The Devils spent the day before NHL free agency making noise, but the biggest question still hanging over them is the same one that never seems to go away: who’s in goal?
New Jersey first swung a trade with Florida, sending Jacob Markstrom and Angus Crookshank to the Panthers in exchange for Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves. Then came another move, with Arseny Gritsyuk landing on a three-year deal worth $3.25 million per season.
Those two transactions gave a clearer picture of what Sunny Mehta is trying to build, and they also sharpened the focus on what still needs to be done. Nico Hischier remains a priority, though it sounds like that situation is already solved.
Goaltending, though, is still a problem.
That’s nothing new for the Devils. They’ve been searching for a true No. 1 since Martin Brodeur retired.
Cory Schneider gave them a couple of seasons, but by the time the team was ready to contend, he wasn’t the answer anymore. Since then, New Jersey has cycled through a long list of options that briefly looked promising: Keith Kinkaid, Mackenzie Blackwood, Jonathan Bernier, Akira Schmid, Vitek Vanecek, and now Markstrom.
None of them fully solved the issue.
So when Connor Hellebuyck rumors started circulating, it made sense. The idea of landing a legitimate starter with no strings attached was enough to get Devils fans dreaming, especially with Jake Allen and Nico Daws currently sitting as the team’s two goalies.
An Allen-Daws tandem wouldn’t inspire much confidence. Add Hellebuyck to either one, though, and the picture changes fast.
But Elliotte Friedman poured cold water on that buzz in his annual Free Agency Day notebook dump. He doesn’t see New Jersey as the most likely landing spot for the top goalie on the market.
"I don’t buy the New Jersey hype. It’s not a contract that fits the profile of new GM Sunny Mehta.
Hellebuyck would waive to Buffalo, but a couple of sources have said since last weekend that a trade wasn’t as close as we thought. Some of the rumoured Sabres returns have new no-trade protection.
Winnipeg would love to bring him back, but I think it’s unlikely."
That’s a tough update for a Devils team that badly needs stability in net. Hellebuyck is the biggest name available and could be the best goalie in the league. The other elite options - Igor Shesterkin, Ilya Sorokin, Logan Thompson, and Jeremy Swayman - aren’t expected to be on the market.
If New Jersey still wants to upgrade, the alternatives get murkier. That could mean a free-agent gamble on Sergei Bobrovsky or Stuart Skinner, or a trade swing at someone like Alex Lyon, Devon Levi, or Filip Gustavsson.
Hellebuyck still looks like the cleanest answer. Even if the contract doesn’t “fit the profile” of Sunny Mehta, the Devils’ need is obvious. But for now, Friedman’s read is the one that matters.
In Other News...
Devils Suddenly Have A Familiar Free Agency Problem To Solve
The Devils are once again shopping the non-tender market for forward help, a familiar kind of offseason problem for a team trying to add depth after a difficult season. New Jersey has been linked to a few players who fit different parts of the puzzle, from a possible upside swing to a steadier middle-six type and a depth option who could help bridge injuries and minutes.
Philipp Kurashev, Matias Maccelli and Philip Tomasino each come with their own appeal, which is part of why this lane makes sense for the Devils. The real question is how much NHL value New Jersey thinks it can squeeze out of this group, and whether the right fit is there to support the lineup without forcing the club to overpay for certainty it still does not have. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Free Agency Just Turned Into A Franchise Defining Day
Free agency arrived with the kind of early turbulence that can reshape a roster before most teams even settle into their plans. The Devils have already been tied to a significant addition in Arseny Gritsyuk, while the wider market has moved fast enough to remind everyone how quickly one move can affect the next. For a team trying to stay on the right side of contention, these are the kinds of days that force every decision to matter a little more.
The real weight, though, sits in the Devils own room, where the next move involving Nico Hischier could define how the franchise frames this stretch of its build. When a captain becomes part of the central offseason conversation, it says plenty about where the organization thinks it is and where it wants to go. Add in the ripple effects from other major league moves, including the stalled Zach Werenski situation, and this has already become the sort of day that can alter the tone of an entire summer. [Read more 🡒]
This Devils Signing Feels Like The First Clue To Something Bigger
The Devils quietly added another piece to their blue line picture by signing Vladislav Kolyachonok to a one-year, one-way deal worth $850,000 after Dallas did not qualify him. Kolyachonok brings NHL experience from stops with the Stars and Coyotes, and on paper he gives New Jersey another left-handed option at a time when the team is trying to sort out its defensive depth.
Kolyachonok alone is not the kind of move that changes a season, but it does add to a crowded side of the roster and makes the Devils defensive picture a little more interesting. A signing like this can be read as basic depth insurance, or it can be the first small sign that bigger roster decisions are coming, especially with so many left-shot defenders already in the mix. [Read more 🡒]