Brandon Pirri

Pirri remains one of the better free agents available. Anaheim chose not to qualify him, making him an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. He had 29 points (14 goals, 15 assists) in 61 games. He averaged 0.47 points a game, which would’ve put him close to 40 points in a full 82-game season. He also averaged 0.74 goals per 60 minutes at even-strength and scored 22 goals in 49 games in 2014-15. He has a knack for finding the back of the net and should be a good find for a team that decides to bring him into the fold as a low-value signing or PTO. He’s listed as a center and the Devils already have a logjam down the middle. If they can find a way to play him out on the wing, it could work out. He’s also only 25 years old and would fit the mold of the team trying to get younger.

Kris Russell

There was much speculation that Russell would be one of the big free agent signings on July 1st. Rumor had it that he was looking for a deal in the range of 5 years worth $5 million a year. His price tag was quite high and it looks to have scared off most teams. Offensively, he doesn’t chip in a ton and his shot suppression and possession numbers were some of the worst in the league for a defenseman. I think it’s unlikely the Devils sign him. He’s a third-pair defenseman and they have enough of those. Someone will probably take a chance on him whether it’s on a short-term deal or a team looking to clear cap space to sign him to the contract he’s looking for.

Antoine Vermette

He’s a late addition to the free agency pool after Arizona bought him out earlier last week. He totaled 17 goals and 21 assists last season in 76 games. With Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak coming up for Arizona, there wasn’t much of a spot left for Vermette with the Coyotes as they continue their youth movement. There’ll surely be suitors for him, but I don’t think the Devils will be one of them. His even-strength numbers aren’t particularly great and considering the Devils are in the midst of their own youth movement, I wouldn’t bet on him signing in NJ, as it’d probably take a spot away from Pavel Zacha.

Jiri Hudler

Much like Pirri, Hudler remaining unsigned is one of the bigger surprises of this offseason. This past season, he scored at a rate of 2.10 points per 60 minutes, which was in the top 25 in the league for forwards. He’s been one of the top even-strength point producers in the league over the last three seasons scoring at a rate of 2.17 points per 60. That places him in the top 20 of the entire league and puts him among names such as Joe Thornton and Kyle Okposo. Hudler is not at the level of either of those players, but it shows he’s still an effective scorer at even strength. His best days are likely behind him and he probably won’t put up 76 points again like he did a couple of seasons ago. That being said, he still has a positive impact on his teammates and can produce at 5v5. Any team that’s looking to add some scoring, including the Devils, should give him a good look as we head closer towards training camp.

Christian Ehrhoff 

Ehrhoff has bounced around a bit over the last couple seasons. Since 2013-14, he’s played with Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and Los Angeles. His best days are well behind him, but he may still have something to offer to a team as a third-pair defenseman. He’s averaged 0.67 points per 60 at even-strength over the last three seasons and has a positive relative Corsi. He’ll no longer eat the big minutes he used to, but for a team that’s looking to add defensive depth, he could provide some value. Especially if he’s able to stay healthy.