Final six advanced UFA targets: Buffalo, Seattle and Vancouver

The New Jersey Devils Bottom Six forwards…underperformed, to say the least, in 2023-24. Effective players were let go, injuries forced players to move higher in the lineup than they should have been, and depth/recalls were mostly non-factors. The team reshuffled parts of its roster in an effort to go deeper into the playoffs and get closer to the Stanley Cup, but the opposite effect occurred. With a long summer

So with last season behind us, this is part two (with Jared starting part one yesterday) of our free agency preview that’s going to specifically focus on available names that could boost the bottom line. ‘team. While I also share Jared’s belief that the team could use more sandpaper, we’re not going to use it at the expense of skill. Today I also plan to look at other forwards who might just be solid role players offering skills that the current generation of Devils do not currently excel at.

Without delay…

Buffalo Sabres: Zemgus Girgensons and Tyson Jost

Let’s start today with a player who competes in all three zones of Zemgus Girgensons. While he won’t be your primary point contributor, he’s also not afraid to hit or block a shot. At 6’2 and 200 lbs. To boot, Girgensons could help suppress the “New Jersey Devils are too small” narrative that has begun to circulate.

A veteran of 11 professional seasons, Girgensons spent 10 in the NHL, all with Buffalo, which drafted him in 2012 with the 14th overall selection. His progression since then has always been more of a defensive forward, and while there have been mixed results, particularly earlier in his career, he has been more solid during what I will call his “second stint” at Buffalo. Let’s not forget that Buffalo hasn’t exactly been a powerhouse team at any point during Girgenson’s tenure either.

AFP Analytics projects Girgensons to earn a two-year contract totaling just under $3.5 million. If the Devils offered him this deal, I don’t think I’d be upset. The team needs to be tougher to play against, and someone who hits, blocks shots, and generally keeps the puck going in the right direction (even more so in recent seasons) would be an improvement over some wrecks and wrecks. who played in the Bottom Six last season. At the same time, critics might argue that Girgensons is, at best, an improved Nathan Bastian. If we can get upgraded Nathan Bastian and free the real Nathan Bastian, I’d be OK with that.

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Moving on to his teammate Tyson Jost; Jost was originally a highly touted prospect for the Colorado Avalanche, but he just never seemed to take the next step in his development. After a short stint in Minnesota, he found his way to Buffalo where he has been for about a season and a half.

While Jost’s first season in Buffalo looked promising (22 of his 25 points came in those 59 games), he regressed sharply in 2023-24. While Jost was only available for 43 games, three goals and three assists simply aren’t enough, even in a Bottom Six role. With eight seasons in the NHL behind him, Jost appears to have little, if anything, left to exploit in terms of potential. Additionally, Jost is about the same size as many of the Devils’ other forwards; if we stick with the “bigger and more talented” narrative, this is a player that is going to be crossed off many fans’ wish lists.

The AFP has no contract predictions for Jost, who could be at the point where he is seeking a bilateral deal or a contract with a foreign club. I could see him getting one more contract for one season to prove it, but even if he does, I’m not sure the Devils are the team that should give it to him. Jost strikes me as “Diet Girgensons” in the sense that he does a little bit of everything Zemgus does, but nowhere near as good outside of maybe shot blocking. While the Devils could use more shot-blocking guys, Jost should probably be an option further down the list of potential signings.

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Seattle Kraken: Tomas Tatar and Pierre-Édouard Bellemare

I’m generally against retreads for the Devils, but I think an exception could be made for Tomas Tatar. Although his 2023 playoff run left a lot to be desired, his 2022-23 season was extremely successful and partly explains why the Devils were as well-rounded as they were. Now a 13-year NHL veteran

As a Devils, Tatar had a mediocre first season (15 goals, 15 assists, 76 games) before having a more productive second year (20 goals, 28 assists, 82 games) as a regularly deployed player in the Top Six. this season. If Tatar were to return to New Jersey, he probably wouldn’t get that much time in the Top Six again, but could be a good depth piece, if the expectations for him are to simply bring secondary scoring and not be a liability on the ice. He is also still quite quick and cunning; let’s not forget his goal in match 7:

Yeah, it was more John Marino than anything else, but Tatar cleaned it up and deflated Our Hated Rivals in the process.

