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1This is a critical offseason for the Devils. General manager Ray Shero made his intention to add more talent to New Jersey’s roster clear. Winning the lottery and the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft was a fortunate first step. It’s time to survey some potential options for the next steps. 
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3The biggest gap between New Jersey’s roster and some of the elite ones around the league is at the top of the defense corps. For the Devils to close that gap, they’ll need to add at least one top-four defenseman. If that player is a legitimate No. 1, a guy capable of playing upwards of 25 minutes a night and stymieing the league’s top offensive threats, then everyone else on the roster will have an easier time doing their jobs.
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5That’s a pretty tough player to find, and not every Cup contender boasts an elite defenseman. But building a deep group, with a half dozen defensemen capable of playing in a top-four role any given night, is a way toward success and the top of the league.
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7Damon Severson, Sami Vatanen and Will Butcher could all fill roles on the next great New Jersey team. Ty Smith looks like a good bet to do so, as well. Vatanen is an unrestricted free agent after the 2019-20 season, and landing an elite defender could require a trade package that includes Severson or Butcher. The Devils also have a large collection of defensemen behind those players competing for a role next year, as we outlined in an exploration of the Devils’ cap space and internal options here.
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9There are a variety of avenues to finding a defenseman (or two) from outside the organization. Below are the results of a team-by-team search, for which we cast a pretty wide net for potential options.
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11A couple of notes: Age is a player’s age on Feb. 1, 2020, using Hockey Reference’s benchmark. Contracts for the pending free agents are the average annual value of the one they are about to complete.
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13Unrestricted free agents
14Anton Stralman, Lightning
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16Age: 33
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182018-19: Two goals, 17 points in 47 games
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20Contract: $4.5 million
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22Stralman has long been a darling of the analytics community as a defenseman who gets the puck into the offensive zone. The Lightning landed a steal with his previous 5-year, $22.5 million contract, but now he’s going to be 33 years old and just missed about half of a season because of injury.
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24Tampa Bay has cap issues, so can they re-sign him? Will he take less to help the Lightning out? Will someone else be able to lure him away with a three- or four-year deal, and will he still be an above-average top-four defenseman for that long? Lots of questions, and that’s not to mention that he’s a righty and the Devils already have Severson and Vatanen.
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26Jake Gardiner, Maple Leafs
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28Age: 29
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302018-19: Three goals, 30 points in 62 games
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32Contract: $4.05 million
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34Gardiner is a left-handed defenseman who has played in a top-four role on a championship contender. He’s had some troubles in the postseason against Boston, but the bigger concern is the health of his back. As The Athletic’s James Mirtle put it:
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36“Gardiner turns 29 in July, so even if he overcomes his back issues, the question of how much longer he can contribute before an age-related decline is a fair one, too.”
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38He’s going to be one of the best defensemen available this offseason, but a long-term contract at something like $5.5 million per season or more could be a risky one.
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40Tyler Myers, Jets
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42Age: 30
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442018-19: Nine goals, 31 points in 80 games
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46Contract: $5.5 million
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48The Jets have a bunch of significant free agents, limited salary cap room and a core group that has won just two playoff rounds together despite being one of the most talented clubs in the league. Myers, at 6-foot-8 and 229 pounds, provides a big presence and is a consistent top-four defenseman on a Stanley Cup-worthy roster.
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50There are going to be age-related concerns, particularly because of the rugged nature of his game, and plenty of suitors. It’s going to take a high price to secure him.
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52Erik Karlsson, Sharks
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54Age: 29
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562018-19: Three goals, 45 points in 52 games
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58Contract: $6.5 million
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60The Sharks need to sign Joe Pavelski, Timo Meier, Kevin Labanc and Joonas Donskoi, not to mention Joe Thornton if he wants to keep playing. If San Jose reaches the Stanley Cup Final, or even wins it, will they be able to bring everyone back? Labanc, an RFA and a Staten Island native, might be a sensible trade target for the Devils if San Jose does get all of their big guns signed.
