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Miles Wood

Trade Rumors: Faulk, Bobrovsky, Ritchie, Wood

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When TSN released their off-season Trade Bait List in early July, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk was ranked #4, among the most likely players to be dealt. A little more than two months later, all three players ranked ahead of him – Erik Karlsson, Max Pacioretty, and former teammate Jeff Skinner – have changed teams, while Faulk remains in Raleigh. But for how much longer? Appearing on TSN Radio 1050 recently, insider Pierre LeBrun revealed that Faulk was a target of the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer and speculated that the team could still move to acquire him this season. LeBrun opines that Faulk, a right-handed shot signed to an extremely reasonable $4.83MM cap hit over two more years, would be a perfect fit for the Leafs. Toronto has long been searching for a top pair defenseman to complement lefty Morgan Rielly and Faulk fits the bill. LeBrun speculates that the Hurricanes are likely asking for a major package in exchange for Faulk, but meeting those demands may not be an impossible task for Toronto. Several Maple Leafs players and prospects could fill gaps in Carolina, such as veteran center Nazem Kadri, promising wingers Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, and young goalies Garret Sparks and Joseph Woll, as well as a full cabinet of draft picks. There have also been some inclinations that the Hurricanes are preparing to move on from Faulk as well, such as acquiring a new top pair righty in Dougie Hamilton and passing over Faulk, a career ’Cane, for their captaincy. The team is under no pressure to deal their long-time stud defenseman, but if GM Don Waddell receives a strong enough offer, he seems likely to pull the trigger.

  • Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen has been clear that he does not want to trade either Artemi Panarin or Sergei Bobrovsky, but as both remain unsigned and approaching free agency and trade calls continue to come in for Panarin, there has been rampant speculation as to where the star winger may land. After recent comments from Bobrovsky that could be read as implying that his time in Columbus could soon be over, many have begun to predict where he may land as well. In a recent segment for TSN Radio 1200 in Ottawa, Darren Dreger stated his belief that the New York Islanders would be the front runners in a Bobrovsky trade scenario. Dreger adds that there will be more than a few suitors should the two-time Vezina winner hit the trade market or, better yet, the open market. However, Dreger feels that the Islanders and new GM Lou Lamoriello feel more pressure to add a true No. 1 goaltender in their hopes of soon returning to contender status. The Isles currently roster unpredictable Robin Lehner, on a one-year deal, and failed starter Thomas Greiss, as well as two prospects overseas in Ilya Sorokin and Jakub Skarek. Lehner and Greiss do not instill much hope and Sorokin may never make the jump to North America. The Islanders are without a solution in net in the immediate future and could target Bobrovsky at any cost to solve that problem.
  • How long will the Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils wait on contract resolutions with Nick Ritchie and Miles Wood respectively? The restricted free agents continue to hold out for better contracts and miss valuable time in training camp, despite underwhelming numbers through their first three seasons to support their absence. At this time last year, Columbus Blue Jackets RFA forward Josh Anderson – a similar power forward-style player – remained unsigned and was the subject of numerous trade rumors. Yet, Anderson had just 34 points through 96 games in his first three seasons, whereas Ritchie and Wood have more experience and production through the same amount of time. Ritchie, a first round pick in 2014, has 59 points in 186 games. Wood, one of the Devils’ top scorers last season, has 49 points through 137 games. One would think that either team could drum up interest if they began actively shopping their respective RFA, but it hasn’t happened to this point. Wood is not without flaws to his game, but has exceeded expectations and played a major role for New Jersey last season and with more play time has the potential to be even better. In contract, Ritchie has his strengths, but has not lived up to his first-round billing. Between the two, it would be less of a surprise to see Anaheim part with Ritchie.

 

Talks Quiet Between New Jersey Devils, Miles Wood

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After Sam Reinhart signed his two-year bridge deal with the Buffalo Sabres earlier today, just four restricted free agents remain unsigned now several days into the preseason. One of those players is Miles Wood, who has been generally overlooked among this group due to the star power of some of the other names sitting out. Bob McKenzie of TSN gave an update on the situation today on Twitter, noting that there has been “virtually no dialogue” of late and that the two sides are not close to a deal. Wood may not have the name recognition of a William Nylander or Shea Theodore, but is still an important player for the New Jersey Devils that they need to get under contract at some point or risk heading into the season without his contribution in the lineup.

