Trade Deadline Primer: New Jersey Devils

With the 4 Nations Face-Off break here, the trade deadline looms large and is less than three weeks 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.

A fully healthy Devils lineup is showing us exactly what they can do. New Jersey is safely positioned in a playoff spot entering the trade deadline after finishing bottom-five in the Eastern Conference last season. Still, the team is firmly set at the top for their forward core and defense, giving them little to add at the deadline. They have room to add in some areas but they won’t need too much heavy lifting to become a bona fide contender.

Record

31-20-6, 3rd in the Metropolitan

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$5.558MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: NJ 2nd, EDM 2nd, WPG 2nd, VGK 3rd, NJ 4th, SJ 6th, NJ 6th
2026: NJ 1st, NJ 2nd, NJ 3rd, DAL 4th, WPG 4th, NJ 5th, NJ 6th, NJ 7th

Trade Chips

Although they don’t have their first-round pick for the 2025 NHL Draft thanks to the trade that landed netminder Jacob Markström, the Devils have a trio of second-round picks they easily part with at the deadline. The Oilers’ second-round pick was acquired in the trade sending John Marino to the Utah Hockey Club this past offseason, and they landed the Jets’ second-round pick after trading Tyler Toffoli during last year’s deadline.

It’s inarguable where the Devils will trade from if they look to move prospects. New Jersey already carries one of the deepest blue lines in the league and has plenty of youngsters waiting in the wings.

Scoring three goals and 15 points in 20 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets, defenseman Seamus Casey likely has similar value to a first-round pick. A prospect of his caliber would normally be a lock for NHL minutes relatively soon but Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Simon Nemec are blocking most if not all of his minutes.

Beyond Casey, a recent first-round pick of the Devils, Anton Silayev, could also garner interest. He’s got a higher ceiling than Casey given his size and skating ability, but he’s still a few years away from being an NHL regular. Given the Devils’ immediate needs, neither defenseman strikes as a popular trade candidate for the deadline but New Jersey could make both available in the offseason for a high-impact move.

Team Needs

1) Third-Line Center: If the Devils need anything to supplement their roster, it’s a third-line center. Erik Haula has performed admirably, securing a 54.4% faceoff rate with over 500 attempts. Still, Haula is better served in a fourth-line role at this point of his career giving New Jersey a hole on their third line. Jake Evans of the Montreal Canadiens, who the Devils have already been linked to, would be the obvious choice as a rental candidate. Outside of Evans, New Jersey could look into the market for San Jose Sharks’ Luke Kunin, Utah’s Nick Bjugstad, and Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins for a similar addition.

2) Additional Bottom-Six Depth: Despite specifically needing a third-line center, the Devils could generally use more depth in the bottom-six of their forward core. Paul Cotter and Stefan Noesen have been two of their better additions from the offseason but the Devils could stand to make the likes of Tomas Tatar a rotational piece. It wouldn’t be a game-changing add, but a winger such as Brandon Tanev, Michael Carcone, or Alexandre Texier could slightly move the needle when it comes to New Jersey’s playoff chances.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.