Devils Daily: The One the Day After Free Agent Frenzy

Newark, NJ – Welcome to the day after the free agent frenzy. We got some answers yesterday, however, there are still things New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald needs to address.

What we do know is that New Jersey brought back two-thirds of their unqualified NHL-restricted free agents. Jesper Boqvist’s future will be elsewhere. The Devils also traded for a veteran defenseman that will seemingly serve as the stop-gap in the case Simon Nemec needs more time to marinate.

What we don’t know is what the Devils have in store for their goaltending situation next season.

There were a few other minor transactions yesterday as well. New Jersey signed forwards Kyle Criscuolo & Justin Dowling to two-way contracts.

Criscuolo, a Southhampton, New Jersey native, spent last season in the American Hockey League with the San Jose Barracudas. He played in one NHL game with the San Jose Sharks. For the majority of his career, he’s spent his time in the AHL and is likely to remain there with the Utica Comets on his one-year contract.

Dowling got an extra year by signing on for two years. The 32-year-old forward played 56 for the Abbotsford Canucks scoring 11 goals and 46 points at the AHL level.

The Devils also added a depth goaltender in Erik Källgren, signing the Swede to a one-year, two-way contract. Källgren spent part of the last two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs accruing an 11-6-5 record. Last season, he tended Toronto’s net and earned a 2.67 GAA and .898 save% in 10 games. He posted a 3-2-4 record. Källgren will work in Nico Daws’ absence while he recovers from hip-labrum surgery.

More news where that came from in New Jersey and around the NHL.

Let’s dive in.

New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Hockey Now: The Devils acquired defenseman Colin Miller from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2025 5th-round draft pick. Miller was part of the expansion Vegas Golden Knights and helped lead the team to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018.

New Jersey re-signed Michael McLeod to a one-year, $1.4 million contract. The homegrown center is banking on himself in 2023-24 to earn a long-term contract with the Devils next summer.

The Devils also re-signed Nathan Bastian to a two-year, $2.7 million contract.

National Hockey Now

Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: A former Devil has moved on to Pittsburgh as Ryan Graves inks a six-year, $27 million contract with the Penguins.

Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Hockey Now: Speaking of former Devils and six-year contracts, Miles Wood inks one of his own and is now a member of the Avalanche. Wood’s new deal carries a $2.5 million average annual value.

Boston Bruins

Boston Hockey Now: Who doesn’t love a reunion? We do. Milan Lucic returns to the Bruins in free agency signing a one-year, $1 million contract laden with bonuses.

Florida Panthers

Florida Hockey Now: The Panthers needed cap space and thanks to Anthony Duclair, they got some. GM Barry Zito shipped Duclair off to San Jose in exchange for Steven Lorentz and their own 2025 fifth-round pick.

San Jose Sharks

San Jose Hockey Now: From the Sharks’ perspective, they added some much-needed goal-scoring help by acquiring Duclair.

New York Islanders

NYI Hockey Now: The Islanders dropped four re-signings all at once. Elite goaltender Ilya Sorokin was extended for eight seasons whereas Scott Mayfield and Pierre Engvall signed on for seven, and Semyon Varlamov for four.

Nashville Predators

Nashville Hockey Now: Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Schenn sign up for Barry Trotz’s new culture in Nashville, inking four and three-year deals respectively.

Buffalo Sabres

Buffalo Hockey Now: The Sabres bolster their blueline by signing Erik Johnson and Connor Clifton.

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