Rebuilding Devils add key piece with Butcher signing

The New Jersey Devils are getting defensive.

Set to begin his third season as general manager, Ray Shero made a late-summer splash by winning the Will Butcher sweepstakes, signing the standout college defenseman to an entry-level contract.

Who's Will Butcher?

As a refresher, Butcher was drafted in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche, and spent the past four years patrolling the blue line at the University of Denver.

Most recently, Butcher - who averaged 0.65 points per game in the NCAA - captained the Pioneers to a national championship, and was named the top player in college hockey as the 2017 Hobey Baker Award winner.

He ultimately decided not to sign with the Avalanche, and was free to sign his ELC with any of the league's other 30 teams, inking a deal with the Devils after being tempted by several others.

Related: Will Butcher signs 2-year deal with Devils

"We are extremely excited to have Will and his family join our organization," Shero said Sunday, per the team's Twitter account. "This continues to represent what we want to do: bring in talented individuals, invest in their talent, and develop them as we progress."

Where does he fit?

In New Jersey, Butcher joins an impressive crop of prospects accumulated under Shero's watch, most notably Nico Hischier, Michael McLeod, Pavel Zacha, Nathan Bastian, and Blake Speers.

You may notice those five players are all forwards, with Shero having added defensive prospects in later rounds or as undrafted free agents. That group - led by Igor Rykov and Vojtech Mozik - is likely a year or two away from contributing at the NHL level, and that's perhaps being optimistic.

This lack of youth on the blue line was exacerbated by the entirely understandable decision to trade Adam Larsson for Taylor Hall, leaving Damon Severson (who remains an unsigned restricted free agent), Steve Santini, and the recently-acquired duo of Mirco Mueller and Yaroslav Dyblenko as the under-25 defensive building blocks who could be on the opening night roster.

No need to apologize for asking "who?" when reading those names.

Butcher, then, is a great addition for the Devils. The 22-year-old will be given every opportunity to translate his NCAA success into a steady career as a professional, with plenty of young weapons up front to feed the puck to.

He's set to earn heavy ice time in New Jersey, with plenty of power-play opportunities mixed in as head coach John Hynes looks to boost an unimpressive offense from the back end.

Expectations will remain low for the Devils in 2017-18, and Butcher can fly somewhat under-the-radar after being in the spotlight during the last vestiges of free agency.

Pursuing Butcher was the right play for the Devils, and signing with New Jersey ensures the defenseman will be a factor on the blue line right away.

Talk about a win-win.

(Images courtesy: Getty)

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