The New Jersey Devils are not looking to take on cap-dumps
Bad contracts with futures attached appear to be a thing of the past.
Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell | @InfernalAccess
Be sure to join the Discord channel to talk hockey, and everything else, with me and fellow subscribers.
In past years the New Jersey Devils have been willing to take on bad contracts if the right compensation was attached (see the Marc Savard contract).
I’ve maintained that won’t be the case this off-season. The Devils want to spend their money on players who can actually help them; no Marc Staals or Marc Savards.
Craig Custance of The Athletic confirmed as much when discussing off-season rumblings he’s heard.
Custance noted the Devils want to win and put talent around building blocks like Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.
Excerpt below:
Agents looking for a payday and teams looking to move contracts have identified New Jersey as a potential landing spot. The Devils have plenty of salary cap space and a GM in Tom Fitzgerald willing to deal. But this won’t be a dumping ground for bad contracts. The Devils have an asset in their cap space and are willing to be patient on this front. They also want to win and provide a positive environment for young players Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. But for contenders looking to move quality players to clear space to make changes, the Devils are a definite option.
Again, this isn’t necessarily surprising but it is still refreshing to hear. The Devils have been irrelevant for so long and they have a good, young, core in place. It’s time to start supporting them and making strides forward rather than punting season after season.
Not just for the development of their young players, but for the fans who stand by losing effort after losing effort.
This is also perhaps the best opportunity they’ll have to pluck talent from other organizations.
Toronto, Boston, Tampa Bay, New York (I), Pittsburgh, Arizona, Anaheim, Vancouver, and Florida are just a handful of the teams that either a) need to clear cap or; b) want to clear some cap for other moves.
There aren’t a whole lot of teams willing to take on sizeable dollar amounts, either, so the Devils can sort of have the pick of the litter.
They will not be paying premiums for mid tier players. They will not be accepting flat-out cap dumps. The Devils want good players, and there are enough teams looking to move money out that it’s only a matter of time before one falls onto their lap.
I think being patient is smart. Yes, we’re entering the heart of the off-season where it is the easiest, and best, time to improve. But that’s the case for everyone.
If, say, Toronto or Boston want to get involved for a notable name in the free agent market, they have to move money out. If the Islanders want to add talent while locking up their own (Mathew Barzal, Devon Toews and Ryan Puluck all need big raises), they have to move money out. Fitzgerald knows that.
He’s not just going to accept any player he can get with an ‘ah well, this is the best I can do!’ mindset.
If he can’t get a quality player who addresses a need and fits into the team’s age group, he’s not going to take one on. It is as simple as that.
I do expect movement sooner than later, but Fitzgerald is in the driver’s seat here; not teams like Toronto and Tampa Bay.
I think he’s waiting for the kind of deal that will reflect that.
It's refreshing, but if we can get a guy like a Savard, that will never step foot on the ice with the team, for an asset. I'd still have a hard time saying no. Taking on a Loui Ericksson is a disaster, because he's still playing and just clogging up an already muddled roster.