The New Jersey Devils are in an enviable position, with a young talented core and significant cap space available to build around it, but windows to win don’t stay open for very long in the NHL so the franchise’s front office is under a unique kind. of pressure.
Video Transcript
NICK ASHBOURNE: This is not necessarily pressure in terms of somebody’s going to get fired, but more so pressure to get this right while the opportunity is perfect. And that’s the New Jersey Devils. This is the team that’s got an incredible core, and it’s got decent cap space. But now you’ve got to get the Timo Meier contract right, because that’s a player that’s going to be very easy to overpay. You let Severson go, which is probably the right decision. But then you’ve got to do something on defense. Graves could potentially be going as well. And the goaltending situation is in a bit of a mess, a bit in flux.
And so in theory, you’ve got this team that’s young. And a lot of the best players are tied down. And the course should be set. But some of the things around the edges aren’t quite right just yet. And if they don’t do it right, you know, I think we’ve seen it with teams before. There are teams where we say, oh, these guys are young. They’re going to win.
You don’t need to bring everything back to the Leafs. But the Leafs are a classic example, where it’s like these guys are young. They’ve got forever to win. And it’s going to be fine. Sometimes, your best shot can come earlier than you think it will. And that may be the case of the Devils.
And this is an offseason where they’ve got all the levers to pull and the opportunity to set themselves up. But they do have to do that right. Because there’s a way where this goes a little bit sideways, and they end up squandering a good opportunity for themselves.
JULIAN MCKENZIE: I like the pick.
Omar: That trade shocked me.
JULIAN MCKENZIE: Yeah, because–
Omar: They have a lot of RFAs. And they have like four UFAs. I didn’t know it was that I guess, empty, for a lack of better words.
JULIAN MCKENZIE: Timo Meier, they’re trying to– it looks like they could sign him. But Timo Meier is among those RFAs.
Omar: Hmm.
JULIAN MCKENZIE: Remember Timo Meier? Remember the Timo Meier sweepstakes?
AVRY LEWIS-MCDOUGALL: Yes.
Omar: Yes.
JULIAN MCKENZIE: And then he didn’t really do all that much in the playoffs.
Omar: No. And is his qualifying offer still 10?
JULIAN MCKENZIE: I think it’s still an insane amount of money.
Omar: Ouch.
JULIAN MCKENZIE: It might be 10.