On Wednesday it was announced that New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald chose Sheldon Keefe as the team’s next head coach. Keefe’s hiring was the first item on Fitzgerald’s off-season to-do list, but several remain. Keefe, the former head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, will now get to work assembling a coaching staff and installing a system of play designed to return the Devils to prominence.
Veteran players are usually brought in by new coaches to help players get used to learning a new style of play. It might help players adjust to a new system more quickly if they are familiar with the way the coach wants the squad to train and perform. Although the Devils cannot find a solution to their goaltending dilemma by going to the Maple Leafs, they could take care of other requirements by bringing in seasoned defenseman and supplementary forwards. Six Toronto players are set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1st; here is a look at four of them who might fit both conceptually and monetarily into the Devils’ plans. (AFP Analytics salary forecasts)
Max Domi – Forward – Projection: 2 years x $3.575 million
Throughout his career, Max Domi has been a polarizing player. He has never fully lived up to the hype that led the In 2013, he was chosen with the 12th overall pick by the Phoenix Coyotes. He has already established himself as a hard-working middle-six player who can play both at center and on the wing after nine seasons in the NHL.
He is similar to a younger Erik Haula in that he was a valuable player on winning teams that switched teams a lot. Domi has been saving his finest plays for the second part of the season and the postseason, when his playing time has steadily increased. Domi was pushed up in the lineup and responded with four points in seven games during their first-round series against the Boston Bruins due to the absence of Auston Matthews and William Nylander at various points.
He would add grit and secondary offense to the Devils and solidify a third line with Ondrej Palat and Haula that might rival any in the NHL in quality. Given that he has struggled with consistency throughout his career, Domi does carry some risk. However, when asked to center the third line in Toronto, he appeared to find a role.
Despite only being on the ice for three goals against, Domi played the second-most minutes at 5v5 during the playoffs of any forward. When he was in the game, the goalies for the Maple Leafs had a save percentage (SV%) of.944. A versatile player who can provide some snarl to the second power play unit, Domi would be a good addition to the Devils’ middle six if they can sign him for the projected price and duration.
Tyler Bertuzzi – Forward – Projection: 4 years x $5.2 million
Like Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi was brought to Toronto to add some toughness and secondary scoring. Bertuzzi is a middle-six winger who can be counted on for 20-30 goals per season and almost 90 hits. He plays big on the walls and around the crease. He can be an agitator, which is something the Devils are in desperate need of acquiring. The biggest concern about Bertuzzi would be the cost.
His success and ice time rose quickly as the season went on. He secured a position in Toronto, where he sets the standard in challenging situations, much like Timo Meier does when he’s well. Bertuzzi is competent as a net-front presence at even strength and on the power play, but he lacks Meier’s play-driver ability.
He played the most minutes at 5v5 of any Toronto forward in the playoffs this season, and the Maple Leafs outscored Boston 6-3 when he was on the ice, shooting.946 SV%. Keefe’s advice will largely determine whether the Devils make a run at Bertuzzi and try to spend that kind of money on a player who could play with Jack Hughes.
Joel Edmundson – Defenseman – Projection: 2 years x $1.6 million
Joel Edmundson, at 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, is the quintessential size of a modern defensive defenseman. At 30, he has a ton of experience, and from his stint with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, he has a Stanley Cup to his name. He will probably have the option to sign a free agent contract and continue playing for his old coach, Craig Berube, or to go to a team that is looking for stability and experience, like New Jersey. After being acquired from the Washington Capitals on deadline day, he didn’t get any playing time under Keefe.
Edmundson is neither flashy nor an offensive threat, but he plays heavy, leverages his size, and can be utilized on both on the power play and in a shutdown defense pairing. His history of injuries is undoubtedly a cause for concern, but given his price, New Jersey might find it worthwhile to take the chance in order to gain his leadership and expertise in the room.
Moreover, he recorded the third-most ice time at 5v5 while playing all seven games versus the Bruins. Throughout his career, he has averaged 152 hits and 127 blocks per 82 games. A left-shot defenseman, he might take over for Kevin Bahl in the event that the Devils decide to move on from Jonas Siegenthaler or Bahl and want a more seasoned player in the mix.
Ilya Lyubushkin – Defenseman – Projection: 2 years x $1.469 million
Another big, physical defenseman acquired by the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline, Ilya Lybushkin, would bring his experience as a right-handed counterpart to Edmundson. Lyubushkin is not the skater that Edmundson is, but he is a lockdown defenseman who utilizes his size and physicality to counter other teams’ top six. He is an excellent shot blocker and lane clogger asset on the penalty kill.
Lyubushkin would bring the snarl to the right side of the defense, which is currently lacking. He would also be an option to form a shutdown pair should the Devils move on from either John Marino (possible) or Simon Nemec (very, very, very unlikely) at a very reasonable price.
Lyubushkin plays 82 games with 200 hits and 132 blocks on average. In just 74 games this season, he recorded 57 blocked shots as a penalty killer. As the trade deadline drew near, he was connected to the Devils and might fit in as Fitzgerald reorganizes his defense.
Keefe’s hiring will undoubtedly alter New Jersey’s starting lineup. Due to their success with Keefe, these four players would choose to go to New Jersey to play with him. With players like Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf perhaps fitting into Keefe’s system, Toronto might also be a trade target.
