According to reports, the New Jersey Devils have acquired defenceman Christian Jaros from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Nick Merkley. In addition, Jaros signs a one-year deal, two-way with the Devils worth $800,000 in the NHL and $275,000 in the AHL
Hearing Christian Jaros from SJ to NJ for Nick Merkley. New homes for a couple of players.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 26, 2021
Devils Acquire Christian Jaros
The Devils continue to make moves this offseason. First, they acquired Ryan Graves from Colorado now, they have added Christian Jaros from San Jose. Jaros has not much NHL experience only playing 83 games for the Sharks. In those 83 games, Jaros has recorded 14 points (one goal and 13 assists). Jaros was originally drafted by the Ottawa Senators 139th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He signed his entry-level deal in May of 2017 and debuted that season. In January of 2021, Jaros was traded to San Jose by the Senators.
As part of the trade, the Sharks get Nick Merkley. Merkley was originally drafted by the Arizona Coyotes 30th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He played one game for the Coyotes before being traded to the Devils as part of the Taylor Hall. With the Devils, he succeeded as a depth forward. As he mostly played with the AHL team in his first year with the Devils. However, last season Merkley played in 27 games with the Devils last season recording 10 points (two goals and eight assists).
What Does This Mean Going Forward
The Devils add a seventh or eighth defenceman to their group in Christian Jaros. They are looking to play meaningful games as we have seen with teams around the league having defensive depth matters. Especially late in the year. He is a solid player and better than some other options the Devils have used over the last couple of years. New Jersey is looking to get better in their own zone and Jaros can help with that.
As far as Merkley the Sharks need forward depth and that is exactly what they will get in him. He can play in either NHL or AHL. And is more suited for the bottom six of the lineup than the top six.
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