The offseason rumor mill has been going into overdrive on Monday. There were rumors all over the place, but the New Jersey Devils seemed to fly under the radar. Speaking of under the radar, many outlets post their offseason trade boards to list who the most likely players are to get moved this offseason. We even did one, but we are using historical context
Prior to this week, Daily Faceoff listed Erik Haula on their trade board, Bleacher Report had no Devils listed, and the same goes for The Athletic. Haula, up until now, has been the only trade piece other teams and national writers have been targeting as a possible trade piece. That is, until now.
Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos posted his trade board, and there were two previously unmentioned Devils on there. One isn't a huge surprise. Ondrej Palat was a player the Devils would at least consider trading this offseason. He hasn't fit with the Devils in his three years there, but he still might have some value on the trade market for his Stanley Cup experience.
The surprising name on the trade board is Dawson Mercer. While some might mention Mercer in fake trades, seeing him on a legit source like Sportsnet is surprising. Some will point to Kypreos' track record of throwing out rumors before they're fully cooked, but he has hit in the past.
Kyper mentioned his inability to hit the heights we saw in 2022-23, and he struggled to show the offense the Devils expected. He goes on to talk about his $4 million cap hit and his age, which will make him desirable to other teams.
Dawson Mercer appears on his first trade board
What wasn't mentioned is why he might be traded. The Devils should not trade Mercer unless it's for a legit superstar or another young forward with amazing promise. We've seen too many times players struggled after missing some training camp and learning a new system. Mercer struggled in Sheldon Keefe's system, but he always seemed like he was playing from behind.
Next season, Mercer should have a much better time learning his role and playing within the system. This is the worst of Mercer we'll see, and trading him after his worst season isn't a good way to handle assets. Dawson Mercer is in year four. Do you know what Jesper Bratt did in year four? He had just seven goals in 46 games. How about Nico Hischier? He had six goals in 21 games.
After that season, both Bratt and Hischier started to take off. Hischier had 21 goals and 60 points that next season, while Bratt had 73 points in 76 games. Imagine trading Mercer for a late first-rounder in a bad NHL Draft or another floundering prospect just to see him explode for 25 goals on his way to sustained 30-goal seasons. Trading him now is a mistake.
It's interesting to see him on a trade board, but this would have to be for a big name. Don't put Mercer on the block just because he had a bad season.