New Jersey Devils Trade Targets: Who Could Be This Summer's Tyler Toffoli?

Nikolaj Ehlers - Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets once again follow up a great regular season by crashing out of the playoffs early. That's been a trend up there for quite some time, and after losing to the Colorado Avalanche in five games, changes may be coming.

Ehlers could be high on the chopping block for a few reasons. First, he's making $6 million and surely will want a raise on his next contract. Why that becomes an issue because of Ehlers usage. He was often placed sporadically in their lineup, sometimes finding himself getting third-line minutes.

Winnipeg must also ask themselves if they want to keep around a player whose production may not match his salary. Ehlers put up his highest point total since 2016-17 and the second-highest of his career with just 61. They could opt to cash in on him now, move his $6 million, and give younger players like Cole Perfetti and Brad Lambert a chance in the lineup.

What would make Ehlers a great fit for the Devils is for two reasons: his pace of play and his underlying numbers. Unlike Toffoli, Ehlers would bring an elite level of skating that only Jesper Bratt can rival. Having the ability to deploy Bratt and Ehlers either one after the other or even together would give the Devils a level of speed and dynamism they lacked this season.

As for his underlings, Ehlers scores in the 90% and above in major offensive categories such as goals, zone entries, and rush shots just to name a few. The biggest question is whether or not Ehlers can take his game to another level or if this is his final form. While he is 28 going on 29, he possesses a lot of the traits you look for in a scoring winger and has been a consistent 20+ goal scorer throughout his career.

Ehlers is also a smaller player and is contradictory to the type of player Fitzgerald seems to be looking for, but he could be on the move this summer and would give the Devils another element of speed to their lineup that was missing his

Pavel Buchnevich - St. Louis Blues

Oh, how sweet it would be to have a former Ranger help the Devils win a Stanley Cup. That's the type of impact Pavel Buchnevich would have on this team. He fits the mold of big, strong, and tough to play against, which Fitzgerald will be targeting this summer.

Buchnevich exploded after being traded from the Rangers, having 76, 67, and 63 points over the last three years after having a previous career high of just 48 points. Buchnevich is akin to the Devils Timo Meier in that when they're at their best, they play downhill and physically while also scoring for all areas of the ice.

The 29-year-old also has something Fitzgerald covets: center/winger versatility. The Devils have deployed Erik Haula in the type of role next to Jack Hughes, but adding a player like Buchnevich would provide a much greater upgrade over Haula. It would also kill two birds with one stone as it allows Haula to go back to 3C, another top need for the Devils.

Buchnevich is on an expiring deal with a cap hit of just $5.8 million. A cap hit that will certainly be increasing on his next contract. It's also of note that his name was floated around, turning the Trade Deadline, with the caveat that it would take a massive deal for Blues GM Doug Armstrong to move him.

However, the Blues are in a bit of a rebuild/retool on the fly, and they may not want to commit big term and big money to him. Meanwhile, the Devils could view Buchnevich as the perfect forward to complete their top-six and give them the chance to essentially have Timo Meier and Timo Meier-lite out on the ice for most of the game. It would be a big swing, but his size and style of play could be exactly what the Devils are missing.

Travis Konecny - Philadelphia Flyers

This wouldn't be the first Devils-Flyers trade ever, but it would certainly be the biggest. That being said, Konecny is the perfect blend of Ehlers and Buchnevich, and there may not be a better player available for the Devils to go get.

The Flyers would be incredibly foolish to trade away a player of Konecny's calibre, but he too was subject to trade rumors during the Trade Deadline. Still, at just 27 years old, Konecny is eligible for an extension on July 1st, and will likely command a huge raise from his current $5.5 million AAV.

The Devils are all too familiar with Konecny's "Brad Marchand" type game and how dangerous he can be out there. He has the skating, elusiveness, and skill of a typical 5'10", 190-pound forward, but the fearlessness and chippiness of a player five inches and 20 pounds heavier.

Konecny has put together back-to-back 30+ goal, 60+ point seasons, while also growing into an agitator that you hate to play against, but love to have on your team. The two biggest downsides to Konecny are his injury history and his next contract. He hasn't played a full season since 2018-19 and missed many games in two of the last four seasons. Despite him still being young, could the Devils commit max term and likely $8+ million AAV for someone who may not play all 82 games most years?

The most obvious barrier in a Konecny to the Devils trade is the Flyers willingness to trade to a rival. He is a heart and soul player that you typically don't trade to one of your biggest rivals. Even if they were to move him, there would be plenty of suitors not named the Devils, or not in the Metropolitan division that would want his services. That being said, some of the health concerns aside, Konecny is the type of player you try to go all-in on.