The bottom six forward UFA targets: Buffalo, Seattle and Vancouver

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Contents

Buffalo Sabres: Zemges Girgensens and Tyson Yost Seattle Kraken: Thomas Tatar and Peter Edward Bellmare Vancouver Canucks: Teddy Blueger and Sam Rafferty Final thoughts and your take

this New Jersey Devils The bottom six forwards…were underperforming to say the least in 2023-24. Productive players were released, injuries required players to play higher in the lineup than they should have been, and roster depth/call-ups were mostly not a factor. The team overhauled parts of the roster in an attempt to get deeper in the playoffs and closer to the Stanley Cup, but it backfired. In the long summer

So, with last season behind us, here is the second part of our free agent forecast (Jared started the first part yesterday), which will focus specifically on available players who can add to the team’s bottom line. While I also agree with Jared that the team could use more grinding, we are not going to bring in grinding at the expense of skill. Today, I also plan to take a look at other forwards who could be solid role players who can provide a skill set that the Devils are not currently strong in.

Without further ado…

Buffalo Sabres: Zemges Girgensens and Tyson Yost

We start today with a player who can compete in all three areas, Zemgus Girgensons. While he won’t be a high scorer, he’s not afraid to shoot or block shots. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Girgensons can help dispel the “New Jersey Devils are too small” narrative that has begun to circulate.

Girgensons has 11 professional seasons, 10 of which were in the NHL with Buffalo, who drafted him 14th overall in 2012. Since then, he has been developing at the defensive forward position, and while the results have been mixed, especially early in his career, he has been more solid, and I will call this his “second stint” with Buffalo. Don’t forget, Buffalo wasn’t a strong team during Girgensons’ tenure, either.

AFP Analytics predicts Girgensons will be offered a two-year contract The total is just under $3.5 million. If the Devils offer him that deal, I don’t think I’d be unhappy. The team needs tougher opponents, and a guy who can hit the puck, block shots, and generally keep the puck moving in the right direction (even more so the past few seasons) would be a better option than some useless guy who played in the bottom six last season. Critics, meanwhile, might argue that Girgensons is, at best, an upgraded Nathan Bastian. If we can get an upgraded Nathan Bastian and give up the real Nathan Bastian, I’d take it.

Speaking of his teammate Tyson Jost; Jost was originally a highly touted prospect for the Colorado Avalanche, but he never seemed to take the next step in his development. After a brief stint in Minnesota, he came to Buffalo, where he stayed for about a season and a half.

While Jost looked promising in his first season in Buffalo (22 of his 25 points came in those 59 games), he fell far short in the 2023-24 season. While Jost played in just 43 games, three goals and three assists weren’t enough even for the bottom six. After eight NHL seasons, it seems like there’s little potential left for Jost. Additionally, Jost is roughly the same size as many other Devils forwards; if we stick with the “bigger, more skilled” narrative, he’s going to be crossed off many fans’ wish lists.

AFP doesn’t make any projections for Jost’s contract, and he may be in the phase of seeking a two-way contract or an overseas club contract. I could see him getting another one-season deal as a “prove it” contract, but even if he does, I’m not sure the Devils should give him that. Jost strikes me as “Diet Girgensons” in that he does everything Zemgus does, except maybe blocking shots, which he doesn’t do nearly as well as Zemgus does. While the Devils could use more shot blockers, Jost should probably be an option further down the list of potential signings.

Seattle Kraken: Thomas Tatar and Peter Edward Bellmare

I’m usually against the Devils repeating their mistakes, but I think an exception can be made for Tomas Tatar. While his 2023 playoff run wasn’t great, his 2022-23 season was very successful and one of the reasons the Devils are so well-balanced. Now a 13-year NHL veteran

Tatar had a mediocre first season as a Devils player (15 goals, 15 assists, 76 games) and a much better second season (20 goals, 28 assists, 82 games), often appearing in the top six that season. If Tatar returns to New Jersey, he likely won’t be in the top six again, but if the expectation is only for him to bring secondary scoring and not be a liability on the ice, he could be a good backup. His speed and skill are still pretty good; let’s not forget his goal in Game 7:

Yes, it was more of a John Marino performance, but Tatar did clean up the mess and frustrate our pesky opponent in the process.

