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The NHL draft lottery balls bounced in the New
Jersey Devils’ favor last month, as they landed rights to the
second overall pick in the 2022 draft. It’s the fourth time since
2017 that they’ve secured a pick within the top five, and it’s their highest
placement since using the first overall selection in 2019 to select Jack Hughes.
General manager Tom Fitzgerald could
use that pick to select a promising prospect who could become a
future NHL star. The Devils have had good luck with some of their
recent picks, with centers such as Hughes and Nico Hischier quickly
becoming core players.
However, he could have other
plans. On May 5, Fitzgerald indicated a willingness to trade that selection
to acquire an established player to complement his core of young
forwards.
The Devils could use some additional scoring punch. Their 2.99
goals-per-game average ranked 19th overall, while their
woeful power-play percentage (15.6) was 28th.
The Devils could receive calls from
teams lacking a pick in the first round or perhaps from those looking
to shed salary or to move up in the draft order. Daily Faceoff’s
Frank Seravalli had that pick listed at No. 7 on his recent list of
this summer’s top trade targets. With a projected $25.3 million in salary-cap space for next season,
the Devils can afford to take on a higher-salaried talent.
Which
teams could be interested in the second overall pick, and what type of
return could it fetch? Here’s our best guess of five potential
destinations based on their respective needs.
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A source close to Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak recently told The Athletic’s Fluto
Shinzawa that there was “no chance” he would sign a contract
extension if Don Sweeney remained as general manager. The following
day, Pastrnak’s agent denied there was a rift between his client and
Sweeney, saying they still intend to sit down to discuss a contract
extension soon.
Nevertheless, what if Sweeney and the
Pastrnak camp fail to agree to an extension before the draft? He’s a
year away from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Sweeney could
entertain trade offers if Pastrnak shows the slightest interest in
testing the market next summer, perhaps to replace the first-rounder
he traded to the Anaheim Ducks for Hampus Lindholm.
Co-winner of the Maurice Richard Trophy in
2019-20, Pastrnak reached or exceeded 40 goals twice in the last
three seasons. The 26-year-old right winger would not only bring
invaluable goal-scoring to the Devils but also plenty of playoff
experience. He could take on a leadership role with this young team.
Trading Pastrnak would also signal a
rebuild is underway for the Bruins. It could be shortened somewhat by
landing the second overall selection in this year’s draft. Perhaps
the Devils would also include right winger Jesper Bratt in a larger
deal with the Bruins if they can’t reach an agreement on a contract
extension with the 23-year-old restricted free agent.
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Upon taking over as the Chicago Blackhawks’ general manager on March 1, Kyle
Davidson announced they were set to undergo a rebuild. With the once-mighty franchise’s glory
days well behind them, he acknowledged it could take several years before they return to Stanley Cup contention.
Davidson
enters this offseason lacking a first-round pick in this year’s
draft. His predecessor traded it to the Columbus Blue Jackets last
summer as part
of the return for
defenseman Seth Jones. Acquiring the second overall selection would
provide the Blackhawks with an important chip to put toward
restocking their prospect pool.
Alex
DeBrincat has become a hot topic for recent offseason trade
speculation. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli has the 24-year-old
Blackhawks winger atop his list of this summer’s top trade targets.
He pointed out that DeBrincat has a year remaining on his current
contract and will have a $9 million qualifying offer next offseason.
A
two-time…
Read More: The 5 Best Trades for the Devils’ No. 2 Overall Pick in the 2022 NHL Draft |