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Buffalo Sabres Acquire Will Butcher

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After signing Dougie Hamilton to a massive contract, the New Jersey Devils have cleared out some cap space from the defensive unit. The Devils have traded Will Butcher and a 2022 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres. The Devils will receive future considerations.

Butcher, 26, is signed through only the 2021-22 season but carries a $3.7MM cap hit that had become cumbersome for the Devils. The former University of Denver star is a great playmaker and can rack up points on the powerplay, but just isn’t a strong enough skater or physical enough to make up for it. His defensive game has always been a struggle, but it was only magnified as the Devils lost some of their other responsible options. With Hamilton signing and Ryan Graves acquired from the Colorado Avalanche, there was simply no more room for Butcher in New Jersey.

For Buffalo though, acquiring Butcher is a brilliant move. The team can let him run the second powerplay unit to accumulate points through the first half of the season, then flip him at the deadline for a future asset. Even just taking on his contract now landed them a draft pick, and it seems likely that they’ll be able to acquire another one down the road. The Sabres aren’t ready to compete for the playoffs and could stand to do more moves like this, eating some money for future picks.

In New Jersey, this is another indication that the Devils aren’t going to be happy missing the playoffs again this season. The team solidified their goaltending position by bringing in Jonathan Bernier and added the best free agent available in Hamilton. While the team is still extremely young, there’s lots of cap room and plenty of prospects ready to take the next step. Butcher was in the way, and it only cost them a fifth-round pick to move him out.

Dougie Hamilton Signs With New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils have landed today’s biggest prize, signing Dougie Hamilton. It’s a seven-year deal paying a total of $63MM, meaning an average annual value of $9MM for the free agent defenseman. Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald released a lengthy statement about how excited the front office is to land a player of Hamilton’s caliber:

We are thrilled to welcome Dougie and his family to the New Jersey Devils organization. As a player and person, he has consistently shown a commitment to excellence and will play a leading role in our franchise’s return to an elite level in the League. We believe that the magnitude of his contributions on the ice will be equal to his impact on our culture as we continue to position ourselves for long-term success. I am proud of the work our entire staff did to promote the amazing attributes of this organization and to bring aboard one of the most sought-after free agents this year.

There’s no doubt about it, this is a huge win for a Devils team that has struggled to attract key free agents in the past. In fact, before today, only a single player on the active roster was acquired via free agency. That was Scott Wedgewood, who also just so happened to be drafted by the Devils back in 2010 and returned years later. Otherwise, the entire team was built through the draft or trade, something that Hamilton and new goaltender Jonathan Bernier change with their hefty deals today.

Hamilton, 28, will now be tied with teammate P.K. Subban and Colorado superstar Cale Makar for the fourth-highest cap hit among NHL defensemen next season, only behind Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty and Roman Josi. Seth Jones will join that group when his $9.5MM extension kicks in for 2022-23, but Subban’s contract will fall off the list as it expires. For that much money, Hamilton will have to perform at an elite level for the Devils if this contract is to be worth the risk.

So far in his career, that hasn’t been a problem. Norris Trophy finishes the last five years: 9th, 14th, 14th, 7th, 4th. The right-shot Hamilton has been one of the most consistent offensive defensemen in the league for seven seasons now, scoring at least ten goals and 39 points in each year since 2014-15. That includes 40+ point performances even in the last two shortened seasons. Equally effective on the powerplay or at even-strength, Hamilton’s puck-moving and playmaking ability far outweigh the defensive deficiencies he may have. Even those are sometimes overblown given how much he has the puck, though he won’t have quite the same quality of teammate in New Jersey.

Still, it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t continue to put up elite offensive numbers for the next few seasons, if not the whole contract. There’s no one to challenge him for the top powerplay spot and Hamilton’s potential partners should only improve moving forward. Ty Smith or Ryan Graves figure to line up next to him in 2021-22, but either one could be keeping the spot warm for top prospect Luke Hughes, selected fourth overall over the weekend. Hughes is off to the University of Michigan for the time being, but projects as a top-pairing defenseman with elite skating ability.