Wood, 23, was a big part of the New Jersey breakout last season, scoring 19 goals in 76 games while being an effective checking forward. Though playing fewer than 13 minutes a night, Wood was able to create 170 shots on net and use his speed and size to convert on those opportunities on a regular basis. While the team may not want to hand out a long-term deal on the back of a career year, he certainly looked the part this season and should be looking for a substantial reward.

The lack of previous success or draft pedigree is what makes Wood’s situation different to that of Nylander or Reinhart, and could very well be the sticking point between the two sides. There is little to suggest that he’s on a path to 60-point seasons, but Wood does have leverage as the team’s fourth-leading goal scorer from a year ago. The Devils now expect to compete for the playoffs after such a successful Cinderella run in 2017-18, and Wood knows he is a big part of that. Settling for a short-term deal at this point may not be considered a win for his camp, even if it would get him playing again.

Of course, when you don’t have that long track record of success or a huge draft investment from the team, there is substantial danger to holding out through training camp. For every day Wood misses there will be another opportunity for a younger player to show that he can replace that role effectively this season, and likely at a cheaper cost. There’s only so much you can demand as a fourth-round pick with 137 games under your belt.

New Jersey Devils, RFA Miles Wood “Aren’t Talking”

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While the majority of restricted free agents this odd-season have been re-signed to new contracts, the outlook is not good for the handful of players that remain unsigned. The past week has revealed that the Toronto Maple Leafs’ William Nylander, the Anaheim Ducks’ Nick Ritchie, and the Vegas Golden Knights’ Shea Theodore are all far from a contract resolution with their respective teams. Add another to the list, as Devils beat writer Todd Cordell reports that New Jersey and RFA forward Miles Wood “aren’t talking” right now and appear far from agreeing to a new contract.

In fact, Cordell states that no progress has been made recently between the two sides and as of now no further talks are scheduled. It is a bleak outlook for both the team and player, especially since there is mutual interest in coming together on a deal. NJ.com’s Chris Ryan recently wrote that Wood was eager to get to camp and hoped for a resolution soon. However, in speaking with agent Peter Fish, Ryan echoes Cordell’s point that Fish and GM Ray Shero had not talked in some time. Even Cordell himself noted earlier this month that he expected a bridge deal between Wood and the Devils to be inked before camp, but that has not come to fruition.

If term isn’t the issue, then it is simply a disagreement on valuation that is holding up an extension. Wood, 23, set career-highs as a sophomore for the Devils last season. The big left winger out of Boston College recorded 19 goals and 32 points last year, nearly doubling up his rookie production in just 16 more games. Wood has certainly shown the potential to be a perennial 20-goal scorer and weapon on the power play. Yet, Wood has struggled to gain more responsibility under head coach John Hynes. Wood is not a particularly strong defensive forward and has mediocre possession statistics, not to mention a knack for taking detrimental penalties, indicating that he might just be a one-dimensional goal-scorer. His ice time would reflect that thought, as he saw fewer minutes last season than as a rookie at 12:28. This was the second-lowest average ice time of any regular New Jersey skater, with only Jimmy Hayes coming in behind him. As such, while the production looks good – fourth in goals, sixth in points in  2017-18 – and may continue to climb, the team may not see that translating into a larger role worth a larger salary. Therein lies that valuation issue that could keep Wood away from the Devils for a little while longer.

Fourteen Restricted Free Agents Remain Unsigned

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We’re now just a few weeks away from the start of training camp, and there are still 14 restricted free agents without contracts. Many of those who remain unsigned are key players for their teams, and starting training camp without them isn’t a desired situation for either side. That means early September should be filled with new contracts, including several that should be quite substantial.

