New Jersey Devils: 5 Most Important Pieces During Trade Deadline
The New Jersey Devils sat by as some contenders started to make huge moves. The New York Rangers, New York Islanders, and Toronto Maple Leafs all made major moves, adding players from the Western Conference. Every day, the Eastern Conference becomes even harder. As of this writing, the Devils have 79 points. That’s three behind the Carolina Hurricanes and four ahead of the New York Rangers. Those three teams have three regulation losses, and three overtime losses total in their combined last 10 games. So in 30 games, those three teams account for six losses.
The Devils and Hurricanes are reportedly steeped in a negotiation for the rights to Timo Meier. The San Jose Sharks are reportedly slow playing the process, so it will likely last until March 3rd. However, both teams need to get their pieces in order. They need to know what they have available.
The Devils will review the roster and decide which pieces are most important to this process. Which pieces are most important during the trade deadline? We will only look at pieces in New Jersey or playing with the Utica Comets for this process. Shakir Mukhamadullin might be a player the Sharks want, but we’re ignoring him for this exercise. Let’s start with the obvious one.
1. Alexander Holtz
Alexander Holtz is the player we’re all watching ahead of the trade deadline. He is currently playing in Utica, but he was injured in Monday’s loss to Toronto. That might impact his value in a trade after he took a crosscheck to the hip. It doesn’t look particularly serious, but one never knows how serious an injury could be in today’s game.
Holtz has been tied to the Sharks for a long time. His former teammate William Eklund was drafted by the Sharks in 2021. They made magic together in Sweden, and one expects them to do the same in California. Holtz is still a very good prospect despite his inability to become a lineup regular with the Devils.
He would be a centerpiece for a Meier deal if the Sharks desire him. Even if other deals, Holtz might make sense. It would have to be a superstar trade to take Holtz from the Devils.
2. Andreas Johnsson
Sticking in Utica, Andreas Johnsson was always the odd man out when Tomas Tatar turned a corner in training camp. Johnsson has spent most of this season in the minor leagues after he passed through waivers. The Devils are leaving a $2.27 million cap hit in the AHL. It would be more if he was in the NHL, so the move makes sense for now.
To make a trade for a player of Meier’s caliber, the Devils have to make the salaries work. Johnsson would really help that. The Devils could stay under the cap by just adding Johnsson and Holtz to a Meier trade. The cap is an intricate process, and moves must be made to accommodate contending teams, but just taking on Johnsson makes a trade this important work?
Johnsson is clearly being used as trade bait. He makes this process a lot easier for Tom Fitzgerald.
It’s honestly upsetting that the Johnsson deal worked out the way it did. It’s honestly something that didn’t work out for anyone. Joey Anderson only played 20 games with the Maple Leafs, scoring three total points. However, this is the best route forward.
3. Yegor Sharangovich
The Devils will need to add a young roster player to entice a team like the Sharks to choose them over another team. They have a few to choose from. Dawson Mercer is the most desirable of those trade pieces (other than the untouchables). However, the Devils will do everything they can to keep Mercer, especially with his recent hot streak.
Outside of Mercer, the Devils have four regular roster players under the age of 25 who might become available. Yegor Sharangovich, Fabian Zetterlund, Michael McLeod, and Jesper Boqvist could move the needle for the Sharks. Sharangovich seems like the most likely piece.
He brings a lot to the table. Sharangovich is a master penalty killer. He’s allowed 38 high-danger chances in 115 minutes on the PK. Only 13 players in league who’ve played at least 100 minutes on the PK have seen fewer chances. Patrice Bergeron has allowed one fewer chance in 15 fewer minutes.
Sharangovich has 26 points in 56 games. He was a 24-goal scorer just last season. There’s a lot to love about Sharangovich that the Sharks, or any other team, would love to acquire.
4. Damon Severson
This one might seem a little strange, but it’s probably just as important as the other pieces. The Devils are facing a strange dilemma. They have a LOT of unrestricted free agents this offseason. Ryan Graves, Miles Wood, Tomas Tatar, Eric Haula, and Johnsson can all walk for nothing after the season. In previous seasons, the Devils would look at this time of year to get the biggest return for pending UFAs.
That’s not the case anymore. The Devils are the buyers now. They want to keep these players. In fact, they may end up trading for one. However, Tom Fitzgerald has always made interesting moves at this time of the year. He traded for Jonas Siegenthaler when he was perceived as a seller.
Why wouldn’t he flip the script the other way? Damon Severson has been the best third-line defenseman in the league. He makes it work with whoever he’s paired with and is a quality offensive defenseman.
Many teams will line up to get Severson. Teams had in the past when the Devils made him available. Now, he’s facing free agency, and the Devils likely have no interest in keeping him beyond this season. Dougie Hamilton is a better offensive defenseman, and John Marino is a better defensive defenseman. There’s no room for Severson in the future, and the Devils may use him to get extended assets.
5. Kevin Bahl
The Devils have tried a few different players in the sixth defensive spot. Brendan Smith played most of the season, but Kevin Bahl and Nikita Okhotyuk got their share of time in the lineup. Both struggled with consistency and failed to stay in the lineup as a result.
Bahl is the one who has disappointed the most. Most thought he was going to jump into the starting lineup, pushing Smith into the seventh defenseman role. It never worked out that way. Bahl has trouble with positioning and breakouts.
Despite his struggles, Bahl would still be highly desired on the open trade market. He’s a unicorn when it comes to size and ability. He stands 6’6 and 230 lbs. At all times, he’s a presence on the ice. The Devils made it a point to get him in the Taylor Hall trade. Now, he’s not even a top three defensive prospect in the Devils system.
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Bahl is still just 22 years old. Defensemen take longer to develop, and Bahl could still become a star. The Devils are looking to make the best moves, and Bahl could make that happen. He won’t be the centerpiece of a trade, but he might be the piece that pushes the Devils over the top beyond some of the competition.