NHL Rumors: NJ Devils Discussing Several Trade Scenarios

The New Jersey Devils are a team to watch closely as we approach the NHL Entry Draft and free agency. General manager Tom Fitzgerald is looking to be aggressive this summer to try and improve his hockey club and he's loaded with high picks and a ton of cap space. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, he could even see the Devils trading down to potentially land another pick.

Friedman recently commented on what the latest buzz is surrounding the Devils and had this to say:

GM Tom Fitzgerald’s made it clear the No. 2 pick is available, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. You have to go back 21 years to find the last trade of a second overall selection, so there’s some real question about whether it will actually happen. If trading for an active player is not the outcome, there are teams that suspect the Devils like the defensive options at the top of the draft, and might actually consider moving back. So, there are plenty of possibilities here. When it comes to the roster, the biggest question is probably Jesper Bratt. There are some trade rumours, and the Kevin Fiala extension will have an effect.

The Devils are likely going hard after one of Jack Campbell or Ville Husso in net to pair with Mackenzie Blackwood, who frankly hasn't quite developed as fast as the team would hope. Then Fitzgerald is likely going to turn his attention to a scoring winger and some depth on their blue line.

The Devils #2 pick could be moved for an impact player such as Alex DeBrincat of the Chicago Blackhawks or J.T Miller of the Vancouver Canucks. There's also been Canucks forward Conor Garland linked to the team as well as Ilya Mikheyev from the Toronto Maple Leafs who is expected to hit the open market on July 13.

The Devils were in on Kevin Fiala before he was moved to the LA Kings so expect to see the trade talks continue out of New Jersey. There's no doubt they feel it's time to go from rebuilding to contending and hope their young centers can take the next step with some more talent around them.