The full list of unsigned RFAs, thanks to CapFriendly:

Nick Ritchie (ANA)
Marek Langhamer (ARZ)
Sam Reinhart (BUF)
Noah Hanifin (CGY)
Matt Puempel (DET)
Darnell Nurse (EDM)
Michael McCarron (MTL)
Miles Wood (NJD)
Jordan Schmaltz (STL)
William Nylander (TOR)
Shea Theodore (VGK)
Eric Comrie (WPG)
J.C. Lipon (WPG)
Josh Morrissey (WPG)

As CapFriendly points out, there is still technically a possibility of an offer sheet for these players given their status as restricted free agents but it seems extremely unlikely at this point. Offer sheets are so rarely used in today’s NHL and would require a team to have ample cap space this late in the summer. Remember too that an offer sheet is not something a team can do without the player’s consent, and none of these situations seem contentious currently.

Instead, these contracts are taking a long time because they have real impact on their team’s cap situations going forward. William Nylander wants a long-term deal from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Jake Gardiner and others needing new contracts within the next year there are plenty of reasons to think a bridge deal could be more beneficial. Nylander’s cap hit is extremely important for the Maple Leafs going forward, and given that it will likely fall somewhere around Dylan Larkin’s $6.1MM and David Pastrnak’s $6.67MM it takes time to work out.

For a team like Edmonton, locking up Darnell Nurse provides perhaps even more challenges. The team needs Nurse desperately this season given their already ailing blue line, but also has to worry about how they’ll add to the team down the line if they buy out any of his free agent years. That would send his cap hit skyrocketing, and the team has just $3.9MM left for this season and more than $62MM already committed for 2019-20. A bridge deal in Edmonton might be the only possible contract, but it might not be what Nurse is looking for.

The same could be said in Calgary, where the Flames can’t be exactly sure what they have in Noah Hanifin. While he has a high draft pedigree and has been a fine player in Carolina through the early part of his career, there’s no indication yet that he can be a franchise defenseman capable of leading their blue line down the road. With many of their other defensemen closing in on unrestricted free agency and the back half of their careers, the Flames have to be careful where they commit the most dollars.

Overall, this is a very talented group that is still unsigned as we inch closer to September and should make for some fireworks just before camp. In the worst case scenario some of them will miss camp and perhaps even hold out into the season, at which point we’ll be looking at a December 1st deadline instead of mid-September. That’s when every RFA needs a contract by or else they forfeit the entire 2018-19 season.

Atlantic Notes: Senators’ Youth, Walker, Howard, Nelson

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The Ottawa Senators seem to have little go right over the last year or so, whether it was the unhappiness of their star defenseman Erik Karlsson to the Matt Duchene trade in which the team traded away their No. 1 overall pick for next season to Colorado. With the team shipping off players left and right, that pick could be a costly one for the team.

However, the Ottawa Sun’s Ken Warren writes that who the Senators need to look at the success of the New Jersey Devils last season had when they opted to add a struggling team with youth. Just a season ago, the Devils had a 28-40-14 season and just 70 points. However, New Jersey brought in an infusion of youth, including Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Will Butcher, as well as second-year players like Miles Wood and Pavel Zacha. That group altered the makeup of the struggling franchise and turned last season into a 44-29-9 season for 97 points, an increase of 27 points on the year. The team even qualified for the playoffs.

The Senators, who are actually loaded with quality prospects within their system, could get a similar infusion from their prospects. That possibility might start with 2018 first-rounder Brady Tkachuk, who opted to turn pro last week and has a chance to walk right into the Senators lineup. The team has other young players who are ready for full seasons this year, including Colin White, Logan Brown, Thomas Chabot, Filip Chlapik and Drake Batherson. The team also has last year’s second-round pick Alex Formenton, who made the Senators squad out of training camp last year, who could also make the jump this year. Some success from some of those kids could make people forget a little about some of the franchise’s struggles.

