3 intriguing prospects the Devils cannot trade at the 2024 deadline

The New Jersey Devils prospects pool isn’t what it was in recent years, but that’s because they saw quite a few players earning extended spots with the big club. While New Jersey has yet to snag even a wild card spot in the playoff race, the Devils have played well enough to attract potential trade assets should they buy within the next week if they don’t drop their next few games.

But just because they could land a player who could prove to help them fare better than they have so far, it shouldn’t mean that all prospects and draft picks should be part of a prospective trade package, and there are even a few prospects they can target by the 8th.

The Devils have done an outstanding job of building their big club into what should be an annual contender for the foreseeable future. Therefore, they need to go into the deadline knowing that they are still among the younger and lesser-experienced teams in the NHL, and there are future assets in their prospects pool who should become part of their overall core within the next few years. 

Devils could buy at the trade deadline, but refrain from selling prospects

The Devils are currently eight points out of a wild card, so they are on the outside looking in, and a lot can change between now and March 8th with three more games to go before then. If they don’t fare well in those three contests, then perhaps the assumption that they will be buyers goes out the door and they instead become sellers. But if they’re winning games and, ideally, Detroit and Tampa hit some rough patches, then expect them to buy. 

So let’s assume for the purposes of this article that the Devils take at least two of their next three games and look to add talent to their lineup as Tampa and Detroit play sub-0.500 hockey. Which prospects should they keep in the system, and how would those prospects help New Jersey in the near future?