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On Alex Kerfoot
Today is August 15th, meaning the New Jersey Devils' rights to Kerfoot have expired.
Ray Shero held out hope Kerfoot would sign but made it well known it'd probably be a lost cause if Kerfoot ended up hitting the open market. Here we are.
To me, it is no surprise things played out this way. Kerfoot could have signed with the Devils at the end of the season, gotten a taste of NHL action, familiarized himself with teammates, coaches, etc. and burned a year off his entry-level contract, thus getting him a new deal (likely worth more money) faster. Once he passed on all those incentives, waiting it out and hitting the open market made the most sense.
Losing Kerfoot for nothing is far from ideal but I think some people overestimate the impact he'll make at the NHL level.
As a 21 and 22-year-old at Harvard, Jimmy Vesey put up 104 points in 70 games (1.48 per), which translated into 27 points in 80 games during his first NHL season. That's useful production, no doubt, but every summer you can sign bargain bin free agents to match those totals. It's also worth noting that while Vesey was a rookie, he was 23 and only a year or two out from his prime.
Back to Kerfoot, though. As a 21 and 22-year-old at Harvard, he tallied 79 points in 69 games (1.14 per) during his final two seasons of college hockey.
Vesey's college totals were far superior, clearly, so it's not crazy to suggest Kerfoot will struggle to match Vesey's output at the NHL level. If that's true, the Devils are probably losing nothing more than a depth player.
As for where Kerfoot ends up, I would guess with the Vancouver Canucks (hometown team) or New York Rangers (Vesey connection).
On Will Butcher
The Devils will almost certainly be among the many teams interested in the 2017 Hobey Baker winner.
The 5'10, 190-pound defenseman, who put up 37 points in 43 games last season, wore a letter on his jersey since he joined the University of Denver and is regarded as a smart puck-moving defenseman.
While he may need some AHL seasoning before joining the NHL, the Devils could certainly offer a clearer path to the big club than a lot of other interested parties. They're still in the midst of a retool and aren't exactly overflowing with quality defensemen at the NHL level or in the system.
With so many teams interested in adding a quality prospect like Butcher for free, I would still guess it's more likely he ends up elsewhere.
As is often the case with college free agents, I think big name teams like Pittsburgh and Chicago have the best chance of getting his signature.
Luckily for us, we probably won't have to wait too long to find out.
On Damon Severson
Don't be surprised if he signs a long-term deal sooner than later. The Devils are (rightfully) still high on him and want him around for the long haul.
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