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The New Jersey Devils returned to the playoffs for the second time in three years. The Devils were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time in three years as well. Expectations for this team have remained high, and they will look to take a step towards winning their first Cup since 2012. We will look at the Devils' dream scenario for this 2025 NHL Free Agency period.
Injuries were the major story for the Devils this past campaign. Jack Hughes played in just 62 games and then missed the playoffs. His brother Luke played in just 71 games and then just one game in the playoffs. Dougie Hamilton missed nearly 20 games this past year as well. Injuries cannot be fixed through free agency, but finding depth and building a roster to withstand injuries can.
Salary cap concerns will be an issue in the offseason. According to Cap Wages, the Devils are projected to have just under $14 million in cap space. They also have multiple free agents, including three restricted free agents. The Devils will need to be creative with their salary cap this year, but if they are, this is the dream scenario for their 2025 free agency season.
Devils re-sign Luke Hughes
Any dream offseason for the Devils has to begin with re-signing Hughes. He has been great on the blueline for New Jersey. Hughes was drafted fourth overall in the 2021 NHL Draft and would play at the University of Michigan before joining the Devils. Hughes would play two games in the 2022-23 season, scoring a goal and an assist. In his career, Hughes has played 155 games for the Devils, with 17 goals and 76 assists. Further, he has been solid on the power play with four goals and 37 assists in his career on the power play.
The perfect scenario for the Devils would also be to add Quinn Hughes to join brothers Jack and Luke, but the first step is getting Luke locked up long term. According to AFP Analytics, a new contract will run between $5.75 and $8.4 million. This is dependent on the length of the contract, with a lower amount for the shorter contract, allowing Hughes to hit unrestricted free agency earlier. The Devils have the cap space to do both contracts. If they believe the future is the trio of Hughes brothers, they should lock in the long-term deal now.
New Jersey adds defensive depth
The Devils need some defensive depth moving forward. Brenden Dillon was the only player on the blue line for the Devils who played all 82 games this season, although Johnathan Kovacevic was close with 81 games played. Brett Pesce, Hughes, Hamilton, and Jonas Siegenthaler all missed over ten games this past season.
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One option for the Devils is to bring back Brian Dumoulin. Dumoulin was acquired midseason from the Anaheim Ducks. He has been reliable, playing in over 75 games for each of the last four seasons, and 80 or more in each of the last three. He is also expected to cost just $3.2 million, which could make his cap hit manageable.
Another option for the Oilers is John Klingberg. Klingberg does not solve the reliability issues, as he has missed most of the last two seasons with a hip injury. Still, he has been reliable in the past and will also bring playoff experience to the Devils. He has been great this year for the Oilers, playing in 17 games, having a goal and three assists. Klingberg was also part of the 2020 Dallas Stars team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final. He is projected to cost under $2 million. At that cost, Klingberg could provide playoff experience to the Devils and add depth in case of continued injuries.
Matt Duchene could be a dream fit in Newark
To bring in more forward depth, the Devils will have to create cap space. This could be moving a player like Erik Haula, or being creative with contracts and buyouts. Regardless, the Devils need to find depth for their forwards. Ondrej Palat was playing on the top line with Jack Hughes out and was not effective this year. He scored 15 goals with 13 assists, which are not top-line numbers. Further, he has just two goals and two assists on the power play. The same holds true for Haula. He had just 11 goals and 10 assists this year.
To exemplify the need for more point-producing options, one needs to look no further than the numbers for Hughes. Hughes is the top-scoring option on the team, but he missed 20 games this year. Still, while missing a quarter of the season, he was second on the team in points. One solid option would be Matt Duchene. Duchene is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. First, he would bring stability. Duchene has played in 162 of 164 games in the last two years.
Further, the forward brings versatility. He played both right wing and center this past year. He could take that second-line center spot, moving Dawson Mercer down a line or to the wing. Duchene's numbers would have made him one of the most productive players on the Devils as well. He scored 30 goals last year and totaled 82 points, both of which would have been second on the team. Finally, he added eight goals and 19 assists on the power play, which would boost the power play unit.
At a projected cost of $7 million AAV, Duchene would be expensive, but worth it for the Devils, who should find a way to make it happen. The Devils have plenty of needs this offseason, but if they can bring back Luke Hughes and add some reliable depth on both the blue line and up front, this will be a dream offseason.
