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The New Jersey Devils likely didn't envision this type of start given how they played last season. In 2022-23, New Jersey was incredible. In fact, they recorded their best regular season finish in franchise history. They made the Stanley Cup Playoffs and even beat the New York Rangers in the first round.
Many expected the Devils to contend for the Metropolitan Division at least. Some even had them pegged as Stanley Cup favorites entering the year. And it's hard not to see why. The Devils have an incredible core of talented players, led by Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton. Furthermore, more under-the-radar contributors like Vitek Vanecek held a lot of promise entering the year.
However, things have not gone to plan for New Jersey. They are in seventh place in the Metro, just one single point above the last-place Columbus Blue Jackets. This is a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, mind you. Something has to give, especially if they want to make the playoffs.
With that in mind, let's identify three possible early trade targets for Devils fans to keep an eye on as we draw ever closer to the true start of trade season in the National Hockey League.
Ducks goalie John Gibson could help
The Devils received major contributions last year from Vanececk, who played 55 games in 2022-23. His first season in New Jersey saw the Czechian puck-stopper record a career-high .911 save percentage. This year, however, the 27-year-old is not playing to the same standard.
Through his first 13 games, Vanececk has an unsightly .886 save percentage. Backup Akira Schmid has a better mark, though not by much. The 23-year-old Devils backup has a .892 save percentage through his first seven games of the campaign.
Overall, New Jersey has struggled to keep the puck out of the net. In fact, they have the fourth-worst goals against per game in the entire NHL, according to ESPN at the time of this writing. They also have the fourth-worst team save percentage in the league so far.
Goaltending has obviously been an issue. And while it may be harsh to give up on Vanececk and Schmid just yet, a move might be necessary. That's where veteran John Gibson comes in. Gibson, a Pittsburgh native, has returned to form early on, posting a .914 save percentage.
A John Gibson trade certainly won't be easy. The Devils would need to get creative financially in order to pull this off. However, if they can pull this off, it may be a worthwhile move to shore up a struggling goaltending tandem.
Devils could look at Flames' Nikita Zadorov
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Beyond their goaltending, the Devils have had issues with their defense. New Jersey lost depth on the blueline last season when Damon Severson and Ryan Graves skipped town. However, they didn't necessarily replace it. Sure, they traded for Colin Miller and have Simon Nemec waiting in the wings. But Nemec is in the AHL and Miller isn't enough to replace both Severson and Graves.
New Jersey needs to add depth on the back end. And thankfully, a nearly perfect situation has presented itself. Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov has requested a trade. Furthermore, he reportedly has an interest in a trade to the Devils.
Zadorov is not a star by any means. However, he doesn't need to be. He is a stabilizing presence that can eat minutes on either the second or third pairing. He also plays more of a two-way game than most give him credit for.
New Jersey will need to keep in mind that Zadorov is a free agent after this season. That said, they may need to act sooner rather than later to save their season. As a result, they might not be able to afford to wait until the summer to make a run at Nikita Zadorov.
New Jersey may check in on Noah Hanifin
If a Zadorov trade doesn't work, the Devils could swing bigger. The Flames have a number of pending free agents who could find themselves on the trade block. Among them is defenseman Noah Hanifin, who is somewhat on the younger side at just 26 years old.
Hanifin has room to grow still. For now, though, he is an incredibly solid two-way defenseman. In all honestly, you'd like to see him shoot more from the point. He has a good shot that can beat NHL goalies from range. However, he has shown the ability to handle himself in all situations.
He hasn't had the best luck in the world this season. That said, he is just 26 years old. If the Flames cannot work out an extension with Noah Hanifin, the Devils should certainly consider making a run at the former fifth-overall pick this year.
