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The New Jersey Devils could pivot to a veteran center, following the botched Quinn Hughes, to add forward depth.
The New Jersey Devils are in a world of hurt. After getting off to a flying start, the club has crumbled, with the latest 9-0 trouncing a major low point.
Nevertheless, the Devils are looking to boost their lineup. The club has come up repeatedly in trade rumors. Most notably, New Jersey was the consensus frontrunner for Quinn Hughes. Alas, that situation never materialized.
The understandable disappointment has seeped into the fanbase’s psyche, while seemingly affecting the club on the ice.
That said, there’s one target that could give the Devils the boost they need. According to Anthony DiMarco of Daily Faceoff, New Jersey could be a good landing spot for St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn.
In a thorough analysis, DiMarco outlines how Scheen would provide the depth the Devils. That depth, in particular, is crucial given the number of injuries the club has dealt with this season. The team lost top-line center Jack Hughes for some time. Meanwhile, offseason acquisition Evgenii Dadonov has played all of five games this year.
Scheen has two years remaining on his eight-year, $52 million contract. The deal comes with a full no-trade clause. But that’s just the beginning of the hurdles that would need to disappear in order for Scheen to join the Devils.
Devils Would Face Hurdles in Pursuit of Schenn
The most immediate hurdle would be to convince Schenn to waive his no-trade clause. If the Devils were firmly entrenched in a playoff spot, the decision might be easier. However, the Devils are trending in the wrong direction.
As such, would Schenn leave the Blues to join the Devils, given the current circumstances?
That move would make sense if the Blues chose to rebuild once and for all. By the look of things, the Blues aren’t ready to tear everything down. That’s why Schenn might feel heading to the Devils would be the best fit for him at this point.
Then, there’s the Devils’ cap situation. Entering Wednesday night’s action, the Devils had about $787K in cap space. That’s not nearly enough to fit in Schenn’s $6.5 million cap hit. That situation means clearing out cap space.
But who could the Devils move out? The most evident candidate is Ondrej Palat. But his 10-team no-trade list could get in the way. If the Blues are not on it, a deal might be plausible. Nevertheless, the Blues would need to add some sort of sweetener to entice them to take Palat’s $6 million cap hit.
Adding Schenn Pretty Much a Pipe Dream for New Jersey
Adding Brayden Schenn is pretty much a pipe dream for the New Jersey Devils. Sure, the deal makes a lot of sense for the club. But the roadblocks standing in the way could be too many to overcome.
Even if the Devils could entice Schenn to waive his no-trade clause and join the Devils, the team’s cap situation could be too much. Perhaps adding Schenn in the offseason might be easier, as Devils’ GM Tom Fitzgerald might be able to move other pieces to clear the requisite cap space.
Nestor Quixtan Seasoned NHL analyst and baseball writer focused on covering clubs across each league with news, analysis, and insights. Originally from Toronto, Canada, Nestor’s singular experiences and background have enabled him to bring a different take on the sports world as a whole. Nestor’s fondness for baseball and hockey set the tone for his love and passion for writing about sports. More about Nestor Quixtan
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