We always talk about the deals the New Jersey Devils should have made, especially when an uneventful NHL Trade Deadline preceeds the negativity. Of course, we would have loved the Devils to trade for Ryan O'Reilly, Ryan Donato, or Jared McCann, but none of those players went anywhere. It's not even crying over spilled milk. It's crying over milk that never existed.
For the most part, teams were overspending on the pieces who did get traded. Reports came out that the Devils called on Mikko Rantanen. He ended up going to the Dallas Stars with an eight-year extension in place for forward Logan Stankoven, a conditional first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, a third-round pick in the 2026 draft and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. That's a massive price the Devils just couldn't afford with them hanging for dear life to a playoff spot.
Even the lesser deals made were pretty insane. The Maple Leafs traded a first-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for Scott Laughton, another player the Devils were tied to. As was Brock Nelson, who the Islanders dealt to the Colorado Avalanche for, you guessed it, a first-round pick (with some other pieces). The Devils just weren't looking to make those types of moves.
However, there were a few deals that should have had the Devils written all over it. The prices were right, and the Devils could have even outbid the teams that ended up with the player.
Trade #1
Few moves would have gotten the Devils fanbase more excited than reuniting this team with Fabian Zetterlund. The former third-round pick ended up being an important piece to the Timo Meier trade from a few years ago. He's played very well for San Jose, and most expected him to be a key part of their future.
The Senators only had to trade a middling prospect with fourth-line trajectory, a fourth-line center who hasn't been great, and a second-round pick.
So the Devils' equivalent here is basically Chase Stillman, Curtis Lazar, and a second-round pick. Why couldn't the Devils pay that price? That should have been a no brainer. Even with the Devils loss on Friday night, the vibes would have been at a high for the season if they re-acquired Zetterlund.