Nick Kypreos Floats Maple Leafs-Devils Blockbuster Trade

“In our view, this decision is all about business rather than his game right now,” J.P. Barry told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. “Singling him out seems very calculated at this stage.”

Hamilton, who carries a $9 million cap hit and has a 10-team trade list, has reportedly blocked previous attempts by the Devils to move him, namely to the San Jose Sharks last summer.

Despite the team’s public stance, his agent confirmed they’re willing to discuss options beyond that 10-team no-trade list.

Kypreos, meanwhile, floated a possible one-for-one trade solution for both teams on Sportsnet's "590 The Fan," pitching a deal that would send Tanev to the Devils and bring Hamilton to Toronto.

“You bring in Hamilton,” Kypreos said. “He checks off a few boxes, and the number one thing is he can get up and down the ice and alleviate a lot of that stuff off of Morgan (Rielly).

“But you're not giving up, Morgan. You're finding a way to say, 'Listen, Jersey, you don't like him. You want to get rid of him. We'll take him off. You may have to eat a little bit.'”

Kypreos emphasized the importance of keeping Morgan Rielly out of the equation while noting the cap structure would require salary retention by the Devils.

“Take $2 million,” Kypreos said. “Three would be nice. Three would be real nice.”

The Devils sit fourth-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings with a 23-21-2 record through 46 games. The Leafs, meanwhile, improved to 23-15-5 and 55 points in 45 games with Monday's win over the Avs.