  • Former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Kurt Walker passed away Friday night at the age of 64 after a brief illness, according to the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby. Walker, who might have been better known after his short NHL career, was an advocate for retired NHL players. His efforts nearly a decade ago helped retired players and opened doors for affordable health care, concussion research on NHL retired players and stem-cell research. Walker played three seasons in the NHL, all for the Maple Leafs, playing in 71 games, tallying four goals, five assists and 152 penalty minutes.
  • Mlive’s Ansar Khan writes that the Detroit Red Wings need a solid year out of 34-year-old goaltender Jimmy Howard, who has one year remaining on his contract. Howard started the 2017-18 season strong, but struggled in the second-half of the season, finishing the year with a 2.85 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 60 games. The team may have to lighten his workload now that the team added Jonathan Bernier, but if Howard will have to have a better year to earn another contract with the team. Khan writes the team might want to give him a two-year extension as they lack goalie prospects in their system.
  • The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes that Buffalo Sabres defensive prospect Casey Nelson has a good chance at breaking camp with the Sabres this year because he now requires Buffalo to pass him through waivers to send him to the AHL. Nelson, has played 55 games for Buffalo over the past three years and showed some promise last year, putting up three goals and eight assists in 37 games. However, because the team could conceivably lose him if they attempt to pass him through waivers, they may be more likely to hold onto him and send other prospects like Brendan Guhle to the AHL since he doesn’t require waivers.

Plenty Of Talent Remains Unsigned Among Restricted Free Agents

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Now that all of the arbitration hearings have concluded and any player filings resolved, 21 restricted free agents remain unsigned around the league. These players must have a contract by December 1st in order to play at all this season, otherwise they will have to sit out the whole season. On the list are several players who play a huge role on their respective teams, and are likely in negotiations on long-term contracts.

Dylan Larkin, perhaps the most talented offensive player on the Detroit Red Wings, expects to sign before training camp begins in a little over a month. There have been reports that he’s looking at a five or six year contract, which would take him right to unrestricted free agency. The talented forward scored 62 points last season and is a huge part of the future for the Red Wings, but the team is currently in salary cap trouble and likely needs to make a move of some sort before the start of the year to fit Larkin in.

William Nylander has also been clear in his desire for a long-term deal, but isn’t stressing about the negotiations. The Toronto Maple Leafs will face questions over the next few seasons of how to fit all of their talented forwards under the cap, and the first real step towards that salary structure is getting something done with Nylander. The 22-year old forward finished with 61 points for the second year in a row, but could take another step forward if the Maple Leafs second powerplay unit rebounds in 2018-19.

Among defensemen, Noah Hanifin, Shea Theodore and Josh Morrissey stand out as some of the most important names. Hanifin’s contract is finally on the front burner after a busy arbitration schedule for the Calgary Flames, and things are progressing in a “positive” direction. When the Flames bought out Troy Brouwer’s contract last week they gave themselves some flexibility for signing Hanifin to a long-term deal, but could always go the bridge route to make sure he fits into their organization properly. Theodore developed into a key piece for the Vegas Golden Knights this season after starting in the minor leagues due to a roster crunch, and should be rewarded accordingly on his new deal. The Golden Knights haven’t been shy about locking up some of their key players recently, and Theodore should likely be no different.

Morrissey is interesting, given the uncertainty around the Jets blue line in general. Jacob Trouba is once again on a short-term deal and could bolt for unrestricted free agency in 2020, while Tyler Myers is scheduled to become a UFA next summer. If the team has plans on retaining either of them they’ll have to be careful with how much money they commit to Morrissey, despite his obvious talent and fit for the club.

The full list of restricted free agents is below:

Ondrej Kase (ANA)
Nick Ritchie (ANA)
Marek Langhamer (ARZ)
Sam Reinhart (BUF)
Noah Hanifin (CGY)
Hunter Shinkaruk (CGY)
Dylan Larkin (DET)
Matt Puempel (DET)
Darnell Nurse (EDM)
Michael McCarron (MTL)
Kerby Rychel (MTL)
Kevin Rooney (NJD)
Steven Santini (NJD)
Miles Wood (NJD)
Jordan Schmaltz (STL)
William Nylander (TOR)
Shea Theodore (VGK)
Eric Comrie (WPG)
Nicolas Kerdiles (WPG)
J.C. Lipon (WPG)
Josh Morrissey (WPG)

Remaining Restricted Free Agents

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We’re getting closer to turning the calendar over to August, and there is still a lot of work to do for teams around the NHL. 10 arbitration cases remain unsettled, including for star players like William Karlsson and Mark Stone. Both will be extremely interesting to follow, as their respective teams have tough decisions on their hands.

