4. Ryan O'Reilly
Nashville Predators
Yes, we are going back to this well. Ryan O'Reilly works so well for what the Devils need, and he makes sense as a trade piece for the Nashville Predators. Barry Trotz, who is believed to be close with Fitzgerald, put a psychotic price on O'Reilly, which is why he didn't move. There is a rumor going around that he asked for Simon Nemec, Dawson Mercer, a first-round pick, and possibly more.
Why would the Devils go after a player with that crazy of a price? We've seen Trotz cool on his price in the past. Look at what he accepted from the San Jose Sharks for Yaroslav Askarov. We originally heard that Trotz was looking for a top-five pick in the NHL Draft. Instead, he got forward David Edstrom, a 2025 conditional first-round pick belonging to the Golden Knights, and goaltender Magnus Chrona.
Would Trotz accept a first-round pick from the Devils or possibly a pick and a lesser prospect to make the deal happen?
The big difference is that Askarov pushed the issue, and we don't expect ROR to do the same. He will go down with the ship if it makes sense. Still, the Devils shouldn't give up on his just yet. O'Reilly is exactly what they need.
5. Mark Stone
Vegas Golden Knights
This is insane and probably won't happen, but the Vegas Golden Knights are famously brutal in offseason negotiations. They very much look at this like a business. They are what happens if the entire front office thinks like Lou Lamoriello. They've made shocking trades in the past, including trading Marc-Andre Fleury right off of his Vezina-winning season, sending Max Pacioretty to the Carolina Hurricanes for future considerations, and how they treated Evgenii Dadonov at the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline.
Would it be shocking if the Knights traded Mark Stone, who is considered a heart-and-soul player for them? Sure, but this is a Knights team that hasn't made it past the second round since they won the Stanley Cup two years ago. The Western Conference is incredibly competitive, but Vegas is not getting to the level of the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, or even the Colorado Avalanche.
A major change could be on the horizon. Most will think it comes on defense, where they are paying three players north of $7 million and a Brayden McNabb extension kicking in this year, but why wouldn't the Knights try to get out of the Mark Stone deal? He hasn't been healthy in four seasons. He's making $9.5 million over the next two years. It makes sense to get out and make Jack Eichel the leader in the room.
For the Devils, this gives them a surprising star who is still an incredible player when healthy. Like the Knights, the Devils could probably survive without Stone in the regular season, and Stone would be a game-changer in the Eastern Conference. It's just two years, so the contract would be off the books when the Devils have to pay Quinn Hughes. He has a no-move clause, which complicates things, but this could work.