Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils

With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms larger and is just a month away. Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the New Jersey Devils.

The New Jersey Devils looked poised to put their rebuild behind them this season and push for a playoff spot after signing star defenseman Dougie Hamilton to a seven-year, $63MM contract, and adding veteran forwards Tomas Tatar and Jimmy Vesey, goaltender Jonathan Bernier, and defenseman Ryan Graves to complement a group of developing young talents such as Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Ty Smith. That hoped-for success the Devils saw going into 2021-22 was not realized however, after a tough series of injuries, COVID-protocol absences, and poor play. While the Devils are not the buyers they may have wanted to be, the organization also likely does not consider itself a traditional seller either. The team is poised to shop several veteran assets, but may also look for longer-term building blocks to add in the right situation.

Record:

17-28-5, 8th in the Metropolitan

Deadline Status:

Hesitant seller

Deadline Cap Space:

$21.45MM today, $36.46MM in projected deadline space, 1/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks:

2022: NJD 1st, NJD 2nd, NJD 3rd, NJD 4th, EDM 4th, NYI 4th, CBJ 5th, NJD 6th, NJD 7th

2023: NJD 1st, NJD 2nd, NJD 3rd, NJD 4th, NJD 5th, NJD 6th, NJD 7th

Trade Chips:

Depending on which direction, or directions, the Devils decide to go at this deadline, they have several pieces they could move in either situation. The most notable piece the Devils have to offer is that of defenseman P.K. Subban. Subban is on an expiring contract, becoming an unrestricted free agent after this season. While certainly a big name who can still make an impact on a powerplay, he is not the player he was when he won the Norris Trophy in 2013 or the player who helped lead the Nashville Predators to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2017. Subban has picked up three goals to go along with 14 assists in 47 games this season for New Jersey but has also seen his ice time drop off significantly from last season, decreasing from 22:22 in 2020-21 to 19:34 in 2021-22. Subban’s offensive prowess could be useful to a playoff team, though he does carry a steep $9MM cap hit. While it comes off after this season, it may be a tough squeeze for teams that would benefit from his services, even if the Devils retain a large portion.

New Jersey also has an intriguing unrestricted free agent piece in Vesey. After big-time hype coming out of college, Vesey has been a steady presence in the NHL, albeit not at the level some had him pegged. After struggling last year to just ten points in 50 games between Toronto and Vancouver, which saw him placed on waivers and claimed by the Canucks, Vesey was invited to Devils training camp and made the team. He has performed well for New Jersey, tallying seven goals and six assists in 46 games and being a presence on the penalty kill. While he won’t be a major trade chip, the Devils could expect some demand for the veteran who carries just an $800K cap hit for the remainder of the season.

Looking in another direction, New Jersey could look to buy, so long as they can acquire a piece that acts as a building block for the future. The most notable and discussed of these potential pick-ups is Canucks’ forward Brock Boeser. In addition to draft picks, the Devils have several talented young players they could part with to make a splash. Perhaps the likeliest of candidates is forward Pavel Zacha. Zacha, who the Devils selected sixth overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, has not necessarily reached the heights that were expected of him, but has appeared to find his groove in the past couple of seasons, putting up 29 goals and 29 assists in 97 games over the course of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons so far.

In a trade like this, the Devils could also conceivably be asked to move one or both of Yegor Sharangovich or Smith. Sharangovich, a fifth-round pick in 2018, has been a nice find for the Devils, scoring ten goals and 24 points in 44 games this season on top of 16 goals and 14 assists in 54 games last season. Smith was the Devils’ first-round pick in 2018, going 17th overall. He made his NHL debut last season and played well, but has struggled for much of this year. Presumably, the Devils would prefer to build a package around Zacha, as opposed to a Sharangovich or Smith.

The organization also boasts a strong prospect pool from which to deal. Teams would of course be interested in a top prospect like fourth-overall selection Luke Hughes, or others like Alexander Holtz, Chase Stillman, or Shakir Mukhamadullin, but New Jersey would obviously likely prefer to counter with smaller, but still impactful names such as Reilly Walsh, Nolan Foote, or Daniil Misyul.

Other Potential Trade Chips: F Nathan Bastian ($825K, 2 years, RFA); D Christian Jaros ($800k, RFA); Jon Gillies ($750K, UFA)

Team Needs:

1) Scoring Wingers: The Devils have plenty of depth down the middle, most times employing some of those players on the wing. The team has seen incredibly strong production out of Bratt, and solid, expected production out of Tatar and Andreas Johnsson, but the team should look to add another wing or two to complement the likes of Hughes and Hischier. If all works out, Holtz will fill one of those spots moving forward, but acquiring a player like Boeser, or even Conor Garland, could have a strong impact on the Devils scoring, and bolster the overall depth of the forward group.

2) Defensive Depth: Between Graves and Hamilton, the Devils have created themselves a formidable top pairing. However, for long-term success, the organization must be able to round out its entire defense core. Subban’s tenure with the Devils appears to be ending shortly, and there are questions about Smith’s development. Jonas Siegenthaler has rounded out his game nicely and appears to be a reliable piece for the team. Mukhamadullin and Hughes, if their development goes well, should join the team in the coming years.  Still, the team could benefit from adding one or two more formidable defensemen to complement Graves and Hamilton, and bring along the young players.

3) Draft Picks: While the organization is looking to add pieces to join the line up now and end the rebuild, this will be the likely return for any deadline sales the team makes.

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