New Jersey Devils: Should Team Dangle John Moore?
The New Jersey Devils have been quiet coming up to next week’s trade deadline. However, with middling defensemen getting decent packages, will the team move John Moore?
The New York Rangers and Boston Bruins combined for a trade that won’t make many headlines, but still had some heads turning. Nick Holden will head north in exchange for Rob O’Gara and a third-round pick. Does this move show the New Jersey Devils they need to dangle John Moore?
The Rangers were able to turn Holden, who’s had an up-and-down career and a rough season, into not only a middle round draft pick, but a younger defenseman who can do something to contribute.
This comes on the heels of the Washington Capitals sending a third-round pick, possibly the one they acquired from the New Jersey Devils, for Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Michal Kempny.
Both players are complete rentals, with both players on their last year of their contract. Some Devils fans thought that would plummet the value of Moore, but clearly that’s not the case.
So the real question is, can the Devils and Ray Shero afford not to trade Moore before Monday? If Nick Holden and Michal Kempny are worth third-round picks, is John Moore worth a second? Can Shero get a good prospect for him before Monday?
I am tempering expectations for the trade deadline after last year’s debacle. After a decent offensive output, Shero was only able to turn P.A. Parenteau into a sixth-round pick. He took Kyle Quincey, who also had more perceived value, and was only able to get Dalton Prout in return. It was not a great deadline day for Shero.
However, things have changed drastically when it comes to Shero. The moves he’s made over the years have worked out for the better time in and time out.
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This is a defenseman starved market. With Dion Phaneuf moving to Los Angeles, and Erik Karlsson being taken off the table, the prize is now Mike Green. Once he moves from Detroit, who’s really left?
The Devils can easily take advantage of this and get something good in return for Moore. While he hasn’t been terrible as of late, he’s likely easily replaceable. The Devils have Mirco Mueller on the roster, and Steve Santini in the minors. Both players could easily duplicate the production from Moore. The only place it really hurts is in overtime.
The point is, John Moore should probably be moved prior to this week’s deadline. He’s an extra player on this Devils team, and isn’t necessarily essential to the new winning culture. Adding a draft pick could help replenish what was lost in the Marcus Johansson trade in the offseason.