The New Jersey Devils have worked on accumulating assets for the past few years. A rational person wouldn’t disagree with this strategy, but now is the time to think top shelf. It’s time to convert some of these assets into bonafide NHL studs.
Most successful teams, in every sport, have a core of featured stars. Conversely, very few champion pedigree clubs are comprised of role players whose sum of the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Collecting several top shelf players is the way to move up the ladder in the NHL.
Before the NHL Draft Lottery, collecting assets seemed like a solid strategy for the Devils. They were a ways away, and it was a good way to build for the future. Now, with the addition of Nolan Patrick, who most assume is the logical player to select first overall, the New Jersey Devils unexpectedly have one more piece of the puzzle in place a lot sooner than expected. Adding Patrick to the core of Cory Schneider and Taylor Hall could lead some to believe the Devils are not that many foundational pieces away from becoming a contender in the next year or two.
For anyone who buys into that theory, that thought path leads one to the logical belief that the Devils should consider consolidating some of their many assets for 2-3 more top tier talents.
What are some possible avenues?
Draft Owen Tippett
Tippett is one of the stars of the OHL Mississauga Steelheads. He plays with the Devils first two selections in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian. He’s expected to go anywhere from 6th to 10th overall.
"The Devils Need To Think Big And Attempt To Bring In True NHL Stars."
How could the Devils get there? Consider their pool of available draft picks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. After the first overall pick, New Jersey has two second round selections (36th and 49th overall selections). If this was the NFL and you consulted a Draft Value Chart, those two have enough points to move up to something around the 15-17th selection. That’s not quite high enough for Tippett, but if they threw in another promising player, the Devils could move up enough to select this top shelf member of the NHL Class of 2017. Keeping him with his junior teammates on the NHL level seems like a match made in heaven.
Sign Kevin Shattenkirk
I’m not sure I’d call him elite or top shelf, but he’s the best available free agent defenseman. The Devils have the cap room and need a first pairing type of guy. Making a solid 7-year, $45-49 million offer for him is a no-brainer. Shattenkirk would massively upgrade New Jersey’s power play and add immediate credibility to a beleaguered defensive corps. This is an overvalue, and I wish Shattenkirk was stronger on the back end, but beggars can’t be choosers. The Devils, frankly, need more than one blueliner, and this would be a great start.
Deal Ilya Kovalchuk
Of course, we don’t know what is really happening with him. If we did, I’d try my absolute best to convert his rights into a top tier defender. You would likely need to package him with picks or players. That’s fine, but I’d be sure to extract a top 4 defenseman from any team pining for Kovy’s services. Don’t trade him for a prospect. Think big!
Take A Chance
Could the Devils find a down-on-your-luck team willing to give up on a top shelf star to change team chemistry a bit? Maybe a club like Colorado could fit the bill. Seeing someone like Matt Duchene, Mikko Rantanen or Gabriel Landeskog in red, green and white would be just what the doctor ordered for the long suffering Devils faithful.
New Jersey Devils
Indeed, it would take some serious coin to extract one of these gems for Joe Sakic’s grasp, but as long as it was not a star-for-star trade, and more of a multiple player for one exchange, it would be worth it. To say that another way, I would not trade Cory Schneider and Taylor Hall under any circumstances. They are part of the answer, not part of the problem. If you are asking me to part with a Travis Zajac or Adam Henrique in a package type deal, as much as I like them as long-time Devils, I’d pull the trigger on that exchange in a heartbeat to reel in a star player.
The Devils desperately need another veteran top line forward. A creative deal using some of those assets for a high-ceiling playmaker makes sense.
Summary
Add a few top shelf players like these to the current brew, and then mix in McLeod, Pavel Zacha and Bastian, all of a sudden the New Jersey Devils have a recipe for success. That would be an exceptionally exciting crew to watch at the Rock next year, for sure.