Devils Had Talks With Craig Berube
- Jonathan Bailey of New Jersey Hockey Now is reporting that the New Jersey Devils had detailed talks with former Stanley Cup champion head coach Craig Berube regarding the Devil’s head coaching vacancy. The 58-year-old Berube won the Stanley Cup with the Blues during his first season behind the bench in 2019 and was fired this past December after a 13-14-1 to start the season. He previously coached the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons before an extended run in the AHL. The Devils also reportedly engaged in conversations with former Kings bench boss Todd McLellan.
Devils Sign Jakub Malek To Entry-Level Deal
1:03 p.m.: New Jersey plans to loan Málek back to Ilves for the 2024-25 season, reports the Daily Sentinel’s Ben Birnell.
12:29 p.m.: The Devils have signed goaltender Jakub Málek to a two-year, entry-level deal, per a club announcement Monday.
Málek, 22, was the Devils’ lone fourth-round selection in the 2021 draft, going off the board at 100th overall. The 6’4″, 190-lb netminder just wrapped up his fourth season spent primarily in the professional ranks, the last two of which have come in Finland with the Liiga’s Ilves.
In 27 appearances last season, Málek was strong with a 2.32 GAA, .915 SV%, two shutouts and a 16-4-5 record. He started three playoff contests for Ilves as well, posting a 1.87 GAA and .910 SV% as they were upset in five games in the quarterfinals by seventh-place KalPa after finishing with a 33-13-7-7 record in the regular season, second in the Liiga.
In his rookie campaign with Ilves last season, Málek posted a 9-7-4 record in 22 appearances with a .903 SV%, 2.15 GAA and two shutouts. The Czech netminder had spent his entire career in his home country up to that point, getting nearly all of his professional experience with VHK Vsetín in the 1. liga, Czechia’s second-tier pro league behind the Extraliga.
He made his debut there as a 16-year-old all the way back in 2018-19, accumulating a 2.13 GAA, .923 SV%, four shutouts and a 30-16-0 record in 47 appearances across four seasons. In 2021-22, his final season with Vsetín before making the jump to tougher competition in Finland, he was named to the 1. liga’s year-end All-Star Team, as well as taking home Best Goaltender and Best Junior Player honors.
Málek has flown under the radar when discussing Devils prospects, but his overall showing overseas against professional competition has been promising. He outperformed 32-year-old Jonas Gunnarsson in the Ilves crease this season and worked his way into a 1A role, suggesting he should be ready to face AHL action in Utica immediately upon arriving in North America.
New Jersey’s goaltending depth will be in flux this summer as the team looks to find an above-average starter on the trade market, but Málek’s signing indicates that their two pending UFAs at the minor-league level, Erik Källgren and Keith Kinkaid, won’t be back. Even so, it will be a crowded crease in Utica and in ECHL Adirondack. The Devils are expected to retain trade deadline pickup Jake Allen as a backup to their new addition, which still leaves Tyler Brennan, Nico Daws, Isaac Poulter and Akira Schmid under NHL contract at the minor-league levels. Daws or Schmid will likely be moved out in an eventual trade for a starter, though, likely leaving Málek and either Brennan or Poulter manning Utica’s crease with one odd man out starting games for Adirondack.
Málek will be a restricted free agent upon expiry in 2026. He’ll remain waiver-exempt for the life of his ELC unless he plays more than 60 NHL games. He was under contract with Ilves next season, one which the Devils have evidently bought him out of.
Devils Sign Seamus Casey To Entry-Level Deal
10:52 a.m.: Casey’s ELC carries a cap hit of $950K, NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky reports.
9:03 a.m.: The Devils have signed 2022 second-round pick Seamus Casey to his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday. The University of Michigan defender was their top unsigned defense prospect.
New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald said last month that Casey was undecided about returning to the Wolverines for his junior season. Now, after his seven goals and 45 points in 40 games helped lead Michigan to the semifinals of the NCAA national championship, he’ll look to compete for a spot on the Devils’ blue line in 2024-25.
Casey, 20, was picked up by the Devils with the 46th overall pick in his draft year, just before the midpoint of the second round. It was a tad earlier than TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s polling of NHL scouts expected him to go (51st overall), but multiple public scouting services suggested he should’ve been off the board by then as a late first or very early second-round pick. So far, it looks like most teams’ scouting departments undervalued the right-shot defender. The Devils weren’t one of those teams – chief scout Mark Dennehy told NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky that they were surprised he was still available with their pick.
