5. 2019 NHL Trade Deadline
Again, this wasn’t a bad deadline. The Devils got good value from the pieces they had available. Brian Boyle surprisingly got them a 2nd-round pick. The Nashville Predators were once again making trades with the Devils, as Shero and David Poile made a deal. Boyle was traded on February 6th, about two weeks before the actual deadline. It would kick off a flurry of moves that added some draft capital to the Devils system.
The Devils then traded Ben Lovejoy for Connor Carrick and a 3rd-round pick. Lovejoy was actually playing really well, and the Devils still miss his presence. However, he retired at the end of the season, so they let him make one last run with the Dallas Stars. It was great value for Lovejoy, especially since Carrick played really well. He earned a two-year contract in the offseason, and he’s still on the team today (although he’s in Binghamton right now).
Then, the Devils got a 2nd and 4th-round pick from the Boston Bruins for Marcus Johansson. The outside hope was he’d go for a 1st rounder, but that was always a long shot. Getting a 2nd+ for him was a minor win.
Also, Shero was able to get a 5th-round pick for Keith Kinkaid, who had absolutely no value. Sure, it was a 5th rounder in 2022, but that’s still something for a player who nobody really wanted. Kinkaid has surprisingly stuck around the NHL over the past two years, finding a spot on the Rangers this season. He never made an appearance for the Columbus Blue Jackets.