New Jersey Devils: Grading Trade Deadline Deals

1. Brian Boyle for 2nd Round Pick

This trade gets an A-. This move is something that hit home for the New Jersey Devils and their fans. They traded one of the most popular players on the roster. Brian Boyle went to the Nashville Predators in exchange for a second-round pick.  If you are looking at it from a pure hockey point of view, it is a great trade. It would get an A instead of an A- if it wasn’t such a beloved player.

In a short time with the organization, he had an impact that is like no other player has had and it will never be forgotten. He was diagnosed with cancer during his first training camp with the team and nothing was really the same since.

The team and the community that follows the team came together and helped Brian get through it and made it easy for him to come in and play hockey once he was medically cleared. It was inspiring to all to see him get back at it and be such an impactful player in such a limited on-ice role.

He is a 4th-line player on most teams. Albeit a top-level 4th liner, still a 4th liner nonetheless. That is why getting a 2nd-round draft pick for him is really cool. Brian Boyle was an all star in 2018 as an injury replacement for Taylor Hall, and that can be blamed on his story on top of having a good season for the Devils.

In 116 games with the Devils over a season and a half, he had 26 goals and 16 assists for 42 points. That is excellent offensive production from a guy who is supposedly a 4th-line center.

Now, it is up to the Devils management and scouting staff to do something with this 2nd-round pick that will likely be in the later third of the second round because Nashville is that good.