The New Jersey Devils are once again a playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. The Devils fired Lindy Ruff as head coach last season after missing out on the postseason altogether. However, major moves such as the Jacob Markstrom trade have helped the Devils get back into postseason contention.

It hasn’t exactly been a perfect season for New Jersey by any means. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt have emerged as an elite duo in 2024-25. But their overall depth is a bit suspect. It’s not enough to sink them, but there are certainly more balanced teams contending for a playoff spot.

New Jersey is likely to seek depth among their forward group before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. How they go about obtaining a depth piece or two certainly remains to be seen. However, there also exists the possibility that New Jersey takes a swing for a bigger fish on the trade market.

The Devils have an impressive group of prospects. New Jersey already has some of the best young defensemen in the NHL. And they have even more promising names waiting in the wings to take a spot. As a result, there is one NHL regular player the team could make available in trade, especially if they decide to go big fish hunting at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

Dawson Mercer should be a Devils trade candidate

New Jersey Devils center Dawson Mercer (91) during the second period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose.
Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Devils signed Dawson Mercer to a three-year contract back in September. New Jersey has had high hopes for Mercer over the last few seasons. However, he has also been mentioned in trade rumors for around the same amount of time.

The promise of Mercer isn’t too difficult to see. He played 164 games during his first two seasons in the league, scoring 44 goals and 98 points. He looked the part of a future star for the Devils down the line.

However, things have not gone to plan for Mercer as of late. The New Jersey forward has played 127 games since the end of the 2022-23 campaign. To date, he has 30 goals and 54 points in that time. This puts him on pace to finish with 37 goals and 70 points combined in 2023-24 and 2024-25.

The talent for Mercer is clear every time he takes the ice. Unfortunately, it appears as if things are not working out in New Jersey. While the team is looking to acquire forward depth, it wouldn’t hurt to use Mercer as a trade chip leading into the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.

Balance is the name of the game for New Jersey at this time. Adding a middle-six winger would work to provide some needed scoring in the middle of the lineup. However, those types of players may come at a significant cost. While the Devils could send over a prospect, it may take an established NHL player to get the job done.

Giving up on Dawson Mercer now is certainly risky. He is only 23 years old and he has shown he can produce at a high level before. Progress is not linear, and his current slump may be a precursor to something special down the line.

In the same vein, New Jersey is trying to win a Stanley Cup sooner rather than later. They have not won the Stanley Cup in over 20 years at this point. With Hughes and Bratt playing at an elite level, the time is now to strike. As a result, waiting for Mercer's true breakout campaign may not be in the best interest of New Jersey. As a result, trading him for a more established player is an option for the team to explore.