The New Jersey Devils are expected to make changes this summer, as the team assembled this past season was unable to achieve its goals.
In the spirit of this time of year, when headlines are overrun with speculation and rumors, The Hockey News put together three players who may not be on any trade target boards but are worth keeping an eye on as the NHL Draft inches closer.
Alex Tuch
At 29 years old, Alex Tuch will enter the final season of his seven-year contract, earning $4.75 million with the Buffalo Sabres. He is eligible to sign an extension with the Sabres on July 1.
The Syracuse, New York, native appeared in all 82 games in 2024-25 and collected 67 points, matching a career-high 36 goals. On a recent episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman shared that the Sabres will be active this summer because their core players, which would include Tuch, want to win.
"I love it here in Buffalo," Tuch said during exit interviews. "I really enjoyed my time here, and I would like to win here in Buffalo."
The Sabres don't want to see one of their best players walk in free agency and could be forced to trade Tuch if the two sides can't agree on an extension.
Mason Marchment
It has been reported by multiple outlets that the Dallas Stars will shake up their roster after being eliminated in the Western Conference Final.
Jason Robertson is drawing the most attention, but another name to keep in mind is 29-year-old Mason Marchment. Similar to Tuch, he will enter the final season of his contract, earning $4.5 million with the Stars.
At 6-foot-5, 212 pounds, he has the size that every team is searching for and has comfortably played a top-six role. As previously written, he plays with that edge and sandpaper that many teams desire and is known for going into the dirty areas of the ice and being heavy on the forecheck. Marchment scored 22 goals in his last two seasons and finished the 2024-25 campaign with 47 points in 62 games.
The Sheet's host, Jeff Marek, stated that it will be a "really wild offseason for Dallas." Everything is still fresh for the Stars, who conducted their exit interviews on May 31. Time will tell what direction the organization will take and which players could be moved.
Ross Colton
The Hockey News reached out to Meghan Angley of Guerilla Sports to get her professional opinion on whether any depth forwards could be on their way out of Denver, as PuckPedia reports that the Colorado Avalanche have the lowest cap space in the league at $1.2 million. One name she presented was Ross Colton.
The 28-year-old New Jersey native will begin the third season of his contract and is set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2027. Colton has a cap hit of $4 million.
The Devils need to revamp their forward group, and Colton is an option to bolster the middle six. This past season, the 6′0″ forward collected 29 points in 61 games. He earned a career-high 40 points in the 2023-24 campaign.
Recent history suggests that when Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald makes a trade, it is either a move that everyone is aware of, as seen with Jacob Markstrom and Timo Meier, or it flies under the radar, as with Cody Glass and Paul Cotter.
If he wants to improve his roster, a trade or two will need to happen. Sometimes, it doesn't take the flashiest name to make an impact - just the right player in the right system.
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