Our Final Evaluation of Crazy CapFriendly Trades for New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils are the perfect blend of expectations, young assets, ties to stars at one position, and flaws for the rumor mill to go absolutely insane. It was even crazier when the Devils were trying to fill their head coaching vacancy. Now that Sheldon Keefe is in place, the Devils will look to the trade market to fill their roster before the NHL Draft and the start of free agency.

When the trade market gets hot, one of the best tools on the internet for entertainment purposes is the CapFriendly Armchair GM. It is literally a sounding board for regular people to build their own rosters, including free agent signings and trades. The trades are what get the biggest reactions, but it shows how opposing fans value the players on the Devils.

Yet, this is the last offseason that will ever be an option. We learned on Sunday that the Washington Capitals were playing a full villain role and buying CapFriendly just to shut it down in July. So, as we head to the end of CapFriendly, let's take a look at some of those entertaining trade offers.

Let’s start with the obvious. Brady Tkachuk trades are all around us. They all ask for insane prices, most of which involve Simon Nemec. We’ve seen some ask for Nico Hischier and even Jack Hughes+ somehow going the other way. Most of these are bait, but this one at least seems like something a sane Senators fan could talk themselves into and think they could realistically ask for.

As fans of a team that once traded Taylor Hall, we understand thinking a team is going to get a haul only to get a somewhat disappointing return. Speaking of that Taylor Hall return, the best piece to come from it was Dawson Mercer. The Devils got what ended up being the 18th overall pick, and Mercer fell to the Devils. 

Now, many want to add Mercer to their trades. Whether it’s a legit superstar trade for Tkachuk (which is fair to add Mercer) or a goalie trade (which a Mercer trade makes no sense), many seem to think the Devils should trade Mercer for 30 cents on the dollar based on one below-average season. 

We can see that with the rest of the package that’s offered. They want Mercer, Alexander Holtz, John Marino, Akira Schmid, the 10th-overall pick, and a 2025 second-round pick. That is a Connor McDavid level ask. No offense to Brady Tkachuk, but he doesn’t automatically make the Devils contenders. He’s really good, but is he a top-20 player? This is an insane package, even when Anton Forsberg is added. 

There are literally dozens of trades that involve Jacob Markstrom and the 10th overall pick. It seems like the Calgary Flames shouldn’t have the leverage to ask for that. Markstrom has a no-trade clause, already waived it to come to New Jersey, and he made it clear he was sick of the nonsense going on with his situation. 

And it’s only going to get worse. The rumors are only getting louder, and the articles will become more and more plentiful as we get closer to the draft without a resolution to the Markstrom situation. While teams like the Senators would like to believe they are in the conversation, there really is no point in Markstrom's waiving his rights to go there at this point. It seems to be New Jersey and maybe Toronto at this point unless a surprise team comes about.

Which is why this trade is so interesting. So, to get the 10th-overall pick and another interesting asset (Kevin Bahl), they add a first-round pick (Vancouver’s 28th overall) and add players Joel Hanley and Ilya Nikolayev. Hanley is a depth defenseman (which the Devils do need), and Nikolayev is a prospect who needs a change of scenery.

While we appreciate the attempt, the pieces don’t really fit. The value is off, but it’s not ridiculous. Would we be floored if this trade happened? No, so we wanted to give that possibility its just due. 

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. 

We've seen some WILD trades involving goalies and the Devils. Fans think the Devils are going to act desperate this offseason. However, if the team didn't act desperate during the season when everyone was trying to save their jobs, why would they act that way now? We legit saw a trade that asked for Dawson Mercer, Seamus Casey, and a first-round pick for Jordan Binnington. Woof. This one, however, is at least close.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are in a strange spot. Sidney Crosby is still playing at an MVP-level, but the rest of the team behind him is way too old. That includes Tristan Jarry, who has one more season in his 20s. That’s not saying he’s one of the “old ones,” it just doesn’t seem like they will get the best out of him when they need it.

Jarry could probably fetch a package like this for the Penguins. He had a rough season last year, but it wasn’t devastating. He is a competently average goalie with a goals saved above average just over 0. 

Now, does a team like the Devils want to take a chance on their future with Jarry? He hasn’t had a save percentage over .910 in three seasons. He’s only done it twice in his career. He’s also making close to $6 million for four more seasons. It all depends on what the Devils think his value is. If he truly can be a starter, this is a decent value.