Now listed at 5’10” and 180 lbs, the Florida-born Casey has put on an inch and about 20 pounds of muscle in the last few years. It’s helped quell concerns about his size – easily the biggest reason why NHL scouts were cautious about selecting him – to some degree.
Drafted out of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Casey immediately made the jump to Michigan after being picked by the Devils and hasn’t at all looked out of place. He took home Big 10 All-Rookie Team honors last year, potting eight goals and 29 points with a +16 rating in 37 games to finish second behind future New Jersey teammate Luke Hughes in scoring among Michigan defensemen. He became the Wolverines’ top puck-moving option this season after Hughes left for the Devils and proved he was up to the task by finishing fifth on the team in scoring and third among all NCAA defensemen. Casey also suited up for the United States at the 2024 World Juniors, posting six assists in six games to lead the tournament in assists by defensemen en route to a gold medal.
Casey’s departure leaves a crater-sized gap on the Michigan blue line next season, although the addition of the offensively-minded Tim Lovell out of the transfer portal from Arizona State should help somewhat. An expert passer and shifty skater in transition, Casey is incredibly effective at helping his team exit one zone and gain the other but will likely struggle to box out opposing forwards and win puck battles in the early stages of his NHL career.
With the return of top defenseman Dougie Hamilton from a pectoral injury that cost him most of 2023-24, as well as 2022 second-overall pick Simon Nemec establishing himself as a full-time NHLer, it’ll be tough for Casey to land an everyday role on New Jersey’s blue line next season. Without a clear need for Casey in the NHL lineup immediately, it’s a tad confusing to see him opt to forego a third year of school. However, he’s a solid bet to rotate in and get a few games at the beginning of the season before logging big minutes with AHL Utica to adjust to the professional ranks. His ELC isn’t eligible to slide to next season, even if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games, and will make him a restricted free agent in 2027.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Devils Letting Travis Green Talk To Other Teams While Still Considering Him For Full-Time Head Coaching Role
While Devils interim head coach Travis Green is under consideration for the full-time position, the team has given him permission to speak to other teams about their head coaching openings, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. To that end, Garrioch notes that Green is believed to be on the radar of the Senators for their vacancy. Green led New Jersey to a record of 8-12-1 after taking over for Lindy Ruff and has a 141-159-35 career record including his time with Vancouver. He joins Todd McLellan, Dean Evason, and Craig Berube as experienced head coaches who have been connected to the Sens thus far.
Latest On Penguins Coaching Staff
The Penguins have not received any formal requests to speak with head coach Mike Sullivan about other league vacancies, general manager Kyle Dubas told The Athletic’s Rob Rossi. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not internally debating the future of the rest of their coaching staff, as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports internal discussions about the future of their assistants have “contributed to noise” about Sullivan and increased other teams’ interest in his services. Rossi added that the Devils are interested in Sullivan to succeed Lindy Ruff, who they fired and replaced with interim boss Travis Green midseason, but haven’t submitted a request to speak with him.
While there’s no concrete indication yet that the Penguins are considering moving on from Sullivan, it does appear the futures of associate coach Todd Reirden, assistants Ty Hennes and Mike Vellucci and goaltending coach Andy Chiodo are uncertain. Reirden and Vellucci have either held NHL head coaching roles or generated interest in head coaching roles in the past and may get interviews for the five-plus vacancies around the league if Pittsburgh opts not to bring them back. They both signed two-year deals in 2022 that finished up in 2023-24 and will no longer be under contract with the Pens as of July 1.
The Penguins have already made one coaching change this summer, opting to part ways with a pair of AHL coaches, including bench boss J.D. Forrest. It was an unexpected choice, as a middling WBS squad finished ninth in the AHL with a 39-24-8-1 record.
The NHL club, meanwhile, fell short of the postseason for the second straight season despite a 42-goal, 94-point campaign from captain Sidney Crosby. It’s their first time missing the playoffs in back-to-back years since they were out of postseason contention from 2002 to 2006.
Firing Sullivan would mean Pittsburgh is still on the hook to pay him a reported total of $16.5MM over the next three seasons, thanks to an extension signed under previous GM Ron Hextall in 2022 – that certainly qualifies as a deterrent.
NHL Announces 2024 Calder Trophy Finalists
Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, Wild defenseman Brock Faber and Devils defenseman Luke Hughes have been named finalists for this year’s Calder Trophy, awarded to the league’s top rookie.
