The New Jersey Devils and Arizona Coyotes met for a mid-season trade just last season. Could their GMs make the call again before the NHL Trade Deadline?
The Arizona Coyotes are always a very intriguing team when it comes to the trade market. They seem to always play both sides, acquiring really good NHL talent while also making moves to build up their prospect pool. This makes them a fit for most teams during the NHL Trade Deadline, but should the New Jersey Devils try to make a deal work with them?
The Coyotes are just six points out of a playoff spot despite being under .500. It could mean a lot for that franchise if they were able to move into a playoff spot. Right now, six players on that team have 11 goals. That’s pretty decent depth scoring. The problem is it’s not depth scoring, it’s all their scoring. Nobody has more goals than that. Scoring is a major problem for Arizona.
Arizona has been making multiple trades to try and make their team better. They sent Max Domi to the Montreal Canadiens in the offseason for Alex Galchenyuk. Then, this season they made two moves to get Nick Schmaltz from Chicago and Jordan Weal from Philadelphia. They are clearly looking to shake things up.
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The Devils can help them shake things up. Another offense for offense trade could have the Devils asking about Vinnie Hinostroza. He came to the Devils in the move that took the Marian Hossa contract off the Blackhawks’ books. He’s been decent this season, with 20 points in 45 games. His big issue is he’s 5’9, and the Devils have a few guys who lack in size.
Lawson Crouse is another name that would be interesting. The Florida Panthers sent him to the Coyotes along with Dave Boland for a couple draft picks. He’s still very young, and already an NHL regular, so this might not be the move we see because Arizona will probably want at least a second-round pick plus a prospect for him.
I think what we end up seeing is both teams going after an AHL forward that they think they can fix. For the Arizona Coyotes, that player will likely be John Quenneville. He’s just not working out for the Devils on the NHL team, with zero points in 15 games this season. However, he’s been very good when he’s on the ice for the Binghamton Devils, with 26 points in 27 games. There’s some kind of mental block there.
A player with similar issues is the Coyotes former first-round pick Nick Merkley. He’s been in the AHL for two seasons, but has not done enough to secure an NHL call up. Getting on a new team could give him the motivation he needs to take the next step. He looked good last season in the AHL, with 39 points in 38 games, but this year he’s been injured.
Both these players have issues that can be fixed. With Quenneville, it’s a mental block once he gets to the NHL. If the Coyotes give him a real opportunity, he could help their offensive issues like he does in the AHL. Merkley gives the Devils a player that could really help next season, which is exactly what they’re looking for right now.