His next contract with the AFP is estimated at one year and just over $2.2 million. While that’s an increase from the contract he played for this season, it’s about half of what he earned each season when he was previously a Devil. His 2023-24 season wasn’t that good, so perhaps returning to an organization where he’s had success would help Tatar bounce back. Having another winger who already knows most of his teammates would be a big plus, but the question of whether he makes the Devils a tougher team to play against lingers.

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The other UFA forward from Seattle’s 2023-24 forward draft is Bellemare, who looks like his NHL career is starting to wind down. Although he’s a bit late to the NHL, Bellemare is 38 years old and, as we all know, Father’s Day is still undefeated. That said, in a few minutes this season, Bellemare has still been effective in his camp and in the faceoff circle.

I wouldn’t call Bellemare a “faceoff specialist”, but I could imagine the Devils offering him a minimum one-year deal in the NHL if they felt they needed a strong player. in this domain. At the same time, Bellemare may not fit what the Devils are trying to build, or, I guess, rebuild in this case. If the Devils signed Bellemare, I’d probably say “Oh, okay” rather than expressing a positive or negative sentiment, which might just mean he’s not the right choice after all.

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Vancouver Canucks: Teddy Blueger and Sam Lafferty

Teddy Blueger is a player Devils fans may remember from the four and a half seasons he spent in the system of their division rival Pittsburgh Penguins. Although he is an average-sized player in the NHL, Blueger plays a game bigger than his frame, as his defensive stats suggest. He’s also another player who isn’t bad in the faceoff circle, presenting another asset the Devils might want him for.

What I like most about Blueger is that statistically speaking, he is one of the strongest advanced options available in the bottom six. Although he has never played a full 82 in his career, two of his last three seasons have seen him contribute 28 points for his team. Once again, Blueger is not afraid to get into dirty areas and bring physicality when needed; he’s not a league leader in hits, but he’s willing to step up when needed.

Blueger plans a two-year contract for AFP for just over $2.50 per season. I don’t know if he’d want to leave Vancouver after the season they had, but if the Devils tried to pry him away at that value, I’d be happy. To me, Blueger is one of those glue guys who can do a lot of little things right, and again, he’ll be more useful on offense than a lot of the other available options would be without maybe Tatar. If you had to make me pick just one player on today’s roster to offer a contract to, it would probably be Blueger.

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Ironically, Sam Lafferty is another former Penguins player, although he spent less time with the team than Blueger. He’s traveled a bit more, but over the past two seasons he’s grown into his role as a more defensive forward while also contributing some points. He’s another player that I’m not sure would want to leave Vancouver after the season they had, but at the same time, Vancouver probably won’t bring back the exact same team as this season either.

The AFP estimates that Lafferty costs more than a million and a half less per season than Blueger, while predicting that he will get a two-year contract. While not as consistent on faceoffs as his (perhaps former) teammate, Lafferty brings a little more size and definitely brings the hitting, especially last season. Although he’s a few inches shorter than Kurtis MacDermid, Lafferty is more of what I envision when Devils fans say they want more toughness in the bottom six. He’s not afraid to hit or be physical, but he’s not an offensive black hole either. The Devils could use more guys like Blueger and Lafferty, not MacDermid.

Credit: Hockey-Reference

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Final thoughts and your opinion

As Jared said yesterday, none of these players are ready to sign with the Devils, but they might want to move on either for a bigger salary or a better role and/or a better team. Of course, nothing is guaranteed in the NHL, but the Devils can’t sit back and think they’ll become a better team by doing nothing at all…or by doing something worse than nothing. There will be a number of options for the Devils to improve between now and next season, whether it be graduating prospects, trading with other teams or free agent signings; reshaping the attacking group to be more difficult to play against could be the key to achieving more success.

Well, that and consistent goaltending.

What do you think of today’s player choices? Would you like to see one of them wear a Devils jersey next season? Are there any you specifically want to avoid? Do you think the Devils need more skill, grit, or both in their bottom two lines? What specific attributes do you want the Devils to add via free agent players? Leave any comments below and thanks as always for reading!