New Jersey Devils Trade 750-Game NHL Veteran to Western Conference Team

TRADE ALERT: #Preds acquire Erik Haula from #NJDevils for a 2025 4th round pick and D Jeremy Hanzel

Haula has spent the last three years in New Jersey and is coming off a year where he scored 11 goals and 21 points in 61 games.

Haula previously played with the Predators in 2021-22 before leaving for the Boston Bruins. GM Barry Trotz likely sees leadership and grit in Haula's game, which will be instrumental for the Predators retool.

In exchange, New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald is bringing in defensive prospect Jeremy Hanzel, who spent the past season with the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL. He was originally a sixth-round pick in 2023. On top of this, the Devils are also receiving a fourth-round pick in this year's draft.

This is the first trade following the Florida Panthers' Stanley Cup victory, and it will certainly not be the last before the 2025 NHL draft. This deal opens up a solid amount of cap space for the Devils, who will be shedding $3,150,000 off of their payroll with this move. It seems like a mutually beneficial deal for both teams.

Now, we will see what the Devils do with this extra cap space and whether they bring in another player in free agency or use it to re-sign one of their young players who is due for a raise.