When a team comes off a record-setting regular season the question is asked, how many needs do they really have entering the offseason? Well, first off, there should always be the goal of improvement during the offseason. And, secondly, the New Jersey Devils have a lot of potential turnover due to internal unrestricted (UFA) and restricted (RFA) free agents.
When browsing over the organizational depth chart, despite some uncertainty, on paper the group looks pretty good. Though, it’s far from perfect.
Let’s jump into the depth chart and identify the areas the Devils should look to address this offseason.
Center
The Devils have one of the league’s best one-two punches down the middle. Following that, they have several guys with winger and center capabilities as well as one important UFA.
Depth Chart:
Note, “*” denotes RFA.
Dawson Mercer and Jesper Boqvist both took over 100 faceoffs last year, so each have the capabilities to play center as well. Lazar has played both center as well as wing. Lastly, Erik Haula was one of the best faceoff men in the league last season, but is currently an unrestricted free agent.
Needs
As it stands, the Devils currently have three guys penciled in to every night center roles for next season. Those are Hughes and Hischier on the top two lines, then McLeod on the fourth. It all comes down to who fills that last role on line three.
Internally, the Devils can turn to Mercer or Boqvist, but each struggled mightily on the dot this past season (Mercer 42.4 percent faceoff success rate and Boqvist 33.2 percent). They also both played mainly on the wing.
The goal should be to bring Erik Haula back. He killed penalties at a strong rate and was one of the stronger faceoff men in the league at 54.2 percent. The only issue is he is an UFA, though, reportedly is very interested in coming back. If Haula does not return the Devils can easily turn to free agency to fill the third-line role.
Verdict: A third liner.
Left Wing
Like the center group, New Jersey already has two guys penciled into left wing spots for opening night. The remaining two spots are currently open, but they have a plethora of internal bottom-six candidates to fill them.
Depth Chart:
Note, “*” denotes RFA.
Boqvist and Sharangovich both played center at times this past season.
Needs
Meier, once signed, will anchor the top six while Palat will likely either slot in on the second-or-third line, with the third being preferable. This leaves a middle-six (second-or third-line) and a bottom-line spot open.
Sharangovich is certainly a possibility to fill that third-line role. However, it would not be surprising if he is an odd-man out via trade. He is due a new contract and regressed mightily last year. Sharangovich’s five-on-five defense throughout his career has also been lackluster, so when he’s not scoring – like last year – his value is very limited.
As for the bottom-line role, New Jersey has a plethora of internal options. The leading candidates are Jesper Boqvist and Nolan Foote.
Boqvist was very strong defensively last season, and has center capabilities, but is also a RFA and somewhat limited offensively. Foote has shown flashes, but hasn’t established himself quite yet.
It would be wise of the Devils to find a trading partner for Sharangovich and bring in an external piece to fill the middle six. As for the bottom line, they can find someone in-house to fill that role.
Verdict: A middle-six option.
Right Wing
Out of the three forward positions, the right side may be the most projectable internally. The team has at least one top-six role cemented with a second well on the way. After that, it’s a lot of solid depth.
Depth Chart:
- Jesper Bratt*
- Dawson Mercer
- Nathan Bastian*
- Alexander Holtz
- Tyce Thompson
- Graeme Clarke
- Chase Stillman
Note, “*” denotes RFA.
Dawson Mercer played mainly center his rookie season before playing on the wing almost exclusively this past season. Graeme Clarke has the capability to play either the wing or center.
Tomáš Tatar, who had a terrific regular season, is an UFA. Same for Miles Wood, who struggled immensely.
Needs
Again, the right side of the Devils’ forward group seems pretty set on paper. Bratt, once signed, is a legit top-line forward. Further, Mercer showed flashes of a very strong top-six winger. The Devils will also hope Holtz is ready to take the next step and capture a middle-six role.
This leaves only the fourth-line job open. That spot might be the most concrete of any in the lineup, going to Nathan Bastian once he gets a new deal. Bastian has shown, since his entrance into the league, that he is one of the better defensive fourth liners in the NHL. 
