Should New Jersey Devils Trade First-Round Draft Pick For William Nylander?

Obviously, there has been a lot of talk over the last month or so in terms of what the New Jersey Devils will do with their 2nd overall pick. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that they will hold onto the pick and most likely draft Juraj Slafkovsky.

However, there have been a few hypothetical draft scenarios, and I would like to add another. Recently, one of my colleagues (who covers the Toronto Maple Leafs) offered me a pretty compelling trade package. The deal involves the Devils trading away their 2nd overall pick, Mackenzie Blackwood, and Damon Severson for William Nylander, the rights to Jack Campbell, Rasmus Sandin, and the 25th overall pick in the same draft. That would certainly be a blockbuster trade and it has its pros and cons.

Nylander was third on the Leafs in points with 80, and also had a productive postseason. He would definitely be a huge help on the Devils’ top-six pairings. He gives them more depth and production at the forward position. Not to mention he’s just 26 years old, so he still has room to grow and develop his game. As for Campbell, he would definitely be an upgrade over Blackwood.

Should the New Jersey Devils pursue a blockbuster deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs?

There have been rumors circulating that the Devils will try to pursue Campbell in free agency. So, getting his services would help fill a void at the goalie position. An area that the Devils struggled mightily in last season. Lastly, the 25th-overall pick still guarantees that the Devils will have at least a first-round draft pick this year. Obviously, it’s at the tail end of the draft but the Devils have a history of finding diamonds in the rough. Some of which include Jesper Bratt and Yegor Sharangovich. They also selected Dawson Mercer in the mid-first round a couple of years ago.

The overall problem with this trade would be longevity. Since Nylander only has two years left remaining on his contract, it becomes a major risk. In addition to that, he has been heavily criticized for not playing physically enough on the offensive end.

Campbell is also a bit of a question mark. If the Leafs were to hypothetically trade him to the Devils right now, then the Devils would only have his rights. That means they have first dibs to speak with him and his agent before the start of unrestricted free agency. So, there would have to be mutual interest between both sides. Otherwise, things could get messy.

As for Sandin, he’s a bit of a wild card because he had to deal with injuries this past season. He also hasn’t been in the league too long, so his track history isn’t extensive. However, he is projected to have a nice career in the long run.

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Clearly, this is another hypothetical trade that’s making its way through the hockey community. Most likely the Devils will hold onto their draft pick, but it’s still fun to discuss possible avenues and directions that could happen.