Devils Have Cap & Roster Flexibility to Take Big Swing
Sunny Mehta has given the New Jersey Devils the cap and roster flexibility to swing for the fences when the time comes.
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I don’t want to look too far ahead, but the New Jersey Devils are in a great spot.
No, this isn’t mainly about the new players general manager Sunny Mehta has added this offseason. That’s part of it, but it’s more about having newfound cap and roster flexibility.
After trading Jacob Markström and Šimon Nemec, the Devils have a lot of salary cap space available. They have $3.85 million free now, and more could become available since they have a surplus of forwards.
Whether it’s before the start of next season, at the 2027 trade deadline, or next offseason, the Devils are well-positioned to swing for the fences when the opportunity arises.
Devils’ Cap Sheet Is Clean
The Markström and Nemec trades are the focal points of the Devils’ newfound cap flexibility. Had the Devils kept Markström and re-signed Nemec, that would have been nearly an additional $14 million on their cap sheet.
Of course, they would have had to trade someone on their blue line to keep Nemec. But by moving both players, the Devils cleared a couple of pricey contracts off their books.
Maxim Tysplakov was also part of the Nemec trade. He’s entering the final year of his contract, so there was no commitment beyond 2026-27, but that freed up another $2.25 million in cap space for next season.
Instead of having $32 million in projected cap space next offseason, the Devils would have around $18-19 million if they retained Nemec and Markström.
That’s all important to note because the Devils have plenty of contracts coming off the books next summer. Among their pending UFAs are:
Evan Rodrigues
Jesper Boqvist
Stefan Noesen
Cody Glass
Nick Bjugstad
Brenden Dillon
Declan Chisholm
David Rittich
Dawson Mercer will also be an RFA with arbitration rights. Mehta could re-sign some of these players, especially ones he’s brought in, like Rodrigues and Chisholm, but there’s no rush to sign anyone at this time.
It’s also safe to assume that not all of these players will be back, even if the Devils have a strong 2026-27 season. Mehta will lean into the data and make the decisions he sees best.
Still, the point is that there’s plenty of cap flexibility by not keeping Markström and Nemec around.
Mehta also hasn’t tied down the Devils with any poor contracts this offseason. Anthony Mantha signed a two-year deal at an AAV of just $4.75 million.
That won’t handcuff Mehta if he’s trying to make more moves, and neither will Rodrigues, Chisholm, and Boqvist since they’re entering the final year of their contracts.
Devils Have the Flexibility to Take a Big Swing
The cap flexibility is there to take a big swing, and there will be players that will interest Mehta and the Devils.
Obviously, all eyes are on Quinn Hughes right now. This story won’t go away until Hughes signs with the Minnesota Wild or tells them he’s not signing long-term.
Former general manager Tom Fitzgerald fumbled the bag the first time Hughes became available, but Mehta has the Devils positioned to make a move should the opportunity arise.
Hughes isn’t the only player who the Devils will have interest in, though. I’d bet on Jason Robertson eventually signing long-term with the Dallas Stars, but he will be a UFA next summer after signing a one-year extension last week. Mehta will surely be keeping an eye on that situation over the next 11 months.
Alex DeBrincat will also be an unrestricted free agent next summer. The Red Wings are currently searching for a new GM, so anything with them is on hold, including a Dylan Larkin trade.
Before next offseason, there’s the 2027 trade deadline. At this time, the Devils project to have $17.7 million in deadline cap space.
That’s a lot of money to work with if the Devils are in a position to buy in January and February. As constructed, this team should be in a position to buy.
There’s also plenty of flexibility to make a move even before the 2026-27 season begins. Larkin has yet to expand his trade list, but if he does and it includes the Devils, he seems like someone Mehta would be interested in.
If Hughes and Larkin aren’t options, it wouldn’t shock me if Mehta is seeking another top-nine forward. That they targeted Barrett Hayton suggests to me it could be a center.
Shane Wright is entering the final year of his ELC, meaning the Devils can fit him in easily for next season, but he could be someone they pivot to after they missed out on Hayton. They have the roster flexibility to do so.
The assets are there to make some splashes, too. The Devils have four first-round picks across the next two drafts, and their farm system has improved a bit after the 2026 draft.
Mehta also has some tradeable assets on the Devils’ roster, such as Mercer. That’s in addition to the cap space the organization has opened up this offseason.
There’s no need to force a move for the sake of making a move, but everything is there to take a big swing, whether that’s now, at the 2027 trade deadline, or next offseason. That flexibility will prove to be valuable when the time comes.
Quinn Hughes eh? [smirk face]