Three Depth Free Agent the Devils Should Target
The New Jersey Devils would be wise to keep an eye on these three depth free agents on July 1.
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Based on New Jersey Devils’ GM Tom Fitzgerald’s end-of-season press conference comments, it’s reasonable to believe that the Devils’ bottom-six will be completely revamped — as it should be.
The team from top to bottom simply didn’t have enough juice, and the depth in particular was exposed when players were forced to play up in the lineup by proxy of injuries. The 2025 UFA class isn’t a particularly great one outside of a few big names, but there are quality depth options every year in free agency.
Typically, depth players are defensively sound to begin with, being that they often play against the opposition’s weakest competition anyway. The best depth, though, can chip in offensively or, at least, play the majority of the time in the offensive zone, wearing down the competition so that the better players can take advantage when they step on the ice for a line change. The players below, to me, are no-brainers, either being defensive stalwarts who can wear down the competition with their playstyles or outright being some of the most efficient scorers on a per-60 basis in the league.
Without further ado, let’s get into it:
1. Mikey Eyssimont
Mikey Eyssimont was a part of the return that sent Oliver Bjorkstrand and Yanni Gourde to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He succeeded in a fourth-line role in both Tampa Bay and with the Seattle Kraken, scoring 16 points in 77 games this season while averaging just over 10 minutes a night. In 2023-24, a season which he spent entirely with the Lightning, he scored 11 goals and 25 total points in 81 games.
The 6’0, 191-pound forward is outright one of the hardest workers in the entire National Hockey League. A major part of his skillset is recovering dump-ins by virtue of outworking and hounding his opponents. He’s tenacious, aggressive along the boards, and simply does not give up until the puck is in his possession.
This is apparent in his defensive work, too, in which he maintains constant, unshakeable pressure on the puck carrier. His stick is extremely active and forces a lot of turnovers, which he quickly pounces on to bring the other way. Eyssimont keeps play to the outside of the offensive zone, suppressing shots and keeping passing lanes occupied with sound positioning. It’s because of this that his underlying defensive impacts are so strong, having led the Lightning in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) among regulars. In fact, his xGA/60 of 2.17 ranked 27th in the entire NHL among forwards with at least 800 minutes of ice time.
Offensively, Eyssimont mostly contributes via his shot while on the cycle and while operating as the puck carrier through the neutral zone. For a fourth liner, he is adept at entering the zone with possession, something the Devils are in dire need of. He has strong legs and surprisingly decent hands, which he uses to motor around defensemen. As I have mentioned, too, he is one of the very best in the league at recovering dump-in attempts, making him a dual threat in terms of gaining possession in the offensive zone.
Once his team is in the offensive zone, Eyssimont is quick to jump into open ice and fire off shots from high-danger areas of the ice. Should the puck careen into the boards from his shot attempt, he’s quick to pounce on it and will usually regain possession, passing it back to the point and extending zone time for his crew.
The 28-year-old is one of the more explosive players in the league, too, having produced 120 speed bursts of 20+ mph in the 2024-25 season, as compared to the league average of 76.5. The Devils certainly need more speed up and down their lineup.
Evolving Hockey projects Eyssimont’s next contract at two years for $1.5 million.
2. Steven Lorentz
Steven Lorentz profiles similarly to Eyssimont, in the sense that they’re both explosive skaters who excel at puck recovery in the offensive zone. For Eyssimont, he excels at that by virtue of his elite work ethic, and for Lorentz, it’s more a product of his size and strength.
Lorentz, at 6’4, 216 pounds, plays an extremely heavy game. His 199 hits during the regular season placed 37th in the NHL, and would have been second to Paul Cotter on the Devils. I don’t particularly care about physicality per se, but I’m a fan of Lorentz because his physical edge actually provides his team with positive value.
The physical edge shows up in three ways: 1) dump-in recoveries and forechecking, 2) netfront chaos, and 3) puck protection. I’ve already spoken of point #1, so let’s talk about #2.
