With Edmonton Oilers forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle rumored to be available this summer, would Ray Shero and the New Jersey Devils consider trading for either player?
Every single year, we see big names switch teams for one reason or another on draft day. With the 2016 NHL Draft beginning this Friday in Buffalo, trade rumors around the league are heating up. It’s only inevitable that this year’s draft will be the stage for a few more blockbusters. Will Ray Shero and the New Jersey Devils be active? It’s hard to tell. Shero set the bar high in his first draft as New Jersey’s GM, trading a 2nd and 3rd round pick to Anaheim in exchange for Kyle Palmieri. The move paid off, and Palmieri went on to have a career year and lead the Devils in scoring. New Jersey is flush with draft picks for the next few seasons and have the 2nd most salary cap room in the league. Those are two key assets to have in the rebuilding process, and with that, the Devils have put themselves in good position to start building a winning team and restore glory days.
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While Shero has not hinted at whether he’s open to making another draft day deal or not this year, anything is possible. One team that looks to be very busy on draft day is the Edmonton Oilers. According to the Edmonton Journal, they will be at the “center of the action”. Center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and right winger Jordan Eberle are rumored as very available, with one of them likely to be traded. Not to mention, the Oilers are apparently dangling the # 4 overall pick in this year’s draft. Our FanSided friends over at Oil on Whyte regard Nugent-Hopkins, affectionately known as RNH or “The Nuge”, as Edmonton’s best trade chip.
Nugent-Hopkins is just 23 years old and the former #1 pick in the 2011 NHL draft. He’s a play-maker with size at 6 feet tall, and has shown the potential of being a top line center in the league. He’s now expendable for Edmonton due to the presence of superstar-in-the-making Connor McDavid and the emergence of Leon Draisaitl, who are both also centermen. His career high is 56 points, which he put up in both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. He’s known for using his size and initiating contact, recording 72 and 92 hits in those same seasons. He only played in 55 games this past year after breaking his hand, but still managed to put up 34 points. He could provide a Kyle Palmieri situation in the making, meaning that while he may not be getting the best opportunities with his current team, he has great potential to break out when placed in a larger role. RNH has proved to be an effective offensive threat when healthy, with durability being one of the only knocks on him as a player.
I know what you’re thinking: are the Devils even looking for a center? They already have Adam Henrique on the first line, with Travis Zajac playing on the second. Pavel Zacha played center for Sarnia this past season, but it’s still unclear whether he’ll be a center or a left wing in the NHL. Also, what’s happening with free agent centers Stephen Gionta, Sergey Kalinin and Jacob Josefson? There are a lot of question marks, and right now only Ray Shero has the answers. While Henrique has established himself as the first line center, it’s pretty clear that Zajac has regressed, having not had a 50-point season since 2009-10. He is still a solid two-way player though and good on faceoffs, so I don’t see a problem with bumping him down to the third line if the Devils acquired a guy like RNH. Nugent-Hopkins is 8 years younger and would provide what Zajac hasn’t: play-making ability and scoring. He’s a slick stick-handler who can create scoring chances for both himself and his teammates. Nugent-Hopkins could provide the the offensive spark for the Devils that Zajac does not.
If Ray Shero is content with the Devils depth at center, would he consider dealing for a right winger like Jordan Eberle instead? The 2008 first round selection has been a consistent contributor for Edmonton and had his best year in 2011-12 with 76 points. Can you imagine a 1st line of Cammalleri-Henrique-Eberle? It would be fire. Look at the numbers Lee Stempniak put up in a Devils uniform before he was traded to Boston. And, he’s a guy who didn’t even have guaranteed contract going into the preseason. The Devils already have Kyle Palmieri and Devante Smith-Pelley at right wing, both being restricted free agents who should be resigned this summer. Palmieri slotted in nicely on the second line last season and Smith-Pelley belongs on the third line in the NHL. Could Eberle be the missing puzzle piece to the Devils’ top line?
If the Devils did want to make a deal for either player, the price would be high. Either would instantly become the Devils highest paid player, as both make $6 a year. But, either player could provide the scoring punch that the Devils sorely need AND New Jersey does have the cap room to take on either contract. Besides the money, it’s become clear that the Oilers are looking for an established, top-four NHL defensman on the right side. Who would the Devils have to trade back to the Oilers?
The Devils do have a few intriguing prospects on defense, as well as a plethora of draft picks. But, Ray Shero may want to keep them, and the Oilers are getting closer to the “win-now” mode, hence wanting an established NHL defenseman. They would probably ask for Adam Larsson in return, and I sure hope Shero wouldn’t go for that. That trade wouldn’t make sense anyway, given he was just signed to an extension last year and made great strides in his 5th NHL season playing on the top pairing with Andy Greene. Would they offer Damon Severson instead? It’s hard to say, Severson is still only 21 and has showed potential in his first two seasons.
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It would be a huge splash for Ray Shero to make, and I don’t know if the Devils have the groceries that the Oilers are shopping for. It’s likely Shero will continue to try to rebuild from within with all the draft picks and keep their homegrown prospects. Nugent-Hopkins and Eberle are both promising young forwards, I just wonder if the money they make would keep the Devils from making a trade for either. They have the cap room, but Shero might not be interested in taking on a big-money player just yet, as suggested by the Marc Savard trade. Although it would be great to see him make another Kyle Palmieri-esque deal at this year’s draft for a young scorer, it would have to be the right fit. New Jersey isn’t in “win now” mode just yet. Not to mention, Shero still has to make decisions on 15 free agents this summer. So, while I don’t know if it’s likely that the Devils would trade for guys like Nugent-Hopkins or Eberle, it’s certainly food for thought.