Report: Devils Among Teams Seeking a Center

Per Elliotte Friedman, the New Jersey Devils are among the teams seeking a center. What options do they have to add depth down the middle?

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Rumors are starting to ramp up with the NHL Trade Deadline nearly a month away. There'll surely be a few surrounding the New Jersey Devils over the coming weeks in addition to what we've heard already, like Adam Henrique.  

That report came from Elliotte Friedman earlier in the week, with him saying he'd be surprised if the Devils, in particular, weren't interested in acquiring Henrique. He didn't reiterate that per se on the Feb. 2 episode of 32 Thoughts, but he did mention that the Devils are among the teams looking for center help. 

I've already written about Henrique a couple of times this week, so we're not going to get further into it here. He's a fit for the Devils, but acquisition cost may be a problem, given what Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan went for earlier this week. 

If Henrique isn't an option, where could Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald turn to for center depth? And is it even something they should consider before the deadline?

Devils' Options for Center Help

With Jack Hughes having trouble staying healthy this season and Michael McLeod away from the team indefinitely on charges related to the 2018 World Junior case, the Devils' center depth has taken a hit. 

Henrique is an ideal fit for the Devils, but if he's going to cost a first-round pick and then some like Monahan and Lindholm, you can probably forget about that happening. In an already thin center market, that could pose problems if Fitzgerald wants depth down the middle ahead of the deadline. 

There are some options, though. So, let's peruse some that have popped on trade boards. Jack Roslovic is No. 22 on Daily Faceoff's most recent trade target list. The 27-year-old is a pending UFA and will likely be on the move, given the Columbus Blue Jackets' place in the standings.