Even if that young talent is coming, the Devils will still be battling just to make for the playoffs next season. Hamilton is taking a significant step back from the Stanley Cup contender in Carolina and could potentially have some lean years. The entire Devils forward group is 26 or under, and only he, Subban, Bernier and Wedgewood are older than that. It’s a reason for excitement in New Jersey, but success may not come right away.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jonathan Bernier Signs With New Jersey Devils

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The New Jersey Devils have signed Jonathan Bernier to a two-year contract according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the contract will carry an average annual value of $4.125MM. Bernier’s rights were recently traded from the Detroit Red Wings to the Carolina Hurricanes, but decided to test the market instead of signing with his new team. He’ll now land in New Jersey where he can be a veteran partner for young Mackenzie Blackwood.

It is an interesting move for New Jersey, who gave Bernier the fourth-highest AAV of the day among goaltenders behind younger keepers Philipp Grubauer and Linus Ullmark as well as Frederik Andersen, all of whom will be asked to take on starting roles whereas Bernier will be, at best, splitting time with young cornerstone Mackenzie Blackwood. Blackwood himself is also making just $2.8MM over the next two years, well below Bernier. While the Devils do not have cap problems, they also don’t seem like a team that needed to spend a lot of money for another goaltender, especially when other veteran options went for less.

Yet, financial details aside, Bernier is an experienced, accomplished goaltender who should serve as a good mentor to Blackwood, what the Devils were hoping for out of Corey Crawford last off-season. Bernier is also coming off of a solid season in Detroit in which he managed a .914 save percentage and 2.99 GAA despite playing in front of a porous team defense.

San Jose, New Jersey Swap Jaros, Merkley

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The San Jose Sharks and New Jersey Devils have completed a minor trade, swapping Christian Jaros and Nicholas Merkley. Immediately, Jaros has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Devils worth $800K at the NHL level and $275K in the AHL.

Jaros, 25, played seven games for the Sharks this season after a late January trade from the Ottawa Senators. An imposing figure on the ice standing 6’3″ 222-lbs, the fifth-round pick will likely be a depth piece for New Jersey like he has been at his previous two stops. In 2018-19, his only full NHL season, he managed ten points in 61 games with the Senators. A one-year deal likely won’t come in at anything more than the $750K league minimum.

Merkley is perhaps the more interesting name to follow in this deal, if only because of his draft pedigree. Picked 30th overall in 2015, he has never been able to translate his exceptional junior production into consistent scoring at the NHL level. In 27 games this year, he recorded two goals and ten points, taking his career total to 12.

Overall, this is just a trade of two depth pieces that needed a different fit. The blueline in San Jose is overcrowded with expensive veterans, but the forward group is in need of some new additions. In New Jersey, it’s almost the opposite, with a defensive group still completely up in the air even after the acquisition of Ryan Graves. For each player it seems like there will be more opportunity in the NHL, though they’ll still need to prove they’re capable of taking on that role.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first reported the trade.

2021 NHL Draft Selections By Team

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Today concluded the 2021 NHL Draft, the first edition with 32 teams in the running. Some teams selected just three times (sorry, Toronto), while Don Waddell and the Carolina Hurricanes selected an NHL-record 13 times for a seven-round draft. After all the chaos of last night and today, catch up here on who your team selected and when.

