New Jersey Devils Tied To Erik Karlsson Trade. What Might It Look Like?

The New Jersey Devils have been tied as a third team in the trade that would send Erik Karlsson to the Tampa Bay Lightning. How could they help make a trade between Atlantic Division rivals work?

A few hours ago, a blogger by the name of Tyler Zuppan with We The People Sports wrote a hypothetical article tying the New Jersey Devils as the third team in a trade between the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is the trade that would send Erik Karlsson to the Sunshine State.

Now, I do not agree with the article’s trade proposal. If you didn’t click, it basically goes like this:

Lightning get: Erik Karlsson

Senators get: Brayden Point, Cal Foote, Pavel Zacha, New Jersey’s 2019 first round draft pick, and Tampa Bay’s 2019 third round draft pick

Devils get: Tyler Johnson, Ryan Callahan, and Tampa Bay’s 2020 second round draft pick

I’ll be honest with you, I enjoy the haul the Devils are getting, but giving up on a 21-year-old center who was the sixth pick in the draft, on top of this year’s first-round pick is a ton. It’s honestly too much to give up when you’re negotiating from a point of power. The Lightning need the Devils in this deal. For one, they don’t have a first-round pick, and two they have no cap space to make this deal work.

Then, tonight, a source actually tied the Devils to this trade.

No, David is not Bob McKenzie or Pierre LeBrun, but he’s been on top of things this offseason.

So now that we know this is real, what could a three-way trade actually look like?

I think, unfortunately, the Devils will lose their first-round pick in the deal. With the Lightning first-round pick being tied to the Rangers with conditions and the Senators first-round pick was lost in the Matt Duchene trade.

I did like the aspect of the trade that brought Tyler Johnson to New Jersey. That’s a player the Devils will really covet. Ryan Callahan is something that will likely come too if his no-trade clause doesn’t have the Devils on it.

So, here’s a possible trade:

Ottawa Gets: Cal Foote, Brayden Point,  Brandon Gignac, New Jersey’s 2019 first round draft pick, Tampa’s 2020 second-round pick and third round pick.

Tampa Gets: Erik Karlsson

New Jersey Gets: Tyler Johnson, Ryan Callahan, Bobby Ryan (with Ottawa paying 50% of contract), and Eric Cernak.

(editor’s note: changed from $5 million retained to 50% retained because of CBA restrictions).

I think the Lightning will do everything they can to keep Mikhail Sergachev. With only two other defensemen signed next year, it will put them in a very bad position if they lose him.

While I have no idea how Nikita Kucherov is going to work money wise for Tampa, there’s no way they add him into a deal. I think the Devils would give up Pavel Zacha and the first if it was for Kucherov, but again that’s not happening.

So let’s talk the proposed trade. I know everyone in their right mind would hate to add Bobby Ryan’s contract to this deal, but I can see the Senators calling for it. The Devils can talk them into paying for a large majority of the deal, bringing his cap his for the Devils to $2.25 million for the next four years. I know Ryan has been a disappointment, but he’s definitely worth just over $2 million. Even if he only scores 12-15 goals per season (I think a change of scenery makes him a 20-25 goal scorer, but we’ll go with what we have), that’s well worth the price.

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Callahan has to be moved. He will play fourth-line minutes next to Brian Boyle this season. He also blocks all the shots, helping his goalie. Also, his contract is done in two years, when the Devils need to pay Taylor Hall.

Johnson gives the Devils a legit number-two center, allowing them to move Zacha to the wing for good. He can make up for the loss of Adam Henrique last season. He’s provide 20-30 goal seasons for the rest of his contract.

Ray Shero is going to ask for a close-to-ready defensive prospect in this deal. I would want Slater Koekkoek, but he signed three days ago to a new contract. A team is not allowed to trade a player right after signing them. Eric Cernak is 21 years old and can play a big shutdown role. He may need a year or two in the AHL before he’s ready, but the Devils can afford that.

The trade would work without some parts, like the Ryan contract if Ottawa isn’t willing to eat up that much. However, I think everyone walks away from that trade happy. The Devils get a legitimate forward group and a defensive prospect. It loses a first-round pick, but that’s a legitimate trade. Now, the Devils just have to make moves to make that pick as bad as possible. Ottawa gets an amazing future defenseman in Foote, a star in Point and a first-round pick. Tampa gets Karlsson. It’s as close to a win-win-win as I could find.