5. Make A Trade For A Superstar
This is the one that might stand out, but it’s not as hard as it might seem. The Devils were in on Vladimir Tarasenko all offseason. He never got moved. The Devils are likely still calling the Blues just to see what his update is. Word was that teams, including the Devils, were scared off by his shoulder injury. If Tarasenko shows he can still play his style at his age despite the injuries, it could push a trade further along.
Tarasenko is not the only superstar that will be on the block. Filip Forsberg is another player that comes with a price. He is in the final year of his deal, and he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. That’s a risk for a Devils team that isn’t exactly a traditional contender, but the price might drop far enough for Tom Fitzgerald’s liking.
Tomas Hertl, Johnny Gaudreau, and Phil Kessel could all be on the move. The Devils have the cap space to take up just about anyone. They currently have around $9 million in cap space, but that will get closer to $12 million once the Devils finalize their roster based on which players are healthy and which ones get sent down to the AHL. Plus, if these trades happen midseason, they only have to pay that percentage of the cap space.
The Devils have the space, the assets, and the need to make a superstar trade. This is the right time to do it midseason.