{"id":138520,"date":"2023-06-21T15:00:54","date_gmt":"2023-06-21T19:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=138520"},"modified":"2023-06-21T14:14:01","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T18:14:01","slug":"new-jersey-devils-depth-forward-targets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2023\/06\/21\/new-jersey-devils-depth-forward-targets\/","title":{"rendered":"New Jersey Devils Depth Forward Targets"},"content":{"rendered":"

The New Jersey Devils offseason is in full swing following the re-signing of forward Jesper Bratt<\/a>. The team continues to try and round out their top six with the potential re-signing<\/a> of Timo Meier<\/a> as well. Without question, Jack Hughes<\/a>, Nico Hischier<\/a>, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, Dawson Mercer<\/a>, and Ondrej Palat<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

New Jersey Devils Depth Forward Options<\/h2>\n

The New Jersey Devils entire fourth line of Michael Mcleod<\/a>, Nathan Bastian<\/a>, and Miles Wood<\/a> are all up for new contracts, with the latter being a UFA. In addition, Erik Haula<\/a> and Tomas Tatar<\/a> are heading for unrestricted free agency, and forward Yegor Sharangovich<\/a> has been in trade rumours. It won’t be on the top of GM Tom Fitzgerald’s<\/a> to-do list, but finding impactful yet cheap bottom-six forwards is imperative.<\/p>\n

William Carrier<\/a> – Vegas Golden Knights\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, so any possible dollar they can shed they should, in order to bring back as much of their core as possible.<\/p>\n