The New Jersey Devils could use help on offense. They have some really good pieces, but it’s clear their offense is missing something on the wings. The Devils called up Alex Holtz to try and fix the power play, but for whatever reason, they don’t trust him enough to be on the top six. Holtz and Yegor Sharangovich had the least amount of minutes at 5v5 against the San Jose Sharks. Ironically, the Devils expected Holtz and Sharangovich to be the long-term solution as Jack Hughes wingers, but now that role is completely open.
The Devils could really use someone who could play on the wings right now. Andreas Johnsson and Jesper Bratt are playing much better, and they are playing with Nico Hischier right now. They are usually the best line on the ice on a nightly basis. Then there’s Dawson Mercer, who is trying to make plays all by himself. The Devils desperately need a wing, and it’s likely not coming from someone inside the organization unless Sharangovich magically figures out his problems.
This is where Matthew Tkachuk comes in. Yeah, this is going to cost a ton. The Calgary Flames are partially at fault for seeing Tkachuk’s name out there, because they likely offered him in a trade or at least floated his name to the Buffalo Sabres. Of course, that was to get Jack Eichel, who is a superstar center with four years left on his contract.
The Devils theoretically don’t have Jack Eichel available. They do, however, have a lot of amazing young talent that could help the Flames now and in the future. Is there a trade worth making? We talked about the five trade candidates available right now, so let’s take a look at what each actually costs. Let’s start with Tkachuk.