The 2025 calendar will soon switch over to August. For many players around the NHL, it is a month that represents the final weeks with their friends and family before traveling to their respective hockey cities for the 2025-26 season.
Currently, three former New Jersey Devils forwards are unemployed and seeking their next opportunity in professional hockey.
Nathan Bastian
Former Team: New Jersey Devils
For the first time in his career, Bastian is experiencing free agency. The 27-year-old has appeared in 276 NHL games, and 264 were with the Devils.
It was clear during his end-of-season media availability that his goal was to remain in New Jersey.
"It is crazy how quick a place can feel like home, Bastian said. "Not that it's been a short time, but I think since the time I was drafted, I am the longest-standing Devil still here. Being here means a lot to me — the city, the rink, the staff, and you guys. It is something I want to be a part of."
On July 2, The Hockey News confirmed with Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald that the organization would not be interested in bringing back any further unrestricted free agents beyond Jake Allen and Dennis Cholowski.
Kevin Rooney
Former Team: Calgary Flames
Beginning his career with the Devils, Rooney additionally played for the New York Rangers and, most recently, the Calgary Flames.
He is coming off a season where he played a single-season career high of 70 games in the NHL. The 32-year-old earned 10 points (five goals, five assists) with the Flames.
Jimmy Vesey
Former Team: Colorado Avalanche
The 32-year-old began the 2024-25 season with the Rangers before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche with Ryan Lindgren and Hank Kempf for Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen, and conditional second and fourth-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.
He did not appear in a postseason game for the Avalanche and hit free agency on July 1, after earning eight points in 43 games last season. Considered a bit of a journeyman, Vesey has played for six organizations since making his NHL Debut in 2016.
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