With Nearly Ten Teams Vying For The Suspect Services Of John Moore, It Shouldn't Be Too Hard For The Devils To Bid Him Farewell

FREE AGENT FRENZY: John Moore has rocketed toward the top of the class amid thin ‘D’ market. Eight interviews and counting for No. 11 on #TSNHockey’s Top 75 UFAs list - https://t.co/dHm1c9z7Bp #TSN

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 26, 2018

Eight teams. EIGHT TEAMS. That's over a quarter of the league that made it a point to target the same player that they typically targeted when entering the Devils' defensive zone the last three seasons. If that alone doesn't tell how much the thirst for any type of talent trumps money management when free agency hits then the following definitely should. 

In John Moore we are talking about a guy who probably cracks the 90th percentile in speed and skating during an era in which they are absolutely paramount at his position. A guy that made his biggest mark in scoring overtime goals that guaranteed victory for a team that's grown to appreciate each and every single win throughout his tenure. Somehow that guy, despite all those positives, still managed to merely make as big of an impact on Devils' fans as his name would on a suburban middle school teacher who has been navigating roll call since the early 80's. Over the last decade, New Jersey has been home to about as many defensemen that are capable of scoring in the double digits in goals per season as it has been to television shows that paint the state in a positive light. Therefore, hoping someone who has cashed in 19 times over the last two years leaves speaks louder than any fist could possibly pump.

To put it more simply, the only reason John Moore should be on stage at a bidding war is if he's the auctioneer for a player with far more hockey sense than himself. That's not to say he can't adequately fill a valuable depth role, but just because he played 20 minutes a night for a playoff team doesn't mean a team that has hopes of making the playoffs should plan on paying him to play 20 minutes a night. 

If the league-wide level of interest in any indication then John Moore's immediate future is best compared to an oil change. It serves a purpose, but that purpose ends up being way more expensive than it should be when you prematurely agree to pay for any other problems that get found under the hood in the process. Assuming his agent is at all familiar with the handling of hot irons, he appears ready to brand a desperate team with a bad contract. The Devils have both the money and the positional need to be that team, but there aren't many emotionally invested in their success that hope that's the case. Considering their only other left-handed defensemen are an overage Andy Greene, a still-developing Will Butcher, and the unknown that is Mirco Mueller, you don't have to dig too deep to realize that John Moore might just seem more intriguing when he's not on your roster.