Bedard, still just 18, led or tied for the lead in rookie (and Blackhawks) scoring with 22 goals, 39 assists and 61 points despite being limited to 68 games with a broken jaw sustained midseason. He’s the the second-youngest rookie in NHL history to lead their team in all three major offensive categories behind Sidney Crosby, who did so with 39 goals, 63 assists and 102 points in 81 games with the Penguins in 2005-06. Last year’s first-overall pick also led rookies league-wide in shots on goal and takeaways.
While he’s the favorite to win the award, there likely won’t be a very large gap between him and Faber when the voting breakdown among PHWA members is released. The 2020 second-round pick of the Kings had his signing rights dealt to Minnesota in the Kevin Fiala trade a few years back, and he turned pro last spring after three seasons at the University of Minnesota. He immediately jumped into the NHL lineup and stabilized the Wild defense this year with captain Jared Spurgeon missing most of the season with various injuries, posting eight goals and 47 points while playing in all 82 games. Faber averaged 24:58 per game – the most among qualified rookies since the stat has been tracked (1997-98), beating out Atlanta’s Toby Enström by a full 30 seconds.
Those advocating for Faber to take home the award will point to Bedard’s -44 rating, which sat near the bottom of the league. Both players had difficult usage against other teams’ top competition, especially Faber. Yet, compared to their teammates, Bedard was better at controlling possession than Faber, posting a 0.2 relative CF% at even strength compared to Faber’s -3.4 CF% impact. In a team context, though, Faber was much better at dominating possession quality with a 50.6 xGF% compared to Bedard’s 42.3 xGF%, per Hockey Reference.
Hughes’ chance at the award is minimal compared to his peers, but the nomination still puts a bow on a nice rookie season for the younger brother of Jack and Quinn. With Dougie Hamilton missing most of the campaign, New Jersey relied on Hughes as their top puck-moving and power-play option on the blue line. He responded well, tying Faber’s offensive totals with 47 points (nine goals, 38 assists) while also playing in all 82 games, a rarity for a Devils team that struggled to stay healthy this season. He averaged 21:28 per game and controlled possession well at even strength with a 55.0 CF% and a 52.3 xGF%, with his -25 rating largely sunk by the team’s poor goaltending.
Devils Extend Shane Bowers, Sign Ryan Schmelzer
The Devils announced that they’ve re-signed forward Shane Bowers to a two-year, two-way contract. The deal carries a cap hit and a base salary of $775K each season. He’ll earn a $200K minors salary in 2024-25 and a $225K minors salary in 2025-26 with a $250K guarantee. New Jersey also inked free-agent forward Ryan Schmelzer to a two-year, two-way deal worth $775K in the NHL and $275K in the AHL in both seasons.
Bowers, 24, had his signing rights picked up by the Devils in a minor-league trade with the Bruins last June and promptly inked a one-year, two-way extension ($775K/$125K) to cover the 2023-24 campaign. The 2017 first-round pick cleared waivers at the end of training camp but received two brief call-ups during the season, one in January and one in April, totaling just over two weeks. He averaged just 9:27 in eight games with New Jersey, failing to record a point and going 7 for 22 on faceoffs with a +1 rating and seven shots. In 43 games with AHL Utica this year, he was limited to 10 goals, four assists and 14 points in 43 games with a -12 rating.
Despite being with his fourth organization since being drafted by the Senators seven years ago, this was Bowers’ first real look in the NHL. He made his NHL debut with the Avalanche last season but was injured after logging just 1:46 of ice time. The Nova Scotian is firmly organizational depth at this point of his career, and unless he works his way into Utica’s top six next season and has a major offensive resurgence, he’s close to peaking as an AHL fixture.
Schmelzer, 30, lands his first NHL contract, but he’s no stranger to the Devils. He’s spent the last six seasons on minor-league contracts with their AHL affiliates in Binghamton and Utica and has served as their captain for the last three seasons. 2023-24 marked a career year for the Canisius College product, leading the club in points with 52 (18 goals, 34 assists) while playing in all 72 games with a team-high +14 rating. Now, with a contract in New Jersey in hand, the 6’2″ center will be eligible for NHL call-ups next year.
Both contracts will expire following the 2025-26 season, at which point Bowers will still have his signing rights controlled by the Devils as an RFA with arbitration eligibility. Schmelzer will be a UFA.
