The New Jersey Devils will only make a move at this trade deadline if it makes sense now and in the future. With that in mind, we look at 10 possibilities for the team. We start with Mike Hoffman.
There have been a lot of rumors coming up to this season’s trade deadline, but not many have involved the New Jersey Devils. Some has to do with the fact that GM Ray Shero already made a major trade in sending Adam Henrique and Joe Blandisi to the Anaheim Ducks for Sami Vatanen.
While it’s rare for the Devils to make two big moves in-season, it’s not out of the question. That’s why the Devils rumor mill is going crazy for Ottawa Senators’ Mike Hoffman.
Hoffman would be a very good fit with the Devils. The 6’1 winger can finish great passes despite being on a bad team this season. He showed his skills in front of his possible new team when he scored a goal and an assist against the Devils on Tuesday.
He’s been very good lately, scoring six points in his past four games. It’s almost like he is trying out for his future teams that want to make a run at the playoffs.
Hoffman is a long-term move. He has two years left on his contract at a $5.1 million cap hit (according to Cap Friendly). That’s a big commitment for a player that’s being traded at the deadline. A lot of these players are rentals or have one extra year on their deal. Hoffman is not one of those players.
With that in mind, what would Hoffman be worth to the Senators?
There are a decent amount of scorers reportedly on the market. That isn’t good for the Sens, as they try to build for the future. So, what would they want from the Devils?
Jersey’s team has a decent amount of assets that could be available to teams in trades. They have some good young centers in the system, which will be coveted during this year’s deadline.
Will the Devils need to give up one of their best prospects to get Hoffman? Will the Senators demand players like John Quenneville, Michael McLeod or Pavel Zacha? For what they are getting, those players may be too much when considering the draft picks that will likely be part of the deal.
One thing to make clear, it is almost impossible to get the Devils to part with first-round picks. That means the Devils will likely have to part with prospects and lower-round picks.
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How do the Devils make this trade happen? It will have to include the Devils current second-round pick. That will be hard to part with, since they lost three picks in the second and third rounds in trades for Vatanen and Marcus Johansson, but when getting legit NHL players it is worth it. Beyond that, the Devils can go one of two ways. Shero can either add in one of the players proving themselves in the NHL like Blake Coleman, or sends a high-ceiling prospect that hasn’t shown it all.
So here’s the possible deal. Mike Hoffman to the Devils in exchange for a second-round pick and Blake Coleman. While I think the Devils will try to put a player like Fabian Zetterlund in this deal, the Senators will ask for a player who’s going to contribute now.
So, what do you think? Is moving Coleman and a pick worth getting a player like Hoffman? Do you think it’s enough or too much? As always, yell at me on Twitter if you disagree or say something nice @pitchforkedpuck.