3. Ryan Strome
This one comes with a little movement, but the Devils might really want someone like Strome to round out the bottom six. First, before we get into it, can you believe that this is Strome's third season in Anaheim? That seems incorrect, but it's true. He is in the third year of a five-year deal, paying him $5 million per season.
That is not a cap hit that the Devils would want to pay. That's where this gets complicated. The Devils would likely need the Ducks to eat about $1 million per season for the rest of the contract. They might need even more depending on who goes the other way. Strome is a decent player, but at 31 years old, he doesn't make a ton of sense on this Ducks team. They aren't any closer to contention than when Strome signed there.
This is one of those "worth the ask" deals. If the Ducks refuse to hold onto any money, then the Devils have no choice but to walk away, but Strome at two more years at somewhere between $3.5 million and $4 million on the salary cap is enticing for any contender.
The Devils have been looking for talent that could push talent down the lineup. Tom Fitzgerald is apparently looking for talent that fits the middle six, so that in turn would improve the third and fourth lines because more talent is playing there. Strome makes a lot of sense if the price is right, but it's really hard to get to that point.