10 Most Impactful Trades In New Jersey Devils History

9. Blake Coleman From Stars To Devils For Jamie Langenbrunner

This will be the only “seller” trade from this era of Devils hockey. It was significant for many reasons. For one, the Devils just traded their captain in a shocker trade in the middle of the 2011 season. They were well on their way to missing the playoffs for the first time since 1996, and Lou was looking to get some assets. Langenbrunner went back to his old team in the Stars, which hopefully helped ease the blow.

However, a random trade in a lost season does not make it onto this list. The reason this moves makes the list is who that 3rd-round pick became. With the 75th over pick, the Devils selected Blake Coleman in 2011.

It took Coleman a long time to really find his true potential, but now he’s one of the most valuable Devils on the team. He’s taken yet another step in the right direction. Every season he spends in the NHL, he becomes a better player.

Coleman looks like he’s going to be a great NHL player for years to come. He exists on this roster thanks to the Devils giving up on an era, and trading away its captain. At the end of the day, this won’t look like some trades on this list, but this sure was a monumental one.