The New Jersey Devils spent the offseason trying to patch holes and reshape the roster, but one of the biggest questions still hanging over them is the same one that never got solved: who fills out the top six?
Anthony Mantha helps, no doubt. He comes in off a 33-goal season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and that gives the Devils another real weapon.
But even with the bottom six revamped, a front office overhaul in place, and Sheldon Keefe working with a new coaching staff, the forward group still has a gap that hasn’t gone away. Right now, Arseny Gritsyuk, Connor Brown, or Dawson Mercer looks like the most likely candidate to claim one of those spots.
That’s why Montreal is worth watching.
The Canadiens have built around a strong group of young players on long-term deals, but that kind of roster planning can get complicated fast if even one contract situation starts to wobble. Zachary Bolduc may be the player to keep an eye on there. He said he wants to stay in Montreal, but he also acknowledged the business side of it.
"I'd love to play in Montreal for several seasons. But on the other hand, management has to make their own decisions too. Like I said, I'm not going to get ahead of myself on anything, but I trust my agent on that end, and I'm confident that good things are coming." - Zachary Bolduc
Bolduc has not lit it up in Montreal yet, but the upside is obvious. The former first-round pick was essentially swapped straight up for Logan Mailloux, and while the Canadiens originally wanted to bolster their forward group, their strong drafting helped ease that pressure. At this point, Bolduc is more of a luxury than a necessity.
That’s where the Devils come in. If Montreal can’t sort out his contract, New Jersey could make sense as a trade partner.
The Devils have future cap space to take a swing, and they have room in the top six if Bolduc develops the way they hope. Montreal can’t offer him that same kind of opening.
Bolduc wouldn’t be the kind of splashy addition Jordan Kyrou or Jason Robertson would have been. Those bigger swings never happened anyway, with Kyrou going to the Washington Capitals and Robertson staying with the Dallas Stars.
Quinn Hughes is still in Minnesota, and Shane Wright never moved either. But Bolduc could still be a long-term fit if everything breaks right.
New Jersey also has the pieces to keep working the market. Dawson Mercer has been trending toward a third-line role, but he wants a better shot at top-six minutes. In Montreal, that could give him a more interesting path.
If these two teams decide to swap forwards, it could help both sides. And for the Devils, it would also add another layer to an already crowded forward mix.
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For a team that is always balancing the present with the next wave of talent, Salminens decision matters because it can affect how and when New Jersey brings young players into the system. The Devils also have a broader league backdrop to watch, with NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly saying the league remains on track to award a 33rd franchise to Texas, pending arena and board approvals, but for now the immediate focus in Newark is on what comes next for a prospect suddenly standing at a key career turning point. [Read more 🡒]