Travis Zajac
Chances He Gets Traded: 40%
Like Andy Greene last season, this one is going to hurt. Travis Zajac was drafted in the 1st round of the 2004 NHL Draft. He’s been a member of the New Jersey Devils ever since. He just recently passed 1,000 games played, and he’s the last player on the team that’s played in the Stanley Cup Final as a member of the Devils. That 2012 run was something to remember, and it doesn’t happen if Zajac doesn’t score an overtime game winner in Game 6 against the Florida Panthers.
Zajac signed an eight-year, $46 million contract almost immediately after the 2013 collective bargaining agreement was signed. The Devils just lost Zach Parise, and Lou Lamoriello didn’t want another major asset to walk away for nothing (oh, just you wait Lou). That deal feels like forever ago. It’s actually aged nicely despite some bumps in the road along the way. Zajac is a very valuable forward for the Devils.
There are some things in the way of the Devils trading Zajac. First and foremost, he has a no-trade clause. That stopped any deals from happening last season. Zajac really seems to like living in New Jersey and spending his time with the Devils. He likely wouldn’t accept a deal to, say, Las Vegas. However, if the New York Islanders come calling, he might consider it since his family doesn’t have to move.
The Devils also might want to consider just making him a Devil for life. There aren’t many like that in the NHL anymore, and those moments when they retire are incredibly special. Seeing things like Daniel Alfredsson with the Detroit Red Wings or Patrick Marleau with the Toronto Maple Leafs just end up being weird ends to wonderful careers. Sure, it’d be nice for Zajac to chase the Stanley Cup, but the likelihood he’d win it with whatever team traded for his is still extremely low. Maybe it’s better to keep him in New Jersey and enjoy the rest of his career.