The New Jersey Devils and Ray Shero are next on our blitz through the NHL Trade Deadline landscape. New Jersey faces a number of questions as they look to rebound from this lost season. How they handle the trade deadline will be interesting as some value lurks. What could they sell possibly? Let’s take a look.
New Jersey Devils — Facts and figures…
This team carries a ton of cap space heading into the deadline and next season. The overall cap cushion is almost $14 million. Nico Hischier‘s bonuses may be the only issue in that number and that is a bit significant. Every dollar available will be made to sign Taylor Hall and surround the team with better talent. That is the idea, anyway. This season featured hope after making the playoffs last year. However, that was not the case as Hall succumbed to injury and may not return till March.
New Jersey’s plummet down the standings and fall defensively was not expected to be this drastic. They are 23-29-8 with a -32 goal differential yet have some pieces which could intrigue some teams. New Jersey has 47 standard playing contracts which means they have room to add players in deals, if necessary.
Ray Shero flipped Brian Boyle to the Nashville Predators for a second-round pick in 2019. That gives New Jersey eight picks for the draft in June. Could the general manager look to acquire more picks? That is possible. Fortunately, there exist some targets that teams might covet.
New Jersey assets that could be on the move…
Marcus Johansson — This qualifies as the big one for New Jersey. Johansson playing well and healthy at the right time is great news. On the other hand, would Shero consider re-signing the winger? The forward acquired for a second and third round pick will not likely fetch that kind of return. Alternatively, maybe his health and recent production (12 points in his last 12 games) boost his value. Could he even garner an elusive first-round pick? That depends on the supply and demand of the trade deadline come Monday. Also, it depends on if Johansson is actually on the market. No one is overly sure but Shero may not get better value here than now.
Ben Lovejoy — Lovejoy carries a little more value than most realize. Offensively, the defenseman provides little but place him on a third pairing and he is solid. His ability to kill penalties is reasonable enough even if he takes a few too many minors. The expiring cap hit for the defenseman is reasonable. Teams looking for a depth defenseman have inquired minimally for Lovejoy. His possession metrics are not as good as last year but still around +1% above the team average. That’s good for a team which has been so bad over the second half. A mid-round pick seems the likely return for Lovejoy if the market turns bullish.
NHL Trade Deadline: Los Angeles Kings — Keep On Selling
Just a couple more players…
Keith Kinkaid — This player has become polarizing for all the wrong reasons. Remember, Kinkaid last year spearheaded the New Jersey Devils’ run to the playoffs. He went 7-0-1 in eight starts to cement a spot then flamed out against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This year, New Jersey started out 4-0 behind strong play from Kinkaid and it has gone south since. Kinkaid since the end of October sports a worse save percentage than Cory Schneider. The 29-year-old goalie’s value dropped so much that it keeps dropping. Could Ray Shero find a taker? It is possible. Unfortunately, his attitude may not endear him to other general managers. He is an average goalie at best with spurts of good play. Kinkaid might net a late-round or even conditional pick.
Miles Wood — Wood is not on an expiring contract but there remains a very slight possibility of a move to sweeten a deal. The winger’s contract negotiations were a bit contentious in the offseason. Wood eventually signed a four year, $11 million contract. That cap number of $2.75 million AAV could entice a few teams. Would Shero pull off a move like that now? Likely not. It does need to be mentioned as a possibility, though.
A final observation or a few…
This is important to note. Ray Shero will not make a deal for the sake of making a deal. Johansson carries max value right now but if the general manager feels he can sign the forward, he will. This trade deadline sets the table for the summer which will be the most important of Shero’s tenure. Why? It begins the mission to keep Taylor Hall. The New Jersey Devils have a lot of work to do.