Anaheim Ducks
Round 1, Pick 3: F Mason McTavish
Round 2, Pick 34: D Olen Zellweger
Round 3, Pick 66: F Sasha Pastujov
Round 3, Pick 76 (from CHI via MTL): D Tyson Hinds
Round 4, Pick 98: F Josh Lopina
Round 5, Pick 130: F Sean Tschigerl
Round 5, Pick 148 (from EDM via OTT): G Gage Alexander
Round 6, Pick 162: F Kyle Kukkonen

Arizona Coyotes
Round 1, Pick 9 (from VAN): F Dylan Guenther
Round 2, Pick 37 (from CBJ via OTT): F Josh Doan
Round 2, Pick 43: F Ilya Fedotov
Round 2, Pick 60 (from COL via NYI): D Janis Jerome Moser
Round 4, Pick 107: D Emil Martinsen Lilleberg
Round 4, Pick 122 (from PIT): G Rasmus Korhonen
Round 5, Pick 139: F Manix Landry
Round 6, Pick 171: D Cal Thomas
Round 7, Pick 223 (from MTL via CHI): F Sam Lipkin

Boston Bruins
Round 1, Pick 21: F Fabian Lysell
Round 3, Pick 85: F Brett Harrison
Round 4, Pick 117: G Philip Svedeback
Round 5, Pick 149: F Oskar Jellvik
Round 6, Pick 181: D Ryan Mast
Round 7, Pick 213: F Andre Gasseau
Round 7, Pick 217 (from TOR): D Ty Gallagher

Buffalo Sabres
Round 1, Pick 1: D Owen Power
Round 1, Pick 14 (from PHI): F Isak Rosen
Round 2, Pick 33: F Prokhor Poltapov
Round 2, Pick 53 (from BOS): F Alexander Kisakov
Round 3, Pick 88 (from FLA): F Stiven Sardarian
Round 3, Pick 95 (from MTL): F Josh Bloom
Round 4, Pick 97: F Olivier Nadeau
Round 5, Pick 159 (from MTL): F Viljami Marjala
Round 6, Pick 161: F William von Barnekow Lofberg
Round 6, Pick 188 (from COL): D Nikita Novikov
Round 7, Pick 193: F Tyson Kozak

Calgary Flames
Round 1, Pick 13: F Matthew Coronato
Round 2, Pick 45: F William Stromgren
Round 3, Pick 77: F Cole Huckins
Round 4, Pick 89 (from TOR via LAK): D Cameron Whynot
Round 5, Pick 141: D Cole Jordan
Round 6, Pick 168 (from LAK): F Jack Beck
Round 6, Pick 173: F Lucas Ciona
Round 7, Pick 205: G Arsenii Sergeev

Carolina Hurricanes
Round 2, Pick 40 (from LAK via NSH): D Scott Morrow
Round 2, Pick 44 (from CHI via CBJ): D Aleksi Heimosalmi
Round 2, Pick 51 (from NSH): F Ville Koivunen
Round 3, Pick 83 (from NSH): G Patrik Hamrla
Round 3, Pick 94 (from VGK via DET): D Aidan Hreschuk
Round 4, Pick 109 (from CGY via LAK): F Jackson Blake
Round 5, Pick 136 (from LAK via OTT): F Robert Orr
Round 5, Pick 147 (from NSH): F Justin Robidas
Round 6, Pick 170 (from OTT): D Bryce Montgomery
Round 6, Pick 187: G Nikita Quapp
Round 7, Pick 200 (from LAK): G Yegor Naumov
Round 7, Pick 209 (from STL): C Nikita Guslistov
Round 7, Pick 219: D Joel Nystrom

Chicago Blackhawks
Round 1, Pick 32 (from TBL via CBJ): D Nolan Allan
Round 2, Pick 62 (from VGK): F Colton Dach
Round 3, Pick 91 (from CAR): D Taige Harding
Round 4, Pick 105 (from VAN): D Ethan Del Mastro
Round 4, Pick 108: F Victor Stjernborg
Round 6, Pick 172: F Ilya Safonov
Round 7, Pick 204: D Connor Kelley
Round 7, Pick 216 (from FLA): F Jalen Luypen

Colorado Avalanche
Round 1, Pick 28: F Oskar Olausson
Round 2, Pick 61 (from NYI via NJD): D Sean Behrens
Round 3, Pick 92: F Andrei Buyalsky
Round 7, Pick 220: F Taylor Makar

