Now that the offseason is here, the rumor mill has been hot and heavy. And now that the Toronto Maple Leafs have been eliminated from the postseason, those rumors and even some pure speculation has grown exponentially. The amount of people who think the Maple Leafs are going to make major changes this offseason is near infinite.
With that, one of the most reliable sources of information in hockey had an interesting idea during Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman's 32 Thoughts podcast on Monday. He was talking about players whom the Maple Leafs could bring in, and a surprise name was one that Devils fans really studied last season.
"So again, it's just me throwing stuff. I freely admit it's purely out of the top of my head. Tough year in Nashville. They need to make some changes, you know, he's 34 years old, four more years, a fierce competitor. I don't know, depending on how it all shakes out. There was another name that jumped into my head."Elliotte Friedman, 32 Thoughts
For those who haven't figured it out, we're talking about Nashville Predators' forward Jonathan Marchessault. The Devils targeted him in free agency last season, but the Predators beat them to the punch (and also signed Steven Stamkos).
It was seemingly a loss for the Devils, but the Predators were one of the worst teams in hockey this season. All the moves they made didn't work, and now everyone is on the hot seat. If the Devils had the season the Predators had, nobody would have their job in New Jersey.
It's hard to say that's Marchessault's fault, though. He did have a serious drop in production, going from 42 goals with the Golden Knights in 2023-24 to just 21 goals last season. Could the Devils buy low on Marchessault after it completely failed in Tennessee?
Marchessault has just a modified no-trade clause. If he seriously considered going to New Jersey last year, we wouldn't expect to be one of the 15 teams he adds to the list. Even if the Devils are, sometimes that's used just to protect the player from a surprise trade, and he could still sign off with a little convincing.
The New Jersey Devils might be smart to consider a Jonathan Marchessault trade
Would the Predators be looking to pawn off Marchessault to get some kind of value out of him before it's too late? As much as Friedman wants to pretend he's pulling something out of nowhere, this is coming from something someone said at some time. It never comes from "nowhere."
And if the Predators are even considering a trade, what could they demand in return? We already know that Barry Trotz treats Tom Fitzgerald like a little brother in these negotiations. His asks for both Juuse Saros and Ryan O'Reilly were insane. Would he act like he has some sort of power in a Marchessault trade, or would he treat this for what it was, an ask for a reset?
The Predators trading Marchessault one year after signing him is a sign that you did was a mistake. Marchessault won't want to feel like a mistake, but coming to a team in New Jersey that wants him would help matters.
The Devils do have to think about the age factor here. Marchessault is signed through 2029 and he's 34 years old. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he fell off a cliff for a reason. He might never get back to where he was. On top of that, he's getting paid $5.5 million across his deal. That's four more years of regression, taking him until 38 years old.
Would the Devils be willing to take on that entire contract? It would be a huge risk, but it might be the move the Devils need to balance the offense.