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62The line of suitors for Karlsson will be long if he gets to July 1. The contract he’ll command, even after an “off” year by his incredible standard, will be gigantic. Will he be an all-world player for six or seven more seasons, given some of the injuries he has had? It’s going to cost somewhere near $10 million-plus per year to find out.
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64Restricted free agents
65Jacob Trouba, Jets
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67Age: 25
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692018-19: Eight goals, 50 points in 82 games
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71Contract: $5.5 million
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73Trouba and the Jets have had a contentious relationship in contract negotiations, and he ended up on a one-year deal this year. Now they’re back in the same place. He’s averaged nearly 23 minutes per game in six years with the Jets.
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75There’s plenty to like about Trouba, but the price to acquire and then keep him could be prohibitive. Trouba’s agent reportedly asked for $7 million in the arbitration hearing last summer, and a long-term deal would likely cost more per year than that. Going the offer sheet route might very well cost three draft picks (a first, a second and a third), and the Jets still could match, but Winnipeg could try to trade him before that if a new contract doesn’t look like an option.
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77Trade targets
78Marco Scandella, Sabres
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80Age: 29 
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822018-19: Six goals, 13 points in 63 games  
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84Contract: $4.0 million for one season
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86Scandella’s possession numbers have generally been below average during his career, and the goals for and against with him on the ice during his two years in Buffalo have been pretty grisly. His ice time (17:37) nosedived this year after playing more than 23 minutes per game in 2017-18.
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88He is a player The Athletic’s John Vogl noted could be available. Scandella does not fit the description of a potential long-term option in New Jersey’s top four, but could the Devils get him for the short term to help give Ty Smith and/or Jeremy Davies easier minutes as a rookie? Is he an upgrade over the internal options? It’s possible.
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90Rasmus Ristolainen, Sabres
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92Age: 25
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942018-19: Five goals, 43 points in 71 games
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96Contract: $5.4 million for three seasons
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98Here’s an excerpt from Vogl that sums up Ristolainen as a player:
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100“Six years into his career, he remains the Sabres’ most polarizing player. The 24-year-old makes mistakes that would embarrass a rookie. He shows enough talent to be a top-four guy. Both happen every game.”
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102He’s 6-foot-4 with a big shot and four straight 40-point seasons. The stats-friendly crowd is generally not a fan of him, while the tools still tantalize others. Another organization might be able to “fix” some of Ristolainen’s issues, but that might include playing him in a more sheltered role, and that’s not what the Devils are looking for.
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104Calvin de Haan, Hurricanes
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106Age: 28
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1082018-19: One goal, 14 points in 74 games
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110Contract: $4.55 million for three seasons
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112The Hurricanes are halfway to the Stanley Cup and have a lot of talented, young players. They might have the deepest defense corps in the league, with six solid regulars plus 2016 first-round pick Jake Bean waiting for a full-time opportunity.
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114Trevor van Riemsdyk is clearly the No. 6 guy, and the Hurricanes could just move him or let Bean push him to an extra role. But Carolina does need to sign Sebastian Aho, a couple of other key free agents and both of their goaltenders (or promote Alex Nedeljkovic and sign one). If the budget gets tight, de Haan might be the best option to move, even if the Hurricanes did just sign him this past offseason.
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116There were conflicting reports about New Jersey’s interest in de Haan as a free agent last summer. But a lefty who is strong in the defensive zone and could play with more offensive-minded players (sounds a lot like someone to fill Andy Greene’s role in the coming seasons) could be a nice addition.
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119Calvin de Haan is a player the Devils could try to pry away from Carolina’s deep defense corps this summer. (Jerome Miron / USA TODAY Sports)
120Jonas Brodin, Wild
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122Age: 26
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1242018-19: Four goals, 18 points in 82 games
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126Contract: $4.167 million for two years
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128Brodin is a lefty who has averaged nearly 22 minutes per game in his seven-year career. He’s never been a big point producer and has been on the wrong side of Minnesota’s puck possession standard for most of his career, playing primarily on the second pair the past few years. Brodin does skate well and plays a lot of tough minutes. A valid concern is that he doesn’t quite play well enough in those minutes to risk trade assets to acquire him.
