The New Jersey Devils may have a decision looming on Brenden Dillon, and it could say plenty about where their blue line is headed.
Dillon has now sat out the last four games, which naturally puts him in the spotlight as the Devils continue to use Johnathan Kovacevic and Declan Chisholm. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who made the comment on The FAN Hockey Show, New Jersey already explored moving Dillon last season before the veteran defender used his no-trade protection to stop it.
“I’ve got a lot of time for Brenden Dillon,” Friedman said. “He has some protection, and I think he used some of it last year. So, there’s that.”
As NHLRumors.com noted last year, several Devils players were asked to waive no-trade protection while former GM Tom Fitzgerald tried to reshape the roster. Dougie Hamilton’s public no-trade clause led to a scratch, and Johnathan Kovacevic also blocked a trade. Dillon appears to be another name in that group, though Friedman didn’t specify where a deal might have been headed.
Dillon’s no-trade protection has since changed to a 10-team no-trade list as of July 1st. He’s in the final season of a contract with a $4 million cap hit, a $3 million salary, and $1 million already paid out in signing bonus money.
Around the league, teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Seattle Kraken are also looking to add help on defense, according to TheFourthPeriod.com.
The other major trade file right now centers on Dylan Larkin, and New Jersey has landed on his accepted list. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reported that Larkin’s 10-team list includes the Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, and Utah Mammoth.
The situation in Detroit has become a tough one to manage. Larkin does not want to stay, but the Red Wings also do not want to suspend him because they need his production. They’re looking for a team willing to meet their asking price, and that could lead to a three-team deal.
That possibility has been on the radar for a while, with NHLRumors.com noting that Detroit wants NHL-calibre talent back, along with a center and future assets, while still trying to stay competitive in the Atlantic rather than slipping deeper into a rebuild.
New Jersey being on Larkin’s list may raise some eyebrows, but it fits a clear hockey logic. Larkin was Jack Hughes’s center at the Olympics, and a Hughes-Hischier-Larkin combination down the middle would give the Devils a formidable spine.
Still, the sense is that Minnesota sits at the front of the line, with the Wild and everybody else trailing behind. The link to Quinn Hughes only adds to that.
In Other News...
Flames Fans May Need To Rethink Those Devils Trades
Calgarys win over Carolina had a familiar twist for Devils followers, with Yegor Sharangovich providing the game-winning goal and reminding people why his departure from New Jersey still stands out. The Flames have leaned on a cluster of former Devils players, too, and Kevin Bahl and Simon Nemec have settled in as a sturdy defensive pairing that has helped give Calgary some real balance on the back end.
It is the broader trade history that keeps making this feel worth revisiting from a New Jersey perspective. The Flames have been the landing spot for players acquired in deals with the Devils, including Jacob Markstrom and Tyler Toffoli, and the early returns keep looking better than many expected when those moves were made. Sharangovich, meanwhile, has backed up his strong season with more timely production, which only adds to the sense that some of these exchanges may deserve a fresh look. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Suddenly Have A New Path To A Superstar Trade
The Devils spent the offseason reinforcing a roster that already looked like it had a real window, mixing confirmed trades and signings with a few key retainers to keep the core intact. Now a different kind of opportunity has opened up, one that could change the shape of their forward group if they decide to get aggressive.
Dylan Larkin has reportedly widened the list of teams he would consider as a trade destination, and New Jersey is now among them. For a club that has tried to build toward contention without losing its identity, that kind of opening is hard to ignore, even if it only puts the Devils in the conversation for now and leaves the next step very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Fans Have A New Prospect Reason To Watch Boston University
Boston Universitys season is off to a sharp start at 3-1, and the attention for Devils fans goes well beyond the win-loss record. Goaltender Mikhail Yegorov has been a big part of that early success, turning in a 1.00 goals-against average with a .956 save percentage and one shutout, the kind of start that makes every Terriers game worth a closer look for New Jerseys prospect watchers.
There is also a more immediate Devils angle in the lineup, even if it has been a short one so far. Conrad Fondrk has appeared in two games for BU, but he is currently day-to-day with an injury, leaving his next step in college hockey uncertain for the moment. [Read more 🡒]