After a quick playoff exit this spring, the New Jersey Devils elected not to re-sign some of their players with expired contracts. As a result, players like Brian Dumoulin (Los Angeles Kings), Curtis Lazar (Edmonton Oilers), and Justin Dowling (New York Rangers) have found new homes since July 1.
However, there are two former Devils from last season's roster who are still UFAs and looking for their new homes: forwards Nathan Bastian and Daniel Sprong.
Teams looking for more size and physicality in their bottom six could consider taking a shot on Bastian with a cheap, short-term deal. In 59 games this past season with the Devils, the 6-foot-4 winger posted four goals, six assists, 138 hits, and a minus-4 rating. In 264 games over six seasons and two stints with the Devils, he posted 32 goals, 66 points, and 734 hits.
Sprong, on the other hand, could get a chance from a team that is looking for more secondary offensive production. While he had just seven points in 30 games this season split between the Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Kraken, and Devils, he also posted at least 43 points in his two previous seasons. Thus, there could be a team out there willing to take a chance on Sprong if they think that he can rebound.
It will be interesting to see where Bastian and Sprong end up landing this off-season from here. Teams are always looking to improve their forward depth, so it would not be too surprising if they ended up landing professional tryout (PTO) agreements at least.
NHL Rumors: Devils Star Coming Up In Trade Talks
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils">New Jersey Devils</a> have been busy this off-season. This was expected, as Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald confirmed that the Metropolitan Division club would be sporting a different roster for next season.
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