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The New Jersey Devils will enter the trade deadline designated as sellers. That’s just reality when a team is *checks notes* 20 points out of a playoff spot 45 games into the season.
Even if GM Tom Fitzgerald has an appetite to add, it’s much easier to do so in the off-season.
Right now sellers are mostly focused on rentals. Understandably so. It’s generally best to open the floor and expand the list of potential suitors when moving a high value asset.
On the flip side, buyers aren’t looking to subtract anything from the roster. They want to add pieces and improve their chances of making a run. Whether they can get good value for their guy or not, it doesn’t make sense for a playoff team to put an important player on the table.
That means most moves we see – regardless of the team – will be centered around rentals. Sadly, the Devils don’t have much to offer in that regard.
P.K. Subban is an expensive third pairing defenseman and Jimmy Vesey is a bottom-6 forward. Those are the headliners in terms of pending UFAs. Exciting!
While the Devils could opt to move Pavel Zacha (RFA), I don’t think he’d command all that much.
There is only one piece I could see the Devils moving in the coming weeks who would actually command a significant return: Damon Severson.
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