7 Devils Who Could Be Traded at the NHL Trade Deadline
The New Jersey Devils could be busy selling ahead of next week's NHL trade deadline.
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The Olympics were a treat for everyone who watched. Jack Hughes got his golden moment, and most of the New Jersey Devils who participated had strong tournaments. Now, it’s back to reality.
Unfortunately for the Devils, they’re 11 points out of a playoff spot as NHL action returns tonight. That means they’ll likely be selling ahead of next week’s trade deadline. Here are seven players they could trade over the next nine days.
Dougie Hamilton
Dougie Hamilton is the most obvious trade candidate the Devils have. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen wrote that Hamilton is among the right-handed defensemen available, and Frank Seravalli had Hamilton No. 4 on his most recent trade board.
Part of Seravalli’s ranking is based on how likely a player is to be traded, as informed by what he’s hearing around the league.
Take that as you will, but it makes sense to trade Hamilton since the Devils are 11 points out of a playoff spot. He was playing some of his best hockey of the season heading into the Olympics, so his value may be at its peak.
What could the Devils get for Hamilton? It depends on how flexible he is with no-trade and no-move protection. If those aren’t issues, the Devils should be hoping for a similar return to what the Calgary Flames received for Rasmus Andersson.
That would involve a couple of draft picks and a depth NHLer or a prospect. The Devils also may have to retain a small portion of Hamilton’s $9 million cap hit, depending on who they trade him to, so that could increase what they net for him.
Time will tell how that plays out, but it does seem like Hamilton’s days with the Devils are coming to a close.
Brenden Dillon
The Devils probably don’t want to trade Brenden Dillon, but as we talked about a couple of weeks ago, they need to begin retooling their blue line. There’s too much redundancy, and they need to start opening up roster space to bring in more puck-movers.
Dillon is one player they could move, and his value may be at its highest. He’s having a bounce-back season and has been one of the Devils’ most consistent defensemen.
What could the Devils net in return for Dillon? Last year’s Brandon Carlo trade may be a good comparable. The Boston Bruins received a first-round pick and top prospect Fraser Minten for Carlo.
