New Jersey Devils lose two key pieces but add important building block

The New Jersey Devils have just helped their future.

It was always going to be the case that the New Jersey Devils were going to be big sellers at the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline, and they started the process early by dealing veteran forwards Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac to the New York Islanders on Wednesday night.

The Devils had to retain 50 percent of both players’ deals in order to get this trade over the line, and they also lost two veterans and two huge figures from that locker room as a result, but General Manager Tom Fitzgerald ultimately did the best thing for the long-term health of this franchise.

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Because, coming back in return was a First Round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, a conditional Fourth-Round selection in 2022 which becomes a Third if the Islanders reach the Stanley Cup Final this year, and two middling prospects in A.J. Greer and Mason Jobst.

Now, we’ll preface this by stating that the return for two franchise building blocks in Palmieri and Zajac doesn’t look that great or attractive for Devils fans at first glance, and both Greer and Jobst are probably no better than bottom-six role players.

It is also worth noting that, given the fact the Islanders are all in to win this year following this blockbuster transaction, the First-Round pick the Devils acquired will more than likely fall at the end of the First Round, which can still get you a high-end impact player but there is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the 2021 NHL Entry Draft due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

New Jersey Devils add another important building block after huge trade with Isles

It isn’t yet clear how the NHL will proceed with this year’s Draft and the 2021 class doesn’t appear to be as deep as the 2020 one was, but there are always gems to be had outside of the top 10 and there are some intriguing prospects in the ilk of LW Conner Roulette, LW Zachary L’Heureux, RW Alexander Kisakov and D Stanislav Svozil who could all be available mid-to-late First Round.

The conditional Fourth-Round pick in 2022, which morphs into a Third if the Isles reach the Stanley Cup Final this year, could also be interesting given that scouting and junior leagues around the world should be back to normal by next year, which means that the Devils will have the opportunity to really do their homework and potentially unearth a stud either in the Third or Fourth Round, which does happen in the National Hockey League more often than you think.

Luc Robitaille, Henrik Zetterberg, Doug Gilmour, Brett Hull and Pavel Datsyuk were all drafted late but all went on to have pretty special careers, so you can find elite talent in the later rounds of the Draft if you do your homework.

For now though, the New Jersey Devils get the 2021 First Round selection they desperately wanted and it is a pretty good return when you consider that Kyle Palmieri wasn’t having a great year, while both the right-winger and Travis Zajac are Unrestricted Free Agents this offseason and were likely to move on anyway.

Of course, Draft capital and cap space is nothing but dust until you do something with it but the Devils do boast an exciting young core featuring young studs in goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, rookie defenseman Ty Smith and forwards Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, all of whom are franchise cornerstones and can be built around.

With some other intriguing pieces including Jesper Bratt, Janne Kuokkanen, Tyce Thompson, Yegor Sharangovich and Alexander Holtz, the seventh overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the Devils are certainly in a good place when you look at the long-term future and they now own another First Round pick in which to bolster the farm system even more.

They now own two First Round picks in this year’s Draft and they could well make another move or two before the Trade Deadline on Monday, so there is every chance that they could enter the offseason with even more Draft Capital at their disposal.

When you look at the other aspects of the deal, forward A.J. Greer is a big body (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) who can certainly add some size and physicality to the Devils’ bottom-six, while Mason Jobst just adds to the franchise’s organizational depth.

You also have to like the fact that GM Tom Fitzgerald dealt two long-serving and loyal players in Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac to a legit contender in the New York Islanders, which gives both players a real chance to add a Stanley Cup to their resumes this year.

Next. New York Islanders strike with huge trade. dark

Overall, this is a lost season for the New Jersey Devils and they should absolutely be thinking about their future, and while they were never going to get a monster haul in today’s market with the Pandemic, obtaining a First-Round pick for two players on expiring contracts ensures that the Devils have yet another building block to add to a very exciting and talented core which could lead to a bright future for this franchise.

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