Columbus Blue Jackets
Round 1, Pick 5: F Kent Johnson
Round 1, Pick 12 (from CHI): F Cole Sillinger
Round 1, Pick 25 (from TOR): D Corson Ceulemans
Round 3, Pick 69: D Stanislav Svozil
Round 4, Pick 101: D Guillaume Richard
Round 5, Pick 132 (from NJD): D Nikolai Makarov
Round 5, Pick 133: F James Malatesta
Round 6, Pick 165: F Ben Boyd
Round 7, Pick 197: F Martin Rysavy

Dallas Stars
Round 1, Pick 23 (from WSH via DET): F Wyatt Johnston
Round 2, Pick 47: F Logan Stankoven
Round 2, Pick 48 (from NYR via DET): D Artem Grushnikov
Round 3, Pick 73 (from VAN): F Ayrton Martino
Round 3, Pick 79: F Justin Ertel
Round 4, Pick 111: F Conner Roulette
Round 5, Pick 138 (from OTT via MTL, DET): D Jack Bar
Round 5, Pick 143: D Jacob Holmes
Round 6, Pick 175: F Francesco Arcuri
Round 7, Pick 207: F Albert Sjoberg

Detroit Red Wings
Round 1, Pick 6: D Simon Edvinsson
Round 1, Pick 15 (from DAL): G Sebastian Cossa
Round 2, Pick 36 (from NJD via VGK): D Shai Buium
Round 3, Pick 70: F Carter Mazur
Round 4, Pick 114 (from WPG via VGK): F Redmond Savage
Round 5, Pick 134: F Liam Dower Nilsson
Round 5, Pick 155 (from CAR via VGK): D Oscar Plandowski
Round 6, Pick 166: F Pasquale Zito

Edmonton Oilers
Round 1, Pick 22 (from MIN): F Xavier Bourgault
Round 3, Pick 90 (from PIT via SJS, MIN): D Luca Munzenberger
Round 4, Pick 116: F Jake Chiasson
Round 6, Pick 180: F Matvei Petrov
Round 6, Pick 186 (from PIT): F Shane Lachance
Round 7, Pick 212: D Maximus Wanner

Florida Panthers
Round 1, Pick 24: F Mackie Samoskevich
Round 2, Pick 56: D Evan Nause
Round 4, Pick 120: D Vladislav Lukashevich
Round 5, Pick 152: G Kirill Gerasimyuk
Round 6, Pick 184: F Jakub Kos
Round 7, Pick 210 (from WPG): D Braden Hache

Los Angeles Kings
Round 1, Pick 8: D Brandt Clarke
Round 2, Pick 42 (from OTT): F Francesco Pinelli
Round 2, Pick 59 (from CAR): F Samuel Helenius
Round 3, Pick 84 (from EDM via CGY): D Kirill Kirsanov

Minnesota Wild
Round 1, Pick 20 (from EDM): G Jesper Wallstedt
Round 1, Pick 26 (from PIT): D Carson Lambos
Round 2, Pick 54: D Jack Peart
Round 3, Pick 86: F Caedan Bankier
Round 4, Pick 118: D Kyle Masters
Round 4, Pick 127 (from MTL): F Josh Pillar
Round 6, Pick 182: D Nate Benoit

Montreal Canadiens
Round 1, Pick 31: D Logan Mailloux
Round 2, Pick 63: F Riley Kidney
Round 2, Pick 64 (from TBL): F Oliver Kapanen
Round 3, Pick 87 (from WSH via SJS): D Dmitri Kostenko
Round 4, Pick 113 (from STL): D William Trudeau
Round 5, Pick 142 (from PHI): D Daniil Sobolev
Round 5, Pick 150 (from MIN): F Joshua Roy
Round 6, Pick 191: F Xavier Simoneau
Round 7, Pick 214 (from MIN): G Joe Vrbetic