After that, a plethora of talent, which includes Tyce Thompson, Graeme Clarke, and Chase Stillman, remains awaiting in the wings. Out of the four players mentioned above, and the Thompson, Clarke, and Stillman trio, the Devils should find a more than formidable foursome on the right side.
This does not even contemplate Tatar, who has a terrific regular season before faltering in the playoffs. Re-signing him would certainly make sense, though, if he moves on New Jersey already has more than enough options to try to fill the role he forged last year.
Lastly, Lazar – who is listed as a center above – has played a lot of right wing in his career. He can step in on that fourth line if needed. 
Verdict: None.
Left Defense
General manager Tom Fitzgerald can pencil in two guys as everyday players on the left side. The team also has a lot of depth on this side, in terms of sixth/seventh-defense types as well as in the minors.
Depth Chart:
Brendan Smith has played both sides in the past. Additionally, Ryan Graves is currently an UFA and seems unlikely to return. 
Needs
As you can see, the top-four group on the left side is all but set. Siegenthaler, despite some regression last year, has shown to be a legit top-four, defensive-first option over the past two seasons. Meanwhile, despite the very small sample size, Luke Hughes looks all but on his way to have a terrific first season in the NHL.
Bahl and Brendan Smith seem poised to once again battle for that bottom-pair job. Bahl has strictly played on the left side and had a decent year overall last season. Smith, on the other hand, despite some stretches of lackluster play, can technically fill a bottom-pair, penalty-killing role as well. However, the Devils would be wise to have him serve as more of a depth defenseman.
Yes, technically the Devils can roll into the season with Siegenthaler, Hughes, and Bahl as the threesome and Smith in a depth role. Though, there is a lot of risk there.
You are banking on Hughes, which he has shown to be very capable in a small sample, emerging as an immediate top-four presence and Siegenthaler to eat up very tough minutes. An area the Swiss-born defenseman struggled with occasionally last season. Lastly, Bahl is a fine third-pair option, but did have his own lapses at times.
As mentioned, Graves is currently an UFA. Although inconsistent at times, overall, when he was on the ice good things were happening. Running back a trio of Graves, Siegenthaler, and Luke Hughes would be a very solid group on paper. Unfortunately, as it stands, the return of Graves seems unlikely. Especially given the price tag.
Bottom line is it is not imperative the Devils bring in someone, but they would be wise to monitor the market. Especially given that the right side is shaping up exactly like the left.
The good thing at least is the team has a ton of depth on the left side in Utica (AHL).
Verdict: Potentially a second-or-third pair option.
Right Defense
The right side is much like the left side, though, the two top-four options are much more established. The bottom pair will certainly be a story worth monitoring and a place the team may want to address as the offseason moves on.
Depth Chart:
- Dougie Hamilton
- John Marino
- Simon Nemec
- Reilly Walsh*
The Devils already lost right-handed defenseman Damon Severson to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a rare, but very efficient sign-and-trade. Brendan Smith has the capabilities to play both the left and right sides.
Needs
Hamilton and Marino will make up a very strong right side in the team’s top-four group next season. The question, and all the attention, will be on the bottom pair. The three internal candidates that will vie for that position are rookie Simon Nemec, offensive-defenseman Reilly Walsh, and previously mentioned veteran Brendan Smith.
Nemec had a very underrated year for Utica. The 19-year-old had 34 points in 65 games and really started to come into his own by season’s end. Meanwhile, Reilly Walsh once again posted the highest game score per game (per AHL Tracker) among defenseman that played for the Comets last season. He had another very strong offensive year. Meanwhile, Smith’s status in the organization has been well documented in this article already.
Like the left side, it will come down to how comfortable the Devils are with youth. Given how well the first two spots on the right side project out (via Hamilton and Marino), taking a shot with a guy like Nemec or Walsh, if the left side is addressed externally with a better option, would make sense. With all that being said, New Jersey may feel more comfortable by bringing in someone externally as a stop gap which will allow Nemec more time to grow until the former second-overall pick is ready to take the reigns full time.
