3 insane trade packages New Jersey Devils can offer for Brady Tkachuk
The New Jersey Devils would love to add a guy like Brady Tkachuk this off-season. However, it is going to cost them an arm and a leg.
The New Jersey Devils are looking to make some big moves this summer. Everyone knows that they will be looking to upgrade at goaltender and on defense. However, that doesn't mean that they should completely avoid upgrading the top-six forward group either.
If Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk is available, they should strongly consider him. It may cost a lot but the Devils have good assets that they can give up. In the event that this trade was discussed between both sides, a deal might look something like this:
The New Jersey Devils would have to give up a lot to get Brady Tkachuk
You are not getting a star player that does it all like Brady Tkachuk without giving something up for him. The Senators would command a lot.
The 10th overall pick and a future second-round pick would be a great starting point in terms of a trade. It would be on the Sens to hit on these picks, but they are very valuable selections to own.
Alexander Holtz could be hit or miss. He has scored some big goals in the NHL so far. Yet, it hasn't come as consistently as he'd like. People in New Jersey have also begged for him to get more ice time over his career but coaches don't love the entirety of his game. Ottawa might be the place where that changes. He is also familiar with Travis Greene as the head coach there now.
Of every piece in this trade, Seamus Casey might be the most intriguing for the Senators. He was a brilliant defenseman at the University of Michigan. As one of the top offensive blue-liners in college hockey, the hope is that his game translates to the NHL. He took Luke Hughes' spot once he came to the Devils and ran away with that job.
There will be learning curves for Casey on the defensive side of things (and the grind of an 82-game schedule) but he will be great in the NHL one day soon.
The Devils and Senators may be able to do one trade that is one-for-one
The New Jersey Devils love having Simon Nemec. They selected him with the second overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and his development has been top notch since then.
The Slovakian defenseman was called up during the 2023-24 season after Dougie Hamilton hit the injured list with a torn pectoral muscle. He ended up missing the rest of the season following the November 30th injury. He not only stayed on the team, but he also became one of their top two defensemen.
The Ottawa Senators would love to add a prospect like that. If there was one realistic player that the Senators might let go in a one-for-one deal for Tkachuk, it is Nemec. He would improve their future on the blue line right away.
Is it worth it for the Devils? They might think so with Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes, and Seamus Casey there. It would be a big hit to their blue line but Brady Tkachuk brings something that they don’t have. It is worth considering.
The Devils and Senators could make this a blockbuster type of trade
The New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators could turn a Brady Tkachuk trade into more of a blockbuster by including New Jersey's leading scorer from last season in Jesper Bratt. The only reason Bratt was their leading scorer was because of injuries to Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes throughout the season, but he was an incredible player in his own right.
Thomas Chabot would also be a great piece for the Devils as they try to improve their overall roster. With him and Tkachuk coming, they'd have an improvement at the NHL level right away.
Seamus Casey and Kevin Bahl are both good young players who have a chance to stay in this league for a long time. With a team like Ottawa, they'd have even more room to grow. Letting go of that 10th overall pick is tough for New Jersey but it would need to go in almost any trade involving Tkachuk.
This would be a complicated deal no matter what happens but it is fun to dream about during the off-season. Chances are that Ottawa runs it back with Tkachuk next year but you never know anymore.