Nashville Predators
Round 1, Pick 19: F Fedor Svechkov
Round 1, Pick 27 (from CAR): F Zachary L’Heureux
Round 3, Pick 72 (from LAK via CAR): D Anton Olsson
Round 4, Pick 115: D Ryan Ufko
Round 4, Pick 124 (from COL via OTT): D Jack Matier
Round 6, Pick 179: F Simon Knak

New Jersey Devils
Round 1, Pick 4: D Luke Hughes
Round 1, Pick 29 (from NYI): F Chase Stillman
Round 3, Pick 68: F Samu Salminen
Round 4, Pick 100: G Jakub Malek
Round 5, Pick 129 (from BUF): D Topias Vilen
Round 6, Pick 164: D Viktor Hurtig
Round 7, Pick 203 (from ARI): F Zakhar Bardakov

New York Islanders
Round 2, Pick 52 (from EDM via DET): F Aatu Raty
Round 3, Pick 93: G Tristan Lennox
Round 4, Pick 125: F Cameron Berg
Round 5, Pick 157: F Eetu Liukas
Round 6, Pick 189: D Aleksi Malinen
Round 7, Pick 221: D Tomas Machu

New York Rangers
Round 1, Pick 16: F Brennan Othmann
Round 3, Pick 65 (from BUF): F Jayden Grubbe
Round 3, Pick 75 (from ARI via NJD, WSH): F Ryder Korczak
Round 4, Pick 104 (from LAK): F Brody Lamb
Round 4, Pick 106 (from OTT): F Kalle Vaisanen
Round 4, Pick 112: G Talyn Boyko
Round 5, Pick 144: F Jaroslav Chmelar
Round 7, Pick 208: D Hank Kempf

Ottawa Senators
Round 1, Pick 10: F Tyler Boucher
Round 2, Pick 39 (from SJS): F Zach Ostapchuk
Round 2, Pick 49 (from STL via BUF, VGK, LAK): D Ben Roger
Round 3, Pick 74: F Oliver Johansson
Round 4, Pick 123 (from CAR): F Carson Latimer
Round 7, Pick 202: D Chandler Romeo

Philadelphia Flyers
Round 2, Pick 46: F Samu Tuomaala
Round 3, Pick 78: G Aleksei Kolosov
Round 4, Pick 110: D Brian Zanetti
Round 5, Pick 158 (from VGK via WSH): D Ty Murchison
Round 6, Pick 174: D Ethan Samson
Round 7, Pick 206: F Owen McLaughlin

Pittsburgh Penguins
Round 2, Pick 58: F Tristan Broz
Round 5, Pick 154: D Isaac Belliveau
Round 7, Pick 194 (from ANA): D Ryan McCleary
Round 7, Pick 215 (from WSH): D Daniel Laatsch
Round 7, Pick 218: F Kirill Tankov

San Jose Sharks
Round 1, Pick 7: F William Eklund
Round 3, Pick 81 (from STL): G Benjamin Gaudreau
Round 4, Pick 103: D Gannon Laroque
Round 4, Pick 121 (from TOR): F Ethan Cardwell
Round 5, Pick 135: D Artem Guryev
Round 5, Pick 156 (from COL): F Max McCue
Round 6, Pick 167: F Liam Gilmartin
Round 6, Pick 177 (from STL): F Theo Jacobsson
Round 7, Pick 199: F/D Evgenii Kashnikov

Seattle Kraken
Round 1, Pick 2: F Matthew Beniers
Round 2, Pick 35: D Ryker Evans
Round 3, Pick 67: F Ryan Winterton
Round 4, Pick 99: D Ville Ottavainen
Round 5, Pick 131: F Jacob Melanson
Round 6, Pick 163: G Semyon Vyazovoi
Round 7, Pick 195: F Justin Janicke