Verdict: Potentially a bottom-pair stop gap, if Nemec is not ready.
Goalie
The goaltender situation is pretty simple. One netminder is locked in, while the other is likely to be as well. Of course, unless the team goes externally once again.
Depth Chart:
Blackwood is a RFA and very unlikely to be back. Recent reports project Blackwood as a non tender if a trade is not made. Nico Daws is also available in the minors, though, reportedly is scheduled to miss a chunk of next season.
Needs
Once again, the Devils find themselves in an interesting position in between the pipes. Vanecek can be penciled in as one part of the tandem, while the second spot is a bit more of a question mark.
Schmid emerged in the regular season, and especially in the first round series against the New York Rangers, before cooling off as the Devils were eliminated. Between the regular season and postseason Schmid posted a starling plus-12.98 goals saved above expected in 27 games. Those numbers seem to indicate he is NHL ready. Though, at only 23 years old, you may want to see a bit more of a sample size.
It would not be surprising to see the team bring in a backup-type option. This will give a more established presence than Schmid while allowing him to continue to work and develop.
Verdict: Potentially a backup.
Final List Of Needs
After taking stock of where the organization is at as a whole, the following areas are where the Devils must address this offseason:
- Third-line center.
- Middle-six left wing.
- Second-or-third pair left defenseman.
- Monitor the goalie market.
The easiest way to address the one center position is by re-signing the reportedly eager Haula. If that does not work out, the team must go externally to resolve the third-line spot. Boqvist, although endured a career year, has not quite shown the offensive ability to serve that role on a contending team for a whole season.
The Devils’ best bet to round out their forward corpses is by signing/trading for a second-or-third line winger, preferably on the left side. Palat, as has been the case throughout his career, has the capabilities to serve in the top six, but would provide tremendous depth for a legit contender on the third line.
New Jersey could potentially add on the right side, but with the plethora of above internal options on that side, I’d bet at least one emerges to take a middle-six spot.
The defensive core is an interesting group, there are four guys you can 100-percent guarantee will be in – Hamilton, Siegenthaler, Marino, and Hughes. This leaves the last two spots up for grabs.
New Jersey has a plethora of internal options to fill these spots – Bahl, Nemec, Smith, and Walsh. Though, would be better off by bringing in an external stop-gap option to help avoid too much regression or risk defensively.
Specifically, It would probably be best to bring in someone who plays on the left side. It would not be surprising to see Nemec win the bottom-pair spot on the right side. Having a strong, defensive-minded option to compliment him on the left would be ideal. Potentially having three under 22-year-olds making up 50 percent of your backend is very risky and not something you often see on contending teams. 
Lastly, the goaltending duo would be okay on paper with Vanecek and Schmid. It would be totally understandable if the organization rolled into the next season that way. However, it would be ignorant to think there was zero risk. That’s why the team should monitor that market.
Putting It All Together
Below is how the team currently projects on paper with the above noted needs:
Forwards:
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
| Timo Meier* | Jack Hughes | Jepser Bratt* |
| X | Nico Hischier | Dawson Mercer |
| Ondrej Palat | X | Alexander Holtz |
| Jesper Boqvist* | Michael McLeod* | Nathan Bastian* |
Defense:
| Left | Right |
| Jonas Siegenthaler | Dougie Hamilton |
| Luke Hughes | John Marino |
| X | Simon Nemec |
Goalies:
| Starter | Backup |
| Vitek Vanecek | Akira Schmid |
On paper, even with some needs, the Devils seem poised for a second-straight solid season.
Check back as we continue with our offseason content, now focused on the draft as well as specific players the Devils should be interested in when the offseason truly gets underway.
Offseason Content
Here is all our offseason content so far in one place:
- Offseason Primer, 5/31/23
- Devils’ Unrestricted Free Agents, 6/5/23
- Devils’ Restricted Free Agents, 6/8/23
- Trade Profile: Connor Hellebuyck, 6/13/23
Be sure to keep close eyes on our social media page as well as website in the coming weeks are we ramp up our offseason content!
Note, statistics via Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Hockey.