His next contract with AFP is expected to be for one year and a little over $2.2 million. While that’s an increase from his contract this season, it’s about half of what he made per season in his previous stint with the Devils. His 2023-24 season wasn’t great, so perhaps returning to the organization where he had success will help Tatar make a comeback. Having another winger who is already familiar with most of his teammates will be a big advantage, but the question of whether he’ll make the Devils a tougher team to play against remains.

Another UFA forward on Seattle’s 2023-24 forward roster is Bellemare, whose NHL career appears to be coming to an end. Although Bellemare made his NHL debut late, he is already 38 years old, and as we all know, time never beats. Still, in limited playing time this season, Bellemare has performed well in his own box and faceoff circle.

I wouldn’t classify Bellemare as a “puck-scramble specialist,” but if the Devils felt they needed a defensively capable player, I could imagine them offering him a one-year deal that’s about the NHL minimum. At the same time, Bellemare might not fit the team the Devils are trying to build, or in this case, rebuild, I guess. If the Devils signed Bellemare, I’d probably say “oh, well,” and instead of expressing any positive or negative sentiment, it might just mean he wasn’t the right choice after all.

Vancouver Canucks: Teddy Blueger and Sam Rafferty

Teddy Blueger is a player that Devils fans may remember as he spent four and a half seasons in the system of the division rival Pittsburgh Penguins. While Blueger is an average sized NHL player, his defensive stats suggest that he does have more play than his size would suggest. He is also another player that does well in the faceoff circle, which is another asset that the Devils may want in him.

What I like most about Brugger is that statistically he is one of the top six power forwards in the league. While he has never played all 82 games in his career, he has put up 28 points in two of the past three seasons. Brugger is once again not afraid to get into the dirty zone and get physical when needed; he is not the most impactful player in the league, but he is willing to get involved when necessary.

According to AFP, Brugger is projected to receive a two-year, $250+ per season contract. I don’t know if he’d be willing to leave after this season in Vancouver, but I’d be happy if the Devils tried to pry him away at that price. To me, Brugger is the glue guy who does a lot of the little things well, and he’ll help more offensively than many of the other available options, with the exception of maybe Tatar. If I had to pick one player from today’s list to offer a contract, it would probably be Brugger.

Ironically, Sam Rafferty is also a former Penguin, though he played less time with the team than Brueger did. He’s been on the move a little more, but has grown into a more defensive forward over the past few seasons while also contributing some scoring. He’s another player I’m not sure I’d want to leave after this season in Vancouver, but at the same time, Vancouver probably won’t bring back the exact same team that it did this season.

AFP projects Lafferty’s season salary to be over $1.5 million less than Brueger while projecting him to receive a two-year contract. While Lafferty isn’t as consistent in his scrimmage as his (likely former) teammate, he has more size and definitely has the ability to hit the ball, especially last season. While Lafferty is a few inches shorter than Kurtis McDermid, he’s more in line with what I imagine Devils fans say they want more toughness in their bottom six. He’s not afraid to hit the ball or get physical, but he’s also not an offensive black hole. The Devils could use more players like Brueger and Lafferty instead of McDermid.

Final thoughts and your take

As Jared said yesterday, none of these players are guaranteed to sign with the Devils, but they may want to move on for a higher salary or a better role and/or a better team. Of course, nothing is guaranteed in the NHL, but the Devils can’t keep doing the status quo and think they’ll be a better team by doing nothing… or Doing something worse than doing nothingThe Devils will have multiple options to improve the team by next season, whether it’s graduating rookies, trading with other teams or signing these free agents; reshaping the forward group to make it tougher to play against could be the key to more success.

Well, that’s constant gatekeeping.

What do you think of today’s player selections; would you like to see any of them suit up in a Devils jersey next season? Are there any guys you’d like to avoid in particular? Do you think the Devils need more skill, grit, or both on both ends of the floor? What specific attributes would you like to see the Devils add via free agency? Please leave any comments below, and as always, thanks for reading!

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