Ray Shero finds himself in an enviable position, as the general manager of the Devils has created a relatively blank slate to continue his rebuilding process.
Enter his hot pursuit of the top free agent on the market, righty defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who might have priced himself out for teams with better chances to win this season, but is still in line to get his money. That would be a seven-year deal worth about $7 million per season.
That is too rich for the Rangers, who Shattenkirk grew up rooting for as a kid in New Rochelle. But it might not be too rich for Shero, who needs a top-pair defenseman for his young squad. Though the term might not be exactly what Shero wants, making it look a little bit better is the fact Shattenkirk is only 28 years old.
The offense-minded blueliner was the big trade piece at this past deadline, going from the Blues to the Capitals, where he didn’t exactly drop jaws en route to Washington fizzling out in the second round. Before that, he reportedly turned down a deal to go to the Lightning that would have included a seven-year, $42 million extension. So that’s where he thinks his market basement begins.
After five straight seasons without a playoff appearance, however, Shero understands there are many holes to fill and Shattenkirk hardly would be a savior. There was optimism this past weekend when Shero took Nico Hischier with the No. 1-overall selection in the NHL draft, and he also enters free agency with approximately $23 million in cap space.
As Taylor Hall settles into his second year in New Jersey, there are many jobs open up front around him — and the role of his center is certainly a coveted position in which no one on the current roster thrived last season. Yet Shero doesn’t want to clog up his roster and take too much playing time away from youngsters such as Pavel Zacha or Joe Blandisi, who took a big step backwards last year after such a promising start to his career.
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Shero also seemed to find no worthy suitors for Ilya Kovalchuk, whose rights he holds until July 1, 2018. After not getting a deal done before free agency opened, the 34-year-old is reportedly in talks with his KHL club on a contract extension. This way, he can represent his country in the 2018 Olympics in South Korea (where no NHL players will play), and if he wants to come back to the NHL next season, he can do so as an unrestricted free agent.
So as the Devils try to regroup and continue their rebuild, they are looking at a lot of options — and that includes the top prize on the market.
Targets
Kevin Shattenkirk: The 28-year-old righty defenseman from New Rochelle is going to get his money as the biggest name on the free-agent market, and the Devils might be willing to eat up some of their cap space for the next seven years to get a bonafide first-pair blueliner.
Nick Bonino: The 29-year-old center grew into his own with the Penguins the past two seasons, winning two Stanley Cups. He might be asking for between $4 million and $5 million per over two or three years, but the Devils have the space if they believe his two-way game can work.
Thomas Vanek: A relatively low-risk situation for a natural goal scorer who managed just 17 goals in 68 games between the Red Wings and Panthers this past season. At 33, he would demand a short-term deal at a relatively low price.