The New Jersey Devils are already deep into a busy season after a noisy offseason, and now their name has surfaced in one of the NHL’s most watched trade conversations.
Sunny Mehta, taking over for Tom Fitzgerald, reshaped the roster in a major way. He moved Jacob Markstrom to the Florida Panthers for Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist, then dealt Simon Nemec to the Calgary Flames for Etienne Morin and three draft picks, including two first-rounders. He also brought in Anthony Mantha, brought back Nico Hischier and Arseny Gritsyuk, and added depth with Amadeus Lombardi and Declan Chisholm, both of whom have already played important roles for the early-season Devils.
The biggest swing came with Luke Evangelista. New Jersey sent a first- and second-round pick to the Nashville Predators to land him, then signed him long term, putting the offseason on the books in a major way.
Even so, the start to the season has been uneven. The Devils are 5-4-0 as of this writing, and they have still managed to stay above .500 despite Jack Hughes having zero regulation goals.
Now comes the next possibility: Dylan Larkin.
The Devils had not been part of Larkin’s original trade list, which included only the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers. But that has changed.
A report from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, who first identified the original three-team list, says Larkin has expanded his trade list to 10 teams.
That opens the door for interim GM Shawn Horcoff to work with more options, though one notable team is still absent: the Montreal Canadiens. The source indicates Montreal may have the kind of assets Detroit would want, but Larkin likely does not want to play north of the border, so that doesn’t seem to move the needle.
The Devils’ appeal in all of this is easy to see. Larkin is reportedly very close with Quinn Hughes, and he has been around the Hughes brothers all summer. There was even an expectation that he might try to steer things toward Minnesota so he could link up with the eldest Hughes brother.
If New Jersey can land him, the Devils would add another major piece to a roster that already has serious pull for Quinn Hughes.
There’s also the fit itself. Larkin may be a little overrated, and the Devils would likely have to pay a bit more than they’d like, but he brings exactly what they need: steady scoring and a rate of production that holds up consistently. On top of that, his deal is one of the better ones in the league, with an $8.7 million cap hit through 2031.
In Other News...
Devils Suddenly Have Two Trade Storylines Fans Cant Ignore
Brenden Dillons recent absence from the Devils lineup has only added to the sense that New Jersey may have more than one moving part to sort through as the trade market heats up. Around the league, teams are looking to bolster their blue line, and Dillons name has started to come up in that conversation because of both his contract and the no-trade protection that shaped what could and could not happen last season.
There is also a separate wrinkle involving Dylan Larkin, whose 10-team trade list includes New Jersey and who has already been part of ongoing chatter about possible multi-team scenarios. For Devils fans, it is an unusual spot to be in: one familiar defenseman drifting into trade speculation while another prominent name from outside the organization has the Devils sitting in the mix, with the next move still far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Got An Early Look At A Devils Problem Already Brewing
The early stretch of the season has already given Sheldon Keefe a reason to keep shuffling his lineup, and the Devils are still searching for more steady play after opening 5-4-0. One of the more notable changes has come on the blue line, where veteran defenseman Brenden Dillon sat out four games as Keefe looked to increase Johnathan Kovacevics workload and help develop Declan Chisholm.
Up front, the returns of Luke Evangelista and Connor Brown have given New Jersey a bit more depth, and Evangelista quickly made an impact against the Colorado Avalanche with a goal and an assist. Even with that boost, the bigger question for the Devils remains whether the pieces Keefe is moving around can produce something closer to consistency before the seasons early wobble turns into a longer pattern. [Read more 🡒]
Jake Allen Earned A Devils Honor Few Goalies Ever Reach
Jake Allen got a rare piece of recognition before the Devils faced the Avalanche at Prudential Center, with the team marking his 500th NHL game in a pregame ceremony. It was a fitting stop along a long road for a veteran goalie who reached the milestone on Oct. 10 against Vancouver and became just the 86th netminder in league history to get there.
The celebration had plenty of familiar faces attached to it, from teammates to Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur and the Devils' co-owners, while Allen also received a video message from his family. For a player whose career has stretched across seasons, cities and roles, it was the kind of moment that underscored how hard it is for a goalie to last this long at the highest level, even if the bigger challenge, of course, is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]