New Jersey Devils Trade Deadline Profile: Sam Reinhart

The New Jersey Devils and GM Ray Shero are coming up quickly to the NHL Trade Deadline without making a move. With one week left until the deadline, here’s a move the Devils could make for Sam Reinhart.

The New Jersey Devils are in an interesting spot right now. They are keeping the season together with bubble gum and scotch tape after a run of injuries depleted the lineup. Marcus Johansson, Brian Gibbons, John Quenneville and Cory Schneider have missed significant time.

Now, the team is forced to cycle in Blake Pietila and Nick Lappin into the lineup, while also giving Drew Stafford and Jimmy Hayes significant time.

The injuries haven’t completely killed the team’s momentum, as they’ve just put together four-straight wins. The team is finding a way to win, but some help in forward depth can go a long way.

That’s where Devils general manager Ray Shero could step in. Plans may have changed from upgrading the defense to adding to the forward depth.

Shero may be giving the Buffalo Sabres a call during the next week. The team is currently in the basement of the Eastern Conference. Despite that, they have some real forward talent that can be had.

Most teams that call Buffalo will be asking about Evander Kane, and they should. He has 39 points on a team that can’t do much right. However, the asking price for Kane is insane. According to multiple sources, the Sabres want a first-round pick, a top prospect, a roster players and another draft pick in return for Kane. It’s hard to fault the Sabres for the high asking price, but there’s less than zero chance Shero gives that up for a rental.

That’s why Shero could ask about another Sabres player, Sam Reinhart.

Reinhart is a former second-overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. He clearly has a ton of talent, but he’s never been able to put it all together on the NHL level. That could be part huge expectations weighing on him, and part playing on bad Buffalo teams.

His career started great, with 23 goals in his first full season, but saw almost an immediate drop off. It’s clear Reinhart could use a change of scenery.

Reinhart is the type of player that Shero covets. The Sabres won’t mind getting rid of him because his entry-level contract ends this season. They have to make a move on him, or make a decision to pay him. Shero knows that Reinhart can easily find him game and turn it around surrounded by the talent on the Devils.

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So, what would Reinhart cost? He won’t be nearly as much as Kane is, and if the Sabres get a big deal for Evander they could let Reinhart go for less.

Right now, I think Reinhart can be had for a mid-level prospect and a pick. Looking at the Devils prospect pool, they can easily make that work.

Here’s the trade I was thinking, Sam Reinhart goes to the Devils in exchange for John Quenneville and a fourth-round pick this season, and a third-round pick in 2019 conditional if he re-signs with the team.

It seems like a low price for a guy with his talent, but his upside is in serious question. Quenneville is in a similar spot, but he can give the Sabres the type of player they need right now. They don’t lose a young center without getting one in return, while adding to an impressive amount of picks (assuming they at least get another first in the Kane deal).