The team and supporters of the New Jersey Devils are ecstatic that Lindy Ruff recently announced the addition of yet another outstanding player who goes by the name…
It’s normal to be thinking about the next season now that the NHL offseason is in its slower phase. The players want to prove that they have a future in this organization, or perhaps another, just as much as we are interested in the New Jersey Devils and how they will build on an incredible 2022–23 season. Some might be veterans trying to get back into the NHL. Some might be former minor league players trying to prove they can still provide depth to a team. Additionally, there are players who are just starting their professional careers and whose entry-level contracts are about to expire. Some will have to pack a bag to play overseas or somewhere else to support their career, while others will be lucky enough to avoid having to do so. For the next three Friday posts, I want to concentrate on those players.
The New Jersey organization has eight players whose entry-level contracts expire after the current season. You are familiar with Dawson Mercer and Akira Schmid. These players are important enough to merit their own posts, delving deeper into their past accomplishments and potential outcomes based on the upcoming season. The other six are the topic of this post. For the most part, they have been with the Utica Comets. They want to prove to New Jersey that they are deserving of at least another contract, in addition to perhaps earning a chance to appear in the show someday. Let’s examine the circumstances surrounding the six Utica players whose ELCs expire after the 2019–20 season.
The Three Who Tried NHL Ice
Goalie Nico Daws, 22, will make $775,000 (NHL) and $80,000 (AHL) in 2023–24.
The goalie Nico Daws is the most seasoned player of these six. He joined the Devils organization for 2021–2022 after moving over from the German DEL’s ERC Ingolstadt in 2020–21. Daws was called up and played in 25 games as a result of numerous injuries and subpar crease performances. Of all the players who played in at least one NHL game that season, his 89.3% save percentage placed him 79th in the league. And second on the Devils, missing out on Jonathan Bernier’s ten games but just beating Mackenzie Blackwood. In 2021–22, the goaltending was a complete disaster, and the awful team in front of them did nothing to improve it. It wasn’t always easy for Daws to adjust to hockey in North America. Nevertheless, Daws had some excellent moments and recorded a 91% save percentage in 5-on-5 play (special teams detested Daws). Daws would perform better in the AHL, where he finished with a 91.6% save percentage in 21 games and four postseason appearances. However, those went badly. Daws appeared to be at least a contender to be the third goalie in the system, though.
An NHL power outage rendered a Stanley Cup finals game gloomy and unclear, which the league essentially erased.
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However, that was not the case in the previous season. It was Akira Schmid who was called up when Blackwood was injured in Edmonton. When it looked like Vitek Vanecek might be injured, Daws would receive a few emergency loans up to New Jersey. He refused to play, though. Schmid was one. With a 92.4% 5-on-5 save percentage and a 92.2% overall save percentage, Schmid performed admirably. Since Vitek Vanecek was so dominant in the first two games, Schmid, as you are aware, would start the third game in Manhattan. Subsequently, he performed heroically as the Devils defeated Our Hated Rivals, pitching two shutouts in the pivotal victories in Games 5 and 7. Whatever you think of the Carolina series, Schmid was undoubtedly the best. Now that Blackwood is in San Jose, Schmid seems to have the opportunity to call New Jersey home rather than Utica.
Daws was persevering with the Comets in the interim. He would make 33 appearances in more games. His save percentage fell to 90.4%, though. However, Daws would have fared better in the playoffs with a 92% save percentage in six games. But things were not going well for the Canadian-German netminder. Ben Birnell of the Rome Sentinal reported on June 10 that Daws had hip labrum surgery. Due to his recuperation, Daws won’t be back until approximately Christmas. Erik Källgren was signed by the Devils on July 1st in large part because of this.
Not only is this bad news for the Comets, but they will also need to hope that Tyler Brennan, Jeremy Brodeur (yes, Martin’s other goaltender son), Källgren, and Isaac Poulter can platoon the position until Daws gets back. Since Daws’ contract is about to expire, this is a crucial season for him to prove to the organization that he can stay. He experienced more than just a taste of the NHL, but that was only possible because he was in a tight spot. It’s a valid question to wonder how Daws would have performed on a stronger Devils team. Would he fit in with Schmid’s style or would he fall short? Daws needs to perform as a Comet more consistently in order to address that question. A season-over-season decline in the overall save percentage from 91.6% to 90.4% does not encourage optimism. Given that Brennan has already joined Utica and that the team also includes Cole Brady and Jakub Málek, Daws may face pressure to remain with Utica after this season.
His primary priorities should be to heal, improve, and get ready to play. If he wants to increase his chances of signing another contract in New Jersey, he might need to get better as soon as possible. If the Devils need to call up a goalie in the second half of the upcoming season, that is not a good thing, in my opinion. However, as Schmid demonstrated in the previous season, Daws might benefit from the chance to transform a bad situation into a favorable one.
