NHL trade rumors: 5 teams who should trade for Brock Boeser

4. New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils are probably going to look to improve their blueline this summer. However, they’d be wise to see if the price for Brock Boeser is reasonable enough to make him worth acquiring. The Devils need to give Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes better wings. Boeser would be a significant upgrade.

This trade is a bit more creative than the others because the Devils have a ton of cap space, which means they could do the Canucks a huge favor that might lower the asking price.

Obviously, this trade would be dependent on Loui Eriksson accepting a trade. He has a no-movement clause, so he is under no obligation to go anywhere. But Eriksson might be happier in New Jersey than he would be in the AHL with the Utica Comets.

Getting rid of Eriksson’s contract would be huge for the Canucks. It would allow them to re-sign their key guys and probably re-sign Tyler Toffoli as well. And even with Eriksson in the trade, the Canucks would still get a quality top-four defenseman. Plus, they’d get the pick they gave up for J.T. Miller back because hockey’s weird!

This return might seem underwhelming. But keep in mind, the stagnant salary cap is going to hurt a lot of teams. Teams who have a lot of cap space like the Devils could have a significant advantage this offseason if they play their cards right.