The New Jersey Devils are widely accepted as and expected to be big players on the NHL trade market this year, but there need to be limitations and exceptions to this label.
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about Nashville Predators veteran Steven Stamkos, whose career has taken a complete nosedive since leaving Tampa Bay, becoming available via trade, and while a player of his ilk makes sense for the Devils on paper, New Jersey needs to stay far, far away from this one.
For starters, Stamkos is now 35 years old and not nearly the player he once was, though we can be sure the future Hockey Hall of Famer can still bang in goals on a good team like Alex Ovechkin does.
But, Stamkos is on a three-year contract keeping him in Nashville at an $8 million cap hit with a full no-move clause. If he approves a move to the Devils, that's one thing. If it doesn't work and the Devils need to move on promptly? The team would be in the weeds in short order.
The longtime Lightning forward has six goals, three assists, and nine points in 24 games with the Predators this season and is still winning 56.8% of his faceoffs, plus there might be some appeal in trying to re-kindle the magic he once had with Ondrej Palat.
Stamkos is just a year and a half removed from a 40-goal, 81-point campaign, but Father Time catches up to everyone, and the risk attached to his contract is almost unimaginable. Even if the Devils were able to get Stamkos with 50% retention for all three years on the sly, the cap hit could still prove to be restrictive if the move does not pan out.
Effectively, the Devils would be weighing up adding a career A+ finisher whose hourglass is almost empty against his minimal defensive contributions, albatross cap hit, and a three-year pact.
And then there's the actual trade part of it, where the Devils have to offer something the Predators would want, even if it's a measly draft pick or two, and get it done.
But, by the time free agency hits in 2026, the Devils could find better ways to make use of $4 million, let alone $8 million, rather than attaching themselves to the idea of getting the player Stamkos once was.