The New Jersey Devils went after Barrett Hayton as the next piece in their offseason plan, but that door closed when the Utah Mammoth matched the offer sheet. Now Sunny Mehta has to pivot, and the search for a center has shifted into Plan B territory.
A few names are already floating around. Shane Wright has been mentioned as the obvious one, though the price tag could climb well beyond a second-round pick, and he carries many of the same offensive questions as Hayton. Devils fans have also been pushing for a bigger swing, with Jason Roberson linked to New Jersey for some time and Dylan Larkin entering the conversation.
But there’s another option that fits the kind of move Mehta seems likely to chase.
The Vancouver Canucks are in a sell-off mindset after trading Quinn Hughes, and just about everything that isn’t nailed down at Rogers Arena appears to be in play. Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk are all available, though their salaries would make them tough fits for the Devils.
That leaves Linus Karlsson as the more intriguing name.
Karlsson is signed to what the source describes as a phenomenal salary, and analytically he was one of Vancouver’s best players last season. He finished ahead of Jack Eichel, David Pastrnak and Leo Carlsson in individual xG at 5v5, and he added 13 goals and 16 assists at even strength.
The shot profile is part of the appeal. Of his 116 shots on goal, 61 came from high-danger areas, a trait that lines up neatly with what New Jersey wants. Getting to the dirty areas and finishing there matters for this team, and Karlsson brings that kind of value.
There’s also a reason Vancouver might listen. He just completed his first NHL season, and he’s 26 years old. If the Devils are willing to put together a decent package, the Canucks could be open to moving him.
Exactly what “decent” means is unclear. A second-round pick probably won’t be enough, and Vancouver may view that offer the same way Utah did with Hayton. But if New Jersey wants a center with a strong analytical profile and a knack for scoring underneath, Karlsson is the kind of target that could make sense.
In Other News...
Devils Fans May Not Like Where The Quinn Hughes Dream Is Heading
The Quinn Hughes chatter has taken on a different shape lately, and it is starting to matter well beyond Minnesota. Hughes had already signaled he was open to staying put, and now the conversation around his next contract is moving into a place where the Devils have to pay attention, because any long-term resolution would reshape the market for one of the leagues most coveted defensemen.
For New Jersey, the appeal was obvious from the start: a chance to imagine Quinn Hughes alongside Jack and Luke Hughes and turn a family storyline into a hockey one. If Minnesota locks in its star blueliner, though, that door gets a lot harder to push open, and the ripple effects could also leave the Wild with some real cap questions as they try to sort out what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Wild Suddenly Face A Bigger Quinn Hughes Question Than Expected
The Wilds search for answers around Quinn Hughes has already started to spill into the kind of rumor mill that usually follows a franchise-altering name. Minnesota is being tied to Jack Hughes in the chatter, and while that kind of speculation can take on a life of its own, the broader point is clear enough: the Wild are trying to get ahead of a situation that could reshape their future if it drags on.
Pasha Eshghis read is that the Jack Hughes noise may be less about a real pursuit and more about nerves over whether Quinn Hughes will ultimately stay put. Even with the buzz building, a blockbuster move for Jack Hughes does not sound like a realistic path, given the size of his deal and the steep price that would come with him. For now, it looks more like Minnesota is being forced to confront the possibility that the bigger question is not who it can acquire, but whether it can keep the star it already has on its radar. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Still Have One Summer Need They Can't Ignore
Timo Meier spent July 6-10 back home in Herisau, Switzerland, hosting his seventh annual youth hockey camp and giving more than 100 kids a chance to skate, learn and soak up a few days with a Devils winger who has become one of the teams most recognizable veterans. It was a reminder of how much New Jersey already has in place up front, with Meier part of a core that should keep the club dangerous again next season.
Even so, the Devils still have a summer item they cannot really set aside: another scoring piece for the roster. General manager Sunny Mehta has already shown a willingness to chase help, and with the market still offering possibilities, New Jersey continues to weigh veteran free-agent options, including Vladimir Tarasenko, as it looks for a way to deepen the attack for 2026-27 without waiting for the perfect answer to appear on its own. [Read more 🡒]