Équipe: 2024-25 Devils du New Jersey

Date de création initiale: 15 mars 2024

Publié: 2 avr. 2024

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

Missing parts going into the off-season. 1A/B goalie, 4LW, 4C, either 3C/2LW.

I'm not diving into trades to bicker about the slight difference between a view of value between the fan of the current team and the Devils. I'm not even sure who are players teams would want to or need to move as the increase in cap room seems to really lessen the need for those type of trades. I'm just looking at guys who are likely to move on due to being UFAs on teams that'll be close the cap.

Addressed a need for toughness with 4LW with Trenin. Makes the 4th line far more difficult to play against that the current line.

McLeod was a big loss, the Devils need a nice relatively inexpensive two-way 4C. They don't need a ton of goals, more so someone that can play PK2.

1A/B goalie: I have no interest in moving a top 15 pick for a short term fix, and even less so for those thinking Mercer is available. Who else is in the market giving anything close to that? No interest in GIbson and that contract, Markstrom has two years left and goalies on the older side just don't have the value CGY fans seem to stress deserves a top 15 pick/and or Mercer. Ullmark could only get a 1st AFTER July 1st when he can be signed, so that gives a trade of the 2024 pick a no-go. In the end, I'm just signing KK as a filler as a worst case if a plan can't be figured out. Stolarz or Brossoit could be the upgrades on KK if those are the only options without overpaying for a goalie.

The big question becomes whether Jack can stay at 2C or does he need Haula there. If Haula stays there as a LW/C, then the Devils need a 3C. If Jack is just getting over his injury and he can go back to full-time 2C, Haula could be 3C, and then the Devils need a 2LW. There is an outside chance Holtz moves to 2LW and Mercer to 2RW and maybe Jack gets a shooter that way. A lot of flexibility in the middle six, but I wouldn't want to tie to someone long term without knowing they work.

If nothing else seems to be a good fit, then Palat goes to 2LW, Trenin to 3LW, and some rookies/PTO guys fight it out for 4LW, and just figure it out by the deadline to find improvements.