5 moves New Jersey Devils must make to return to playoffs

2 of 5

BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 09: New York Islanders defenseman Calvin De Haan (44) holds the puck during a game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Islanders on December 9, 2017, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, The Bruins defeated the Islanders 3-1. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

4. Sign Calvin de Haan

If the Devils have one glaring weakness, it’s the depth of their defense corps. New Jersey has a top-pairing defenseman in Sami Vatanen, but the rest of the group is underwhelming. Andy Greene can no longer play major minutes, and while Will Butcher is an ascending talent, he still requires seasoning. Damon Severson is also a young talent at 23 years old, but he was scratched to start the playoffs.

With that in mind, Shero should aggressively pursue Calvin de Haan. The 27-year-old is a steady hand on the blue line and a left-handed shot, putting him on the side of Greene and Butcher. The Devils would immediately upgrade John Moore, who is slated to hit unrestricted free agency.

The only concern here is injuries, which limited the Canadian to 33 games this season. In five full years, de Haan has only played in more than 70 games twice, but the risk is worth it for New Jersey. The Devils have roughly $20 million in cap space and should be gunning to upgrade the defense with a player like de Haan, a stay-at-home type with good wheels. In 2015-16 and 2016-17, de Haan blocked 298 shots, showcasing a willingness to sacrifice the body.

The current New York Islander wouldn’t be an answer on the top pairing, but he could slot in nicely on the second pairing, giving head coach John Hynes some more talent to work with.

Home/New Jersey Devils