How should New Jersey Devils approach NHL Draft and NHL goaltenders?
There is much speculation about what the New Jersey Devils will do with the 10th-overall pick. Rumors have directly stated the Devils could be giving that pick up for a goaltender.
Well, it is that time of year again. The New Jersey Devils have another rather high pick in the NHL Draft after a disappointing season. That certainly does not mean they intend to use it. Rumors are swirling about what the Devils might do with the pick, but the most prevalent rumor is one that involves them moving it for a goalie.
There are four goalies who have been at least mentioned as Devils targets so we are going to circle back to those and with what teams could be thinking about the trade and potential value.
1. Jusse Saros
Juuse Saros is an absolute monster. Any trade proposal would have to blow the other teams away for it to be made. It is for that reason that this is by far the least likely guy to be involved in a trade while simultaneously being the one the Devils should prioritize.
He just turned 29 and is absolutely an elite top-five goalie in the league despite being on a mid-team. This past season was the first time he was not above a .910 save percentage. If this Devils team got that, they would be a legitimate threat in the playoffs, and the rest of the league should be scared to see them get a defender and a proper system.
That being said however 10OA for Jusse Saros is a quick decline from the Predators who would have teams lining up for him and who are trying to win now with an aging core so they would want a piece to win now likely which is why it wont work for Jersey. The Devils core is set, neither of the two young defenders are going anywhere for anyone so the best this team could throw out at them is probably the 10th pick, Mercer and Casey. A very good offer but one that helps more in the future and there are other teams who could give them the big forward the franchise have never had right now like Tkatchuk or Marner so this trade is a pipe dream for the Devils.
2. Jacob Markstrom
He's good, he's bad, he's good, he's bad. He had an average year this season; last year, he had a .892 save percentage, which is just as bad as the goaltending that sunk the Devils this season, a fantastic .922 before that, then right back down to a mediocre .904. And for the one person who does not know it, he is already 34 years old and locked up at $6 million for the next two seasons. Paying anything for a guy who is a maybe this season and probably going to fall off a cliff soon would be an awful trade, but 10th overall is insanity.
It is also worth pointing out that he is not going be on the Flames next season by all accounts. So despite the competition for goaltenders, his value should be insanely low. Getting caught up in a bidding war would be terrible asset management.
Values go up and down in the league, but when the Devils traded 9th overall for Cory Schneider, they got a very legit goalie who gave them great seasons and it still didn't work out due to him getting injured like all Devils goalies once they get older and the cost was what could have been a decade of Bo Horvat who was selected with the pick. Trading someone like Sam Dickenson, who almost had 20 goals as a big defender, and Cole Eiserman, who had 58 goals in 57 games with the NTDP, would be a stupid move for a season or two, probably at best of a goaltender, should be a fireable offense.
If it's not 10th for Markstrom, what could spice up the deal? Eating half the cap would be ok, but the Devils don't need it that bad. Calgary, despite the Canadian market disagreeing, would need to add something substantial. The Flames are about to go into a rebuild, whether they want to or not, so guys like Connor Zary are not moving, and the ironic best piece to be added would be Yegor Sharangovich, but that feels unrealistic despite how much fans want it.
The Flames have very little interest after all the deadline deals, and the best they could really do is probably Markstrom, Vancouver's first, and Blake Coleman for 10th overall, but honestly, it's still not a good trade for the Devils. This draft is way too deep to move back that far for a temporary goalie and a middle-six forward.
3. John Gibson
Anaheim is going to make some moves and i'm sure they will be talking about Gibson but also I think he has no buisness being discussed for the 10th but for a later pick it would be interesting. It is, however, very risky with his 6.4 cap hit for four more years and the fact that he has been a declining asset on a very bad team. What makes this most interesting is that Zegras is going to be moved, and the Devils love USA hockey players, and he is Hughes's friend.
While that is not how most would build a hockey team, the franchise has shown they will make choices this way in bringing every Swiss player they can to Jersey, taking Hughes brother(though it was the right pick) and the fact that there is so much said about Tkachuk being close with the GM. This doesn't make much sense the move would make for either team, and the Devils would have to add, but it is not as far-fetched as some will say since it fills two holes but at the same time makes the team smaller upfront.
4. Linus Ullmark
There is only one year left on his deal, so the team would need an extension ready, but he has been good for a long time and is far younger than other options. Five straight seasons above .915 and a career-low of .905 shows a lot of consistency, and the only reason he didn't get more love before the last few years was Buffalo being terrible and then him splitting with Swayman.
That being said, people will be gunning for him since there are not many actually available starter goalies, so there will be competition. This is the guy though and as the draft gets closer the Bruins should see the value in selecting high for the first time in a longtime and even if they wanted more of a now asset there is no reason a guy picked that high couldn't be flipped for something big at the deadline when they go for the cup yet again.
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