New Jersey Devils Trade Partner: San Jose Sharks
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils and San Jose Sharks are very unlikely trade partners. This Sharks team is in a very weird spot and could decide to go for it this season, or could blow it up and start over.
If the San Jose Sharks did not re-sign anyone (impossible, I know, but just a hypothetical), there would be seven players on the rosters after next season, and just three on the team in 2020-21. It makes this season very interesting, and could be a reason New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero could look to make a deal.
The Sharks currently have $7 million in cap space after signing Evander Kane to a seven-year, $7 million per season deal. That will likely go up to $12-13 million with the rising salary cap. That’s not terrible, but will go down significantly once they sign their restricted free agents. Also, the Sharks are weirdly one of the teams tied to impending free agent center John Tavares. They definitely need more space to make a run at the big fish on the market.
This is such a long shot, but it’s worth a phone call. The Devils should inquire in on Tomas Hertl. He was awesome in the playoffs this season, and might have made himself some money in those final ten games. He scored six goals, and added three assists. Three of those goals came in the sweep of the Anaheim Ducks, and the other three came against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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There’s no doubt the fit of Hertl on the Devils. He would immediately slot onto the Devils second line with Pavel Zacha and Marcus Johansson. That puts two bonafide 20 goal scorers alongside Zacha, giving him a real chance next season.
The problem is, Shero would need a godfather offer to pry Hertl away from San Jose. He’s definitely not worth what the Sharks will likely ask for in exchange.
There aren’t many rumors surrounding Hertl, which shows how unlikely it is to make this deal happen. It starts with the Devils first-round pick, and future picks could also be involved. Shero hasn’t traded a first-round pick since he took over for Lou Lamoriello. I don’t see him doing it here.
If the Sharks can’t sign Hertl late in the offseason and Shero can swoop in when the timing is right, it needs to happen. As of right now, the Devils and Sharks would be hard-pressed to make a deal happen.