Devils most recent trade confuses insider

Amid the hubbub of the Artemi Panarin trade, news of the New Jersey Devils’ swap with the St. Louis Blues kind of got lost in the shuffle.

But the Devils completed a trade, acquiring Nick Bjugstad from the Blues. The deal raised more than a few eyebrows around the NHL. It wasn’t because it was a blockbuster deal. That was hardly the case.

The move caused a bit of a stir as it didn’t make much sense. At least from the Blues’ perspective, it did. The Blues are heading into a sell-off. And so, they want to shed salary and move veteran pieces out. St. Louis is also looking to recoup as many assets as they can.

That being said, what was the rationale from the Devils’ perspective?

On the surface, it was a depth move. New Jersey acquired a depth forward, perhaps anticipating that injuries may strike during the stretch run. The club, it seems, hasn’t given up on making the playoffs this season. So, landing some veteran depth makes sense.

However, that rationale wasn’t enough to convince one notable insider. During the February 4 edition of DFO Rundown, David Pagnotta discussed the Bjugstad trade. In particular, Pagnotta noted that he was confused about why the Devils pulled off the move.

“I’m not really sure what New Jersey is doing. I don’t think a lot of people do… I think New Jersey signals that they’re not just throwing in the towel just yet.”

Pagnotta’s assessment is that Bjugstad is injury insurance, particularly for Jack Hughes. While Hughes will be playing in the Olympics, perhaps the sense is that he’s no 100% and could miss time after Milano-Cortina. As such, having someone like Bjugstad could help the team offset another potential absence from Hughes.

Pagnotta concluded by reiterating his uncertainty about the move.

“I’m still a little confused about what the Devils are doing. I guess we’ll see.”

It’s not often that an insider is at a loss for words to explain a trade. But then again, hasn’t that been the tone of just about every move the Devils have made this season?

Devils could be setting themselves up for injuries

One of the major issues plaguing the Devils this season has been the injury bug. New Jersey has been hit hard throughout the season, missing crucial pieces throughout the lineup.

So, it could be that adding Bjugstad is a way of hedging against whatever future injuries could befall the team.

Bjugstad has one more season on his current contract. That signals that the Devils view the veteran center as someone who’ll be on the team moving forward. If that’s the plan, the Devils must be thinking that another rash of injuries won’t catch them off guard moving forward.

Otherwise, what other sense could adding a fourth-line center make at this point? As Pagnotta noted, the Devils need scoring. Bjugstad isn’t going to solve that. But what Bjugstad will solve is the team’s need for depth down the middle.

Assuming the Devils rally to make it back to the postseason, it makes sense to have as much depth as possible. The playoffs are grueling and taxing on players. That’s why having extra bodies is crucial.

However, this move doesn’t smell like a win-now move. It looks more like thinking several moves ahead into next season.