Kevin Labanc to sign a contract with top Eastern conference contenders

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Julien Trekker
September 15, 2024 (5:14 PM)

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The forward Kevin Labanc is expected to sign a contract with a top Eastern Conference contender.

After a tough few years with the San Jose Sharks, the team that drafted him 171st overall in 2014, Kevin Labanc, a free agent, has reportedly reached a deal with the New Jersey Devils for the 2024-25 season.

Max Miller of The Hockey News shared that the forward is expected to sign a professional tryout in New Jersey:

Of course, Labanc will need to impress the Devils' coaching staff and management if he wants to earn a spot in the regular lineup. To do so, he'll try to repeat what he did in the 2018-19 season, the best campaign of his career, when he scored 56 points.

In his career, he has scored 225 points in 478 games over eight seasons. Last year was definitely his worst season: he tallied only nine points in 46 games. Tensions with former head coach David Quinn could explain why he struggled so much. Indeed, he was a healthy scratch often, which can take a toll on players' confidence.

As for the Devils, they missed the playoffs last year, and they don't want to go through that again. They have a lot of talent on the team, and they made key acquisitions this summer, such as Brett Pesce and Jacob Markstrom.

We should know in the coming weeks if Labanc is able to convince management to sign him to a standard player contract.

Source: The Hockey News
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