Devils looking to add a scoring winger or two
TSN: Darren Dreger when asked about how quickly the New Jersey Devils and Jack Hughes came together on their big contract extension.
“Now, eight years and $64 million is obviously nothing to sneeze at and I can tell you it raised eyebrows from some of the rival general managers around the National Hockey League. But this is part of their plan. They believe that they can be a contending team in the next two to three years. And look, Fitzgerald is going to follow his plan.
Which means yeah, they’d like to add some pieces, including a scoring winger or two, but they have to be age sensitive and they have to fit into the core of the group.
I expect Fitzgerald will check in with Don Sweeney in Boston about Jake DeBrusk. But again, that contract given the qualifying offer may not be the right fit for the Devils, but that player is definitely a player of interest.
Could Brendan Gallagher interest teams?
NHL Watcher: Darren Dreger on TSN 690 radio when asked if there would be any teams interested in Brendan Gallagher’s contract this year.
“I do because of the character of the individual, it’s not an easy move to make though, if you’re a contending team chances are you’re a cap team, so what are the Canadiens taking back?”
“What is the sweetener perhaps that has to be accepted & sometimes that can be a tough contract coming back the other way but it’s a much shorter term or even better yet an expiring term, maybe Montreal has to get more creative & give up something they don’t want to give up”
A first for Ben Chiarot?
TSN: Pierre LeBrun says that Montreal Canadiens pending unrestricted free agent Ben Chiarot will get plenty of interest and the Canadiens could get a first-round pick for him.
“… I spoke with a few contending teams today who value him greatly and here’s a guy who can absolutely fetch a first-round pick given the dearth of rental defencemen available. He was terrific during the Habs’ playoff run to the Stanley Cup Final last year.
Now, we have to wait and see what Jeff Gorton, who has just got the job this week, is going to do with this Canadiens roster. But contending teams I spoke with are acting as if Ben Chiarot will be available between now and the 21st. He has a 10-team no-trade list. It’s a ‘no’ list. That list was submitted last summer. Certainly it’s not out of the question they try and re-sign him, but he’s probably going to be dealt before the 21st.”
Ben Chiarot will almost certainly be traded for a 1st round pick before the trade deadline. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/i4PZSLqAnx
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) December 3, 2021