Perfect Steven Stamkos trade Devils must offer Predators

The Devils need some help at forward. Currently, five different players have scored over 20 points for the Devils this year. One of those is Hughes, who will be out for weeks to come. Jesper Bratt leads the team in scoring, playing on the second line. He is joined by Dawnson Mercer, who is fourth on the team in points. Meanwhile, Nico Hischier and Timo Meier are second and third on the team in points. Both of them are playing on the top line with Stefan Noesen.

Furthermore, the next three top-scoring options are all on the blue line. Arseny Gritsyuk is the only player from the bottom two lines with more than ten points. The Devils need top-six help while waiting for Hughes to return to the lineup. A trade for a player like Stamkos would also help long-term this year. He has been playing on the left wing, but can play at any forward position. This will allow the Devils to place another scoring threat on the third line and give them more scoring depth.

Stamkos also needs a fresh start. He has scored eight times this year while adding three assists. This gives him just 11 points in 23 games so far, which places him on pace for 33 points overall. Stamkos has just one season in his NHL career that would be worse, and that was the 2016-17 campaign. He found the back of the net nine times while adding 11 helpers, but played in just 17 games.

He had also been a prolific scoring threat at the end of his time in Tampa Bay. In his last three seasons with the Lightning, Stamkos had 81 or more points, with 30 or more goals in each season. In his first campaign with the Predators, he had just 27 goals and 26 assists. It is clear that his time with Nashville is not working out, but if he can get close to his prior form, it would be a huge addition to the Devils.

The perfect trade

The first step of the trade is the no-movement clause of Stamkos. He would have to approve any movement from the Predators’ NHL roster. The former first pick of the NHL Draft has won two Stanley Cups already in his career, and would surely like to add a third. The Predators are not in a position to make that run, but the Devils are there.  Then, there is the salary of Stamkos. He is in the second year of a four-year deal. He will be making $8 million per season. The Devils currently have just $3.4 million in cap space, meaning the Predators would need to absorb some of the salary of Stamkos. If the Predators, who also have $3.6 million in cap space, are willing to take on some of the salary, a trade could be made.

Next, the question is what the Predators could get in return. The Devils have solid draft capital. They have their first round pick each of the next three years, but Stamkos is not going to be worth a first round pick. They could trade this year’s third-round pick or a fourth-rounder from the Stars or Jets. The Devils do not have a third-round pick in 2027, but do have a second, which would be needed. They could also package another later-round pick. At worst, the team could send each of the next two years’ second-round picks to get Stamkos.

Regardless, the Devils will need to give up a player who can impact the Predators in the future to make this trade happen. Seamus Casey is a great option. He is currently playing for the Utica Comets of the AHL affiliate of the Devils. He has shown himself to be a solid two-way defenseman, and the Devils currently have a glut of talent at the blue line.

Another option would be to trade an NHL-ready player, such as Simon Nemac, but he will likely be saved for a bigger trade option, considering his talent and being just 21 years old. Regardless, a trade of two draft picks plus a player like Casey should be enough for the Devils to land Stamkos.