The Devils made some news on Wednesday when the team announced the signing of veteran defenseman David Schlemko to a one-year, one-way contract.
While there has been a good amount of roster overhaul this off-season Schlemko is the first NHL player GM Ray Shero has acquired since he signed John Moore on July 1st.
This signing may not seem like much on the surface but I think there is more to it than meets the eye.
Some thoughts on the move:
- Schlemko is not a big name but he's a pretty good player (which is why I wrote the Flames should have re-signed him). He's not going to go out and single-handedly win hockey games but he'll provide good depth on the back end and is one of the new-wave blue liners that is labeled a defensive defenseman but is actually good at it. What I mean by that is he does more than block shots and chase play in his own zone like Rob Scuderi, for example.
He's not a big point producer but he can help prevent the opposition from scoring and is a good possession driver.
- This signing looks like the first one (under Shero) that the analytics staff probably pushed for. John Moore, for example, is solid in possession but he's also big, can skate and produce points so even those who are against analytics would probably have interest.
Schlemko, as far as I can tell, is the first guy that you have to look at the numbers to really see the value. When Shero and Hynes joined the organization they said they'd use the analytics staff in place and that looks to be the case.
- Andy Greene, Adam Larsson, Damon Severson, Jon Merrill, Eric Gelinas and Moore will make up the top-6 on this team. Signing Schlemko doesn't change that. What it does is add depth to the back end and another veteran on a team full of kids. Last I checked you need 7 or 8 blue liners and there is exactly a zero percent chance that all six of those guys will a) play great hockey the entire season and b) not miss a game. That means Schlemko will be needed.
- I've heard some complain that this doesn't leave much room for Vojtech Mozik or Raman Hrabarenka. I have a couple thoughts on that.
First off Mozik is a question mark and Hrabarenka may or may not be NHL ready. You don't just leave a spot or two entirely open and hand it to them. There needs to be competition.
Secondly the top-6 will almost certainly be Greene, Larsson, Severson, Merrill, Gelinas and Moore. All of those guys are - or should be - every night players. Do you want Hrabarenka making the team and sitting in the press box as the 7th or 8th defenseman rather than logging big minutes in Albany? I don't and if Schlemko performs well enough that won't be necessary.
- Another thing: Schlemko is making next to nothing and is on a one-year deal. If he doesn't play well or a guy like Mozik clearly beats him out and the Devils decide they want to keep Mozik they can simply waive Schlemko. By the end of preseason teams will have injuries and one of them would surely have interest in a cheap, depth option like Schlemko. Even if he passed through waivers the Devils could send him to Albany without any repercussions. There really is no down side to this move.
- Schlemko is good in shootouts. The Devils are not good in shootouts. He can help there too.