5 Pieces New Jersey Devils Can "Sell" At NHL Trade Deadline
The New Jersey Devils have been considered buyers this entire season, but as we sit less than two weeks from the NHL Trade Deadline, it seems like the Devils should consider themselves sellers. If they do, who might be on the chopping block?
The New Jersey Devils lost two games this week that put them pretty far from a playoff spot with just 26 games left in the season. With a back-to-back coming up, the season could fall from their fingertips in the blink of an eye. After spending months talking about "buying" in trades for a goalie or defenseman, it now seems it's just as likely the Devils will sell off pieces for assets.
The Devils haven't been in the market, so if Tom Fitzgerald declares the Devils are open for business, there will be a ton of suitors. They will be one of the few teams selling off pieces. The Devils and the Penguins might be the two most intriguing sellers in the Eastern Conference. Most of the bottom feeders with desirable pieces are in the West, so adding the Devils and Penguins makes this an intriguing couple of weeks.
As we prepare for anything, we look at some of the pieces that are most likely to find new homes before March 5th.
Tyler Toffoli
If Tyler Toffoli was available this entire season, he might be one of the most talked about trade chips in the league. He has 24 goals, which is more than any other available player (unless some miracle happens and Sidney Crosby is traded). Toffoli is streaky, but his numbers speak for themselves. He leads the Devils in goals, while only six have come on the power play.
Toffoli could fetch the Devils a first-round pick if they make him available this week. This is especially true if the Penguins take Jake Guentzel off the table. Then, the Devils won't hear much about losing Yegor Sharangovich in the trade from the offseason.
The issue here is Toffoli seems to truly like playing for the Devils and might want to re-sign. He's talked about wanting to find a place to play long-term and seeing New Jersey as a fit. Is that a reason to forgo the Devils best trade asset? That's a question for Fitzgerald to answer.
Brendan Smith
Brendan Smith is a controversial name among Devils fans. The defenseman has struggled in the Lindy Ruff system, but he's a highly respected player around the league. Teams would love to add him as depth, and that comes with a price. Nobody is giving a first for Smith, but he could fetch an asset for the Devils. If the team is looking toward the future, playing Smith has no real gain.
Adding Smith to a team with playoff aspirations that's looking to add some physicality to its game would be desirable. What's that worth? It all depends on when Smith gets moved and to who. We've seen teams overpay when the pieces start to fall.
The Devils are already dealing with fewer assets than usual. They still owe the Sharks a high draft pick, which if they sell would be a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. That was a part of the Timo Meier trade. No, Meier is not on this list, but losing those picks makes becoming a seller much easier. The Devils also sent this year's fourth-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for Curtis Lazar, but everyone would do that trade again and again.
Smith might get the Devils a middle-round pick, and that could be enough to push the Devils. This would open a spot for Santeri Hatakka, who looked really good in his short time in the NHL.
Colin Miller
Just as Smith will be worth something as a depth defenseman, so will Colin Miller. He actually brings some unique skills that could make teams salivate if he becomes available. His bomb of a shot could really help a team looking for someone who can get the puck through traffic. Miller is also decent defensively and less prone to mistakes than Smith.
The Devils would be lucky to get back what they spent on Miller in the first place. They sent a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Dallas Stars prior to this season. If the Devils can get a future fifth that they can use in future trades for a season that has more on the line, it might be worth it.
The 31-year-old has enough playoff experience to be intriguing. He's been to the postseason with the Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars. He was on that first Golden Knights team that made a surprise run to the Stanley Cup Final. He has a total of 40 playoff games under his belt and has 12 points in those contests.
Last season, he played two rounds with the Dallas Stars. This year, Miller is heading into free agency, so there is low risk for the team on the other side of the trade. That makes it even more intriguing.
Tomas Nosek
The Devils have tried a few different things at center after losing Michael McLeod after his arrest for sexual assault. Nico Hischier and Erik Haula always play center. Jack Hughes should play center, but Lindy Ruff is trying that thing where Haula takes faceoffs for him. Curtis Lazar has been playing center full-time, and Dawson Mercer takes the occasional faceoff. However, since returning from injury, Tomas Nosek has been holding down the fourth line.
He's taken some time to get his legs under him after his injury. However, after 15 games, he should have more than zero points (obviously). He's been on the ice for six goals against, but his line has only scored twice. Overall, it's been low impact, but it's more bad than good.
This isn't really selling it, but someone will trade a low pick just based on Nosek's history. He's been in the playoffs six different times. He's been on winners like the Golden Knights and Bruins. Teams might want that.
For Nosek, the Devils might take whatever is given to them. They have Shane Bowers in the AHL who can come up and play. He's not a future piece, but he is serviceable. It allows the Devils to take what they can for Nosek.
Cap Space
The New Jersey Devils made some moves to make cap space available. After Dougie Hamilton got injured, $9 million was available to spend through long-term injured reserve. The expectation is Hamilton is out for the rest of the season, so the Devils don't have to worry about making the money work.
That's a powerful tool. The Devils currently have $10 million in workable space. That's huge. They could trade for a contract a team wants off the books to fit another contract through trade, or they could be the third team in a deal (at least we think so) to gain an asset just to gain money.
Teams are desperate to make money work right now. Heck, the Devils were one of those teams for a while trying to find teams to take on salary. Of course, the Devils were looking for a team to carry salary for multiple years, and the Devils can't do that for someone else. However, any asset they can get for basically free is worth it.
Maybe this article will be irrelevant by Monday, or it might be more relevant than ever. The season is on the line this weekend. Let's see how the goals change.
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