Christian Ehrhoff could be one name the Devils take a look at as a PTO before heading into camp (Photo by: Aaron Poole/Getty Images)

Christian Ehrhoff

He bounced around quite a bit this past season. He started the year with the Kings before being placed on waivers and demoted to their AHL affiliate. Eventually, he found himself finishing the season with the Chicago Blackhawks after being acquired in exchange for Rob Scuderi. Ehrhoff’s play wasn’t all that bad. He produced at the rate of an average second-pair defenseman last season and was a 54% possession player, granted that’s inflated due to his 38% offensive zone start rate. He also had decent shot suppression numbers. He may not be the defenseman he used to be, but he can still move the puck effectively. The Devils don’t have a lot of offensive options on the back end. He’s no longer a top-pair defenseman, but he may still have something to offer a team as an offensive defenseman in a third-pair role.

Alex Tanguay

He struggled in 2015-16 with Colorado, but was traded to Arizona at last season’s trade deadline in a deal that sent Mikkel Boedker to Colorado. Once in Arizona, he seemed to find his game, tallying 13 points in 18 games. Between Colorado and Arizona, he produced at respectable rates at even-strength. He averaged 1.70 points per 60, which is the same rate as Gustav Nyquist and Chris Kreider. Tanguay is also notorious for riding an incredibly high shooting percentage. In 2015-16, he shot 11.3%, which is well below his career average of 18.6%. If there was a prime candidate for a rebound in the goal-scoring department in 2016-17, Tanguay would fit the mold. He’s a natural left winger, but can play on the right side if needed. The Devils have a need for a top-6 right winger and he could serve as a stop gap until they’re able to find someone younger.

Nakladal could be a low-risk, high-reward option for the Devils (Photo by Sergei Belski: USA TODAY Sports)

Jakub Nakladal

Nakladal is one of the more intriguing defenseman still available. The Flames chose not to re-sign him before July 1st, making him a free agent. He only played in 27 games last season, but his underlying numbers are encouraging. He produced at a rate of 0.72 points per 60 at even-strength. He was also a 53.5% possession player and had a relative Corsi of +4.6. His possession numbers are all the more impressive considering Calgary was one of the worst possession teams in the league last season. His numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt because of his limited ice time, but he’s definitely shown signs of being an effective NHLer. He could prove to be a good low-risk, high-reward signing for any team that picks him up, including the Devils.

Brad Boyes

It’s been tough sledding for Boyes over the last year. He was bought out by Florida last summer and ended up signing a short-term deal with Toronto. In 60 games in Toronto, he tallied 24 points and averaged only 11:58 minutes of ice time a night. He was never able to gain a regular spot and fell out of favor with Mike Babcock. At 34 years old, this could be Boyes last chance to show he can play in the NHL. The Devils could take a flyer out on him and bring him to camp to see if he can provide any value to the team. At worst, he could provide the team with some depth at the right wing position.

Marek Zidlicky

He had an up and down tenure with the Devils. Zidlicky is prone to major defensive lapses that lead to some terrible turnovers. However, the Devils lack offense on the back end. In 53 games in 2015-16, He produced at a rate of 1.03 points per 60 (via Hockey Analysis), which would be the highest mark amongst Devils defensemen by a good margin. Nobody is asking him to come in and be a top-pair, shutdown defenseman. Much like Ehrhoff, Zidlicky can be put into a third-pair, offensive defenseman role and have success there. The Devils could also use a defenseman who can contribute on the power play, which is something that gives Zidlicky a bit more added value.