1. Trading Joey Anderson For Andreas Johnsson
Some might be upset about Joey Anderson going the other way, but adding Andreas Johnsson was unequivocally a major win for the Devils. The Devils need scoring in a bad way for Hischier and Hughes, and Johnsson provides that. He was injured last season, which likely led to the Devils getting him for one tweener NHLer (although a very young one with a ton of upside as a two-way player).
Johnsson is only 25 years old, and already has a 20-goal season to his name. This is a smart risk the Devils are making, possibly getting a player who could hit a 30-goal plateau in the right situation. This is the deal that improves the Devils the most. Murray has a laundry list of injuries that hurt his value. Crawford definitely helps as a backup, but Blackwood is still the guy. Johnsson will play some time on the Devils top line. If he’s not there, he will be glued at Hughes’ hip, building off a frustrating year on the scoresheet. Hughes slumped last season, but there’s a lot to build there.
Johnsson is right in the age range the Devils were looking for. He’s actually only three years older than Anderson, so it’s not like they are losing a player for the future for one for the present. Johnsson is signed for three more seasons, and he’d be a smart extension if he’s able to progress like it seems he can.
The Devils made some great moves this past week, but they probably aren’t completely done. There’s a lot of value on the market right now. Fitzgerald will be out looking for the right deal. If it’s there, it’ll happen. For now, we’re very happy with the state of the Devils’ roster.