New Jersey Devils Trade Deadline Profile: Boston Bruins

The New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins always seem to be fits at the NHL Trade Deadline. They’ve only made one deal in recent years, but this year they could hit the well once again.

The New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins became trade deadline partners in 2016, when the Devils got a haul for Lee Stempniak. The Bruins sent two draft picks the Devils way, one that eventually went to the San Jose Sharks for Mirco Mueller and another that brought the Devils Evan Cormier. In hindsight, it seems like both teams lost that trade, but when remembering the Devils also got the pick that turned into Marian Studenic it doesn’t look so bad.

This season, the Bruins are probably the least talked about powerhouse in the NHL. That’s what happens when the two best teams in the league play in your division. They are facing a first-round matchup with the Toronto Maple Leafs and their immense fire power. The Bruins are very good, but are they good enough to once again take out the Leafs now that they’ve added John Tavares and Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander are one year older?

The Bruins need to be a team that’s aggressive during the NHL Trade Deadline. They have a good team, but the way the playoff format works this good team will likely be golfing by the third week of April.

The one player analysts tie to the Bruins is the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Artemi Panarin, but that’s a dream scenario. John Tortorella is not the most secure coach, and they are fighting for a playoff spot. Trading away their best forward, even in a contract year, may not be in the cards. If Panarin isn’t on the market, the Bruins will need to look at the next best thing. That next best thing might be Devils forward Marcus Johansson.

Johansson has been on a tear as of late, recording 10 points in the last 12 games, including five goals. He’s been on the top line with Nico Hischier, who’s playing some of his best hockey. Kyle Palmieri and Jesper Bratt have been sharing the right wing role, and in most games it’s not a huge drop off. Obviously, Johansson is no Taylor Hall, but he’s been suitable on that first line.

Johansson could slot into his best position if he goes to the Bruins. He could go right into that second-line left wing spot. The Bruins would be hard pressed not to make a move for a winger, with rookie Karson Kuhlman forced to play on the second line. Sure, he’s playing fine, but it’s been a couple games.

The injury to David Pastrnak really hurt this team. The entire forward group looks much worse without him in the lineup. His injury isn’t season ending, but he’s out a while.

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Johansson could fill his role for now as a scorer and power play contributor. Unlike other Devils players, he also brings a ton of playoff experience. He has 30 points in the post season, and has been in the playoffs the last five seasons.

Now, there’s one thing that could stop this trade in its tracks. Johansson missed close to three months after Brad Marchand elbowed him straight in the head, giving him a concussion. He did not mince words when talking about it, and thought Marchand should have faced stronger punishment. For all we know, the Bruins are one of the teams on Johansson’s no-trade list. One might not want to play next to the guy who seemingly purposely hurt you, or at the very least made a dirty play that cost you three months of your career.

If that trade can’t work, it becomes slim pickings for the Devils and Bruins on the trade front. They won’t want upcoming free agents like Keith Kinkaid, Ben Lovejoy or Drew Stafford. They need a scorer at the deadline, and nothing else really matters to them. They have plenty of bottom-of-the-roster guys who can fill those roles.

Travis Zajac is a guy to solidify that bottom six and to add scoring, but they can’t afford that contract since they need to pay Charlie McAvoy in the offseason. Miles Wood is an interesting name, but it would be a weird fit on that team.

This seems like it’s Marcus Johansson or bust. It could be bust, but let’s pretend Johansson is willing to let bygones be bygones. What could the Devils command from the Bruins?

With the situation the Bruins find themselves, there’s really only one move to make. The Devils are going to demand their first-round pick. In other trades, we see if there are prospects to move so that team doesn’t need to lose their first in order to get a rental, but this is a different situation. The Bruins need this guy if they don’t get Panarin, and if they tried to get Panarin, they likely floated that pick already. The core of this team keeps getting older (funny how that happens), and there are few contingency plans in place.

So that’s the trade. It’s simple, but effective for both teams. The Bruins give up that first round pick, while the Devils give up Johansson. Again, it needs to be clear that Johansson holds the cards here. If he doesn’t want to play with Marchand then he won’t play with him. However, we’ve seen in the past that players are willing to temporarily put aside differences in order to try to win Lord Stanley’s Cup.