The New Jersey Devils have options to collect more draft picks

Alex Chauvancy examines a plethora of possibilities in his latest.

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By Alex Chauvancy (@AlexC_THW)

The New Jersey Devils have gotten their off-season started, sending Damon Severson to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a rare sign-and-trade.

The Devils received a third-round pick, which sits at 80th overall in the 2023 draft, in exchange for Severson. It doesn't appear general manager Tom Fitzgerald will stop there. 

The Athletic reported in their latest trade board update the Devils don't seem close to extensions with Ryan Graves and Miles Wood — both pending UFAs — and that they could be the next to go.

Fitzgerald has other options he could trade for futures; or even as part of a package in a hockey trade. Let's go over those potential trade candidates. 

Ryan Graves

We’ll start with Graves, the Devils' most prominent remaining UFA. New Jersey Hockey Now's James Nichols confirmed yesterday evening that multiple teams are calling the Devils with interest in Graves.

In a weak year for UFA defensemen, it's no surprise other clubs have had interest in Severson and Graves.

Though Graves is not without his flaws, he's a solid top-four defenseman who'd upgrade most teams' blue lines. He skates well, defends the rush well, and can move the puck efficiently enough in transition.

At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, he's most Hockey Men's dream defenseman, so it makes sense multiple teams have called the Devils about Graves. 

Evolving-Hockey has Graves projected for a four-year contract at a cap hit of $4.775 million, so he should be affordable for most teams.

Whether it's his negotiating rights or another sign-and-trade, I'd expect a bit less of a return for Graves than Severson; perhaps a fourth or fifth-round pick. But in a talented 2023 draft class, it never hurts to have more selections. 

Miles Wood

With how Fitzgerald spoke of Nolan Foote at his end-of-season press conference, it seemed like the writing was on the wall for Wood in a Devils uniform.

Though his counting totals were solid for a fourth-liner, his impacts fell off a cliff in 2022-23. He looked like a completely different player post-hip surgery. Committing term to him as a UFA has more risks than benefits. 

Still, it wouldn't surprise me if multiple teams were interested in the physical winger. Though his impacts fell off dramatically this season, Wood embodies what every Hockey Men GM wants on their roster for playoff hockey.

I'd expect the return for him to be around a fourth or fifth-round pick for negotiating rights as well. I wouldn't expect a sign-and-trade here but you never know. The New York Islanders make sense as a potential suitor, given the connection to former GM Lou Lamoriello. 

Mackenzie Blackwood