New Jersey Devils Q&A: On 2nd overall, goaltending targets, and much more

I answered your questions re: many of the hot button issues surrounding the Devils.

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I haven’t done a Q&A post in far too long. With the draft lottery behind us, and the New Jersey Devils currently sitting idle, I figured it’d be good to write one before all the off-season fun really heats up.

Let’s dive right in.

Q: What would your trade package be for Fiala on draft day that doesn’t include 2OA? And do you think a team like Ottawa outbids us for Fiala now that we’re very unlikely to include the first?

I’m not sure the Devils have the assets for a Fiala deal if this year’s 1st isn’t on the table.

I don’t think the Minnesota Wild will want a 1st next year; they’ll be looking for young, controllable players who can contribute now (or sooner than later) to help them compete despite a real cap crunch. This is a quality playoff team, after all.

A 2023 1st in the teens, let’s say, isn’t going to be playing until 2024 or 2025. That’s not going to cut it.

Ty Smith’s value has dipped quite a bit and I have doubts the steady-eddy Wild – who gave up fewer high-danger chances than all but the Boston Bruins at 5v5 – are going to have high interest in such an erratic defender.

Unless the Devils are willing to include a current player in the package that makes them uncomfortable – like Yegor Sharangovich – I’m not sure they’re a great match at this point.

Q: Do you think 2OA is going to make a Vancouver trade a much more probable option?

I don’t. Truth be told, I don’t see a fit here. Quinn Hughes is not going anywhere and, otherwise, the Canucks don’t have any players on their roster I’d consider moving 2nd overall for.

J.T. Miller has been fantastic over the last few years but he’s a 29-year-old who is soon going to command a very lucrative contract. It doesn’t make sense for the Devils to invest those kinds of assets into a player who will be exiting his peak; especially considering they’re not in the midst of a contending window.

Brock Boeser doesn’t produce enough, play enough, or impact the game enough when not scoring to be worth that pick. I see a big gap in caliber between Boeser and rumored targets like Kevin Fiala and Timo Meier.

Last but not least, we have Conor Garland. He’s a very useful player but he’s 26 and doesn’t have the ceiling worthy of moving that kind of asset. I’ve been told by multiple people that his value inside of the NHL is lower than outsiders perceive it to be.