Should New Jersey Devils Protect 1st-Round Pick At All Costs?
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils spent what could be two first-round picks to get Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks. Even if they lose both picks, it will be worth it since the Devils re-signed Meier for eight years. However, it puts the Devils in a weird spot. Now, the Devils have to really consider any deal that involves a first-round pick.
For now, the Devils own their 2024 first-round pick. If they make it through the Metropolitan Division, and make it to the Eastern Conference Final, it would hit the conditions on the trade, sending another first-round pick to the Sharks. That is, as long as Meier plays most of the playoff games.
In the past, sending two first-round picks to another team comes with immense risk. The Devils added conditions to the risk to evade the risk. There is no chance the Devils are giving up a top-ten pick. That is what hurt the Ottawa Senators, Chicago Blackhawks, and Sharks over the past five years. They’ve lost amazing young players because they went all in at the wrong time. The Devils were smart and avoided that possibility.
Still, the fact the Devils could lose their 2024 first-round pick limits their ability to make trades. If they wanted to go after a player like Connor Hellebuyck, the pick would have conditions again. That could lead to losing their 2025 first-round pick, putting them in a bad position.
Even if the Devils are a winning franchise overall, giving up too many first-round picks ends up putting the team in a losing situation in the future. In the short term, the Devils could be Stanley Cup winners. They could be giving up future salary cap flexibility in the long term.
The Devils must figure out if they think they can win the Stanley Cup in the near future. A completely bottoming out in one year’s time could put them in the same position as too many other teams. Just a few wrong moves could ruin the primes of Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Meier.
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On one hand, some might see how much teams regretted sending out first-round picks and call it the “wrong move.” On the other hand, the Devils could look at teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, who treat first-round picks like assets to improve the team now. That could lead to Stanley Cups. If the Lightning didn’t send a haul for Blake Coleman, they might be without a Stanley Cup at all right now.
The Devils have to make the right decision with their picks. A first-round pick is what the team makes of it. If it’s going to be late in the round, maybe the Devils should just trade it.