Devils News & Notes: Glass, Rodrigues & More
Some quick notes on Cody Glass, Evan Rodrigues and more as the New Jersey Devils get set for free agency
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Happy NHL Free Agency, everyone. Or maybe not after yesterday's rash of re-signings that left the UFA market as lean as ever. We'll save most of the free agency talk for tomorrow and the following days, but if you missed it, I had a semi-lengthy preview of what the New Jersey Devils could do today.
Instead, we'll go over the Devils changing their stance on Cody Glass and offering him his qualifying offer of $2.5 million. Elliotte Friedman reported last week that the Devils were not planning on tendering Glass his QO, but it was smart for them to have a change of heart.
Plus, a couple of quick bullets on Evan Rodrigues and Philip Tomasino.
Devils Made the Right Decision on Glass
We know the Devils need help down the middle, but uh, let's say the market isn't exactly ripe with centers. Pius Suter is the top center heading into free agency today, but he doesn't come without his risks.
I don't see the Devils taking a run at Mikael Granlund, but maybe they'd have interest in Jack Roslovic or Christian Dvorak? Those are not awe-inspiring choices, so it makes sense that the Devils changed their stance on Glass.
Though Glass is far from perfect, he's a capable bottom-six center. He totaled seven points in 14 games with the Devils after they acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins, a 41-point pace over 82 games.
More importantly, Glass had terrific underlying numbers between the Penguins and Devils last season. He had a 53.9 expected goals percentage (xG%) with the Devils and was at 57.12 percent with the Penguins.
Glass is not the best skater, but he's excellent defensively and has some play-driving ability. He's also solid in the faceoff dot, finishing a tick above 51 percent last season.
It'll be interesting to see what the Devils' plan is at center right now. Could they run with Glass as their 3C to begin next season, then opt for someone like Nico Sturm and Lars Eller as insurance for the fourth line? It's possible.
Glass did finish with 14 goals and 35 points for the Nashville Predators in 2022-23, so he can produce at a third-line level, and his impacts over the last three seasons have been mostly solid:
I'm not sure how confident I'd be in running Glass as the third-line center next season, but his qualifying offer is $2.5 million. Chances are the Devils will have to pay him a bit more on an extension, so I could see him becoming the de facto third-line center and the Devils opting for someone like Sturm or Eller as the fourth pivot.
Is Rodrigues a New Trade Option?
I am interested to see what happens with Evan Rodrigues after the Florida Panthers re-signed Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad.
Per Elite Prospects' Cam Robinson:
"Of note: Evan Rodrigues is set to receive a $2.225 million signing bonus on July 1.
Expected teams will be much more open to trading for him after that is paid out, as Florida looks to massage their cap situation after this onslaught of extensions Rodrigues' affordable base salary and versatility could make him an appealing short-term addition for contenders."
Rodrigues has long been one of the more underrated middle-six forwards in the NHL. He finished with 15 goals and 32 points for the Panthers this season and is the type of forward the Devils were missing in the middle of their lineup.
Rodrigues is a well-rounded, high-volume shooting forward who forechecks and can add some physicality. He's efficient in transition and can create offense off the rush, something the Devils could use more of in their top nine.
I can't imagine it takes much to acquire Rodrigues if he's a cap dump. The Devils have all of their picks in the 2026 and 2027 drafts, and it shouldn't take much more than something like a fourth or fifth-rounder to acquire him.
Tomasino Could Be an Interesting UFA Target
Among the surprise non-tenders yesterday was Penguins winger Philip Tomasino. He played well for the Penguins, finishing with 11 goals and 23 points in 50 games — an 18-goal, 38-point pace over 82 games.
I'm a bit surprised the Penguins didn't qualify him, but general manager Kyle Dubas said the team remains in extension talks with Tomasino. We'll see if the two sides can reach an agreement, but he'd be a good fit for the Devils if he makes it to the open market.
Tomasino is just 23 and would inject some youth into the middle of the Devils' lineup. He averaged 1.52 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five this season and had decent underlying metrics:
It should not cost much to sign Tomasino if he can't reach an extension with the Penguins. Evolving Hockey has him at two years and a cap hit of $2.643 million, and it'd probably even be a bit less than that since he'd be a non-tendered RFA becoming a UFA.
The Devils could use a 23-year-old capable of 15-20 goals and 35-40 points, so he'll be a name to keep an eye on if the Penguins don't re-sign him.
I'd tell you to buckle up, but I honestly have no idea what will happen with the Devils today, tomorrow and the rest of the offseason. Frank Seravalli reported there's been progress on extending Jake Allen, so we'll see if they can close the deal. Just hang in there because it does feel like a complete roster may take a while to come together.
Advanced stats from Advanced Hockey Stats & Natural Stat Trick