New Jersey Devils: 3 Trade Deadline Deals With Chicago Blackhawks
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.
The New Jersey Devils need to find players who fit into this system. The right players can have career years with the Devils. When the wrong players try to win with the Devils, they can’t keep up. Lindy Ruff’s system demands something different than most other systems. That’s why certain players can come in and thrive. It took three seasons, but the Devils finally have the right collection of players to win.
If the Devils can’t get a star, they still need to add. Tom Fitzgerald can’t do nothing. Double negative aside, the Devils GM needs to make a move of some kind.
Andreas Athanasiou would be an interesting move because he’s a player who hasn’t made much of a difference, but he could really bolster the Devils’ bottom six. His speed is hard to match, and at one time he was a pure scorer. However, it’s been four years since his last 30-goal season. He’s been on four teams since then. He hasn’t found the right fit.
The Devils could get Athanasiou for a 5th-round pick. No other team is going to offer much more. The Blackhawks will probably take this deal since Athanasiou isn’t having the best season. If he doesn’t work out, the Devils could use him as a healthy scratch who pushes the team in practice. That’s not ideal, but it’s worth the risk.
If they aren’t getting Timo Meier, the Devils have been tied to Max Domi as a landing spot. It makes a lot of sense. Domi is the Blackhawks leading scorer with 36 points in 53 games. He plays with an edge, and the Devils have always needed that. The Devils are better at that now, but they could use a little more pop in the lineup, both offensively and defensively.
Domi checks a lot of boxes. He can play in the top six if the Devils need, but he would bolster the Devils’ bottom six by a lot. This is a player that can score in the right situation. He never hit the type of impact one expects from a 12th-overall pick. He started off great with 52 points in his rookie season, but outside one season in Montreal, he never quite hit those heights again.
Now on his fifth team and likely going to his sixth, Domi has a chance to make an impact in the playoffs.
Next. 3 Deadline Deals With St. Louis Blues. dark
The Devils are actually giving up quite a bit here. Kevin Bahl was the piece Ray Shero was waiting for in the Taylor Hall trade, and he was expected to make a major impact in the NHL this season. He’s struggled, and the Devils don’t have the time to let him figure out his mistakes. The Blackhawks do. Bahl could grow into an impressive defenseman, but the Devils have plenty of defensive prospects to replace him.