The New Jersey Devils need to go on the offensive to address their offense this summer. They finished 27th in the NHL in goals per game this past season, and they could use a boost up front.
To that end, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now has listed four depth trade targets to bolster the Devils’ forward corps. Three of them are players whose roles and production dropped this past season, and with a fresh start could realize their potential as top-six hopefuls. The other is an up-and-coming star who could really break out big time with more ice time.
Mavrik Bourque, Dallas Stars
Let’s start there. Bourque is a restricted free agent, and the Stars have a… financial situation to deal with. With just $10.9M in projected cap space for next season, Dallas has to figure out a way to re-sign star RFA Jason Robertson. He’ll cost more than that cap space on an annual basis. So where does that leave the 24-year-old Bourque?
The second-year forward broke out to some extent this year, with 20 goals and 41 points, nearly doubling his goal output from his rookie season. AFP Analytics projects him at a two-year deal at just under a $3M AAV. That won’t break the bank for most teams, but in Dallas, as we said… it’s a problem. Bourque could be out there for the taking, and Nichols writes that the Devils should try to get it done.
Cole Perfetti, Winnipeg Jets
Another pending RFA, also 24, but unlike Bourque, Perfetti didn’t see his ice time boosted by about three minutes a game this year; his remained stagnant in the mid-15-minute range. Meanwhile, his production dipped by about 33%. He dropped from 18 goals last season to just 12, and from 50 points to just 32. The two-way winger also saw his plus/minus rating drop into the negative values for the first time in his young career, to a -9.
Nichols figures Perfetti would be a real good fit in New Jersey.
“He skates well and plays the game fast, which lines up perfectly with how New Jersey wants to play… If they can get him at the right price—perhaps there’s a swap involving Simon Nemec—Perfetti would give them another creative scoring threat on the wing and add some much-needed depth up front.”
Connor Zary, Calgary Flames
Another former first-round pick who saw his production wane this season, Zary could be another gettable young piece. We know that the Flames “are open for business,” and pretty much everyone, save for a select few, is available for trade.
Zary, 24, saw his ice-time dip by nearly two minutes a game this year, and his 12 goals and 25 points were the lowest totals in his three seasons in Calgary, despite playing far more games (74) than in his previous two campaigns.
Unlike the first two on this list, he is signed for another two seasons, at a $3.75 million cap hit. Nichols figures he has “the upside of a top-six forward if he can realize his potential.”
Ross Colton, Colorado Avalanche
Colton has a few more years on the odometer than the previous three on his list. At 29, he saw his production and ice-time take a significant hit this season. After four straight years of consistent secondary scoring in the 16 to 22 goal range, he saw his TOI drop by two minutes this year, and his goal production sank to just nine.
He’s a New Jersey kid who grew up a Devils fan, so perhaps a deal to bring him home could rejuvenate his career.
“Colton is physical and thinks shoot first with the puck on his stick. His speed complements the Devils’ strength and he’s the kind of sandpaper they could use in their bottom-six,” writes Nichols.
Colton has one more year remaining on a four-year deal at $4M AAV.
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