Could Devils Enter the Offer-Sheet Hype This Summer? 3 Potential Candidates

A recent report suggests that this upcoming offseason could be the summer in which we see a boom in offer sheets. There’s reason to believe the New Jersey Devils will dip their feet in the pool of restricted free agents with a decent crop of players who will be available this summer.

The Devils’ clearest need at this point is help in the forward group. The blueline is solidified and there’s even more in the pipeline. The goaltending is solid, too. Even if it’s short-term with a few anticipated, yet question mark netminders in the pipeline.

This summer could look a bit different for the Devils. They have one major restricted free agent to take of themselves in Luke Hughes. Cody Glass is another player the Devils will have to decide on whether he has a future in New Jersey.

Still, the forward group will need a jolt.

There could be some answers in the unrestricted free agent market. Brock Boeser could be there, as could Nikloaj Ehlers. Heck, even Brad Marchand could be available. But, those players are going to have a long line at the door.

The RFA crop might have a shorter line, with only so many teams able to afford the cost in compensation for acquiring an RFA.

In an interview with The Athletic, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald gave reason to believe he could be interested in this (somewhat) new open door of opportunity.

“It was smart and probably an eye-opener,” Fitzgerald admitted to The Athletic.

“You’re betting on the upside and future with restricted free agents versus you’re betting on the past with unrestricted free agents.”

So, who could the Devils poach?

Offer Sheet Compensation

First, it’s important to understand what the Devils give up if they convert on an extended offer-sheet.

Data via Puckpedia.

Fabian Zetterlund

Who wouldn’t want to see the return of Fabian Zetterlund?

I mean, to have him on the same roster as Timo Meier, who Zetterlund was moved to acquire, would be pretty sweet.

But, this isn’t just about the nostalgia. Zetterlund could work well in the Devils’ top-six as a complimentary scorer. He fared well in the fast-paced, albeit, structure-scarce San Jose Sharks system. And recently, he’s skating on the top line for the Ottawa Senators with Tim Stutle and Claude Giroux.

Here’s the catch, Zetterlund has yet to pot a goal with the Senators in 12 games. In fact, he has just one point.

However, the ex-Devils forward potted 24 goals last season with the Sharks and was/is on his way to another 20-goal season.

Perhaps he’s just not the right fit with the Senators, but he fits in nicely on the Devils and could round out one of the Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier lines.

Zetterlund is projected to sign a contract this summer that pays him around $3.82M for the next two seasons. Even if the Devils round that number up to an even $4 million, it would only cost them a 2026 second-round pick.

That would certainly be worth their while.

Kaapo Kakko

If I didn’t already lose you, stick with me here.

Obviously, it would make for a fantastic storyline to see the Devils acquire the player who they passed over to take Jack Hughes in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. It would be even more fun to see Kaapo Kakko thrive on the Devils after he was a failed New York Rangers experiment.

However, there’s real value here.

Once the Rangers traded Kakko to the Seattle Kraken, his talents began to surface. He’s a big-bodied winger with the ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and his linemates.

Whereas he didn’t get as much opportunity to crack the Blueshirts top-six, he’s getting it with the Kraken. In 30 games with the Rangers, largely in a bottom-six role, he potted four goals and 14 points. Yet, with the Kraken, he’s netted 10 goals and 27 points in 43 games.

With the Kraken, it’s a 19-goal, 51-point pace in an 82-game span on a team that severely lacks elite offensive talent.

Now, imagine what he could do in New Jersey with some top talent in Hughes, Hischier, and Jesper Bratt.

Similar to Zetterlund, Kakko is projected to earn about a $3.79 million AAV over a two-year contract. Sweeping up the 24-year-old forward for a mere draft pick would be a tidy bit of business by the Devils GM.

Gabriel Vilardi

If the Devils want to take a big swing, they could go after the top RFA on the market. It’s going to cost them a pretty penny. But the juice is worth the squeeze.

Gabriel Vilardi is projected to earn a raise this summer. His AAV could come in around $6.57 million over four years. That would cost them a first round pick in 2026. Anything slightly higher could cost New Jersey the first, plus a second and third round pick in 2026 as well.

Would it be worth it?

Well, Vilardi is certainly offensively inclined. He’s potted 27 goals and 61 points through 71 games in a breakout season with the Winnipeg Jets.

Does he have any loyalties to Winnipeg? The history suggests players typically want out of the coldest city in the NHL. Plus, he was traded there by the Los Angeles Kings in the Pierre-Luc Dubois deal.

Perhaps, he can be plucked out of Canada.

Vilardi would certainly strengthen the top-six, not as a complimentary player, but as a legitimate 30-goal scoring threat.

Even at the cost of three draft picks, the soon 26-year-old would fit in the Devils’ top-six for the entirety of their opening window to compete for a championship.

All Contract Projections Courtesy of AFP Analytics.

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