While the New Jersey Devils won’t be the only team that shows an interest in forward Kevin Fiala this offseason, they might be among the first clubs already putting together a strategy to try and finagle Fiala out of Minnesota. According to Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, the Devils are being linked to Fiala and might even put together an offer sheet.
Related: Devils Open to Trading First-Round 2022 Draft Choice
Earlier this week, Devils’ GM Tom Fitzgerald said he was open to moving the team’s first-round pick if it would help his club this coming season. He was especially open to doing so if it meant adding an impact player. Fiala would certainly qualify. He scored 85 points this past regular season and while pointless thus far in postseason play, he’s currently helping the Wild who have a 2-1 series lead over the St. Louis Blues. Just 25 years old, Fiala’s best years are still likely coming.
Meanwhile, The Wild are a team that has serious salary cap issues starting next season. They’re doing what they can to make their run this year because next year, the club has big-money commitments on contracts for players they no longer have on the roster. The franchise bought out the contracts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise and they’ll be paying for it over the next many years, likely having to sacrifice a couple of key pieces to fit everything in. Fiala is among the names that might have to go, simply because the Wild will have a difficult time meeting the demands of his new salary as a pending RFA who had a career year.
Fiala Makes Sense for Devils
If the Devils are open to moving their first-round draft pick this summer, Fiala is a target that would make sense. Marek suggests that Fitzgerald might like the idea of pairing Fiala with Nico Hischier and the Devils certainly have the cap space while the Wild would struggle to make ends meet. In fact, Marek wonders if the Devils would dare throw an offer sheet out there knowing that the Wild would be inclined not to match and take the draft picks as compensation.
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