New Jersey Devils: What Would It Cost To Trade First-Overall Pick?

The New Jersey Devils won the NHL Draft Lottery last week, and speculation has run rampant. Some other teams think they could offer a package to get said pick from the Devils. What would such a deal cost another team?

The New Jersey Devils are in a great spot when it comes to the non-playoff teams. Their reigning MVP Taylor Hall is finally getting healthy. Their goalie situation is in the best place it’s been in three years. The best prospects are on the cusp of being NHL ready. Then, of course, they have the number-one overall pick in the NHL Draft.

Right now, the Devils have a choice between Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. Nobody else is worth discussing. Bowen Byram would be great on this team, but not when you have a chance to get a talent that could carry your team for a decade. Kakko and Hughes are likely to become stars right out the gate.

With the envy that comes with winning the NHL Draft Lottery twice in three seasons, some other team’s fans have been making fantasy trades in order to get the Devils pick. A lot of this trade speculation comes from Vancouver Canucks fans who hope to paid Jack Hughes with his brother Quinn Hughes. Honestly, take a second to read this thread:

Unfortunately, a large majority of these trade proposals are quite bad. One had the Canucks trading Bo Horvat for the pick straight up. Not even giving up their 10th pick in the trade. Either way, that had us thinking, what would it cost for the Devils to trade down in this draft?

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In short, it would cost a lot. Like, not Matt Duchene a lot, it should cost even more. This is a player who has the chance to be one of the best in the NHL, and you get him at a cost controlled contract for years. That’s insane value.

The Devils probably won’t consider it for anything, but there are very, very few players in this league that would get this pick straight up. It would have to come in a trade down, and you’re still giving up a star player. The Devils might consider it from the Canucks if they decided to offer Brock Boeser and the 10th overall pick, but again that likely won’t be enough.

The Devils are more likely to trade with a team closer to their pick willing to give up something huge.

Let’s say the Colorado Avalanche really want Jack Hughes. Like, really want him. They were banking on getting him, but the lottery balls did not fall their way. What would the Devils need from them to go from one to four? They would get an amazing prospect in either Bowen Byram or maybe Dylan Cozens, but that’s a major drop off from Jack Hughes. Would the Avs be willing to give up Gabriel Landeskog? What about Tyson Barrie? This is likely the only way the Devils consider moving the pick, as the Avs aren’t trading Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makae or Nathan MacKinnon.

If they talk to the Chicago Blackhawks, how much would two spots in the draft be worth? Is Brandon Saad enough to entice the Devils? Probably not. Alex Debrincat would be closer to acceptable compensation.

You get the point. The Devils aren’t trading this pick unless they get a superstar in return. That’s on top of getting a top pick in this draft. If a team is below five in the draft, it’s going to cost a 1st this year, 1st next year and a superstar. This is Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko we’re talking about. While not the prospects that Connor McDavid was, they have an argument for the best since him.