Pavel Zacha
This one doesn’t need a ton of explaining, but it is like the Devils would be selling an asset they spent a lot of at the nadir of his value. Pavel Zacha is in a dreadful scoring slump right now, and the fanbase is just over it. He has 18 points in 38 games this season, which is basically on a 36 point pace for the year.
Teams aren’t really pining for 36-point players, but Zacha is a little different. He’s a former sixth-overall pick, and teams will always be intrigued by that. He had 35 points in 50 games last season, which is a 57-point pace. He was tied for the Devils lead in goals, and he provided a lot of necessary offense from a middle-six role.
For this deal to work, Zacha needs to go on one of his patented hot streaks. Right now, he’s gone pointless in 12 of his last 14 games. He had a goal and an assist in the Carolina Hurricanes game, which was an important one for this team, but besides that, he’s been a ghost. The thing about Zacha is he will ghost, but then out of nowhere, he will be the hottest scorer on the team. Hopefully, that hot streak comes soon.
If it does, then he will turn some heads at the trade deadline. He’s a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and the Devils likely have no idea what to do with him. He likely wants a raise, but has he earned one? Can the Devils really pay Zacha $3 million per season or more for what he provides this offense? On paper, he’s a second-line winger who has the ability to play center when necessary. In reality, he’s hamstringing the Devils by always taking a spot despite being extremely volatile on the offensive side of the ice. The Devils might want to get off the Zacha roller coaster even if it gets exciting again.