3 PTO Candidates Suggested for New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils already did most of their heavy lifting this offseason with several notable additions in the goal prevention department, but according to James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now, they will be active on the PTO market, and he suggests three UFAs who the Devils could/should bring in to camp on professional tryouts.

Nick Cousins, F

The versatile forward can play all three positions up front, and is fresh off a Stanley Cup championship as a member of the Florida Panthers. As a fourth-liner who dished out a career-high 130 hits with his 5'11" frame last season, he can also kill penalties and now brings some Cup pedigree to the locker room (though he played a minor role in the postseason, getting into only 12 playoff games).

The Devils need a bit of depth around the edges up front, so Cousins, a 10-year veteran, would be a good target.

Cal Clutterbuck, F

The 36-year-old brings a similar profile, though with plenty more physicality. He finished 5th in the NHL in hits last season with 273. He had his first fully-healthy season in a few years, so hopefully his age (he'll celebrate his 37th birthday early in the season) won't be a harbinger of a return to his injury troubles. He spent the last 11 years just about 60 miles down the road in Long Island, so the Devils are more than familiar with the type of disrupter he can be on the ice.

Calen Addison, D

The Devils beefed up their blueline big-time this summer with the free agent additions of Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon, so it's likely not much of a priority to find a depth piece on defense for training camp, but at the age of 24, this former second-round pick (2018 NHL Draft) might be worth taking a chance on to see what he brings to camp. He averaged over 17 minutes of ice time last season split between the Minnesota Wild and the San Jose Sharks.