The New Jersey Devils missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a promising 2022-23 campaign. Many expected New Jersey to put in a real challenge for the Stanley Cup this past season. However, injuries and underperformance led to a down year. Now led behind the bench by Sheldon Keefe, the Devils hope to right the ship this upcoming season.
The Devils have already made one major trade this offseason. They finally completed a Jacob Markstrom trade with the Calgary Flames ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft. New Jersey acquired Markstrom in exchange for defenseman Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first-round pick. Markstrom is expected to be the primary starter for New Jersey this season.
NHL Free Agency is now bereft of impact options after a wild July 1 spending spree. As a result, the Devils may head back to the trade market in search of roster upgrades. Let's take a look at two potential players for New Jersey to consider trading for this summer.
Ross Colton is an interesting fit
The Colorado Avalanche traded for Ross Colton last year around the NHL Draft. Colorado took advantage of the Tampa Bay Lightning needing to prioritize their cap space in other areas to acquire the former fourth-round pick as a restricted free agent. One year later, though, and the 27-year-old forward may be on the move once again.
The Avalanche are currently over the salary cap at the time of this writing. Colorado can be over the cap during the offseason. However, they need to be cap-compliant when the season begins. At some point, the team will need to clear enough cap space to fit captain Gabriel Landeskog onto the roster.
The Avalanche traded for Casey Mittelstadt in a blockbuster move with the Buffalo Sabres at the NHL Trade Deadline. Colorado then gave Mittelstadt a three-year contract extension this summer. As a result, Colton may be available to be had through trade before the season begins.
The Devils could add some forward depth over the summer. They did bring veteran winger Tyler Toffoli back on a one-year contract in NHL Free Agency. But they could certainly upgrade their third-line wing if the right move presents itself. Trading for Colton could be that sort of move.
Devils could make a run at Nikolaj Ehlers
New Jersey has swung big when looking to upgrade their depth on the wing in recent years. Last summer saw them trade for Tyler Toffoli in another deal with the Calgary Flames. Before that, they made a monster trade for Timo Meier with the San Jose Sharks.
As a result, it wouldn't be shocking to see them try for another big name if they can make the money work. Nikolaj Ehlers has emerged as one of the more consistent goal scorers in the NHL over the last few seasons. He is reportedly not interested in a long-term extension with the Winnipeg Jets. This will likely lead to a trade out of Manitoba for the Danish winger if nothing changes.
The Devils need to create cap space in order to make this work. But if they can do it, adding Ehlers gives them a legitimate top-six option to work with. New Jersey has yet to find a true replacement for Toffoli, who they traded to the Jets at the NHL Trade Deadline. Ehlers would certainly fill the void if the two teams can make a trade work for all involved.
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