New Jersey Devils: 5 Deals To Win Trade Deadline

The New Jersey Devils are in sell mode. That became more than clear after blowing a two-goal lead on Tuesday night that turned a possible seven-point deficit in the standings into a 10-point deficit. It’s only three points, but at this point of the season, it’s the difference between “holding on to hope” and “looking towards the future”.

So, let’s prepare for the future! The Devils are actually in a really good spot going into the trade deadline. The Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators have put themselves back in the playoff race. That takes off two trade contenders with incredibly intriguing pieces off the market (although, Nashville can still be floored by an offer).

That gives the Devils a chance to really take advantage of this year’s deadline. Obviously, the pandemic is making things a little complicated. The trade deadline, which comes April 12th, comes less than a month from the end of the season. With Canadian teams forced to quarantine traded players for a week, that means players only have three weeks to get practicing, learn the systems and get ready for the postseason.

Even American teams are dealing with complications that make trades harder. A flat cap has some really close to the salary cap. Even if the Devils are willing to cover salaries, that can only go so far. Plus, a lot of teams are dealing with very limited capacities at arenas. An increased rollout of the vaccine, which should help cities and states to open capacity, might help. But those decisions likely won’t come in time to help the trade deadline.

Still, the Devils have some really interesting assets in a market that could really help them in the future. Last year’s trades turned this team from a decent future built around two centers to a full forward group that might be really good sooner rather than later. Getting the assets that turned into Janne Kuokkanen, Nolan Foote, Dawson Mercer, Kevin Bahl, and Nico Daws, among others, was a major win by Tom Fitzgerald/Ray Shero. This year, Fitzgerald has less desirable assets than last season, but he has pieces that could make a real difference. Here are a few mock trades that fans will definitely agree with and nobody will have any problems with.