St. Louis Blues
Round 1, Pick 17: F Zachary Bolduc
Round 3, Pick 71 (from SJS): F Simon Robertsson
Round 5, Pick 145: D Tyson Galloway
Round 7, Pick 198 (from DET): F Ivan Vorobyov

Tampa Bay Lightning
Round 3, Pick 96: D Roman Schmidt
Round 4, Pick 126 (from VGK via MTL): F Dylan Duke
Round 5, Pick 160: F Cameron MacDonald
Round 6, Pick 192: D Alex Gagne
Round 7, Pick 196 (from NJD): D Daniil Pylenkov
Round 7, Pick 211 (from NSH): F Robert Flinton
Round 7, Pick 224: F Niko Huuhtanen

Toronto Maple Leafs
Round 2, Pick 57: F Matthew Knies
Round 5, Pick 153: F Ty Voit
Round 6, Pick 185: G Vyacheslav Peksa

Vancouver Canucks
Round 2, Pick 41: F Danila Klimovich
Round 5, Pick 137: G Aku Koskenvuo
Round 5, Pick 140 (from CHI): D Jonathan Myrenberg
Round 6, Pick 169: D Hugo Gabrielsson
Round 6, Pick 178 (from WPG): F Connor Lockhart
Round 7, Pick 201: F Lucas Forsell

Vegas Golden Knights
Round 1, Pick 30: F Zach Dean
Round 2, Pick 38 (from DET): D Daniil Chayka
Round 4, Pick 102 (from DET): F Jakub Brabenec
Round 4, Pick 128 (from TBL via DET): F Jakub Demek
Round 6, Pick 190: D Artur Cholach
Round 7, Pick 222: G Carl Lindbom

Washington Capitals
Round 2, Pick 55: D Vincent Iorio
Round 3, Pick 80 (from NYR): D Brent Johnson
Round 4, Pick 119: D Joaquim Lemay
Round 5, Pick 151: F Haakon Hanelt
Round 6, Pick 176 (from NYR): D Dru Krebs
Round 6, Pick 183: G Chase Clark

Winnipeg Jets
Round 1, Pick 18: F Chaz Lucius
Round 2, Pick 50: F Nikita Chibrikov
Round 3, Pick 82: D Dmitri Kuzmin
Round 5, Pick 146: F Dmitri Rashevsky

New Jersey Devils Showing Interest In Dougie Hamilton

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One of the biggest names to watch as we head toward free agency next week is Dougie Hamilton. The Carolina Hurricanes defenseman is set to hit the market just after Seth Jones and Cale Makar, two other right-handed defensemen, signed huge new contracts. Jones, who is a better comparable given his proximity to free agency, will carry a $9.5MM through the 2029-30 season on an eight-year deal. Hamilton’s camp must be licking their chops hoping for a contract similar to that, and they’ve already received permission from the Hurricanes to speak with other teams around the league.

Today, Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes that the New Jersey Devils are emerging as a contender for Hamilton’s services, and that there is “mutual interest.” Brooks suggests a seven-year deal with an average annual value of $9MM could be the number for the Devils, who will soon watch the same amount of money come off the books. P.K. Subban’s $9MM cap hit will expire after the 2021-22 season, meaning New Jersey has plenty of cap space if they want to commit to Hamilton long-term.

The Devils of course just added Luke Hughes to the program with the fourth-overall pick, adding the little brother of star center Jack Hughes. The younger of the two is expected to head to the University of Michigan for next season, but will quickly rise through the ranks and could be on the Devils lineup in a few years. The idea of a blueline including Hamilton, Hughes and 21-year-old Ty Smith is certainly an intriguing one, not to mention players like Damon Severson and Ryan Graves, both only 26.

Hamilton, 28, finished fourth in the Norris Trophy voting this season after another outstanding offensive year, recording 10 goals and 42 points in 55 games. That’s the seventh-straight season where he has recorded at least 10 goals and 39 points, and the fifth-straight year he has received votes for the Norris. There’s no doubt that Hamilton can lift a team with his puck-moving ability, but signing any contract of the suggested value is always a risk.