For the Vegas Golden Knights, do you hand out a long-term expensive contract to a player that is still relatively unproven. Though Karlsson scored 43 goals this season he had just 18 career tallies beforehand, and finished this season with an impossible 23.4% shooting percentage. There is almost no chance that he can maintain that rate going forward, meaning his huge 2017-18 season may be a career-high. On the other side of that coin though is the increased opportunity he was given after switching teams, which could provide a realistic chance for him to be a 30-goal, 65-point player going forward. Signing him now would likely get you a bit of a discount on that type of scoring threat, though Vegas would assume almost all of the risk.

In Ottawa, there’s no clear direction on how the team will deal with Stone’s impending unrestricted free agency. Obviously one of the team’s most talented players, an arbitration award of one year would stop the Senators from negotiating with Stone’s camp until January on any potential extension and could make him a prime trade candidate. The 26-year old posted his fourth consecutive 20-goal season in 2017-18 despite playing in just 58 games. With all the turmoil in Ottawa it could be difficult to convince him to stick around long-term.

Beyond the arbitration cases though there is an incredible amount of talent left on the RFA board. Dylan Larkin, William Nylander, Sam Reinhart, Shea Theodore, Josh Morrissey and many others remain unsigned and could all be looking at expensive long-term deals with their respective clubs. These players are already excellent players in the NHL before they’ve even become eligible for arbitration and could really grind the offseason to a halt if they decide to hold out. There’s no indication that anyone is planning a long negotiation, but we’re now almost a month into the signing period without any deals.

Below is the full list of unsigned restricted free agents:

Ondrej Kase (ANA)
Nick Ritchie (ANA)
Marek Langhamer (ARZ)
Sam Reinhart (BUF)
Noah Hanifin (CGY)
Garnet Hathaway (CGY) – Scheduled for arbitration, July 30
Hunter Shinkaruk (CGY)
Patrik Nemeth (COL) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 4
Gemel Smith (DAL) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 1
Dylan Larkin (DET)
Matt Puempel (DET)
Darnell Nurse (EDM)
Michael McCarron (MTL)
Kerby Rychel (MTL)
Miikka Salomaki (NSH) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 2
Kevin Rooney (NJD)
Steven Santini (NJD)
Miles Wood (NJD)
Kevin Hayes (NYR) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 2
Ryan Spooner (NYR) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 4
Cody Ceci (OTT) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 1
Mark Stone (OTT) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 3
Robert Hagg (PHI)
Jordan Schmaltz (STL)
William Nylander (TOR)
William Karlsson (VGK) – Scheduled for arbitration, August 4
Shea Theodore (VGK)
Eric Comrie (WPG)
Nicolas Kerdiles (WPG)
J.C. Lipon (WPG)
Josh Morrissey (WPG)
Nic Petan (WPG)

Salary Cap Floor Should Not Pose Problems For Any Team In 2018-19

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The purpose of the salary cap in the NHL is to maintain a sense of competitive balance across the league. That means both limiting how much a team can spend, the salary cap ceiling, but also ensuring that every team is competitive with a minimum expenditure, the salary cap floor. Some teams, generally those in smaller markets or undergoing rebuilds, tend to try to toe the line of the salary cap floor, paying as close to the minimum as possible for their roster. In years past, some teams have even struggled to hit that mark, taking on injured players or overpaying players in order to pass the floor. It’s unlikely that any of the 31 franchises will face that problem in 2018-19.

This season, with a corresponding jump in the salary cap ceiling, the floor moved to $58.8MM. With the bulk of unrestricted free agency accounted for, just three teams currently sit below that mark: the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and Winnipeg Jets. However, both the Rangers and Jets can immediately be crossed off as a salary floor concern. The pair are perhaps the two teams with the most potential salary tied up in salary arbitration this off-season.

