Would rather have Drew Helleson

Zajac is awful and slow, a 35 year old pending UFA isnt taking anyones spot on the avs bottom 6. Thats just throwing away assets in an attempt to min max the 3C spot.
burning whatever additional cap space on the roster is not worth losing Timmins for, plus they wouldnt be giving up 2nd round picks and a prospect for someone to take him

then zajac has to be magically good for that conversation to begin

I can offer that he is Zajacally good.

Helleson isn't on the table. He's Colorado's best chance at directly replacing Johnson long-term. Timmins is more available since his PMD skillset is a bit more redundant in a D group that already has Makar, Girard, Byram, and Toews, and long-term Barron and Helleson are better fits for a 3rd pairing shutdown role.

Devils will likely accept if Zajac waives but can the late 2nd switch to an early 3rd?

A 3rd + B prospect isn't really enough to make it worth moving Timmins. At least one of those extra's would need to be a solid piece.

I think the Devils would be fine with the trade then. Only problem is Zajac is likely to waive

That is probably a similar issue with NJD. Need more defensive play and a touch of nasty on our blue line. Reilly Walsh looks like he may replace Subban in year or two at RHD2. He is more of puck-moving, offensive type. Case McCarthy may be the next internal option, and not much after that.

Would do for either

& because of this exact reason (New Jersey knowing that Timmins doesn't fit best into your future plans) and the fact that Timmins has only 15 games of experience and an injury history/concern at 22 years old, there's no chance New Jersey is adding in a quality prospect and a pick. What people on here don't realize is that when contenders buy at the deadline, an added value is how it completes their team. New Jersey is the seller and completing Colorado. That's the value Colorado gets, the experience and better chance to go deeper in the playoffs.

Timmins and a pick for Zajac (retained) is likely a lot closer to a realistic deal. If Colorado has to have prospects and picks going with Zajac, Devils walk away. A rebuilding team doesn't give up those type of assets to move an expiring veteran and a contending team doesn't acquire those assets to contend now.

Agree with you here...but not losing sleep over Pytlik.
If Devils get a legit RHD prospect like Timmins, Helleson or even Barron...they'd be fine letting Pytlik go. NJD has about 7 centers on roster now...more in pipeline.

Regardless, Colorado's #3 center could arrive the day the Boston College season ends

It's not a certainty that Newhook will go straight into the lineup this season when the NCAA season ends. He hasn't played much hockey the last year, and he hasn't reached the same Hobey-Baker-winning level that Makar reached before being dropped into the playoffs straight out of college. Avs will also be mindful of burning a year of his ELC as that would mean having him up for a raise in the same offseason as Mackinnon, Byram, and Kaut.