At today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we’re looking at the Devils’ potential off-season moves and if there are other clubs besides the Canadiens who could pursue them. Pierre Luc Dubois.
What’s next for the demons?
ESPN.COM: Kristen Shelton considered potential off-season plans for New Jersey Devils After eliminating the playoffs before Carolina Hurricanes.
Demons must determine if Timo Meyer part of their long-term future. They parted ways with a host of players, prospects and draft options to get the 26-year-old winger out of San Jose Sharks before the trade deadline.
Meyer is a restricted free agent who is one year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. It will cost the Devils $9 million to rehabilitate his rights unless they agree to a more economical long-term contract.
What they do with Meier will also determine what they do to improve the squad next season. the ward Jesper Pratt He delivers a 73-point performance and is also an RFA this summer while Miles WoodAnd Damon Severson And Ryan Graves It is scheduled to become UFAs. Shilton speculates that the Devils’ improvement and promising future could make them a desirable destination for free agents.
Hockey News: Adam Brotto believes improving defense should be the Devils’ priority off-season. They have over $34 million in cap space with 12 players under contract for 2023-24.
Some might prefer Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald using some of that cap space to re-sign Meier but their offense remains strong without him. Their defense needs immediate reinforcement. Proto suggested pursuing UFA like Matt Dumba from Minnesota or Dmitry Orlov from Boston.
Athlete: Shayna Goldman believes Fitzgerald’s goal will be to re-sign Meyer and Pratt and balance the books around them or replace the developing skill of either of them leaving.
To balance the increasing cost of these two, they must maximize entry-level contract players like defenders Luke Hughes And German Simon. Goldman also believes that they should anchor themselves to the target.
Bystander’s Note: The Devils have key players such as Jack HughesAnd Nico HischerAnd Dougie Hamilton And Ondrej Balat under long term contracts.
They have plenty of room for a salary cap to address those issues mentioned above. However, they must ensure that they have enough space in the long term to fit their rising talent Dawson Mercer And Luke Hughes Ready for new contracts within the next two years. The expected big jump in the salary cap after next season should help them in this regard.
The situation with Meier and Bratt will be interesting. It can be said that they did not produce as expected in the postseason. This can have an impact on their contract negotiations.
Could there be other clubs interested in Dubois?
sportscent: In a recent mailbag segment, Ken Webby was asked if the Boston Bruins He could be ahead Winnipeg Jets center Pierre Luc Dubois.
potential departures Patrice Bergeron And David Krejci He indicates that Dubois would be a good fit with the Bruins but Webby doubts the hat-tied club will be able to re-sign him. The 24-year-old center is a restricted free agent this summer and could seek more than $8 million annually on a long-term contract.
Wiebe believes that a lot of opposing teams would be interested in Dubois even if it was one shot at winning the Stanley Cup. His appeal is enhanced if he is willing to sign an extension with the team he is trading for.
the Colorado Avalanche It could be a possibility as they will be looking for a second line position. the Montreal Canadiens It still sounds like a headliner, but Wiebe thinks it’s not a “Habs-or-bust” scenario. He thinks an Eastern Conference team near New York is the most likely outcome but doesn’t rule it out Los Angeles Kings As asleep.
Bystander note: Wiebe is among the few critics I’ve read or heard who doesn’t push the narrative of Montreal as Dubois’ only destination. Some, like Nick Kyprios, have floated the scenario of a rival signing Dubois on a one-year deal just for the chance to follow up on the Cup next season even at the risk of him leaving as a free agent next summer.
The Canadians will likely remain Dubois’ favorite but we can’t rule out the possibility that he could end up with another club, perhaps on a long contract extension. That will provide fodder for the Montreal fanatics who are calling on the Canadiens to trade Dubois this summer and sign him to a long-term deal.