In conclusion, Daws has a lot to gain and prove, but he won’t have much time to do so after his injury. Having said that, I believe he will likely sign another NHL contract if he performs well enough and does not disappoint when he returns.
Nolan Foote, a 22-year-old left wing, will make $70,000 (AHL) and $832,500 (NHL) in 2023–2024.
As general manager of the New Jersey Devils, did you know that Nolan Foote participated in one of Tom Fitzgerald’s initial trades? Blake Coleman was returned, though he was only an interim at the time, along with Foote and Vancouver’s 2020 first-round selection, which was used on Shakir Mukhamadullin. Coleman quickly became a regular member of Tampa Bay’s lineup and contributed to their two Cup victories, so the trade paid off. Coleman benefited greatly from that, as Calgary paid him handsomely during the 2021 offseason. That portion of the return was successful because Mukhamadullin was involved in the agreement that brought Timo Meier to New Jersey. But what about Nolan Foote?
In his three seasons with the Devils thus far, Foote has been called up for call-up duty. 2020–21: six games for a goal and an assist. Three goals and an assist in seven games in 2021. Six goals in 2022–2023 games. a total of 19 NHL appearances, eight of which included 10 or more minutes of play. The youthful winger was only given short playing time and, for the most part, showed little to suggest he should have received more.
Foote was not exactly lighting it up down in the minors. With seven goals and 17 points in 24 games with Binghamton, it appeared that he was a scorer. He was among their highest scorers during that abbreviated campaign. However, in 55 games with the Comets in 2021–22, he scored 14 goals and 32 points, tying Ryan Schmelzer and Frederik Gauthier for seventh place on the team in terms of points. With 20 goals and 37 points in 55 games with the Comets the previous season, Foote was a little more productive. Although good for third on the team, it also indicates that the team has lost a significant amount of scoring from season to season. While that production isn’t horrible, it doesn’t exactly scream, “Put me in the NHL!””
The Devils are still trying to get a little too excited about Foote. The following statements from Tom Fitzgerald were reported by Kristy Flannery at The Hockey News on June 5:
He declared, “I believe he’s the model of proper player development.”
…
For a child who has never really played center, that is amazing. Fitzgerald remarked, “He’s got good size and has improved his skating.” “He’s a very decent child. He was dedicated to it, though. All you ask for is that. I consider a player’s beginnings, current situation, and future goals when analyzing their development. I give the coaching staff at Utica all the credit. Above all, though, Nolan deserves a great deal of recognition as well. He gave it his blessing. He’s doing well. Big plans are in store for Nolan.
Foote may have an immediate future if the general manager is claiming he has “big plans” for him. Ruff also mentioned that Foote’s skating, which has significantly improved since joining the Devils, is still his biggest weakness. According to Flannery’s article, Foote and Bastian might be comparable players. Kind of, I can see it? However, the Comets’ lack of success thus far has dampened my enthusiasm for the idea. When Bastian returns a month later, a fourth-line left wing position might be up for grabs. Based on Fitzgerald’s quote, perhaps Curtis Lazar or Bastian can play offhand, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Devils are hoping Foote can command that role in training camp.
This is Foote’s location. It’s time for Foote to try and earn a spot after three seasons with the Devils organization, mostly in Utica with a few call-ups. Will he be able to move faster in 2023–2024? I hope so. Will he be able to contribute more to the game than just being a 6’3″ guy on the ice and shoot the puck more often? I hope so. Is he capable of contributing more than 15-20 goals and under-40 points if he returns to Utica? I hope so. Waivers would also need to be completed for him to return to Utica. Something that has no bearing on the other posts in this series. Another indication that some people within the company, specifically Fitzgerald, are rooting for Foote to succeed. But it is up to him to demonstrate it.
In conclusion, Nolan Foote needs to have a strong preseason and training camp. GM Fitzgerald finds him appealing, and head coach Ruff believes he has become a better skater. He will undoubtedly sign another contract if he succeeds and stays in the NHL. He might still succeed if 2023–24 turns out to be roughly the same as 2022–2023; however, his best days may be behind him.
Defenseman Santeri Hatakka, left, age 22; projected salary 2023–24: $775,000 (NHL), $70,000 (AHL)
I would contend that Santeri Hatakka has the most to prove in the upcoming season of all the players listed in this post. To make that work, Hatakka was one of the San Jose contracts that was added to the Timo Meier deal. The other players involved in that deal were Zach Émond, who signed with Laval a few days ago, Scott Harrington, who was placed on waivers and claimed by Anaheim, and Timur Ibragimov, who signed an AHL deal. It’s obvious that Timo Meier was the intended recipient of the trade (thanks to Ben Birnell for informing me – JF). It would be advantageous if Hatakka joined the New Jersey team as a player.
