3.) Scott Laughton, Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers again? Seriously?
Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald likes to trade for players with team control or term. Lazar came from Vancouver with term, Jacob Markstrom has term, Jake Allen had term, and Paul Cotter has term. This is deliberate, as Fitzgerald is aiming to bring in certain players with certain profiles with the hope that they help the Devils contend for a Stanley Cup over the course of multiple seasons, locked in at a specific price.
Scott Laughton, 30, is locked in with the Flyers for two more years at a $3 million cap hit, and his much greater offensive output makes him a better bargain than his teammate Cates. Laughton, who wears the 'A' for the Flyers, is a well-respected leader in the locker room and does a ton for the community. He is a player the Flyers have rejected offers on in the past, including one that allegedly included a first-round pick,
That would be a steep price to pay, and one that the Devils probably cannot afford or make possible given their previous transactions. However, everybody has a price, and the Devils can meet it with prospects, too, not just picks.
Laughton, like Cates, can play wing and center and contributes on both the penalty kill and the power play. He's an Erik Haula-esque player who can do a little bit of everything, contribute to the locker room, and remain relevant once Lazar returns from his knee injury.
This one is admittedly far-fetched at this time, but if Laughton makes sense for anyone this early in the season, it's the Devils.