5 Devils Targets From Daily Faceoff's First Trade Bait List

We're a month away from the NHL Draft, meaning the trade winds will begin blowing soon. Here are 5 potential targets for the New Jersey Devils.

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Trades! Well, not quite, but we got our first offseason trade board from Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli yesterday. Among the targets was Marco Rossi, whom we discussed late last week; he's an ideal fit for the New Jersey Devils.

Fortunately, it appears he'll be one of multiple options for general manager Tom Fitzgerald this offseason. Here are five other trade candidates from Daily Faceoff's initial trade-bait list who could interest the Devils.

JJ Peterka

I eventually want to do more of a deep dive on Peterka and why I think he's a perfect fit for the Devils. He checked in at No. 1 on Daily Faceoff's trade targets list, with Seravalli stating that Peterka and a few other players are unhappy with the lack of progress in Buffalo.

Peterka had a breakout season with the Sabres, finishing with 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games. He's a solid skater, ranking in the 56th percentile in top skating speed and 86th percentile in speed bursts over 20 mph. His defensive game needs to improve, but his offensive value outweighs his defensive shortcomings.

Peterka has averaged 28 goals per 82 games over the last two seasons and would give the Devils the top-six winger they need. He's an RFA without arbitration rights, meaning he has plenty of team control. His extension will likely pay him close to $7 million annually, and a trade won't be cheap, either. It'd likely cost the Devils their 2026 first, Dawson Mercer and a prospect, but he's worth the price.

Chris Kreider

We're coming in hot here, but it would not shock me if the Devils had some interest in Kreider. He had a down season, finishing with 22 goals and just 30 points in 68 games, but injuries were a factor.

The New York Rangers were also a hot mess for most of the season, and he might benefit from a change of scenery; look at how Reilly Smith played for the Vegas Golden Knights after the Rangers traded him to Vegas.

Even though Kreider struggled this season, I think he still has some good hockey left in him. While his skating top speed dropped from the 89th percentile last season to the 71st percentile this season, he'd give the Devils some needed pace. His microstats look solid, too:

Gauging Kreider's value is difficult because he's coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. Everyone knows the two sides are ready for a divorce, so I can't imagine him having too much value, especially since it seems the Rangers want to clear his $6.5 million cap hit.