5 Burning Devils Questions Heading Into NHL Draft Week
What could the New Jersey Devils and Sunny Mehta be up to as we head into NHL Draft Week?
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The NHL Draft is less than a week away, and that’s usually the peak of the hockey calendar until the following season gets underway.
We don’t know what the next week or two will hold for the New Jersey Devils, but one would have to imagine GM Sunny Mehta will be busy.
The Devils need to make the playoffs next season, and running it back with the same roster is not an option. Let’s set the table for draft week and what could be on Mehta’s plate.
Will Mehta Find a Taker for Markström?
Kevin Weekes reported the Devils are gauging the trade market for goaltender Jacob Markström, but will they actually find a taker?
I wouldn’t rule out. The free-agent class doesn’t offer much in between the pipes, and some teams need to make some changes in net.
Among the possible suitors for Markström are the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. It would not shock me if the Panthers move on from Sergei Bobrovsky, so could Markström be the solution?
Bobrovsky finished with an .877 save percentage and allowed 12.2 goals above expected this season. Markström’s numbers were more or less the same, as he finished with an .883 save percentage and allowed 11.9 goals above expected.
But with Bobrovsky reportedly seeking a six- or seven-year deal worth a total of $42 miillion, the Panthers could opt for Markström, whose two-year extension kicks in on July 1.
As for the Oilers, their defensive environment needs to change for a goaltender to succeed, but they also need to get out of Tristan Jarry’s contract. If they can, Markström could be a fit for them.
It’ll be interesting to see how Mehta navigates the situation in net, but the fact that he’s gauging the trade market shows he’s open to making a change.
Will the Devils Acquire a Top-6 Winger?
Acquiring a top-six winger is among the top priorities, if not the top priority, for the Devils this offseason.
If I had to guess, the Devils will acquire one top-six forward via a trade and another via free agency, especially if they trade Dawson Mercer. If via a trade, it’ll likely come this week in the lead-up to the draft or at the draft.
Mehta has a few assets to work with to acquire a top-six winger. Among them are the 12th overall pick, Šimon Nemec, and Mercer.
David Pagnotta reported on The FAN Hockey Show earlier this week (June 17) that plenty of teams are poking around Nemec and that he could be involved in a hockey trade to acquire a first-line caliber winger.
Unlike Nico Hischier and Arseny Gritsyuk, we have not heard anything about progress toward a contract extension for Nemec, who’s an RFA. That leads me to believe he’s on the way out, but we’ll see.
If so, who will the Devils acquire for Nemec? Will it be Jordan Kyrou? Or will it be someone off the board we haven’t heard in the rumor mill yet? Who Mehta acquires will give us a sense of how he plans to build the team this summer.
Who Else Will Mehta Trade Off the Devils’ Roster?
To make the improvements he needs to, the Devils will also have to clear some cap space over the next week+.
Mehta has quite a few cap-clearing options, which we outlined a couple of weeks ago. I’d expect some kind of resolution with Maxim Tsyplakov, whether that’s via a buyout or mutual termination of his contract, but that won’t be all.
I’d be surprised if Paul Cotter, who’s an RFA, is back with the team next season. Nick Bjugstad and Stefan Noesen are also possible cap-clearing options.
Between those players, the Devils could save upward of $6-8 million on the salary cap, which should give Mehta plenty of room to make some additions via trades and free agency.
Although I think this is less likely, it’ll also be interesting to see if Mehta opts to move Dougie Hamilton to free up cap space. Chris Johnston has reported that the Devils’ new front office views Hamilton’s game favorably, so I think he stays, but this week could offer clarity on his situation.
Changes on Defense?
Nemec may not be the only Devils defenseman who gets traded this offseason. Their defense core could use a bit of a shakeup in general.
Luke Hughes isn’t going anywhere. I doubt Brett Pesce is either, but there could be some other moving parts.
Brenden Dillon is entering the final year of his contract, and his no-trade clause shifts to a 10-team NTC on July 1.
Johnathan Kovacevic was in the rumor mill around the trade deadline. It’s a different regime with Mehta and Braden Birch taking over, but they also didn’t sign Kovacevic to his five-year, $20 million extension.
Jonas Siegenthaler seems like a decent bet to bounce back next season, but I’m sure some teams will have interest in him, especially since he has a cap hit of just $3.4 million.
I don’t see Mehta nuking the Devils’ blue line, but there could be a couple of changes to add a bit more mobility and puck-moving ability, which they could use.
Will Mehta Have a Different Draft Philosophy?
I remain steadfast in my belief that former GM Tom Fitzgerald did a poor job of drafting. Mehta hasn’t made any major changes to the amateur scouting staff yet, but how will he approach the draft?
This is highly dependent on whether the Devils hold on to the 12th overall pick, but who could Mehta target with that selection? If it were Fitzgerald, my money would have been on 6-foot-5, 220-pound Ethan Belchetz or 6-foot-4, 190-pound Oscar Hemming.
Assuming they retain the pick, will Mehta opt for someone with more dynamic skill, such as Wyatt Cullen?
Even in the later rounds, will Mehta lean on metrics such as NHLe to take more gambles on high upside skaters with more dynamic skill? I’m curious to see what his draft philosophy will be and how it could differ from Fitzgerald’s.
I can’t promise any fireworks for the Devils this week, but there is potential for some in the lead-up to the draft and at the draft on Friday and Saturday.
Devils’ ownership hired Mehta to make some changes, and I expect we’ll see some as the week moves along.
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Assuming Quinn doesn't extend with the Wild on 1 July, I think we're going to see a lot of work done this season to make sure we can afford him next season, even if it hurts our chances a little in the short term.