Three tells the New Jersey Devils aren't done
There is plenty of reason to believe Sunny Mehta has more moves up his sleeve.
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New Jersey Devils GM Sunny Mehta has been extremely active in his first off-season managing the team.
While the roster is cheaper, deeper, and there are plenty of bodies to fill out a 23-man squad, it still feels like there is meat on the bone as far as movement goes.
Let’s take a closer look at a few reasons why I believe more activity is to come.
No room for the targeted adds
Mehta has really worked to fill out the bottom of the roster.
Beyond the pieces fetched in return for Jacob Markstrom, he made individual trades for Amadeus Lombardi and Declan Chisholm while also signing Vladislav Kolyachonok just two hours into free agency. They were all targeted additions.
As it stands, each of those players is blocked by more experienced and expensive alternatives.
Mehta is a very methodical decision-maker, and he didn’t bring those players in – not to mention part with multiple 4th round picks – for them all to sit in the press box or play in Utica.
Lombardi and Chisholm, especially, should factor heavily into next season’s equation.
Lombardi is a talented young player who can’t go to the minors without waivers. He needs to play a healthy chunk of games.
Chisholm earns $1.6 million, which is a lot if the plan isn’t for him to dress regularly.
As it stands, there’s no slot for them in the lineup without putting even more money in the seats. I don’t see that happening.
Vladislav Kolyachonok is a different case and less of a priority but – like Riley Tufte – he will earn his NHL salary whether with the big club or not.
While that could partly be to make them less attractive waiver claims come October, I think Kolyachonok is an obvious candidate to be the 7th defenseman if someone is moved out.
