New Jersey Devils: Targeting Key Calgary Flames Forwards

Johnny Gaudreau

New Jersey native Johnny Gaudreau would be a huge pickup for the Devils. On top of all he does on the ice, getting a home town guy can never be overstated. He could put people back in the seats at the Prudential Center, which has been a bit of a problem in the last few years.

Johnny Hockey is a big point producer, even bigger than former Devil and former MVP Taylor Hall is. Over the last six years, Gaudreau has averaged 25 goals a season versus Halls 21, partly thanks to injuries but this is still a factor. Both are playmakers first but put up respectable goal totals and are legit first-line players. Most importantly, they have a good enough shot that a goalie and defender need to respect that and not let them walk in.

The two play the game quite differently, however, whereas Hall is all about the speed game Gaudreau, really does his damage by creating space and moving the puck well. His ability to slide off checks instead of getting plastered into the boards constantly has kept him healthy throughout his career and that will not change. Having the hockey IQ to play small is something that is very important for players his size of only 5’9″ and is something you really can’t teach and fortunately something you don’t lose so his career should be a far safer bet at being around a long time.

Now we all remember the remarkable season Hall had where he put up 93 points in 2017-18 and a good number of people wanted to drop all the cash we could to keep him. Well, Gaudreau got 99 points just last season, which would have beat Patrik Elias‘ record for any Devil player in a season. On top of that, he has had 78 and 84-point seasons, which help him be nearly a point a game player in his career.

So why is he up for trade, and does he fit the timeline of the Devils? For the first part, the Flames fans and perhaps management don’t feel he is a big game player and that he can carry a line. They worry about the size and that if he isn’t putting up points he isn’t doing anything else. It’s a common trope with guys under 6 feet.

As for the Devils timeline, the answer is more complicated. Gaudreau just turned 27 this month whereas Hall, who is not a good fit for the Devils, is turning 29 in November. Both still have good years left, but being three years from 30 over one is a massive factor on when he will be slowing down. The other part is injuries. Gaudreau plays in nearly every game and has no nagging injuries so his body, while small, shouldn’t be breaking down at a young age nor is he one leg injury away from being finished.

As for his contract, Gaudreau is a really nice cap hit at $6.75 million and has two years left once the next season begins. Two years of a high end, bonafide first-line player for cheap that expires as he turns 29 is ideal.

So while he might be a little above the age of when the Devils may contend for the Stanley Cup, he will bring some respect back to the organization and pull the team out of the basement. Sitting in the draft lottery year after year will wear on them real fast, just ask Edmonton, so getting him to make the team competitive would be a smart idea from a team development perspective.

Right now, the Devils have very little in terms of proven wingers. Gaudreau could slot right in next to Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmieri on the first line. Teams would need to heavily focus on defending them and with the slick hands of Gaudreau feeding those two passes all year. This could end up putting bother Hischier and Palmieri in the 30-goal range. It might not be a big line in size, but they are tenacious and big in heart.

After his contract expires, the Devils will have an excellent grasp of where they are going and what they need as a team moving forward. Hischier, Bratt, Hughes, and Butcher will all be veterans while guys like Ty Smith, Nolan Foote, and Jesper Boqvist will be ending their rookie deals. At that point, we will know for sure whether to re-sign Gaudreau at a moderate deal for a few more years since he should still be an effective player and if not he would be good return at the trade deadline to get some good pieces to fill in the gaps.

The Devils should jump on bringing him home.