The New Jersey Devils find themselves in what is an annual occurrence, another precarious position due to injuries decimating the lineup.
The Devils were already without Johnathan Kovacevic, Zack MacEwen, Evgenii Dadonov, Cody Glass, Dougie Hamilton, and Brett Pesce, and now Jack Hughes is out of commission because he reportedly leaned on a glass at team dinner, presumably broke it, and cut his hand.
Whether or not Hughes is out long-term does not change the fact that the Devils have and continue to neglect their center depth. Glass should have been the No. 4 center, and now Luke Glendening and Juho Lammikko are the bottom-six duo down the middle.
So, on that note, the Devils are going to have to swing a trade to survive in the present day, as well as in the future. The good news is that they have options, and the bad news is that, unfortunately it is still very much a seller's market these days.
No. 3: Cole Sillinger or Charlie Coyle
The Columbus Blue Jackets have yet to take that big step forward, and at 9-7-1 through the first (roughly) quarter of the season, it might not happen.
Captain Boone Jenner is out with an injury of his own and is on an expiring deal, and the Blue Jackets have no real reason to hang onto any veterans if they are going to be out of the playoff picture.
But, because the Devils need healthy players, options like Cole Sillinger and Charlie Coyle make the most sense.
Sillinger, a former top draft pick, has mostly featured as a bottom-six player, is still just 22 years old, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. The Blue Jackets will rightfully demand more for him given his age, inexpensive $2.25 million cap hit, and expiry status, but Sillinger would fit right in with a fast and exciting Devils group.
Coyle, on the other hand, is on the back end of his career at 33 and is rather expensive at $5.25 million, but it would be easy to imagine the Blue Jackets being willing to jettison him for future assets given that he was effectively a salary cap dump acquisition in the summer.
Coyle has historically been a productive and reliable middle-six center for competitive Boston and Minnesota teams, and he currently has 12 points in 17 games for the Blue Jackets. As long as the cost of acquisition is not prohibitive, the Devils would be wise to target whichever of the two Blue Jackets provides the best value relative to the ask.
No. 2: Brayden Schenn
Looking at the Western Conference, the Devils have long been rumored to hold interest in St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn, who could probably use a change of scenery at this point in his career.
The 6-8-4 Blues look like they are miles away from playoff contention, and Schenn, 34, is one of the oldest and most expensive players on their roster with a $6.5 million cap hit. The former Philadelphia Flyer should be familiar enough with New Jersey to be willing to waive his no-trade clause to approve a trade, but that remains to be seen.
Yes, the Devils will need to find a way to make the salary cap work, but the good news, at least for a smaller club, is that Schenn's total salary drops to $4.3 million next season, and $4 million the year after that. For "internal cap purposes," there is some upside to that.
Coming off a 50-point season, the 2019 Stanley Cup champion is still playing productive hockey for the Blues, but he has been pigeonholed into a middle-six role as his team flounders.
As long as his play does not completely fall off a cliff during the two other remaining years on his contract, the Devils would benefit from biting the bullet and finding a solution behind Hughes that works for more than one year.
No. 1: Ryan O'Reilly
Finally, coming back around to Music City, we all know very well about how bad the Nashville Predators are, the history between Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald and Preds GM Barry Trotz, and the links to veteran forward and Stanley Cup champion Ryan O'Reilly.
O'Reilly, 34, has no trade protection in his contract, has two years remaining, including this one, at a modest $4.5 million cap hit, and can still play. He's recorded 69 and 53 points, respectively, over the last two seasons, and has 13 points in 19 games this season on what has otherwise been a terrible Predators team... again.
All things considered, the Devils would have to pay a premium to acquire O'Reilly from Nashville, and that could entail as much as a top draft pick and a top prospect like Seamus Casey, given the age of the Predators' current defense.
At the same time, especially with the market the way it is, the Devils would be paying a similar cost for almost anybody else, and the other players on this list are not excluded.
And, with that said, Fitzgerald's relationship with Trotz might be his best chance at getting a deal over the line. Other factors, like a lower cap hit and a lack of trade protection, help, too. This kind of trade is almost too obvious for both sides, and yet it hasn't happened yet.
Perhaps the new dire circumstances will force Fitzgerald to get on the phone and find some reinforcements for his players and his team.