After a relatively quiet first day of free agency, Ray Shero and the New Jersey Devils made a splash trading for Marcus Johansson of the Washington Capitals. The team now has a legit scoring top six.
24 hours into free agency, New Jersey Devils fans were staring down another season with disappointing results. After losing out on defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to the rival New York Rangers, things looked bleak, but that all changed with one move.
The Capitals announce they have traded Marcus Johansson to the Devils for Florida’s 2018 2nd rd pick and Toronto’s 2018 3rd rd pick.
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) July 3, 2017
The Devils sent the Florida Panthers second-round pick and Toronto Maple Leafs third-round pick to the Washington Capitals in exchange for forward Marcus Johansson.
General manager Ray Shero saw a bullseye on the Capitals after the team put themselves in cap hell. They just signed Evgeny Kuznetsov to a massive eight-year deal worth $62.4 million. After that move, the team had just over $4 million dollars to make multiple restricted free agent signings.
Clearly, Johansson was supposed to be part of the Capitals future. He signed a three-year deal, worth $13.75 just last offseason. The 26 year old returned the favor with 24 goals and 34 assists without missing a game all season. He became one of the Capitals most coveted secondary scorers, giving the team confidence past Alexander Ovechkin’s line.
The Devils were able to get a legitimate top-six scorer for picks they picked up for Graham Black and Lou Lamoriello. The team still has its own second and third-round pick next year, but still get a great forward to add to the group.
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Johansson’s acquisition fills a glaring hole on the Devils. He plays right wing, by far the Devils weakest offensive position. After Kyle Palmieri, right wing looked bleak. Now, the top two at the position is solidified for at least two more years.
Johansson’s 58 points is five points more than anyone on the Devils roster last year. Obviously, playing for the Capitals helped his numbers, but he has the talent to lead the team in points.
Think about the combinations Johansson can play with on this young Devils team. He can play with Travis Zajac and Taylor Hall on the top line. He can join Adam Henrique on the second line. Nico Hischier is looking for new linemates after his first-overall selection. Johansson would fit there just fine.
There’s no doubt this is a great move for the New Jersey Devils. They showed Devils fans they need to “trust the process” to steal a line from owner Josh Harris’ other team, the Philadelphia 76ers. There is still work to be done, with the Devils still holding more than $20 million in cap space, but this was a huge move after a quiet start to free agency.