After a meh start to his pro career BASTIAN has started looking bettter as well from 2016.
Bastian has the potential to be a very good, bottom-6 power RW. Joey Anderson has even higher upside as a mid-6 RW comparable to prime-era Ryan Callahan. And Kyle Palmieri should be an impact top-6 RW for the Devils for several seasons to come. It would be nice to use this offseason to get one more top-6 RW to join them.
As I've mentioned before, word out of Toronto is that, after signing RFA Mitch Marner, there might not be enough left under the cap for RFA Kasperi Kapanen. He would be a great fit in NJ, and the Leafs might send him to the Devils cheap if the Devils were also willing to take on the final year of Nathan Horton's dead contract.
Another name I'm going to mention a ton this off-season is Jason Zucker. He is extremely underrated, I would say one of the most underrated Fs in the NHL. He can play either wing with two-way acumen, but he is blazingly fast and plays with an enormous compete level. His skill is very good, and he could be a perfect fit for the Devils current system. As Minnesota GM Paul Fenton routinely gets fleeced in trades and was rumored to be shopping Zucker at the deadline, it would not shock me if Zucker could be creatively acquired without giving up a top-5 Devils prospect or top-2 round pick.
So let's just say the Devils can land one of these two terrific young wingers. What would the top 3 lines look like?
Hall-Hischier-Palmieri
Bratt-Zacha-Zucker/Kapanen
Wood-Zajac-Coleman
The 4th line would certainly be some combo of McLeod, Anderson, Bastian, Agostino, Quenneville, Boqvist, Studenic, Sharangovich etc to be determined in training camp.
This would be a slight improvement over opening day 2018, but not a huge one. A huge improvement would be upgrading from Zacha at 2nd line center, then moving Zacha down to 4C, where he would be outstanding and still be a huge part of the Devils PK unit.
Who would fit the Devils needs for a 2C? We all know how difficult they are to trade for. Well, what about the UFA market?
The name which immediately jumps out is Matt Duchene, but knowing his history he will likely ask for a max contract north of $8 million per, something I would give Taylor Hall but not Duchene. But I would look to the second best center on the market, one who still owns a home nearby -- Kevin Hayes.
Though Hayes does not have the speed the Devils' brass covets, he is basically the type of player the Devils hope Zacha blossoms into right now. I would guess a 5-year deal in the $6 million range would get him, and he's still only 27. I'm not saying he would sign with NJ (especially if his hometown Bruins empty the coffers), but it's worth a shot. Because what would my 2019-20 Devils lines look like now?
Hall-Hischier-Palmieri
Bratt-Hayes-Zucker/Kapanen
Wood-Zajac-Coleman
Agostino-Zacha-Anderson
I'm pretty sure that's a playoff caliber set of lines right there. Plus, the Devils would still have a ton of cap space left to add an impact D.
Someone tell Shero that I have two jobs, but could still find time to moonlight for him.