New Jersey Devils Have A Strong Trade Season In 2023

The New Jersey Devils are one of the best teams in the National Hockey League. They are going to go to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 but this time they won’t back into it. They are a threat to make a deep run once it all begins.

Well, coming into the meat of trade season, they were a team that wanted to make a big move. Obviously, they have been connected to Timo Meier for a long time now as he was one of the best players on the San Jose Sharks.

Luckily, Tom Fitzgerald and his staff hammered out a deal with San Jose to bring the 26-year-old to New Jersey. They gave up a fair amount to get him but none of their five best prospects which is very important. It is a great move for a team looking to take big steps.

Meier had 31 goals with the San Jose Sharks and now he will be looking to score a lot while wearing the red and black. Whether he plays with Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier, you can expect him to be a very productive player.

The New Jersey Devils made some big moves this season as far as trades.

They weren’t done there either. On the actual day of the deadline, they traded a 2025 first-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Curtis Lazar. This is not a blockbuster trade of any kind but Lazar can bring some good depth to their bottom six.

He wins faceoffs (although he is better suited on the wing once the puck is dropped) at a high rate and can throw the body around if he needs to. Again, this is a great move for Fitzgerald and this Devils team that will be in the playoffs.

There were no trades to address the defense this year which is fine because they are confident in what they have. Dougie Hamilton, Damon Severson, Jonas Siegenthaler, John Marino, and Ryan Graves are the five that will always be in the lineup.

Kevin Bahl and Brennan Smith are guys that are already there to be that sixth/seventh guy. There are a few prospects in the mix to take over as well like Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec. We’ll have to wait and see how their timeline works out.

This Devils team didn’t trade McLeod, Wood, or Severson away which is interesting as well. They are all there to stay and will be a part of what they hope is a big playoff run.

There are going to be people that are underwhelmed but the Devils actually did very well. They added an outstanding top-six forward and a solid bottom-six forward. They can score goals, play good defense, and if they get good goaltending, win a lot of games in the playoffs.