New Jersey Devils: 5 Players To Target On TSN’s ‘Trade Bait’ List

Shayne Gostisbehere

This one might seem hard to believe, since the Devils and Flyers never trade with each other, but Shayne Gostisbehere is such a good fit for the Devils they need to ask. The two rivals have three trades in their history. One saw Chico Resch sent to the Flyers for a pick (poor guy). The other two were inconsequential. Funnily enough, none of the trades happened during the Lou Lamoriello era.

The Devils have a glaring hold on the left side of the defense, and Gostisbehere has shown in the past that he has the ability to play first-line minutes. Yet, the Flyers are straight up making him a healthy scratch during the playoffs. What’s going on there? It doesn’t make a lot of sense from the Flyers perspective.

This clearly has the makings of a trade, and the Flyers likely don’t want a ton in return. They can’t keep him in the owner’s box when the season is on the line then turn around and ask for a significant piece for him.

Gostisbehere is still just 27 years old. His stats show he still is a pretty good defenseman with an upside that can make him really good. The Flyers want to get rid of him and the Devils have a need. These two teams never trade, but it could be the perfect opportunity to make something work. The Flyers have him signed for three more seasons after this at $4.5 million. Was his 65-point season in 2017-18 a fluke? Maybe. Is this still a defenseman well worth that price? Yes.