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New Jersey Devils: Forward Trade Deadline Decisions

By David Holliday

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 19: Travis Zajac #19 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers at 32 seconds of the first period at Madison Square Garden on January 19, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 19: Travis Zajac #19 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers at 32 seconds of the first period at Madison Square Garden on January 19, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils left wing Nikita Gusev (97): (Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports) /

Nikita Gusev has been bad this year to say the least. With 5 points in 20 games and both his goals coming on virtual empty nets with 10 seconds left in a meaningless game, he really has contributed nothing to the team all year. This is a far cry from last season in which he was a top 3-4 forward on this team and had an amazing 44 points in 64 games.

When trading for Gusev, a team will have to ask themselves which player are they getting and are they confident he can turn it around quickly. Moving forward on the wings, the Devils have no room for him and he will not be taking a spot in the NHL expansion draft with all the young players they would need to hold on to.

His value has to be low and the Devils will certainly not be recouping the second and third-round picks they traded for him, but if a team offers them a 3rd they should take it and run. A team might be willing to take a shot on Gusev and chalking up this year as a wash.

Mackenzie Blackwood Save Of The Year Candidate. dark. Next

Will a team pay the price for Gusev? Would the Devils be willing to give him away for almost nothing? The trade deadline comes April 12th, and there are a lot of questions that still need to be answered.

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