Devils can further bolster prospect pipeline with looming rights deadline
Breaking down pending college free agents who could add depth to the prospect pool.
By JP Gambatese (@JP_Gambatese)
On August 15th, drafted NHL prospects who spent four years in the NCAA without having signed a contract with their respective organizations will become unrestricted free agents.
For the Devils, this means that Samu Salminen, a cult-favorite third-round pick from 2021 who put together a solid but not spectacular college career, will likely be departing the organization.
Defenseman Charlie Leddy will technically become a free agent as well, though he is signed on an AHL deal with the Utica Comets that runs through the 2027-28 season.
There are, however, a few genuinely interesting prospects of this status that could pique the interest of Sunny Mehta, Braden Birch, and the rest of New Jersey’s front office.
The first, and likely most intriguing, name on the list is Cruz Lucius, a Pittsburgh Penguins center prospect who notified Kyle Dubas and company that he did not want to sign a contract with the organization back in early April.
Lucius, 22, was a fourth-round pick by the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2022 and has been a point-per-game-plus player throughout college, ultimately finishing his senior season with 46 points – 15 goals and 31 assists – in 36 games.
He’s a high-motor player who thrives as a playmaker more than a finisher but is never not playing at Mach 10. His passing game is strong, he’s physical for his size, and he doesn’t give up on any plays.
His brother, Chaz, was a first-round selection in 2021, but Cruz has generally outpaced him in development and, in many ways, has surpassed his brother in terms of what he may contribute to an NHL pipeline.
He’s the exact archetype of player the Devils organization has been keen on acquiring through minor transactions and the draft.
Next up is Stiven Sardaryan of the Buffalo Sabres, a former third-round pick from 2021.
He has enjoyed a gradual rise in production in his four college years, beginning his NCAA career with bottom-six deployment (and bottom-six production) at the University of New Hampshire.
In 2024-25, he transferred over to Michigan Tech, where he immediately slotted into the top six and produced 35 points in 35 games. This past season, he upped his game yet again, accruing 12 goals and 44 total points in 37 games.
As one would imagine from a stat line like that, Sardaryan is a cerebral playmaker who sees the ice well at the collegiate level.
His skating is average, and his shot is a bit below that, but he is a genuinely productive facilitator of play. He has solid cross-seam instincts, and can fire a pass through traffic or sticks with consistency.
While I think the Devils front office would prefer someone with a higher motor, Sardaryan has translatable two-way habits that would serve well in a middle-six AHL capacity.
Even if he might not have the chops to be an NHLer like Lucius (who will be a bottom-sixer in my eyes), he can be a productive member of an AHL squad.
Finally, there is Philip Svedebäck, a goaltender who was selected by the Boston Bruins in the fourth-round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
The 24-year-old netminder spent all four years of his collegiate career at Providence University, where he began his tenure as the team’s bona fide starter before ultimately fizzling out a bit and splitting the load come his senior season.
He sported a save percentage (SV%) of at least .900 in all four years, most recently putting up a .918 in 18 games in 2025-26. It should be noted that he played in 69 games in his first two seasons, and it is a genuine concern that he dropped from that role to 26 games in his junior season to those 18 games.
However, he has a skillset that would work well at the AHL level – the Comets have Jakub Málek and a couple of goalies with very limited AHL experience. He very well may be served well in a backup capacity with the Comets.
All told, there are three prospects whose rights with their respective organizations expire a week to the day, and all three of them should be appealing for one way or another to the New Jersey Devils.
There’s no such thing as too strong a pipeline, and the Devils have the contract space to add a few promising players.