LeBrun: Devils have cap space/assets to acquire a good player or two

[caley]

per Pierre LeBrun

The New Jersey Devils are an intriguing team ahead of the March 1 trade deadline and beyond. They're one of the very few teams in the league with lots of salary cap space plus they've got 18 draft picks at their disposal over the next two years, including four second-rounders and four third-rounders. Between the cap space and the picks, I believe the Devils plan to use that as assets to try and pry a good player or two from teams that are cap-strung and may be having issues re-signing some guys. I'm not saying there's another Taylor Hall out there for the Devils but certainly, GM Ray Shero has some assets at his disposal whether it's before March 1 or in the off-season to try and upgrade his team.

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[sasha barkov]

Duchene?

 

[mike30]

defense defense defense defense defense

 

[Devils Trap]

Duchene?

I think Fowler would be the more interesting party

 

[SirPaste]

Kevin Shattenkirk is your man

 

[Devils Trap]

Kevin Shattenkirk is your man

Would be all over him if he was a guarantee to sign

 

[Hammettf2b]

Would be all over him if he was a guarantee to sign

A lot of teams would.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Duchene?

eh, Colorado wants defense, right? The Devils don't have any to trade. In fact, they need D too

If they make a trade, I'd imagine its for a LHD.

 

[Vikke]

Which assets, though?

 

[Esq]

Barrie?

 

[Dbrownss]

Want Lehtera? You can have him

 

[Beautvillier]

Ladd.

Please.

 

[Inno]

** Ladd lol

 

[Esq]

Ladd.

Please.

Right. If you say "please" it will happen.

 

[Devils Army]

Ladd.

Please.

We'll give you Hynes in exchange

 

[SirPaste]

Would be all over him if he was a guarantee to sign

I don't see why he wouldn't resign there, Army has said teams can talk to him about an extension once the framework for a trade is in place

 

[Neutrinos]

Would be all over him if he was a guarantee to sign

Jersey would be better served keeping their assets and just signing him as a free-agent

It's doubtful the Devils would make the playoffs even with Shattenkirk, but he may help them win some otherwise meaningless games which could be the difference between picking 4th overall or picking 8th

 

[Brodeur]

Which assets, though?

As LeBrun said, draft picks and cap space. I forget which reporter said it, but we were possibly the dumping ground for Datsyuk if Arizona hadn't.

Not particularly sexy assets, but basically we'd be hoping for a defenseman version of the Palmieri for 2nd+3rd round picks type trade. Probably not anything that's gonna break the internet, but we might be able to add somebody on the eve of the Expansion Draft. Or possibly some other version of the Teravainen+Bickell or Bolland+Crouse type deals.

LeBrun mentions "The New Jersey Devils are an intriguing team ahead of the March 1 trade deadline and beyond" and I think that would be more "beyond".

 

[Alluckks]

I'd love for the Devils to trade for Shattenkirk and then watch him walk over to the Rangers a few months later

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Devils are a couple years away from being good. They should be taking people's trash like Arizona and Carolina did this past offseason for good prospects.

Easier said then done but still

 

[TrueGrit]

Unfortunately they're not getting anything of quality without giving up a first rounder, and I can't imagine why they'd do that given their position.

 

[Zippy316]

Devils are a couple years away from being good. They should be taking people's trash like Arizona and Carolina did this past offseason for good prospects.

Easier said then done but still

Devils have one of the biggest assets right now in cap space and longterm cap flexibility. The 2016 draft class is looking very promising at the moment as well. A lot is going to depend on what Shero does before the start of the next season.

If the Devils can pick up another center prospect in the 2017 draft, trade some of their extra forward prospects and/or picks for a defender in the expansion draft fallout, and sign a UFA defender this off-season (ideally Shattenkirk, but Alzner and B. Smith could be useful as well), then the team will be set up very nicely for the future. Their biggest hole after that would likely be getting a true #1C (although they may be able to have Hall prop up Zacha on a first line) and a #1RW. For the latter, Oshie and James Neal in a couple summers could be a very good option if the team is trending up.

 

[mc3488]

Seguin

 

[Brodeur]

Unfortunately they're not getting anything of quality without giving up a first rounder, and I can't imagine why they'd do that given their position.

Depending on where we land in the draft order, that might be a possibility. Like I said before, the types of trades which are possibly more realistic:

- The defenseman version of the Kyle Palmieri for 2nd+3rd round picks trade. Cap strapped team either can't protect a D for the Expansion Draft or knows they can't allocate the cap towards keeping somebody.

- Some version of the "we'll take your bad contract in exchange for a decent player/pick" trade. Ie, the Marc Savard+2nd rounder for C level prospects trade, Bolland+Crouse for picks, or Teravainen+Bickell for picks.

 

[MichaelJ]

Unfortunately they're not getting anything of quality without giving up a first rounder, and I can't imagine why they'd do that given their position.

The Devils are trending towards the 3rd worst record in the league right now, when considering games in hand for teams close to them in points and just how terrible Colorado and the Coyotes are. If that pick winds up outside of the top5 I'd shop it and see what's out there.