The New Jersey Devils have been active in the final hours of the NHL Trade Deadline. First, they traded Tyler Toffoli to the Winnipeg Jets for the underwhelming return of a second and third-round pick. Most thought Toffoli would grab a first-round pick after the Jake Guentzel deal, but that wasn't the case. Then, the Devils added goalie Jake Allen in another head-scratching move. Tom Fitzgerald called the Jets back and got a deal done for Colin Miller.
Winnipeg Jets go back to New Jersey. Colin Miller moving to the Jets.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 8, 2024
Miller has been a decent player for the Devils this season. He missed the first 15 games of the season with a lower-body injury. The right-handed defenseman with a rocket of a shot has eight points in 41 games. The Devils had started using him sparingly on the power play, which likely would have helped his numbers. Instead, Fitzgerald gets another asset for an expiring contract.
For Miller, the Devils are getting a 2026 fourth-round pick. It's very strange the Devils are trading for middling sophomores in high school today, but the Devils are dealing with a very strange market.
It seemed like teams went all in on Wednesday, which felt like trade deadline day. Adam Henrique, Sam Carrick, Noah Hanifin, Alex Wennberg, Casey Mittelstadt (for Bowen Byram), Sean Walker, and Vladimir Tarasenko all got traded that day. Most got considerable returns for their team, which is likely why the Devils decided to trade Toffoli in the first place.
Most would have wanted more for Miller, but that's the headline of the trade deadline for the Devils. Actually, it's the headline for the season. It's a season of disappointment, and the trade deadline is just another example.