The New Jersey Devils' Biggest Needs and Best Fits at the Trade Deadline

With the NHL's March 2 trade deadline right around the corner, fans and management of the New Jersey Devils are trying to figure out what the struggling team's next move is.

General manager and interim coach Lou Lamoriello might still believe New Jersey is in the playoff hunt, but he and his staff may be the only ones left in that group. By the time the deadline arrives, Lamoriello will realize his team is not going to make the playoffs. 

This puts the Devils in a foreign situation—being definite sellers at the trade deadline. There is no shortage of players that New Jersey will eventually be willing to move, with Jaromir Jagr, Michael Ryder and Marek Zidlicky sitting atop the list.

But, if they can move those players, what should the Devils try to get in return?

This list will look at what New Jersey will hope to get before the trade deadline passes. Some of these things are quite plausible but would not add a tremendous amount of value for the team. Others might be long shots but are at least worth considering.

An Inexpensive, Experienced Second- or Third-Pairing Defenseman

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Peter Harrold makes a play along the boards against the Edmonton Oilers. Can the Devils find an upgrade over Harrold and Mark Fraser?

The Need

The Devils have a core of young, talented defensemen to build on in coming years. Adam Larsson, Damon Severson and Jon Merrill all appear to have top-four spots locked down, while veteran Andy Greene continues to be one of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL.

New Jersey also has Eric Gelinas, a young defenseman with a terrific shot and incredible offensive potential. But, he has struggled with his play in his defensive zone, and players like Peter Harrold and Mark Fraser are not going to help get the most out of him.

So, it would behoove the Devils to pick up another defenseman with decent NHL experience and moderate talent to help these young defenders, Gelinas in particular, in their development. 

The player would not have to be tremendous and would only play between 15 and 17 minutes per night, but an upgrade in talent and experience over Harrold and Fraser could push the defense corps from good to great. While this type of move is by no means a top priority for the team, it could pay dividends going forward.

However, the move would only make sense if the Devils can find a player they are confident will stay with the team for multiple years.

Possible Fits

Due to the nature of this need, there are a plethora of possible candidates. So, it is just a matter of the Devils finding the right player who they can acquire cheaply. The best place to find such a player is likely on a team that is struggling and set to go through rebuilding.

Carolina's John-Michael Liles and Ron Hainsey fit the bill. It seems unlikely that Edmonton would want to part with him after just signing him, but if Mark Fayne returned to New Jersey, he would fit as well. Arizona's Zbynek Michalek might also make sense.

A Top-Six Center

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Travis Zajac and Adam Henrique celebrate a goal against the New York Rangers. Will they be the team's top two centers going forward?

The Need

The Devils are not as thin at center as they are at wing (about which more will be said later), but things are not exactly rosy in the middle either. 

Travis Zajac is the one player who is in line to be a top center in New Jersey for a long time. He signed an eight-year contract beginning in the 2013-14 season and is one of the few forwards who have not gotten shuffled around to multiple positions this year.

Zajac has always relied on the talent around him. When he had players like Zach Parise, Brian Gionta, David Clarkson and Ilya Kovalchuk around him, Zajac was a productive first- or second-line center. He picked up 62 points in the 2008-09 season and 67 points in the 2009-10 season.

He has not reached those heights since the departure of those aforementioned players, but he has not been a total bust either. He finished last season with 48 points in 80 games, a solid but unspectacular total considering he was playing on an offensively anemic team.

Zajac will continue to be a decent top-six center, but he would benefit from not having to be the team's top center.

For a while, it seemed hopeful that Adam Henrique could fill that role. He put up 51 points in the 2011-12 regular season, followed by another 13 in the Devils' run to the Stanley Cup Final. He had a disappointing 2012-13 season but led the team in goals with 25 last year. This year has been hit-and-miss for Henrique, who has 29 points in 50 games.

I am hesitant to pencil in Henrique as a top-six center for the Devils going forward for a couple of reasons.

First, Henrique's time in the middle may not last much longer. Largely as a practical measure, he has played wing for much of this season, simply because he is one of the few players in New Jersey with some speed and finishing ability. I do not foresee the Devils suddenly acquiring a ton of talented wingers, so we may see Henrique stay at wing on a more permanent basis.

Second, his possession stats are poor. Mike Stromberg at In Lou We Trust has put together a great look at Henrique's season:

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Adam currently sits last on the team, among non-Sestito forwards, in 5v5 Corsi percentage [per Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com]. The team is only attempting 45.3% of the shots while Henrique is on the ice, which isn't a particularly good sign for a guy who is considered a strong two-way player. The Devils' possession numbers as a whole have collapsed over the last couple months, which makes it hard to place blame on any one player and muddles the overall picture considerably, but number 14 has been lagging behind the pack for the Devils for much of the season now.

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For these reasons, the need for another top center is clear, though the need is not as great as it as at wing.

Possible Fits

The Toronto Maple Leafs are definite sellers at the deadline and may be willing to part with Tyler Bozak. Tyler Ennis of the Buffalo Sabres has similar numbers this season on a similar struggling team (Bozak has 37 points; Ennis has 32). 

The Leafs appear willing to trade Bozak, as reported by Mike Johnston at Sportsnet. While Ennis is not the subject of rumors, the Sabres' fire sale would lead one to think he could be available at the right price as well.

Of course, these players would come at a price. Would Lamoriello be willing to move a young defenseman or high draft pick for players not at the team's position of greatest need? Time will tell.

