The New Jersey Devils may not have a long list of players heading into unrestricted free agency this summer, but every roster decision counts—especially when it comes to building depth on the blue line. Today, we're breaking down two familiar faces: Dennis Cholowski and Colton White. Both saw significant ice time for the Devils this season, and both know the system inside and out. But the real question is: should New Jersey bring them back for another campaign? Let's take a closer look.

Starting with Dennis Cholowski, he's been a steady depth presence for the Devils, though "steady" might be generous. After signing a league-minimum, one-year deal last offseason, Cholowski suited up for just six games in New Jersey during the 2024-25 season. However, he also appeared in 33 games with the Islanders, giving him a total of 39 NHL contests on the year. He managed three goals and seven assists—but none of those points came while wearing a Devils sweater.

Fast forward to 2025-26, and unfortunately, all 17 of his NHL appearances came with New Jersey. In those games, he registered just two assists. Even in limited minutes on a struggling Devils team, Cholowski often looked out of his depth at the NHL level. His AHL numbers were slightly better—five assists in 13 games—but that's a low bar to clear. For a player whose main selling point is supposed to be offensive ability, the production simply isn't there. At this stage in his career, heading into his age-28 season, he's proven to be an AHL-caliber defender who you hope never has to be called up for NHL duty.

While the Utica Comets could certainly do worse than Cholowski as a depth option, they could also do better. The Devils are clearly better off without him on the NHL roster. Yes, some defensemen find their game later in their careers, but typically that happens by age 26 or 27. At 28, Cholowski is running out of time to turn things around.