In just a few days, the markets will open and any team will be able to sign Hamilton to that seven-year deal. The Devils certainly won’t be the only team with interest.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ryan Graves Traded To New Jersey Devils

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The Colorado Avalanche have dealt defender Ryan Graves to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Mikhail Maltsev and a second-round pick in 2021, originally owned by the New York Islanders.

The Avalanche dealt Graves just days ahead of the upcoming Seattle Expansion Draft. It’s a foregone conclusion that Graves was going to be left unprotected, allowing Colorado to protect Devon Toews, Cale Makar, and Samuel Girard from the Kraken. With this trade, Colorado and general manager Joe Sakic are able to recoup some assets for Graves who they could’ve lost for nothing. With Graves’ spot opening up, expect young Bowen Byram to get an extended look in Colorado’s top-four defense core next season, possibly paired with Girard.

It’s also rather crucial for Colorado to clear some cap room, especially while they’re able to deal an expendable asset. With three giant free agents coming up with Gabriel Landeskog, Cale Makar, and Philipp Grubauer, freeing up Ryan Graves’ $3.17MM cap hit gives Colorado that much more flexibility. Colorado’s got a somewhat promising prospect in return, too. Maltsev broke into the league this season, scoring six goals and nine points in 33 games. It was a nice showing for the 23-year-old rookie, who was drafted 102nd overall in 2016. Maltsev isn’t a guarantee to crack the much deeper Colorado roster next season, but he does present some long-term NHL upside for a fair price.

For New Jersey, they acquire a solid bottom-four defender who’s been rather skilled at preventing quality against in recent years. And while this acquisition at the same time last year may have put too much pressure on Graves with the Devils’ thin blue-line, last year’s emergence of rookie Ty Smith allows Graves to more comfortably settle into a second-pairing role with the team, and could possibly boost P.K. Subban’s defensive impacts in the final year of his big contract.

All around, it appears as though both the Avalanche and Devils walk away happy from this deal, with both teams getting exactly what they needed out of the transaction.

All salary figures via CapFriendly.com

New Jersey Devils Sign Michael McLeod

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The New Jersey Devils have signed restricted free agent forward Michael McLeod to a two-year contract today, that will carry an average annual value of $975K. The deal pays McLeod $950K in 2021-22 and $1.0MM in 2022-23.

McLeod, 23, was the 12th overall pick in 2016, but only really established himself as a full-time NHL player earlier this year. In 52 games with the Devils, the speedy forward recorded nine goals and 15 points. Though those numbers obviously don’t pop off the page, it’s McLeod’s skating ability and versatility that should still excite fans.

He will likely never become a dominant offensive presence, but McLeod stepped into a bottom-six center role this season and looks like he will become a fixture there. Given the toughest deployment on the team and played regularly on the penalty kill, if he can continue to improve his defensive ability there’s an obvious fit for him behind the more offensive young centers in New Jersey. He’ll still have to provide some scoring depth, but given he’s earning just $975K, it doesn’t have to be much.

Interestingly, this contract actually likely increases the chance that Seattle would select McLeod if left unprotected in the upcoming expansion draft. The fact that the Devils got it done this early (and this cheaply), suggest that he will be one of the forwards protected.

New Jersey Devils Sign Colton White

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The New Jersey Devils have signed Colton White to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2021-22 season. The deal will pay White $750K at the NHL level and $130K at the AHL level.

White, 24, was scheduled for restricted free agency this summer after spending most of the season in the AHL. The minor league defenseman wore an “A” as an alternate captain for the Binghamton Devils and could very well be ticketed to have a leadership role on the new Utica team in 2021-22. Originally selected in the fourth round of the 2015 draft, he has managed just 11 games at the NHL level to this point. He has become a core piece at the AHL though, and certainly had enough upside to bring back.

