Our Final Evaluation of Crazy CapFriendly Trades for New Jersey Devils

Another trade involving Dawson Mercer, but this is much, much different. This isn’t turning Mercer into a superstar or using him as the centerpiece of a goalie trade. This is selling low on a 22-year-old with three years of NHL experience. It’s of course coming from a Montreal Canadiens fan. After years of terrible Josh Anderson trade proposals, this one was barely trying. 

It’s two young prospects outside of their personal top five and a second-round pick for a guy who has an insane ceiling. It’s a 22-year-old who has proven his first-round pick was justified. Point Score is a flawed stat, but it still has some value. It shows Mercer as the sixth-best player in the 2020 NHL Draft. 

For that, the Canadiens will give 20-year-old center Owen Beck and 22-year-old defenseman Jayden Struble. They are fine prospects, but they are incredibly flawed themselves. Struble has talent for days, but injuries and a lack of production has his star status falling precipitously. Beck once had a good following, and he still has a chance, but it’s just not enough to move the needle here. 

Mercer is the only thing here that has a long-standing chance to play in the NHL. We kind of like Beck as an eventual Michael McLeod replacement, but that shouldn’t cost the Devils Mercer.