The Jets currently have the lowest projected payroll in the league, with a 16-man roster that accounts for approximately $52.7MM. However, Winnipeg’s list of restricted free agents who have filed for arbitration include Vezina candidate Connor Hellebuyck, defenseman Jacob Trouba, and forwards Adam Lowry, Chris Tanev, and Marko Dano, as well as defenseman Tucker Poolman who did not file. Those six players could easily combine for more than $20MM in combined salary when all is said and done, putting the Jets well clear of the floor and closer to the ceiling. Defenseman Josh Morrissey, who is not arbitration eligible also needs a new contract. Winnipeg is far from a floor concern.

In New York, the Rangers sit at $55.8MM in projected cap committed to 16 players, just $3MM shy of the floor. They also need to re-sign a majority of their young core, with forwards Kevin Hayes, Ryan Spooner, and Jimmy Vesey and defenseman Brady Skjei having filed for arbitration. The Rangers could pass the floor by extending just one of those players, nevertheless all four. New deals for those three forwards still leaves New York one or two shy of a full roster as well, meaning more salary will come into the fold via promotion or an additional acquisition.

As for the Devils, New Jersey is already close to the floor at a projected $56.4MM for 19 players. Forwards Blake Coleman and Stefan Noesen have filed for arbitration and the deals for both could be enough to push the Devils to where they need to be. Even if it doesn’t, the team will still need to sign non-arbitration eligible RFA’s Miles Wood and Steve Santini, whose deals should definitely be enough. New Jersey will likely be a team that hovers close to the floor next season; that didn’t stop them from making the playoffs in 2017-18, though.

Perhaps the only team who should be legitimately concerned about the salary cap floor next season in Ottawa. The Senators and owner Eugene Melnyk have made it no secret that they are trying to shed salary and come in as close to the minimum as possible. Right now, the team sits just $3MM above the floor at a projected $61.8MM roster for 20 players. However, that isn’t including the arbitration resolutions for both defenseman Cody Ceci and forward Mark Stone. Those two deals will put Ottawa well above the floor. Even if the team was to trade star defenseman Erik Karlsson, they should remain above the floor, especially with additional salaries likely to be added in the trade return. The one scenario in which Melnyk could succeed in dropping significant salary would be if both Karlsson and Bobby Ryan were to be traded away. The resulting $13.75MM loss in payable salary would more than offset the contracts for Stone and Ceci and likely the contracts of those players coming back as well, potentially dropping the team below $58.8MM. Yet, even in that case, the Senators’ efforts to fill out their roster after losing Karlsson and Ryan – either by promotion or acquisition – could easily be used to get back to that mark.

The salary cap floor was never intended to be used as a target for teams to hover above and spend as little as possible. The goal of the NHL is have each and every team be competitive, not simply trying to maximize profits. As such, the 2018-19 season has some parity promise as seemingly no team will struggle to get over the floor or have to use contracts for the old and injured to get there. For the first time in years, every team seems set to be competitive and comfortably over the minimum cap hit.

All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.com.

Free Agent Focus: New Jersey Devils

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Free agency is now less than a month away from opening up and there are quite a few prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of New Jersey’s free agent situation.

Key Restricted Free Agents: D Steven Santini – The New Jersey Devils went out and acquired Sami Vatanen this season to help a defensive unit that was struggling to keep up with their forward group. While Taylor Hall was putting up an MVP season and Nico Hischier was proving why he was selected first overall, the team didn’t believe they had enough depth on defense and sacrificed Adam Henrique to improve. This summer, further improvement could come from within. Santini, 23, ended up playing 36 games for the Devils in 2017-18, and amazingly logged more than 20 minutes in those games. Though his possession numbers were atrocious, that can largely (but not completely) be explained by the incredibly poor zone starts he was given.