Because he will turn 25 next season, White will be eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency a year from now, unless he plays most of the season with New Jersey. That seems very unlikely, meaning he’ll get a chance to hit the open market after this one-year deal expires. For now, he’s headed back to the Devils to compete for playing time on a league-minimum deal.

Free Agent Focus: New Jersey Devils

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Free agency is now just under a month away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in late July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Yegor Sharangovich – A fifth-round pick of New Jersey in 2018, the Belarusian-born Sharangovich burst onto the scene in his first NHL season in 2020-21. His 16-goal, 30-point season was rather unexpected and was good enough to put Sharangovich 10th in this year’s Calder Trophy race. While Sharangovich had shown some promise in his past few AHL seasons, he scored at a better pace in the NHL this year than he ever has in the minors. His play this season was a continuation of a strong start to 2020-21 on loan with the KHL’s Dinamo Minsk. Serving as an alternate captain for his hometown team, Sharangovich scored and 25 points (17 of which were goals) in 34 games. Sharangovich seems to have secured a spot in the Devils’ top-six forward group for next season, but the Devils will be hesitant to plop too much money down too soon on the breakout forward. Expect general manager Tom Fitzgerald to sign Sharangovich to a bridge deal in the neighborhood of two years, making him an RFA again at the end of his next contract.

F Janne Kuokkanen – Kuokkanen was another surprise this season. The former Carolina Hurricanes prospect, acquired at the 2020 Trade Deadline in a package for defenseman Sami Vatanen, scored at a 41-point pace with New Jersey this year. Playing nearly 15 minutes a night, the 23-year-old Finn posted impressive possession numbers too considering the weakness of the team. Kuokkanen figures to be an important depth piece moving forward if his early performance is any indication. A lengthier extension, maybe three years, is in line for Kuokkanen in order to take him up to the very end of his restricted free agent eligibility.

Other RFAs: F Nicholas Merkley, F Michael McLeod, F Brandon Gignac, F A.J. Greer, F Marian Studenic, D David Quenneville, D Colton White, D Colby Sissons, G Evan Cormier, G Gilles Senn

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Ryan Murray – Acquired by the Devils in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick prior to the season, the injury-prone defenseman didn’t quite live up to expectations this season. While Murray was fine by his standards offensively with 14 points in 48 games, Murray’s defensive play slacked considerably from his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. That’s not to say the Devils won’t re-sign him, though. Their blueline is relatively barren and weak as is, and with Murray likely taking a pay cut on his next deal, his play could improve along with his surroundings. There’s always been the feeling of untapped potential surrounding the former second-overall pick, and the Devils may hope that they’re the ones to unlock it on his next deal.

G Aaron Dell – Once one of the more highly-regarded backup netminders in the league with the San Jose Sharks, Dell’s rough go of it this year may have cost him another NHL deal. Originally signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to the season to serve as their taxi squad goalie, Dell was picked up on waivers by the Devils after Toronto attempted to return him post-callup. Getting into five starts and seven games with the Devils while they also dealt with goalie injuries, Dell won just one game and put up a .857 save percentage and 4.14 goals against average, both the worst marks of his career by far. Now 31 years old, Dell may have to head overseas or to the minor leagues to find his next team.

Other UFAs: F Ben Street, F Brett Seney, F Mason Jobst, D Connor Carrick, D Matt Tennyson, D Josh Jacobs

Projected Cap Space

Despite the flat $81.5MM salary cap continuing into next season, New Jersey is one of the few teams with very little to worry about. The team has $35.7MM in cap space and, when combined with the low quantity of free agents to re-sign, the Devils have serious amounts of free space to use to their advantage in free agency. Combine that with the intrigue of playing with a young core that includes Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Ty Smith, and GM Fitzgerald is in a position to acquire real talent to assist the Devils on their journey back to contention.

Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

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