For the first time in what feels like forever, the New Jersey Devils don't have many holes in their roster, and their record reflects that so far. With a 20-10-3 record, the Devils are one of just five teams in the NHL with 20 or more wins and loving life under their new head coach, Sheldon Keefe.
But, to be clear, the Devils do have needs. Even back in that historic 2022-23 season, when the Devils set franchise records for wins (52) and points (112) in a season, depth scoring was an issue. Ondrej Palat, Michael McLeod, and Nathan Bastian had combined for just 18 goals. Jesper Boqvist and Miles Wood were fine depth options but hardly reliable and mostly one-dimensional players.
That left the heavy lifting to Tomas Tatar, who is now two years older, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, pre-injury Dougie Hamilton, and, to a lesser extent, Erik Haula.
Fast-forward to Dec. 2024, and the Devils are still working tirelessly to mitigate that same fatal flaw. The Devils presently have six players with 20 or more points; Hughes and Bratt are each sitting upwards of 30, Hischier, Stefan Noesen, Timo Meier, and Hamilton are in the 20s, and everyone else is at 16 or fewer. As for goals, Hischier, Bratt, Noesen, Hughes, and Meier are the only ones inside double-digits.
St. Louis Blues open to Brandon Saad trade, and the New Jersey Devils should be open, too
This leads us to the burning question: How can General Manager Tom Fitzgerald and the Devils take this exciting roster up a notch and achieve an even higher level of play? According to a report from NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the St. Louis Blues are shopping a player, in the form of Brandon Saad, who may be the answer.
"The Blues made Brandon Saad a healthy scratch tonight. Saad is in the third year of his contract, he has one more year remaining at a $4.5 million AAV. He's a two-time Stanley Cup champion," Friedman began on Sportsnet's "Saturday Headlines" segment on Saturday. "The Blues would like to move him. He's got a no-trade clause, but I'm told he's willing to consider some other options, so that's another one to keep an eye on."
After a one-game stint in the press box, Saad, 32, did return to the ice for the Blues, playing 15:26 in St. Louis' 3-2 win over the New York Rangers on Sunday night. The Pittsburgh, Pa., native has now gone 14 games without a goal and has struggled to the tune of four goals, six assists, and 10 points in 28 games.
Saturday Headlines: https://t.co/rbygiDgGFi
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) December 15, 2024
Devils fans may remember Saad as the gritty, speedy, two-way sharpshooter who helped aid Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and the Chicago Blackhawks to two Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015. Although Saad has not been a regular penalty-killer since leaving Chicago for the second time in 2020, he has scored 20 or more goals in a season seven times in his 14-year NHL career, including as recently as last season (26 goals).
The primary point of negotiation for Fitzgerald, the Devils, and the Blues will revolve around salary. As Friedman noted during the "Saturday Headlines" segment, Saad has to make it two more years (this year and next year) at a $4.5 million cap hit, including a full no-trade clause this season and a 12-team no-trade list next year.
The Devils have only $1.2 million in cap space at the moment, making it impossible to facilitate a trade with the Blues anytime soon without a heap of salary retention involved. It is important to note that the Devils will accrue cap space daily up to the trade deadline, so a deal will be much easier to reach in Feb. or March rather than now. That is, if the Blues want to wait that long after revealing their hand and sitting Saad on Saturday.
Monty on Saad returning to lineup after scratch: "Brandon Saad is someone who has helped the Blues win a lot of games. I know how important he was in that playoff drive when we lost in 6 to Colorado. I just want him to get back to that level of play because I know it's in him."
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) December 15, 2024
After trading for Cam Fowler, it does appear that the Blues, who are only one game out of a playoff spot, are still trying to remain competitive. If the Devils do have to give a player back in the deal, their options might be limited to the likes of Bastian or Tatar, or perhaps Nolan Foote.
Even with salary retention, it is hard to fathom that a player struggling like Saad would command the Blues more than a third- or fourth-round pick. If Fitzgerald and the Devils truly believe that they can go all the way this year, Saad is a worthy gamble. Plus, who wouldn't be feeling extra motivated to have a genuine chance at winning a third Stanley Cup?