New Jersey Devils: How Likely Will These Players Make This Team?

Nico Hischier 99.9999999%

There’s almost nothing that would get Ray Shero to trade away Nico Hischier. Even if Nico tells Ray he wants nothing to do with signing an extension this offseason, he still has a full year on his rookie deal. Shero is not trading away the future of this franchise unless the other team overpays. Even if, say, Vancouver offered Elias Petterson, Shero still opts to keep Nico in New Jersey.

Mackenzie Blackwood 99%

This might seem high for Mackenzie Blackwood, being the second most likely player on the entire time. Remember, injury is not taken into account here. Blackwood is the future of the goaltender position. Even if he doesn’t win the starting gig coming out of training camp, the Devils are going to give him all his opportunities on the NHL level. They are also not trading him now. He’s the only player they have in the system that’s shown the ability to steal the net on a nightly basis.

Jesper Bratt 95%

Jesper Bratt is the type of player Shero is going to get 100 calls about in the offseason. They see how well he’s playing at such a young age, then they realize Shero only needed to use a 6th-round pick to get him. They will look to get a steal in acquiring Bratt before he really explodes, but Shero won’t budge. The only way this could happen is if Shero moves him in a monster trade (cough, cough, Patrik Laine).

Kyle Palmieri 90%

Kyle Palmieri has one of the most affordable contracts in the NHL. Think about this, the Philadelphia Flyers are paying James van Riemsdyk $7 million per season to score 26 goals and record 18 assists. Palmieri has slightly better numbers for $4.3 million. His contract is such a steal, Shero will be wary of ever trading it away, especially while he’s still in his prime.

Andy Greene 90%

There was a possibility that the Devils would have traded Andy Greene at the trade deadline, but it’s much less likely in the offseason. Teams tend to overpay for that “one final piece” towards the end of the season. Before they go into the season, a player like Greene is more valuable to the Devils than he would be to other teams. He gets some flack, but if he was just able to play a third-line role that kills penalties at an elite level, then he would still be a great asset for this team. Also, he’s the captain and trading the captain shakes a locker room.

Travis Zajac 90%

Travis Zajac had a nice bounce-back season this year. Not as many people are screaming from the mountain tops to call for Zajac to be traded back to Lou Lamoriello and the New York Islanders or his hometown Winnipeg Jets. This season, he won back the affection of New Jersey Devils fans. He’s third on the team in points, plays a dynamite penalty killing role, and is a major leader in this locker room. If he can continue to score 15-20 goals for the remainder of his contract, things won’t look so bad.

Blake Coleman 90%

Blake Coleman emerged as one of the most clutch Devils on the roster. He does a little bit of everything. He scored an amazing shootout goal against the Arizona Coyotes. He blocks shots during the penalty kill, and takes them the other way. He keeps goals out of the net, and found his scoring stroke this season. There’s zero reason the Devils should trade Coleman, unless it’s to bring another very young superstar here.