With training camp and preseason right around the corner, the New Jersey Devils are in the zone where a PTO can make real sense: no guarantees, just an invitation and a chance to force the issue. A player comes in, competes, and tries to turn that camp look into an NHL contract.
Three names fit that mold for New Jersey, and each brings something different to the table.
Carson Soucy is the kind of defenseman teams like to have waiting in the wings. At 32, he’s a left-shot blue-liner with plenty of NHL miles on him, and at 6-foot-4 and just over 200 pounds, he brings size the Devils could use.
New Jersey already has four left-handed defensemen on the roster in Jonas Siegenthaler, Luke Hughes, Brenden Dillon, and Declan Chisholm, but one injury can change the picture fast. Soucy would give them another steady body who can step in if needed.
He split last season between the Islanders and Rangers, playing 76 games and averaging 16:31 of ice time. He finished with 105 hits, 91 blocked shots, and 12 points.
Michael Bunting is a different type of target, and maybe the most intriguing one on the list. The 30-year-old left winger is a UFA after his three-year, $13.5 million deal expired, and he still looks like a player plenty of teams would want in the mix. He played 74 games last season, with 61 coming for the Predators and the rest for the Stars, and ended up with 33 points and 14 goals.
What Bunting would give the Devils is pretty clear: work around the net, a physical edge, and a player who isn’t shy about contact. New Jersey’s projected left-wing group includes Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt, Arseny Gritsyuk, and Stefan Noesen, though Noesen’s situation is still unsettled. Even so, Bunting has the profile of someone who could strengthen the bottom of the lineup.
Then there’s Logan Stanley, another left-shot defenseman who could appeal simply because of what he adds physically. At 6-foot-7, he’s a former first-round pick and is coming off one of his better offensive seasons while still playing a rugged, hard-hitting style. Stanley appeared in 76 games for the Jets and Sabres last season, logging 16:42 per night while posting 107 hits, 70 blocks, and 26 points, including nine goals.
He also has a shot that can really jump off the stick, with his blast from the blue line reaching 97 MPH.
In Other News...
Devils Prospect Samu Salminen Now Faces A Career Crossroads
Samu Salminens path in the Devils system has reached a turning point, with the 2021 third-round pick choosing not to file the paperwork that would have sent him to unrestricted free agency. By taking that route off the table, New Jersey keeps his rights while he moves on from the University of Denver, where a fifth year of college hockey is no longer in play.
What comes next now appears to be a choice between turning pro in North America or heading back to Europe, with an AHL deal with the Utica Comets among the options being considered. Salminens agent has already confirmed the college route is done, and a decision on his next stop is expected soon, leaving the Devils to see whether one of their longer-term depth bets will finally enter the professional ranks. [Read more 🡒]