An old New Jersey Devils free agency target has resurfaced in trade rumors just one year after choosing the Nashville Predators over the Devils, but a potential trade is not going to come easily.
Predators forward Jonathan Marchessault, a former Stanley Cup champion with the Vegas Golden Knights and an eight-time 20-goal scorer, has been drawing the interest of NHL teams lately on the heels of Nashville's dreadful 2024-25 season.
However, according to NHL Network and The Fourth Period insider David Pagnotta, no such Marchessault trade appears to be imminent or otherwise actively being discussed.
"Teams have spoken to Nashville about Jonathan Marchessault, but there have been no discussions between the Preds and Marchessault’s camp about waiving his NMC," Pagnotta reported Thursday. "Maybe that changes, but as of now, Preds do not expect to explore a trade involving the veteran winger."
Pagnotta previously reported on the opening day of free agency last July that there was a lot of noise around the Devils and Marchessault. Perhaps the Devils are now one of the teams leaning on the Predators and inquiring about the Golden Knights legend.
Devils are going to add a top-six forward. One name to look out for: Jonathan Marchessault. Lots of noise there.
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 1, 2024
And, if you're the Devils, what better way to address your forward depth woes than to go out and trade for the guy you (reportedly) always wanted anyway?
A notable roadblock, of course, aside from the full no-move clause Marchessault has, is his $5.5 million cap hit. It's a modest number for a former Stanley Cup champion who just scored 21 goals and 56 points on a dire Predators team, but it's not insignificant.
Jonathan Marchessault is once again unattainable for the New Jersey Devils according to rumors
To make the numbers work, the Devils would more than likely need to find corresponding deals for Ondrej Palat and/or Erik Haula, the two likeliest Devils to be traded this summer.
Dawson Mercer could make sense, too, but he's far younger and a cost-controlled asset, while Marchessault is making $5.5 million against the salary cap until he's 38 years old in 2029. Adding Mercer to the equation means the Devils would be making a significant investment in a player whose performance could conceivably fall off a cliff at any given moment.
And, while it appears GM Barry Trotz and the Predators aren't currently willing to talk shop, it's worth noting the relationship Trotz has with his former captain, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, from his days of coaching the Predators,
The Devils were heavily linked to Ryan O'Reilly ahead of the March 7 NHL trade deadline, for example, and there's plenty of reason to believe there is an open channel of dialogue between Trotz and Fitzgerald.
If anyone can pressure Trotz and the Predators into a Marchessault trade they don't really want to make, perhaps it's Fitzgerald and the Devils.