New Jersey Devils: 3 Teams That Should Be In On Sami Vatanen
The New Jersey Devils are finally looking like a competitive team on the ice again after it appeared the COVID-19 outbreak that hit the team a few weeks ago really knocked the players off their game. The veterans are mostly turning things around, and the rookies are stepping up and helping this team win on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, it’s all too late.
The Devils are currently ten points out of a playoff spot with 27 games to go. Is it impossible to make the postseason? That’s probably not the right word, but it’s definitely not going to happen. That means it is time to start selling off assets. The Devils are one of the few remaining sellers with the Vancouver Canucks finding themselves back in the playoff race.
The trade deadline is less than three weeks away, and teams will likely want new assets to come into the building as soon as possible. That will have them calling Tom Fitzgerald, who proved last season he is willing to part with assets well before the trade deadline. One of those assets is defenseman Sami Vatanen.
The Finnish defenseman was re-signed in the offseason after the Devils traded him last season to the Carolina Hurricanes. He got the Devils Janne Kuokkanen and a draft pick that eventually turned into goaltender Nico Daws. It was a huge haul for Vatanen, who was hurt at the time of the trade. The Devils are getting a big return from Kuokkanen alone. And now, Vatanen could turn into assets again.
Vatanen likely won’t get the same return as he did last season, but he will certainly have a following around the league. He struggled to start the season, but he has been much better as of late. That will lead to a team looking for a defenseman to push towards the playoffs to pay for his services.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers might be the surprise of the NHL season. Most analysts are focusing on the disappointments like the Dallas Stars and Buffalo Sabres, but the Panthers have been one of the best stories of the season. They didn’t have a ton of expectations coming in, but with Joel Quenneville running the ship, they are firmly in a playoff spot.
The Panthers are one of the few teams that are allowing fans to watch games at a 25% capacity. That means they are looking to regain ticket revenues at a higher clip than other teams around the league. This will force the team to keep the winning ways alive through the postseason push.
The Panthers defense has been the catalyst in keeping them in the race for the top of the Central Division. They are mostly keeping pace with the Tampa Bay Lightning short of losing a recent two-game series. Aaron Ekblad has been outstanding. Keith Yandle bounced back from early-season embarrassments.
Vatanen has played on his offhand before, so that allows the Panthers to find a place in this lineup. They have Ekblad, Radko Gudas, and Anton Stralman on the right side, but Vatanen could provide crucial depth to the Panthers blue line.
One injury to the Panthers defense could spell doom, because they are basically working at capacity right now. Getting another body like Vatanen in could be really good for their push to the playoffs. This allows them to give older defensemen like Yandle and Strahlman days off as the schedule gets tighter towards the end of the season. It would be a good idea, especially for the price.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Right now, most people expected the Columbus Blue Jackets to start selling as the team was falling apart. There was talks of wanted to walk away from John Tortorella, a riff with new star Patrik Laine, and issues up and down the roster. The Blue Jackets, despite all this turmoil, are currently tied in points with the Chicago Blackhawks. They are both fighting for the fourth and final spot in the postseason in the Central Division.
The Blue Jackets are sitting at hockey .500, with a record of 13-13-7. It’s not a great team and they should likely sell. However, we’ve seen the Blue Jackets and Jarmo Kekäläinen get aggressive in years past. They don’t mind losing players to free agency, so Vatanen’s one-year deal won’t scare them away. Could the Blue Jackets still sell off assets and go after Vatanen? Sure, since the price is going to be a middle-round pick.
The Jackets currently have their 3rd, 4th, and two 5th-round picks (one of which is the Devils’ 5th-round pick they got in the Ryan Murray trade). They likely won’t want to part with the 3rd since they don’t have a second, but they can add a prospect to make the trade more appealing to the Devils.
The Blue Jackets have a fine top line, even if Seth Jones isn’t what he used to be. The second and third pair leave a lot to be desired. The Blue Jackets could have their cake and eat it too by trading David Savard for one asset, then bringing Vatanen in for a smaller asset. It seems like Savard is more highly regarded amongst NHL teams, so they could get similar production while actually upgrading assets.
Boston Bruins
Any conversation about defensive depth has to include the Boston Bruins this season. They are still holding on to the last playoff spot in the East. It’s actually under the radar that all it takes for one of the favorites in the East to miss the playoffs is a hot streak by the Philadelphia Flyers (which seems almost impossible right now).
The Bruins will do everything in their power to keep their playoff streak alive. This is still a team with a great top six and a top-three goalie in the league. That is the type of team that can get hot in the playoffs and win the entire thing. Those teams know what their window looks like. They also know exactly what they need at the trade deadline to make it work with the current roster. While the Bruins might be in on other Devils like Kyle Palmieri, Vatanen would really work out well.
The Bruins are currently putting out a bottom line of Jack Ahcan and Steve Kampfer. That’s not ideal in the least bit. Multiple injuries have led them here, but some of those injuries could linger. Vatanen, once again, won’t cost a ton and can provide an immediate boost to the Bruins roster.
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The Devils seem to love Vatanen, which they showed when they surprisingly re-signed him in the offseason. They will want to do right by him, and trading him to a Bruins team that still has a legitimate chance to not only make the postseason but win a championship would be that. The Bruins need a versatile defenseman. Vatanen just makes sense.