11 Teams Face Cap Overage Penalties Next Season
With the salary cap largely being flat the last few years, more teams have had to dip into LTIR when injuries have come up. Accordingly, the number of teams facing bonus overage penalties has also risen. This year is no exception as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports in collaboration with CapFriendly that 11 teams are currently facing cap overage penalties for 2024-25 as a result of bonuses achieved this season.
When a team finishes up the season using LTIR to stay cap-compliant, they don’t have any regular cap space to which bonuses can be applied against. Accordingly, that results in LTIR teams that have incentives that are met finishing over the cap, yielding overage penalties. Whatever amount they finished 2023-24 over by is then deducted off the Upper Limit for next season.
The teams that are confirmed to have bonus overage penalties are as follows:
Edmonton Oilers: $3.45MM*
Dallas Stars: $2,595,407
Washington Capitals: $2.2525MM
Los Angeles Kings: $1.85MM
New Jersey Devils: $1,538,897
Montreal Canadiens: $1.0225MM
Ottawa Senators: $850K
New York Rangers: $512.5K*
Minnesota Wild: $425K*
Philadelphia Flyers: $245K
Boston Bruins $50K*
Teams denoted with an asterisk could see their bonus overage increase if the following happens:
Edmonton: Corey Perry’s contract calls for $50K if the Oilers make the Western Conference Final and another $50K if they reach the Stanley Cup Final.
New York: Theirs would increase by $25K if they win the Stanley Cup, a bonus in Jonathan Quick’s deal.
Minnesota: Marco Rossi can make $212.5K if he makes the All-Rookie Team which would then be added to the Wild’s carryover penalty.
Boston: Milan Lucic will receive $200K if the Bruins win the Stanley Cup as part of his contract.
In addition to the above, Carolina and Florida also have the potential for an overage contingent on the playoffs. The Hurricanes would have a $50.45K penalty if Jackson Blake plays in 20 games between the regular season and playoffs. Meanwhile, the Panthers would take a $500K hit if they win the Stanley Cup to cover that bonus in Kyle Okposo’s contract.
Team-by-team details with specifics on how each one got to the point of an overage were covered separately by PuckPedia.
It’s the first time that multiple teams will carry overage penalties of more than $2MM into the following season. With the cap expected to go up by closer to $4MM this summer, that could in theory take some pressure off from the bonus overage perspective but only if teams leave themselves a bit more wiggle room to work with. There’s a good chance that won’t happen so we’re quite likely to see these penalties again next season though with perhaps fewer teams getting the hit next time around.
Devils’ Timo Meier To Undergo Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery
The injury woes don’t end just because the season did, something New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier has found out after opting to undergo an elective arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder. The procedure will take place today, performed by Dr. Jonathan L. Glashow and Dr. Guillem Gonzalez-Lomas, the Devils’ chief medical officer and team orthopedic surgeon. Meier is expected to make a full recovery before the team’s 2024 training camp. This procedure will hold Meier out of the World Championship, as confirmed by Switzerland’s national team (Twitter link).
Meier appeared in 69 games this season, missing time to double MCL injuries in November and an oblique injury in January. He didn’t miss a game after returning to the lineup on January 17th, working towards 28 goals and 52 points on the season. While admirable scoring, the year marked Meier’s lowest-scoring pace of the last three seasons. That could be a result of playing through a shoulder injury, though the extent of his injury hasn’t been confirmed.
Arthroscopic surgery has grown in practice over recent years, with Alex Killorn and Vladimir Tarasenko undergoing similar surgeries on their knees over the last five years. The last shoulder surgery of this kind came in 2019 when Erik Johnson went under the knife following Colorado’s exit in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Dany Heatley also underwent the surgery in 2013, holding him out of the end of the 2012-13 season. The procedure is meant to be preventative and minimally invasive, with the goal of identifying joint-related issues or small tears.
While he played in a majority of New Jersey’s games and put up impressive scoring, there’s no doubt that Meier will be happy to move on from an injury-plagued 2023-24 season. He’ll spend the summer fully focused on rehabbing his injuries, eyeing a productive return to a New Jersey offense that could be commanded by a new head coach – with interim Travis Green not yet awarded the full-time role.
Bratt Will Not Play At World Championships
- James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now is reporting that New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt turned down Sweden’s invitation for him to play at the World Championships due to injury. The 25-year-old dressed in all 82 games for the Devils this season and had a career year posting 27 goals and 56 assists. Despite the ailment, it is not expected that Bratt will miss an extended period, which is good news for New Jersey as he enters the second year of his eight-year $63MM contract.