New Jersey Devils: 5 Players Legitimately Worth Jesper Bratt Trade

4. Jake Guentzel

Jake Guentzel’s name hasn’t been mentioned this offseason, but shouldn’t it? The Pittsburgh Penguins are making major changes, replacing their GM and president. Reports say multiple members of the Devils’ front office have been interviewing for the job. If one of the Devils brass gets the job, they would be first in line to get Bratt on their team.

The Penguins would need to give to get, especially since this is a trade with constant reminders (inside the division). This is a team that desperately needs a player like Bratt. Would they be willing to do it at the expense of their one true superstar winger under the age of 30?

What the Penguins really need is a hard reset, but that’s not happening as long as Sidney Crosby is in the lineup. Bratt could match Guentzel’s output with a much longer contract. Guentzel is signed for just one more year and will likely need another pay bump to stay in Pittsburgh. Can they afford to pay him $8-9 million per season?

This is a weird one, and maybe there’s a reason the rumor mill hasn’t mentioned Guentzel, but the situation makes sense. A new management group is coming to Pittsburgh. Guentzel could be flipped for a much younger asset. They could keep their “window” open with a Guentzel for Bratt swap. The Devils would need to sign an extension this summer to make it worth it.