It is no secret the New Jersey Devils need goaltending help. New Jersey continues to be linked to Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom and Nashville Predators Juuse Saros. What was unclear was what it would take to get Saros out of Nashville until now.
According to sources close to Full Press Hockey, Predators general manager Barry Trotz asked the Devils for Dawson Mercer as part of the package for goaltender Juuse Saros.
“Barry Trotz asked for Dawson Mercer, Seamus Casey, Akira Schmid, the Devils 2024 first-round pick, and the Devils 2025 2nd pick for Alexandre Carrier, Juuse Saros, with the Predators retaining 50 percent on Carrier,” a source told Full Press Hockey.
The Devils and Predators have been linked to the 2023 NHL Draft held in Nashville. New Jersey’s goalies were exposed in their second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Thus, the Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald, Barry Trotz, and then general manager David Poile discussed a possible trade for Saros. However, the price was still too high for the Devils.
But now the asking price is even higher. And it would take a high package like this for Barry Trotz even to consider moving Saros out of Nashville.
And while Trotz has come out publicly stating he would like to re-sign Saros long-term, it does not mean he is not listening to offers on Saros. New Jersey was in town last week, and Barry Trotz confirmed he met with Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald. Not to mention the on-again, off-again talk of Saros wanting out of Nashville.
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Add in the fact that Yaroslav Askarov is playing outstanding for the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL; the Predators would like to get him up in the NHL as soon as possible. So it makes things a little easier for Barry Trotz and the Predators to move Juuse Saros. The possibility of moving Saros months ago was a definite no for Trotz, but his willingness to move him gives the Devils another option to go after in the trade market.
Adding a quality goaltender to the group with high expectations is a glaring mistake for Fitzgerald and the Devils. He has added so many quality pieces in the summer. The one area he did not address is goaltending, which is costing the Devils. Now, goaltending is the reason why the Devils are struggling, but needing consistent goaltending has hurt this team.
Dawson Mercer’s name has been out there before. At this time last year, his name was involved in the Timo Meier trade talks. However, the Devils were unwilling to part with a potential piece of their future. That still seems to be the case this year as well.
“Teams have asked about Mercer, and the Devils have flat out said no,” according to a source close to Full Press Hockey.
The Devils value Mercer and what he brings to the table. He is a versatile player who can play in all situations. Mercer is a restricted free agent this summer. As the salary cap goes up, he will likely receive a nice bump in his AAV. The question for the Devils is whether they should go on a bridge deal or long-term with Mercer.
Again, anything can happen in trade talks, but one thing is for sure: teams keep asking about Dawson Mercer, which means the Devils will continue to follow up on Jacob Markstrom.
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