Devils Trade Targets 2.0: Market Taking Shape

The New Jersey Devils' best bet at finding the necessary upgrades for their roster will come through the trade market

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A big sticking point of this offseason is how shallow the UFA class is. While I expect the New Jersey Devils to improve their bottom-six depth through free agency, adding a top-six winger and third-line center through the trade market is their best bet.

Fortunately, there seems to be plenty of talent available via trade. We've already done one round of trade targets, so let's do another with trade boards expanding and rumors gaining steam.

Charlie Coyle

Elliotte Friedman pushed back on the idea that the Colorado Avalanche need to trade anyone, but their cap situation says otherwise. They have $1.975 million in cap space with Jonathan Drouin and Sam Malinski to re-sign.

The Avalanche may let Drouin walk, but I can't imagine they don't want to make some changes after another first-round exit. That means they could move some salary, and Charlie Coyle could be a cap casualty.

Coyle appeared at No. 10 on Daily Faceoff's most recent trade target list, and could be an ideal fit for the Devils. He finished this season with 17 goals and 35 points between the Avalanche and Boston Bruins and would be a solid third-line center for the Devils.

Coyle still excels in transition, and does a decent job of creating shots off high-danger passes. He struggled with the Bruins this season but saw his play rebound with the Avalanche, where he totaled 13 points in 19 games.

While Coyle would be a good fit for the Devils as a 3C, his $5.25 million cap hit is pricey for what he provides, even with the cap ceiling rising to $95.5 million. The Avalanche likely don't have the appetite to retain any money, so the Devils would have to find a third team to retain salary for the final year of Coyle's contract.

Still, he's worth pursuing. Coyle likely won't cost more than a mid-round pick, and he can move up and play a second-line role if Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier get injured.

Bryan Rust

Per Pierre LeBrun's latest rumblings article for The Athletic, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the only true sellers on the trade market right now. Rickard Rakell is one name to monitor, but LeBrun reports that Bryan Rust is the player teams are calling most about.

Every time I mention Rust as a Devils trade target to someone, they give me a confused response. Maybe it's because the Penguins aren't any good anymore, but he's still a highly underrated top-six winger.

Rust finished this past season with 31 goals and 65 points in 71 games. Over the last three years, he's averaged 30 goals and 64 points per 82 games. He's also been an efficient five-on-five scorer, averaging 2.02 points per 60 minutes over that stretch.