Goal-Scoring Prospects at Any Forward Position

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NEWARK, NJ - DECEMBER 09: Reid Boucher #33 of the New Jersey Devils looks on against the Chicago Blackhawks during the game at the Prudential Center on December 9, 2014 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Need

The Devils' stock of prospects at forward is embarrassingly thin. I documented how bleak the future looks, particularly at wing, last week. 

The short version of that article is this—the only particularly promising goal-scoring prospect the Devils have right now is Reid Boucher. The Devils have a number of forwards who are playing in juniors currently, but none is projected to be more than an average goal-scoring threat at the NHL level.

Players like Stefan Matteau in the AHL are by no means bad players, but they simply will not blossom into the offensive-minded start that New Jersey is so desperately for.

The Devils have a number of talented young defensemen, both at the NHL level and still working their way through the AHL and junior hockey. Now, the Devils need to find young forwards to complement that.

Possible Fits

It is difficult to speculate on who might fill these holes in the organization. If the Devils are going to pick up prospects, they will likely come from trading away players like Jagr and Ryder. Such deals will depend on who is interested in the players New Jersey has to offer.

One might speculate that one sensible landing spot for Jagr would be the New York Islanders. New York's star winger, Kyle Okposo, is out with an injury until at least March, and Jagr might be a sensible fit to replace him in the short term. Jagr is still in good enough shape to take first-line minutes until Okposo returns, and his experience would be invaluable to a young Islanders team come playoff time.

The Islanders' top two draft picks from 2014, Michael Dal Colle (fifth overall pick, left winger) and Joshua Ho-Sang (28th overall pick, right winger) both would be desirable additions for the Devils. Both are still young and would immediately be top prospects in the Devils system if acquired.

Of course, this is only speculation. The Devils would likely have to give up more than just Jagr to get either player, but it could be worth it depending on the price.

A Top-Six Left Winger

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Michael Cammalleri looks for a pass in the neutral zone. Could he be the only current Devils' left winger to play that position for the team next season?

The Need

The need for young forwards chronicled in the last slide would not be particularly tragic if the Devils had a set of goal scorers currently in the NHL.

They don't.

At left wing, the Devils currently have:

• Michael Cammalleri, who has had a strong season when healthy. He has played some center this season but recently moved back to his more natural left wing.
• Adam Henrique, who has spent most of his career as a center.
• Patrik Elias, who still has something to contribute to the team but is not getting any younger at 38 years old. Additionally, he has spent much of this season playing center. Currently, he is centering a line that has Henrique at left wing.
• Dainius Zubrus, who is 36 years old and having the worst season of his career.
• Tuomo Ruutu, who has 10 points in 53 games this season.

Cammalleri deserves to be a top-six forward for his production this season (though he is mysteriously on the team's third line with Zajac and Jordin Tootoo at the moment). 

Beyond him though, things get fuzzy. Elias still has a role in New Jersey, but his days as a top-six forward may be coming to a close. Henrique's positional changes and poor possession play make him a question mark as well. Zubrus and Ruutu are obviously no longer at the level of top-six forwards.

Thus, the team could use a top left wing.

Possible Fits

Unfortunately, with Evander Kane's move to Buffalo, New Jersey may have lost its best chance to improve at this position. 

The trade-deadline sellers are looking to part with exceedingly few players at this position. For the Devils to improve at left wing via trade this season, they would probably have to give up more than is worth surrendering.

Top-Six Right Wingers

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Steve Bernier looks for a rebound in front of the net. He has played well over the last month, but his presence as a second-line winger exposes the Devils' lack of talent.

The Need

The Devils are currently even thinner at right wing than left wing. Currently on the NHL roster, they have:

• Jaromir Jagr, who is likely to be traded and just turned 43 years old.
• Michael Ryder, who is also likely to be traded. His contract is up at the end of the season.
• Martin Havlat, who has been a healthy scratch in recent weeks. His contract is also up at the end of the season.
• Steve Bernier and Jordin Tootoo, who both have defied expectations this season but still only have 14 goals between them. Having both on the team next season would not be a bad thing for the Devils, but only if they were confined to the third and fourth line, respectively.

It is clear that New Jersey could use two top-six right wingers. Of course, this is highly unrealistic, as even getting one at the deadline would be a massive success. Still, there is no denying the need.

Possible Fits

There are two possible fits. 

One is Chris Stewart of the Buffalo Sabres. Pierre Lebrun of ESPN.com believes that the asking price for the right winger is a second-round pick and a prospect. Stewart has struggled in Buffalo this season (nine goals and 13 assists), but it is hard to say exactly how much of that has been caused by the lack of talent in Buffalo.

Of course, to make a move for Stewart worthwhile, the Devils would have to be sure he would stay with the team past the end of the season.

The other is a long shot, to say the least, but he is worth mentioning. Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs is the subject of constant trade rumors at the moment.

Kessel has tremendous talent but would cost any team a fortune in more than one way. First, Toronto would need a significant package in order to let him go. Would the Devils be willing to part with most of their current trade bait in addition to picks and prospects to acquire Kessel?

Second, he is on a massive contract with an $8 million cap hit. The Devils are in good shape in terms of the salary cap both in the short term and long term, but the size of the dollar amount will surely cause any team interested in him to take pause.

For Kessel, a move to New Jersey might make sense just to get him out of the media spotlight. Would he be willing to step into a team that is somewhat in a rebuild, though? In truth, he probably would not.

But, with the trade deadline approaching, New Jersey Devils fans can dream, at least for now, that Lamoriello has one more brilliant move up his sleeve.