The New Jersey Devils have some major flaws that are showing itself over the past month. The biggest flaw, that’s been there all season, is the play of the defense. Trading for Oliver Ekman-Larsson could fix that overnight.
We are all kind of waiting to see what’s to come of this New Jersey Devils season. There are a ton of question marks, as the team finds itself in yet another losing streak. However, somehow the team finds itself sitting in a playoff spot, mostly thanks to the ridiculous start to the season.
Because of that, we still need to consider the Devils buyers in this market. Their biggest need by far is defense. While someone who could score on the power play would be nice, the blue line has been atrocious at times, and barely above average at its best.
The team already made a move this season to improve the blue line, trading for Sami Vatanen from the Anaheim Ducks, but clearly more needs to be done.
That’s where the Arizona Coyotes come in. The team in the desert is going through yet another rebuilding year. After making it to the Western Conference Finals in 2012, the team has been near the bottom of the league every year since. This year is no different.
While the Coyotes are in the basement of the NHL once again, that doesn’t mean they are devoid of talent. There are some good players on this team. Clayton Keller has been a rookie sensation. Derek Stepan came over from the New York Rangers and provided a veteran presence. Max Domi should be a great talent, but is shooting a putrid 2.8%.
The star player on this team is Oliver Ekman-Larsson. The 26-year-old defenseman could be one of the best in the league, but can’t really break the glass ceiling in his current situation. He’s currently in his eighth season with the Coyotes, so he knows the ups and downs of the franchise.
He’s probably going to hit 100 goals for his career sometime this season. That just shows what this guy brings to the table. This isn’t just a shutdown player, this is a guy who can rocket one from the point and send it into the net.
The market for Ekman-Larsson will be heavy. That will bring issues when it comes to the prospects of bringing him to New Jersey.
Devils GM Ray Shero has said in the past he has no interest in mortgaging the future to play for this season. He isn’t going to send his best prospects for a player that isn’t sticking around. His first-round pick is almost untouchable.
I saw almost because it will be hard to get a better player than Oliver Ekman-Larsson with that pick.
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Ekman-Larsson has one year left on his contract after this season. That means the Devils can re-sign him long term in the offseason. If Shero believes based on conversations with Ekman-Larsson that he will re-sign, then he could make a bigger move than previously believed.
There is no doubt the Devils would immediately improve with Ekman-Larsson, but at what cost?
At the end of the day, I think that the price for Ekman-Larsson may be too much, but let’s give it a shot anyway.
For Shero to get his guy, I think he needs to let go of a first-round pick. Other teams will be more than willing to let go of the pick, so Shero needs to be as well. The trade would look something like Oliver Ekman-Larsson for a first-round pick, a conditional second-round pick in 2019 if he re-signs, and Steve Santini.
Next: New Jersey Devils Trade Deadline Profile: Mike Hoffman
It’s a lot to give up. Like, a terribly high amount, but this is a franchise defenseman in a market where the Coyotes hold all the cards. They could easily just wait until the offseason, when he could re-sign with a team as part of a deal. To make it happen this month, a team has to wow the Coyotes. Santini has had some mistakes, but he has serious upside. He’s also 22 years old. That’s the kind of player the Yotes look for. Add in the picks, and the prospect that the first rounder could still be in the first half of the draft, and the Coyotes would be willing to make that move.