The New Jersey Devils are among the numerous teams looking for help anywhere they can this season. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering the current slump they are in. After a torrid start to the year, the club has cooled off significantly.
The Devils are riding a two-game losing streak heading into the Christmas pause. Plus, the team is 4-6-0 in its last 10, putting it in the bottom third of the Metro Division.
While New Jersey is hardly out of a playoff spot, there is a clear need to help across the board. That’s why insider Pierre LeBrun thinks two-time Stanley Cup champ Steven Stamkos could help the club get back on track.
Here’s what LeBrun had to say about his Predators-Devils swap idea in a December 24 piece in The Athletic:
“We know the Devils have talked about Stamkos internally, and we know New Jersey would like to boost its offense. Moving Ondrej Palat and his $6 million cap hit (signed through next season, with a 10-team list as part of his modified no-trade) would make sense as part of this deal to make the math work.”
LeBrun added another powerful reason why the Devils would make sense for the former 60-goal scorer:
“The Devils were one of the teams in talks with Stamkos in free agency in July 2023, so there’s some background there, which is not nothing. There’s probably a better chance than not that Stamkos stays put, but if he goes, I like New Jersey as an option.”
The likeliest outcome is that Stamkos runs out his current contract with the Predators. But if there was a team he might consider joining, it would be the Devils.
Devils Could Provide One Last Shot for Stamkos
The thing about Stamkos heading to the Devils is the direction in which the team is trending. Unlike the Predators, the Devils have a young core. The Hughes brothers, Jack and Luke, headline a core that could contend for the next few years.
That’s something that could appeal to the aging Stamkos. While he’s had his fun in the sun, there’s no reason why one more shot at a Cup wouldn’t entice Stamkos to leave Nashville.
Again, as LeBrun pointed out, Stamkos might stay for family reasons. But then again, one more shot at glory could be too hard to pass up.
Stamkos Wouldn’t Come Cheap for New Jersey
Assuming that Stamkos agrees to waive his no-trade clause, one would have to think the cost would be onerous for the Devils. They might have to part with one of their blueliners to make the deal work.
Ideally, the Devils would move Dougie Hamilton. The talk was that the Devils tried to move the veteran defenseman to make room for Quinn Hughes. But Hamilton nixed a trade offer. So, that might deter New Jersey from sending a younger defenseman like Simon Nemec or Seamus Casey in this type of deal.
That’s why the ultimate price the Devils might have to pay could preclude them from landing Stamkos. Perhaps a trade during the summer may change the price tag somewhat.
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