Devils News & Notes: Glass Re-Signs, Bordeleau & More
Notes on Cody Glass' extension, the New Jersey Devils acquiring Thomas Bordeleau, and more heading into the 4th of July weekend.
Follow us on Twitter: @AlexC_NJD, @NJD_OnTheRush
Follow me on Bluesky
It's been a busy week for the New Jersey Devils heading into the 4th of July weekend. They signed Evgeny Dadonov and Connor Brown in free agency, re-signed Jake Allen and Cody Glass, and acquired Thomas Bordeleau in an interesting minor-league trade with the San Jose Sharks.
With that, general manager Tom Fitzgerald held his traditional free agency media availability. There wasn't anything too earth-shattering from Fitzgerald, but his comments on Hughes did become a topic of conversation on social media. Plus, some thoughts on Glass extending and the Bordeleau trade.
Fitzgerald & His Comments on Luke Hughes
Fitzgerald's quote about Hughes got plenty of attention on social media yesterday, and understandably so. He's a restricted free agent and due for a big pay raise, but that's not necessarily why the quote caught fire.
Fitzgerald mentioned that with free agency having opened and after signing Dadonov and Brown and re-signing Allen, his No. 1 priority moves to getting Hughes signed to an extension.
I don't doubt that, but some fans, at least to me, took it a bit too literally and interpreted it as the Devils are done for the offseason once Hughes signs his extension. Maybe thatāll be the case, but I'd be surprised if it were.
Clearly, they're still looking to get things accomplished, and Fitzgerald's Hughes quote was probably partly GM talk. Hughes is obviously an important part of the Devils' future, so I'm sure he's the No. 1 priority, but to take that quote at face value and think they'll sign Hughes and call it a day for the summer seems like a stretch.
Maybe I'm naive, but the Devils' salary cap situation alone indicates they will have to make a move to extend Hughes. After signing Glass, the Devils have around $6.2 million in cap space.
However, it's probably around $7 million if you remove Calen Addison and Nico Daws from the roster and add Arseniy Gritsyuk. Either way, it's unlikely Hughes signs for less than $7 million annually, so money will have to move out of necessity.
I'm not rehashing the trade OndÅej PalĆ”t for cap space talk because we've done that enough this offseason, but you have to think he gets dealt at some point.
So, yes, Hughes may be the No. 1 priority, but heās probably not the only priority. The Devils still have some clear needs up front, and I imagine Fitzgerald fills out at least one of those holes before training camp.
Glass Signs 2-Year Deal
It wasn't without some drama leading into free agency, but the Devils and Glass ultimately agreed on a two-year pact worth $2.5 million annually. He essentially signed for his qualifying offer but got an extra year with the extension.
"I wanted to stay (in New Jersey) the whole time," Glass told Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News and other reporters. "I am glad it got done."
Glass played well in his brief time with the Devils after the trade deadline, producing at a 40-point pace while posting some impressive defensive impacts. He may not have a ton of offensive upside, but the team's center depth would have been dire if the Devils didn't QO Glass and let him walk to free agency.
Is $2.5 million a bit pricey for Glass? It probably is if he's the fourth-line center, but the Devils didn't have much of a choice with how the center market has played out this summer.
Pius Suter went for cheaper than I thought he would, but there were not many other desirable center targets this summer. If the Devils let Glass walk, their center depth today would be Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes and...Juho Lammikko?
Maybe you throw Dawson Mercer into the mix, depending on what you view him as, but that's not a great situation to be in and would have left Fitzgerald looking for third and fourth-line centers for the rest of the offseason. Instead, they locked up a reliable bottom-six forward and have one less thing to worry about.
Bordeleau Worth a Gamble
It's a minor trade in the grand scheme of things, but Bordeleau is a worthwhile gamble for the Devils. A second-round pick of the Sharks in the 2020 draft, he's had some success at the pro level.
After two productive seasons with the Michigan Wolverines, Bordeleau turned pro in 2022 and got a cup of coffee in the NHL and AHL with the Sharks and San Jose Barracuda.
He had a productive 2022-23 in the AHL, totaling 22 goals and 41 points in 65 games, then 25 points in 35 games with the Barracuda in 2023-24. He appeared in 27 games with the Sharks in 2023-24, totaling six goals and 11 points, an 18-goal, 33-point pace over 82 games.
Bordeleau's production dropped this season with the Barracuda, but he still totaled 14 goals and 38 points in 59 games. At the very least, he'll probably be a first-line center for the Utica Comets, but he might still have some upside.
Bordeleau showed some promise with the Sharks just a year ago, and he's still 23. He might not become an NHL regular for the Devils, but they only gave up Shane Bowers to acquire him, and it doesn't hurt that he spent a season with Luke Hughes at Michigan. It's a low-risk gamble that has almost no downside and some potential upside.
For those celebrating this weekend, have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!