The New Jersey Devils wanted to push for the Stanley Cup in 2025. They made a blockbuster trade with the Calgary Flames to acquire Jacob Markstrom last summer to fill their most glaring need. And they saw big-time results from the likes of Jesper Bratt and Luke Hughes in 2024-25.
Unfortunately, the Devils did not win the Stanley Cup in 2025. They went to the second round of this past postseason. However, New Jersey bowed out in their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. It was a disappointing end to a season that had some promise.
This offseason, the Devils have focused mostly on depth. New Jersey signed former Edmonton Oilers forward Connor Brown on a four-year contract this summer, for instance. However, they could use some depth at the top of their lineup.
Any addition to the top of the lineup will come through trade. New Jersey has the assets to make a big trade. It may be steep to make a blockbuster trade. However, it could bring a championship to the Devils for the first time since 2003.
There is a forward potentially on the market who makes sense for this team, though. Heavy.com is proposing a trade between the Devils and Flames involving Nazem Kadri.
New Jersey Devils acquire: Nazem Kadri (no salary retained)
Calgary Flames acquire: Ondrej Palat (no salary retained), Seamus Casey, and a conditional 2026 second-round pick that becomes a first-round pick if New Jersey advances to the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals.
Nazem Kadri Trade Provides Needed Depth
Minas Panagiotakis/Getty ImagesNazem Kadri could give the New Jersey Devils a needed combination of scoring and physicality.
The Devils have two of the best centers in the league in Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. If Kadri went to New Jersey, he’d likely replace Dawson Mercer as the third-line center. However, there are factors that could see him play up the lineup.
Hughes is a fantastic player who has produced over a point per game in each of the last three seasons. However, he has also struggled with injuries throughout his career. In fact, he has never played a full 82 games to this point in his career.
Hischier is also a very good player. He scored 35 goals in 2024-25, and has scored 20+ goals in each of the last four seasons. In saying this, he has also struggled with injuries. He has played 80+ games just twice in his eight seasons, though he has played 70+ games in each of the last four seasons.
History says at least one of Hischier or Hughes will go down with an injury. When that happens, Kadri can step in and carry the load. He has experience as a top-line center. And his production indicates he’s more than capable of handling the responsibility.
Flames, Devils Have Recent Trade History
One factor that makes this sort of deal possible is familiarity. New Jersey and Calgary have swung some big trades over the years. The aforementioned Markstrom trade went down last summer. And before that was the 2023 Tyler Toffoli deal around the NHL Draft.
This history gives each team more confidence in what they are receiving. The Flames are more confident they can rejuvenate Palat’s career in the final two seasons of his contract. Moreover, they are more confident that Casey’s promising rookie season can carry over to Calgary.
Trading Kadri has its drawbacks, especially if the Flames want to compete in 2025-26. However, the skill and upside Casey has are hard to ignore. And in a stacked 2026 NHL Draft, receiving an early-round pick could be a significant trade chip. It’s a worthwhile deal, especially if Calgary falls out of contention early in the 2025-26 campaign.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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