New Jersey Devils: 3 Trade Deadline Deals With Chicago Blackhawks
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils want to make a huge deal before the trade deadline. If the San Jose Sharks deal doesn’t go through, the Chicago Blackhawks are an interesting target.
The New Jersey Devils are looking at deals that make sense now and in the future. It’s great to say that, but the market may dictate other options. Timo Meier is the target, very obviously, but there are other options that also make sense.
The Devils have been scouting the Chicago Blackhawks as of late. That might not mean anything. Scouts spend time at nearly every team over the season, but it has been a lot of Blackhawks viewing for a team that will never see them in the playoffs. It’s clear the Devils at least have a passing interest in this roster.
The big piece available for the Blackhawks is Patrick Kane. He made it clear he wasn’t happy when the New York Rangers traded for Vladimir Tarasenko. Would Kane accept a trade to the Devils, a team close enough to New York City, his desired destination? It doesn’t matter. The Devils shouldn’t target this version of Kane. He’s a clear rental for the Devils, and that won’t be worth the price to get him. One player who might be a long-term move is Jonathan Toews.
The Devils could make Toews work on this roster. Remember how the Devils used Travis Zajac before he was traded to the New York Islanders? They found the one way to make him the most valuable. He was a defensive forward who was put in the right place at the right time. And, it led to a resurrection offensively.
The Devils could execute that same strategy for Toews. It’s a topic we brought up on Wednesday’s Lets Go Devils Podcast. He has 14 goals and 14 assists this season. That’s not too bad for what the Devils would make their third-line center. The Devils might even test him in the Erik Haula spot. Would Toews be able to resurrect his career ala Zajac? Would that be something that makes him want to stay for another two years after this one?
He’s dealing with a mysterious illness that must be worked out. Also, his value is hard to pinpoint. We’ve talked about Kane for months. What value did the Blackhawks put on Toews? We went with a defensive prospect close to NHL-ready in Nikita Okhotyuk and a goalie prospect who is more of a flier. Jakub Malek might be the fourth most important goalie in the Devils prospect pool. It makes sense for both sides when adding a future third-round pick.