3 Players That Could Be This Year's "Curtis Lazar" Trade
The New Jersey Devils made a savvy, under-the-radar move when they traded for Curtis Lazar at last year's NHL Trade Deadline. The Devils should look into a similar type of trade before this year's deadline.
At last year's NHL Trade Deadline, New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald made a small yet surprising trade when he acquired Curtis Lazar from the Vancouver Canucks. The fanbase was still riding the high of the Timo Meier trade just the week prior, so not many expected another trade. This ended up being a very valuable deal for the Devils.
It turned out that the Lazar trade was a nice piece of business for the Devils. For just a fourth-round pick, they were able to get a solid bottom-six piece with center/wing versatility. Perhaps what was the most important aspect of that trade was Lazar's AAV. At the time, Lazar had two more years remaining on his contract at just $1 million per season. The trade has paid off nicely, as Lazar is on track to achieve a career-high in points.
Unfortunately, it came in a season of disappointment. The Devils have been wildly inconsistent and look on track to miss the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 seasons. With the trade deadline approaching, the team looks closer to selling off rather than buying.
And while that may be true, especially for the goaltender position, Fitzgerald should still explore a hockey trade. A Lazar-esque trade makes a ton of sense for the team. Finding a player with a low AAV that isn't a pending free agent is a good way to try and help boost the team in any fashion this season while also having an eye on next year.
Sonny Milano - Washington Capitals
Our first player on this list is Washington Capitals forward Sonny Milano. Milano, like Lazar, is a former mid-first-round pick who has found a way to have a solid NHL career without putting up high-end offense.
Milano has missed a large portion of this season due to injury, but in 27 games, he's put up 11 points. The numbers are underwhelming, however, in his previous two seasons scored 34 and 33 points respectively. What also puts him in the Curtis Lazar territory is his contract. Milano has two more seasons left at just $1.9 million AAV, an easily digestible number for the Devils.
Outside of his contract, the 27-year-old could be an attractive option for the Devils bottom-six. He brings above-average speed and skill that has been missing from the bottom half of the lineup. Milano has also had a knack for scoring above expected, as well as posting pretty high shooting percentages. In limited action, he's scored 3.2 Goals Above Expected and is shooting at a 27% rate. While that's likely unsustainable, in the previous two seasons, he had a shooting percentage of 14% and 15%.
Travis Hamonic - Ottawa Senators
Travis Hamonic has always been a solid defenseman who, in his heyday, was traded for a first and two second-round picks. Now, the 33-year-old has found a role as a more traditional stay-at-home defenseman with the Ottawa Senators.
In Hamonic's 2022-23 season, he managed to flash a bit of offense, putting up 21 points. However, he's come back down to earth this year, scoring just six points. What may be most impressive is Hamonic's +/-. It's not particularly a stat that people take much stock in nowadays, but on a very poor defensive team in Ottawa, Hamonic has only a -7.
Hamonic currently has one more season left on his deal at $1.1 million. What makes him an intriguing target is the current state of the Devils' defense. With both Colin Miller and Brendan Smith pending UFA's, there is a veteran defenseman void for next season. The right-handed Hamonic could slide into that number seven defenseman spot that will be vacated after this season and do so at a much lower AAV than what they'd find on the free agent market.
Jake Evans - Montreal Canadiens
With Michael McLeod likely to never play another game for the Devils, they have become incredibly thin at center. Lazar has done well playing high up in the lineup, but his lack of scoring is an issue. Tomas Nosek looked like a viable 4C at the beginning of the season but has been injured most of the season and, even when healthy, doesn't provide much spark. The Devils need someone who can bring both a bit of offense and be reliable on faceoffs.
Evans won't light the world on fire, but he is another capable body that fits in on the bottom six. Over the past two seasons, he's missed time, but when he last played the majority of the season, he scored 29 points in 72 games. Evans also gives the Devils another good option on the face-off dot, winning 52%. On a better team, the Devils would be banking on getting the 13-goal, 29-point Jake Evans that we've seen in the past.
His contract situation is similar to Hamonic's. He has one year remaining at $1.7 million. With such a low AAV, he gives the Devils a much-needed upgrade over Nosek without handcuffing the team to go out and find another quality center in free agency.
feed