Kevin Labanc signs contract with Eastern Conference contender ahead of the season

In breaking news, we learned from The Hockey News' Max Miller that the former San Jose Sharks winger signed a professional tryout with the New Jersey Devils.

Labanc is expected to bring some depth to the forward group. However, it won't be easy for him. He did have great seasons at the beginning of his career, but never managed to get back to that level. In his career, he scored 82 goals and 143 assists in 478 games. He had the best year of his NHL journey in 2018-19, scoring 56 points.

Last season was an all-time low for the player. He didn't see eye-to-eye with former Sharks coach David Quinn and ended up being a healthy scratch often. He was limited to 46 games, in which he scored two goals and seven assists.

While the whole Sharks team struggled last season, such a drop in performance is hard to explain. If he can get back to his old ways, Labanc could be in a position to truly help the Devils.

The Devils will be looking to bounce back from a tough 2023-24 NHL campaign next season. They made interesting additions to their roster this summer, including Brett Pesce, Stefan Noesen, and Jacob Markstrom.

With these acquisitions, the Devils hope to get back into the playoff landscape after failing to reach them, finishing 7th in the Metropolitan division.

Source: The Hockey News
Sharks' Kevin Labanc Will Sign PTO With Devils