The Devils Have Their New David Schlemko: Enter Kyle Quincey

One-year, $1.25 million for Quincey in NJ.

— Todd Cordell (@ToddCordell) September 28, 2016

Okay fine, so I'm not entirely sure that Kyle Quincey and David Schlemko have all that much in common as hockey players. I simply haven't watched the former play enough hockey to make that proclamation. I do know that they both have great beards and at the time of their addition they were both had for relatively cheap. David Schlemko upped his stock by turning out to be a steadying, middle pairing presence on the left side of the blueline, and I see no reason why Kyle Quincey can't come close to replicating that success. Especially since Red Wings fans seem pretty convinced that he should have received more than the 1 year, 1.25 million dollar contract he got from the Devils.

Everything I have seen said about Quincey is that he's much more stay-at-home defenseman than he was earlier in his career. With Hynes trying to give Greene and Severson more of an opportunity to produce offense, I can't see how adding an experienced veteran that can be trusted in his own zone and play on the penalty kill does anything but create additional ways for him to do so. Obviously a guy that was scooped off the scrap heap after training camp was already underway isn't winning the Norris Trophy, but he does give the Devils the depth that they were in desperate need of after trading away a player that was essentially half their defense last year. So maybe Schlemko and Quincey don't play the same game, but one will be filling the other's role as a reliable minutes eater that can contribute offensively from time to time, and - more importantly - give the roster a little more flexibility.