 per game. He’s been a positive possession player for every team he’s played for except for his three-year run with the Sabres, and he’s logged a 52 xGF% in New Jersey while spending most of his time as a more steady partner for rookie Luke Hughes.
A few contending teams are still looking for a depth defender. Miller could be a cheap solution for the Lightning, as Nicklaus Perbix and Darren Raddysh have struggled significantly to maintain possession when paired alongside Victor Hedman. After losing out to the Golden Knights for Noah Hanifin’s services, Miller could be a much more cost-effective solution for the Lightning’s most significant deficiency on paper. He carries a $1.85MM cap hit, which the Lightning could absorb without retention.
Smith’s value to playoff teams comes more from his willingness to hit and drop the gloves than his possession-control ability. The 35-year-old can play defense and wing and has had minimal offensive contributions this season, recording three goals and six assists for nine points in 44 games with a 14:34 ATOI. He was once a reasonably successful possession player during his prime on the Red Wings blue line in the early 2010s, but those days are behind him – he has just a 49.5 CF% at even strength this year, -5.5% worse than the Devils’ overall CF% without Smith on the ice.
Enforcers remain desirable assets for contenders at the deadline regardless of their possession impacts, though, as evidenced by the Avalanche picking up fourth-line grinder Brandon Duhaime for a 2026 third-round pick from the Wild yesterday. Smith could realistically fetch a fourth or fifth-round pick, as his age makes him a less desirable asset. He and Duhaime have identical $1.1MM cap hits and are pending UFAs.
It will be an active day for the Devils on all fronts, as they remain in pursuit of long-term goaltending help and have reportedly inquired about multiple high-profile targets, including the Flames’ Jacob Markström, the Bruins’ Linus Ullmark, and the Predators’ Juuse Saros. Toffoli could also very well be on the move with extension talks stalled.
New Jersey is toast! Fitzgerald waited far to long to get a competent goaltender and now they have Travis Green behind the bench who can be easily out coached in the playoffs.