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130Jared Spurgeon, Wild
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132Age: 30
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1342018-19: 14 goals, 43 points in 82 games
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136Contract: $5.187 million for one season
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138If not Brodin, maybe Spurgeon is the player general manager Paul Fenton moves as he continues to try and re-tool the roster? The Athletic’s Michael Russo wrote that it is a possibility.
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140Spurgeon is a strong two-way defenseman. He’s also the player Ty Smith’s coaches have told him to watch closely and try to emulate. Adding him would give Smith an up-close-and-personal look. Maybe they could even make up a pairing at some point?
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142Bu there are reasons why Spurgeon might not be a great fit for the Devils. He’s right-handed, will be 30 next season and going to need a new contract after that. Spurgeon also just set career highs in goals and points, which might cause a spike in the asking price, both from the Wild this summer and his agent.
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144P.K. Subban, Predators
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146Age: 30
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1482018-19: 9 goals, 31 points in 63 games
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150Contract: $9 million for three seasons
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152Subban is one of the biggest names that has already been floated as a potential trade candidate since the Predators were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. He had a season below his standard and is costing Nashville quite a bit of money, making it possible Predators GM David Poile tests the market for Subban. Nashville has three other great veteran defensemen and Dante Fabbro may be ready for a top-four role next year.
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154How would the Devils come up with the best offer, and how would Subban fit in their long-term salary cap situation? They would probably need to include Damon Severson, Sami Vatanen or Will Butcher in the trade offer to make it enticing enough (assuming Ty Smith would be off-limits). Severson or Vatanen would help make the money work in the long term for New Jersey, so the Devils wouldn’t have more than $18 million committed to right-handed defensemen. Butcher might be more attractive to Nashville because he would cost less, pending a new contract.
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156Where Subban might fit on New Jersey’s power play would also be a challenge for the coaching staff. He would be a bona fide No. 1 defenseman, something the organization has lacked for years. Poile and Ray Shero have a longstanding, close relationship, having completed three trades together since Shero came to New Jersey — but none of them have approached the magnitude of a potential Subban deal.
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158T.J. Brodie, Flames
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160Age: 29
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1622018-19: Nine goals, 34 points in 79 games
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164Contract: $4.65 million for one season
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166The Flames are flush with young defensemen, which should lead to some interesting decisions the next two seasons as the kids move up the depth chart. The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek wrote that Calgary moving Brodie with one year left on his contract could be an option.
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168Travis Hamonic also has one year left on his deal, but moving back to the New York area after requesting a trade away from the Islanders doesn’t seem likely. Brodie was underrated when he and Mark Giordano first rose to power in Calgary, but he’s been known as a top-pairing guy for several years now.
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170New Jersey might be interested in trying to pry away one of the Flames’ younger defensemen — Juuso Valimaki, Rasmus Andersson or Oliver Kylington — but so would a lot of teams, and the Flames aren’t likely to be interested in moving cheap talent when they have plenty of expensive, or soon-to-be expensive, players at the top of the roster.
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172Darnell Nurse, Oilers
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174Age: 24
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1762018-19: 10 goals, 41 points in 82 games
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178Contract: $3.2 million for one season
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180If the Oilers could move an NHL defenseman, old friend Adam Larsson might make sense for the Devils, but the younger and left-handed Nurse makes more sense. Edmonton needs more depth up front and has young options on defense.
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182Nurse is another first-round pick (2013) and just had his best season, setting career highs in goals, points and time on ice per game (23:49). It has the potential to be an expensive trade, with Nurse also needing a new contract after this season, but he could be a top-pairing guy for a long time.