The New Jersey Devils offseason is in full swing following the re-signing of forward Jesper Bratt. The team continues to try and round out their top six with the potential re-signing of Timo Meier as well. Without question, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Dawson Mercer, and Ondrej Palat form a formidable top six, but their depth was spotty throughout many parts of the season. Questions about the Devils depth and physicality came to the forefront after the season, and with a couple of pending UFAs from their bottom-six, they could look outward to replenish. Here are some New Jersey Devils’ trade targets.
New Jersey Devils Depth Forward Options
The New Jersey Devils entire fourth line of Michael Mcleod, Nathan Bastian, and Miles Wood are all up for new contracts, with the latter being a UFA. In addition, Erik Haula and Tomas Tatar are heading for unrestricted free agency, and forward Yegor Sharangovich has been in trade rumours. It won’t be on the top of GM Tom Fitzgerald’s to-do list, but finding impactful yet cheap bottom-six forwards is imperative.
William Carrier – Vegas Golden Knights
Here is the first of the New Jersey Devils trade targets. What better way to add to a Stanley Cup-contending team than to add a recent Stanley Cup winner? William Carrier just came off winning the first Stanley Cup in Vegas Golden Knights history. He is also just one of seven players who were part of Vegas’s inaugural team in 2017-18.
Carrier is coming off of career highs in both goals and points in the regular season and in points in the postseason. Playing a bottom-six and mainly fourth-line role, Carrier scored 16 goals and 25 points, as well as 6 points in 18 playoff games. He brings the size and physicality that you look for in a bottom-of-the-lineup player. His hard-nosed grinding play style greatly compliments the Devils other two fourth-liners; Mcleod and Bastian. If he can continue to replicate the goal-scoring form he found this season, he would make for a great Miles Wood replacement.
The 28-year-old Carrier is entering the final year of a 4 x $1.4 million per year contract. His low cap hit would have very little impact on any other moves that the Devils would look to make. The asking price in a trade shouldn’t be anything more than a mid-round pick or borderline NHL/AHL player. As for Vegas, they have numerous free agents to re-sign including goalie Adin Hill, so any possible dollar they can shed they should, in order to bring back as much of their core as possible.
Brandon Duhaime – Minnesota Wild
Brandon Duhaime is a name not too many are familiar with, but someone who could have a big impact on a Cup-winning team. He is coming off of his second NHL season where he played in just 51 games, scoring 9 goals. What stands out about Duhaime isn’t his point production, but the fast and physical nature in which he plays. Despite having average size, Duhaime was one of a handful of players to throw 5+ more hits per 60 minutes. He’s not afraid to throw his body around, which has sometimes left him in trouble (164 penalty minutes in 131 career games), but for a fourth-liner, you want that level of physicality. Duhaime’s speed also pops out when you watch him play. If the Devils lose Miles Wood, a player known for his high-end speed and physicality, then Duhaime could be a seamless fit.
Duhaime is a 26-year-old pending RFA coming off of a deal that paid him just $750k per season. He was recently added to The Athletic’s Trade Board, so the asking price from Minnesota should not be very high, making this a cheap and low-risk acquisition. Any subsequent contract would also be considerably cheap given his lack of point production. He shouldn’t cost more than a mid to late-round pick. His contract also shouldn’t be much more than he had previously made.
Trent Frederic – Boston Bruins
Frederic, like many on the Bruins this past season, is coming off of his best year. His 17 goals, 14 assists, and 79 games played are all career highs. However, where Frederic succeeds the most on the ice is with his hitting and ability to get under the skin of opposing teams. He is the perfect fourth-line “pest” that you hate to play against, but love to have on your team. The Devils ran into that issue a little in their second-round matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Their bottom six was consistently dominated and it became evident that the Devils needed a player who could lay a big hit or “muck it up” with opposing players.
Seeing some Trent Frederic takes that have me excited for his season review. Certainly not untouchable if he gets too expensive, but folks acting like he won’t be good next year? C’mon pic.twitter.com/hnvbJ0wBtI
— Chris Gere (@GereBnB) June 16, 2023
Frederic is another pending RFA in need of a new deal, but with Boston facing a massive cap crunch, any relief for them could come cheap. Boston has the uncanny ability to regenerate players with Frederic’s playing style with relative ease, so moving him and his potential contract for a mid-round pick would be a win-win for both sides. The Devils also have to cap space to give Frederic a small raise from his previous deal that paid him just over $1 million per year.
Ryan Lomberg – Florida Panthers
This next New Jersey Devils trade target is interesting. Anytime you play for a team that makes it to the Stanley Cup Finals you typically stand out more. While Lomberg doesn’t stand out for his high-scoring totals, his style of play fits a Cup-winning team. Like those on this list, Lomberg is coming off of a season of career highs. His games played (82), goals (12), and points (20), are all highs for him.
Lomberg shares a lot of similarities with another player on this list, Brandon Duhaime. He is a shot of energy when he is out on the ice. Despite his smaller frame, he plays a very fast and physical style and has become a fan favourite during time in Florida. Lomberg doesn’t have the size of a Miles Wood but plays with the same speed and reckless abandon. With his tenacity to get to the dirty areas, there may be more room for him to produce more offense if given the opportunity.
Ryan Lomberg finishes the BEAUTIFUL passing play to put the Panthers back in front by 1 😤 pic.twitter.com/oS5TTOtq5w
— NHL on ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsNHL) May 25, 2023
Florida is in fine cap space, and Lomberg’s $800k salary is inconsequential, but he is a UFA the following season. This was his first season playing all 82 games, so the Panther’s new regime certainly sees the value in him, but his low counting totals make him replaceable. For the Devils, adding a player like Lomberg would give the team a massive shot of adrenaline to their bottom six. Both he and Duhaime fit the profile of fast and physical that Fitzgerald should look at when replacing Wood.
Main Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
