When the New Jersey Devils acquired Connor Hellebuyck on Friday afternoon, people were quick to jump all over the Winnipeg Jets for the return. After holding out for a better deal all summer and into the season, Kevin Cheveldayoff settled for a top prospect in Alexander Command, depth forward Dawson Mercer, who has been a trade chip for a couple of years, fourth-line center Nick Bjugstad, and no first-round picks.
It was a tidy piece of work by Sunny Mehta, who doesn't like to overspend on goaltending because of the randomness of the position. With this move, Mehta reduces the randomness at the position by acquiring one of the league's top goaltenders, and the only real cost is Command's future and Hellebuyck's contract, which may not age well.
Mehta likely isn't worried about how the contract will age, as this move signals win-now mode. If that is the case, and he sees the first-round picks and other prospect trade pieces he has at his disposal, this may not be the last trade we see from the first-year general manager. With the team closer to contention, it's hard not to revisit the Quinn Hughes discussion.
The Devils are now up against the cap, so any trade will have to be money in and money out. The Minnesota Wild would need a defenseman in return, which, from a cap perspective, feels like Dougie Hamilton. The Wild then have a pick of the litter to return some assets to their system after trading a bunch to the Vancouver Canucks for Quinn.
Seamus Casey or Anton Silaev would help replace what they lost in Zeev Buium. The Devils also have two first-round picks next year, and Minnesota would gladly take at least one. The rest of the deal would depend on the bidding war for Hughes. If it gets too pricey, Mehta could bow out and hope to sign him in the summer.
In reality, another defenseman may not even be the Devils' biggest need.
Is Quinn Hughes actually the piece the Devils need?
Luke Hughes has been great to start the season, while Dougie Hamilton has been one of the league's best defensemen analytically. No team will be worse with Quinn Hughes, but some argue the defense is good enough to win, especially with Hellebuyck in net, and the forwards are what need work.
Did Mehta keep his cupboard stocked to acquire Quinn, or does he want to unite Jack Hughes and Hellebuyck with another gold medalist? Dylan Larkin recently added the Devils to his trade list, and he might be the piece they need more than another defenseman.
Nevertheless, it'd be a mistake for Mehta to get such great value on the Hellebuyck deal and then stop being aggressive. New Jersey is still one or two pieces away from becoming a true contender.
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