Hatakka’s situation is unique because he hasn’t demonstrated anything at all with the Devils organization. He was unable to. His season in 2022–2023 was severely curtailed by injury. During the previous season, Hatakka only appeared in 8 games for the San Jose Barracuda. His play was considered good enough by the Sharks to warrant nine appearances from him in 2021–2022. He participated in 41 games with the Barracuda and was praised for his defensive play at Fear the Fin. Hatakka seems to be a defenseman with experience in the NHL who plays defense. But he was seldom available to play, so he had no chance of getting another one. Hatakka hasn’t even made a Comets debut, so forget about a Devils debut.
This would need to be merited. In the offseason, the Devils signed Daniil Misyul to an ELC, and Topias Vilén might be in Utica. Like Hatakka, both are left-handed defensemen. In addition, the Comets are getting back Tyler Wotherspoon, a veteran defenseman, and Michael Vukojevic, a fellow expiring ELC defender. They are both left-handed players as well. Not even taking into account the Comets’ AHL-signed defenders, Hatakka may have to compete with those four blueline players for ice time.
Hatakka is coming off an injury-plagued season, he’ll be making his debut for his new team, the organization is familiar with several players at his position already, and his contract, which the Devils refused to extend to him, is about to expire. Compared to other posts, this one is more difficult.
Hatakka stands to gain a great deal from a successful season in Utica. Given that he spent some time in the NHL earlier, he might be more self-assured or motivated. For whatever jobs and opportunities he does get, he will have to compete. If he has at least a strong AHL season, he should be able to remain with the team for a while. If New Jersey decides they don’t want him after this season, he could at least spark interest from another team. Hatakka’s objective is still to return to the ice, do their thing, and continue to close deals here rather than having to return to Liiga. which, should this season not go well, is a genuine possibility.
The Three Are Still Awaiting Their NHL Shot
Right winger Graeme Clarke, age 22 in 2023–2024; salary $775,000 (NHL), $70,000 (AHL)
Graeme Clarke had a fantastic 2022–2023 season. In 2021, Clarke signed his ELC with Fitzgerald and became a member of the Binghamton Devils. He played in 31 games during a shortened season, scoring eight goals and eighteen points to finish second in points behind only Fabian Zetterlund and Foote. With 69 shots on goal, he had a respectable 2.23 shots per game. Clarke struggled after moving to Utica in 2021–2022. He scored 10 goals and 24 points in 52 games, good for a tie for thirteenth place on the team with Aarne Talvitie. With 100 shots on goal, he was shooting 1.92 goals per game. For the offensive winger, it was a difficult season.
Luckily, things would be different in 2022–2023. It would be expected of Clarke to do more, and more he accomplished. 68 games were played by Clarke. He scored the most goals of any Comet with 25, totaling 58 points, and he led by at least 17 points. With 211 shots on goal, Clarke’s shooting percentage increased to 3.1 per game. With Zetterlund, Chase De Leo, and A.J., the Comets needed an offensive leader, and Clarke provided it. Greer has left. With two goals and four assists in the playoffs, this continued, tying him with Jayce Hawrlyuk. How much more is there to ask for?
Consider a call-up. Because of his injuries from the previous season, Clarke was called up a few times, but he never participated in a game. It will be his first NHL appearance when he returns. If the Devils didn’t have the space, it would be one thing—they were obviously not in need of any assistance from Utica among skaters. Despite the fact that Foote’s season was obviously better than Clarke’s, Foote was called up and participated in a few games. It seems to me that the organization does not value Clarke as highly as they ought to.
In the end, Clarke has two options for handling it. The first is to grab the coaches’ attention from the start of camp and preseason games. Clarke will have to earn a spot, just as Fitzgerald-backed Foote must, and he can pose a challenge for the Devils to overcome. Secondly, to demonstrate that the 2022–2023 season was not an anomaly. If Clarke can maintain his consistent scoring streak and average at least three shots per game, there will be indications that he is at least deserving of consideration at the next level. Clarke needs to have the opportunity to demonstrate that he is capable of playing in the AHL or as a tweener. With New Jersey or someplace else.
In summary, Clarke’s circumstances are comparable to those of Foote, with the exception that Fitzgerald is not publicly endorsing Clarke, Clarke is not playing in the NHL, and Clarke is not subject to waivers for an additional season. The latter, I fear, might urge the Devils to hold off on Clarke a little while longer. In camp as well as with the Comets, it is Clarke’s responsibility to get their attention. Is he going to sign another deal? He could if he keeps up his output for a season or two. However, he might become a Reilly Walsh of sorts, transferred to a new organization where he might have a better chance.
