The NHL has entered the “mostly quiet” portion of the off-season. Some contracts have been signed and arbitration cases avoided, but nothing major has happened in a while.
With that in mind, a lot of good players are still free agents looking for new NHL homes. Some of them are former New Jersey Devils players who got regular playing time back in the day.
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Whether it is with the Devils or elsewhere, these five are looking for work within the National Hockey League:
Adam Henrique is the most well-known out of every player on this list. He was once a part of New Jersey’s core and one of their leaders on and off the ice. Henrique scored two series-clinching goals in overtime for New Jersey during the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers.
Now, at age 34, he is hoping for another ride with an NHL team. He would be nothing more than a solid bottom-six forward if he were healthy, but he has plenty of experience in the league to help someone out.
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Luke Glendening started the 2025-26 season as a member of the New Jersey Devils before being claimed on waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers. They became the 5th NHL team that he played for once claimed, and he managed to play 70 total games between the two clubs.
The 37-year-old is looking for work in a bottom-six role, much like Henrique. Although his offensive output was never as high as Henrique’s, he knows how to play a smart game as a role player just the same.
Nathan Bastian spent the first couple of years of his NHL career with the New Jersey Devils before the Seattle Kraken selected him in their expansion draft. Then, after a few months of playing there, he was placed on waivers, and the Devils claimed him back.
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He then signed a one-year deal with the Dallas Stars ahead of the 2025-26 season, but he only appeared in 36 games. Now, he is an unrestricted free agent again, looking for a role somewhere.
An NHL team would be getting a fourth-line forward who brings some physicality in Nathan Bastian. He has also shown the ability to score goals from time to time, which is valuable for a player playing that low in the lineup.
If he can contribute 7-12 goals for his next team as a physical bottom-line player who makes the team harder to play against, he will make his next organization happy to have him.
Tomas Nosek, who played in 36 games for the New Jersey Devils in 2023-24, has been a journeyman in the NHL, playing for five total teams since making his NHL debut in 2015. Now, the 2025 Stanley Cup champion (Florida Panthers) is looking for the next team that he can have a bottom-six role with.
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Nosek has never been a prolific player, mostly being a fourth-liner during his NHL tenure, but he has proven valuable as a good team’s 13th forward who can hop in and out of the lineup.
Evgenii Dadonov has played for six NHL teams over the course of his career, with a KHL stint in the middle. In the NHL, he has been a great offensive player. In 641 games played, he has 164 goals and 198 assists for 362 points.
He is no longer a middle-six forward, as his 2025-26 season with the New Jersey Devils would show. He scored 1 goal (no assists) in 24 games played with them. Now, he is looking for one final run in the NHL at 37 years old.
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New Jersey wishes things had gone differently for him in 2025-26, but not every signing is going to hit. If he doesn’t find work, he is likely going to return to Russia.
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