The New Jersey Devils seemed like great candidates to make a massive splash this summer to prove to their players that they were fully invested in winning. The Devils are on the cusp of playoff contention, but another top player would've done wonders to bolster the lineup alongside Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. The belief was that a trade package of Dawson Mercer and Simon Nemec was the path to landing that star, but that is no longer possible.
The Devils traded Nemec to the Calgary Flames before the draft, settling for a package that included two first-round picks and prospect Etienne Morin. While the picks are top-10 protected, the return for New Jersey wasn't terrible considering how Nemec was performing and the logjam they had on the blueline. Fans might have liked to see how he would've panned out instead of giving up on Nemec, but it might've been a relationship that was already too far gone to save.
The Devils are now in a similar position with Mercer. They want to explore his trade market, but if all they accrue is future assets, then it's hard to see what direction the franchise is going. Nemec and Mercer together to a retooling team for a star player would've made sense, but Mercer likely doesn't get the Devils a massive return by himself.
Dawson Mercer's trade value around the league
Mercer should have tremendous trade value around the league if they were to package him together with some of those first-round draft picks to get a top-six forward. The center out of Newfoundland and Labrador does spend some time on the wing in the top six, but his true value lies in his ability to play a two-way game at center. If a team is going to maximize his abilities, he is better off in a third-line center role.
It's hard to find a more reliable player than Mercer. He played 82 games in each of his first five seasons, and his lowest goal total is 17 in his rookie year. He did have one season with 27 goals, but his average looks to be around the 20-goal mark, which is fine for a middle-six forward. He can kill penalties, shut down the other team's top line, and chip in on the power play when needed.
So, the question for the Devils is this: Does it make sense to trade Mercer for a bigger piece, or will they miss the reliable two-way forward more than they realize? New Jersey has to explore how to make their team better, but unless a return in a Mercer deal is a true game-changer, the juice may not be worth the squeeze.
Add us as a preferred source on Google