5 best fits for Mike Green in NHL free agency
By Nick McAdam
2. New Jersey Devils
There’s no doubt that the Devils need some defense with question marks surrounding the play of Mirco Mueller and Ben Lovejoy. Andy Greene can also be thrown into that list simply because of his age.
New Jersey has a good start there with Will Butcher and Sami Vatanen, but they will surely need more if they want to be making the playoffs more in the future just as they did this past campaign.
The Devils are reportedly supposed to be big spenders come July 1. Top guys revolving around John Tavares and John Carlson are both of whom the Devils have expressed some interest in.
The big name there is Carlson which would give the Devs a top defender for the next four to five years on their blueline. However, the 28-year-old will surely demand more than $4 million especially after the monster season he’s had.
If New Jersey can cough that up, then all the power to them. It’s never bad to have a backup option. As previously mentioned, Green isn’t on the level of Carlson in terms of production.
Yet, the Devils need players that commit long-term in all areas of the ice. They’re planning on paying Carlson big, which at his age, is supposed to be a player past his prime. It tells you something about what types of players the Devils are trying to land.
If they want a veteran core to surround their youth led by Taylor Hall, then Green would still be a solid option even if they land Carlson.
Depth scoring really buried the Devils towards the end of the season. It seriously was all Hall at certain points, and the team can’t go on that way. More scoring everywhere with some solid play at the back and playoff experience is what the Devils need, and it’s also what Green has at a cheaper price.