Simmonds eager to redeem himself with Devils
Both the New Jersey Devils and Wayne Simmonds are coming off a highly disappointing 2018-19 campaign, which is why the rugged winger thinks they're a perfect match.
"Our minds are set the same way. I didn't have a good year; they didn't have a good year," Simmonds told Sportsnet's Luke Fox from BioSteel Camp. "It's redemption for both myself and New Jersey, wanting to come back and prove to the league that I'm a good player and they're a good organization. It just fit well."
Simmonds was an unrestricted free agent this summer. He signed a one-year, $5-million deal with the Devils after being traded to the Nashville Predators at last season's deadline.
"I'm coming off a down year. I realize that. I know my worth, and I'm not going to sign for anything under my worth. So, it's kind of a prove-it deal, right?" Simmonds said. "Be healthy, play your game, and get back to where you want to be."
The 31-year-old had his worst showing in years last season, posting just 17 goals and 13 assists in 79 games. The dip in production came after six consecutive full seasons of burying 24 or more tallies, and can largely be attributed to a slew of injuries he dealt with the previous season.
"I actually got to work out this summer - that's a huge difference. Last year I had bilateral hernia surgery, torn abductor and hip surgery, so when you're rehabbing all summer and you don't get a chance to work out, your mind thinks you can do anything but your body tells you something different," Simmonds said.
The Devils finished last in the Metropolitan Division one year after making a stunning push to the playoffs on the back of Taylor Hall's MVP season.
New Jersey is in a good position to improve in 2019-20, though. On top of adding Simmonds, the club also brought in P.K. Subban and Nikita Gusev in separate trades, and drafted phenom Jack Hughes No. 1 overall in June.