More than 72% of the faceoffs taken while Santini was on the ice were in the defensive zone, one of the most heavily-skewed numbers in the entire NHL. The New Jersey coaching staff heavily sheltered Will Butcher this season to allow him to use his offensive talents, a trade that came at the expense of Santini who is considered more defensively responsible. Now he’ll head into RFA negotiations as a possible full-time option on the blue line going forward, especially if the team lets John Moore walk in free agency. He’s not arbitration eligible, and will likely come to an agreement fairly quickly.

F Miles Wood – Part of the Devils incredible turnaround falls at the feet of Hall and Hischier, but it was the team’s depth up front that had everyone talking. After being a fairly weak offensive team over the last few years they started to come in waves of speed, headlined by Wood’s impressive season. The 22-year old scored 19 goals and was a very effective player for the team at even strength. If he’s given more powerplay opportunities in the future that number could potentially grow even higher, as it wasn’t the result of an outrageous shooting percentage or any other easy to spot outlier.

Other RFAs: F Stefan Noesen, F Blake Coleman, F Nick Lappin, F Kevin Rooney, F Mario Lucia, D Michael Kapla, G Ken Appleby

Key Unrestricted Free Agent: F Michael Grabner – After putting up such a good first half the Devils went out at the trade deadline and acquired some more depth players up front, and even spent a second-round pick (and prospect) on Grabner. That didn’t seem to pay off for the team, as the counter-punch artist added just two goals and five points in 21 games down the stretch for New Jersey before going scoreless in just two playoff contests.

Still, Grabner is coming off back-to-back 27-goal seasons and will be a sought after commodity on the free agent market. The 30-year old speedster is an excellent penalty killer and can stretch defenses better than almost anyone in the league. Though he can struggle at times to finish his chances, and doesn’t create many opportunities for his linemates, many teams would be lucky to have him suit up in their bottom-six. Grabner is coming off just a two-year $3.3MM contract and will likely be looking for a big raise on a multi-year contract. The Devils may believe that’s too rich for them as they instead look to their young players for continued development.

F Patrick Maroon – The other deadline addition for New Jersey was Maroon, who was also coming off a 27-goal season in 2016-17. This year he had just 17, but found his playmaking stride for the Devils and recorded 13 points in 17 games. Struggling with the rest of the team in their first-round playoff exit, he still could represent a perfect fit for the Devils who don’t have many other players in the power forward mold. Maroon is an excellent puck protector, and has shown that when given the chance to play with skilled players is quick enough to still keep up.

It’s hard to gauge Maroon’s market after he struggled with the Edmonton Oilers early on. He fetched them just a 2019 third round pick and the rights to college forward J.D. Dudek at the deadline, and may not have a ton of teams knocking down his door in the summer. That would be just fine with the Devils if they’re looking to bring him back, though nothing has been reported between the two so far.

Other UFAs: F Jimmy Hayes, F Brian Gibbons, F Drew Stafford, D John Moore, F Michael Latta, F Bracken Kearns, F Ben Thomson

Projected Cap Space: Last season the Devils were seen as a dark horse candidate for nearly every free agent because of their huge amount of cap space and this year should be no different. With nearly $25MM in cap room depending on where the upper limit lands, the team could go after any player they want, including John Tavares or John Carlson. Though there are some restricted free agents to get under contract, GM Ray Shero should have just about all the resources he should need to help the Devils make it back to the playoffs once again.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Devils’ Miles Wood Suspended Two Games For Boarding

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1:01 p.m. — The Department of Player Safety have suspended Wood for two games for boarding Namestnikov.

8:53 a.m. — The Department of Player Safety announced they will hold a hearing today for the New Jersey Devils Miles Wood for his boarding of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Vladislav Namestnikov during Saturday’s game. Watch the video here.

Early in the second period, Wood appeared to leave his feet and delivered a hit to Namestnikov from behind, sending his head into the boards. To make matters worse, Tampa Bay teammate Andrej Sustr attempted to come to Namestnikov’s aid, but instead took a punch to the visor and sustained a bloody face.

Wood, who has had no previous suspensions, was given a two-minute minor penalty for boarding. He also received a two-minute minor for roughing for the fight with Sustr, which the Tampa Bay defenseman also received. To make matters worse for Tampa Bay, Wood also scored the game-winning goal.

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