Lorentz is extremely hard to move once he establishes himself in front of the net. Because of this, he is a rebound monster, generating a surprising amount of high-danger chances directly in front of the goalmouth relative to the amount of time he plays. He establishes himself quickly and will never get bullied out of position, taking cross-checks, slashes, and shoves along the way without wavering in his presence.
His strength shows up in his ability to protect the puck as well. I wouldn’t call Lorentz particularly skilled, but he knows what he’s good at and executes it with confidence. When moving with the puck on the perimeter, he shelters it with his body and stick well, allowing him to move to center ice without a problem, despite whatever coverage is around him. The opportunities he has to do so may be limited, but he is generally successful in that endeavor.
On top of that, Lorentz is one of the best penalty killers in the NHL. He has an innate understanding of where to put his body while down a man, and the results show it. If the Devils move on from Erik Haula, which they should, Lorentz would be an excellent fit on the PK.
If the Devils are looking to add speed, as they should, Lorentz presents as an underratedly speedy forward with good burst ability — his speed bursts of 20+ mph ranked in the 73rd percentile while his top speed ranked in the 55th percentile league-wide.
Evolving Hockey projects his next contract at two years for $1.2 million.
3. Eric Robinson
Eyssimont and Lorentz are two defensively-oriented bottom-sixers who can very occasionally chip in on offense. If the Devils are looking to add more oomph in their bottom-six from an offensive perspective, I’m not sure there’s a better target than Eric Robinson.
Robinson is currently a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, who are near-guaranteed to advance into the Eastern Conference Finals. He has three points (1G, 2A) in nine games thus far in the postseason. During the regular season, he appeared in all 82 games, scoring 14 goals and 32 total points while averaging just over 12 minutes a night. He was one of the most efficient primary point producers in the NHL, garnering more 5v5 goals per 60 minutes than the likes of Mitch Marner, Sidney Crosby, Dylan Guenther, and Sebastian Aho. He also produced more primary assists per 60 minutes than Auston Matthews, Mikko Rantanen, and Jack Hughes. Pretty good company to be in, I’d say.
Of course, being a Hurricane, Robinson was forced into a role in which he needed to be adept on the forecheck. He may have leaned more into that role this season because of their system, but it truly has always been a forte of his. He excels at retrieving the puck in one way or another.
Once his team gains solidified possession, Robinson is one of the better players you can ask for in the bottom six in terms of generating high-danger chances. He ranked 24th in the NHL in individual expected goals per 60 minutes (ixG/60). While he may not have converted at that rate, the generation speaks for itself, and chances are, when your fourth line is hemming in the opposition night after night and producing quality looks, the team as a whole is much better for it.
Robinson’s hand-eye coordination is another strength, with his deflections per 60 minutes being off-the-charts good. He is active on jamming home rebounds to boot, making him a threat from the crease in all facets of the game. He, like Lorentz, is extremely difficult to move out of the way at a stocky 6’2, 211 pounds, and uses that to his advantage.
Defensively, there isn’t much to write home about with Robinson, but with the Devils already having two solid, defensively-minded bottom-sixers in Cotter and Cody Glass, there should be an emphasis on adding a bit more of an offensive touch. A Cotter - Glass - Robinson fourth line sounds like it would be wonderful on both ends of the ice.
Evolving Hockey projects his next contract at three years for $2.15 million.
There you have it — three depth targets I would target in free agency if I were GM Tom Fitzgerald. Michael Eyssimont is a speedy, smart, and extremely hard-working winger who would do wonders for the Devils’ fourth line. Steven Lorentz is somewhat similar, but relies more on his size than work ethic to be effective on both sides of the ice. Eric Robinson, meanwhile, would be the perfect offensive spark to the Devils’ fourth line, having been one of the most efficient primary point producers in the league in 2024-25.
Honorable mentions: Victor Olofsson, Brandon Saad, Justin Brazeau, Connor Brown, Kevin Labanc, Jakub Vrana, Cole Koepke, Nico Sturm.
Do you take them over Sprong? Or in addition to him?