3 Devils trade candidates after Hurricanes series loss

This is a corner that Fitzgerald and the Devils’ front office have pinned themselves in. After signing Jontahan Kovacevic to an extension this season, they have five defenseman signed through at least 2027. That does not leave a lot of space for their three defensive prospects who have burst onto the scene, Luke Hughes, Seamus Casey, and Simon Nemec.

The Devils should trade Casey this offseason for multiple reasons. First, they cannot part with Hughes, considering his brother is their best player, and they drafted Nemec second overall. Casey also showed in 14 games this year that he can hang at the professional level now and can continue to grow as a solid defenseman. They could get a valuable pick or solid roster player for Casey this offseason.

The Devils should target the Kraken, who should be looking to get younger under new GM Jason Botteril. Eeli Tolavainen is a 2026 free agent and could improve their middle six. He and a mid-round pick would be fair value for the 2022 second-round pick in Casey.

Cody Glass is an expendable piece

The Devils have a lot of players to replace in their bottom six, but Cody Glass is one they should be able to replace for a cheaper price. He is a restricted free agent this summer, which means he needs a new contract but the Devils retain his rights. That means they could trade him away for another draft pick to a team looking to get stronger or tougher. New Jersey has players who can fill that role for less of a payday than Glass.

Glass spent most of this season hurt, suffering a concussion, an upper-body injury, and an undisclosed playoff injury. The Devils were fine without him, which is not to say he is not a valuable player. But he will be asking for a raise on his $2.5 million payday, which Fitzgerald likely does not want to give him. Now is the time to trade Glass for a draft pick.

Finding a permanent solution to the goalie problem

The Devils have not found a permanent goaltender since Cory Schneider left in 2020. The MacKenzie Blackwood experiment was a disaster, Akira Schmid was a flash in the pan, and even Jacob Markstrom is a temporary solution. But the veteran could be the path to a more permanent solution. If the Devils are willing to package Markstrom with a pick or a prospect, they could snag a long-term goalie of the future.

This would be a similar trade to the one that landed Yaroslav Askarov in San Jose last summer. The Devils should look for a team that has a solidified goalie and an up-and-coming prospect, like the Predators with Juuse Saros and Askarov. Then, you swoop in with a stellar package to snag the younger one.

Teams with situations like this are the Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres, and Montreal Canadiens. If those teams would take Markstrom’s salary, a pick, and a top prospect, the Devils could solve their biggest problem. It’s a high price to pay, but that is the only way Markstrom could be on the move again this summer.