How Does a Jack Hughes’ Injury Change Devils’ Trade Deadline?

The New Jersey Devils want to be an active team at the NHL Trade Deadline. President and GM Tom Fitzgerald addressed areas of need in the offseason by making the defense tougher to play against. The one thing Fitzgerald did not do is get a scoring winger.

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Throughout the regular season, the Devils’ offense has been consistently inconsistent. They have been shut out seven times while shutting out opponents eight times. The team once took pride in always getting on the scoresheet, but something has been off since returning from the Christmas break.

Some argue that GM Tom Fitzgerald sacrificed what made the team successful, while others believe his moves were a reaction to how the Devils were pushed around last season. Regardless, they’re getting pushed around again. Now on a slide, the Devils find themselves battling Columbus for third place in the Metropolitan Division. And things will not get better, as Jack Hughes was injured Sunday evening against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Jack Hughes’ Injury is a Potential Problem for the Devils

It is unclear what the injury is, but it is serious enough that he had to fly back to New Jersey and is being evaluated. Sheldon Keefe said post-game it was not good. So while depth was an issue for a playoff team, so will replacing one of its top two centers.

The Devils’ quest to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs hit a snag last year. That means the Devils were going to be active at this trade deadline, especially as their center depth is being tested.

Devils Linked to a Few Players at the Deadline

As NHLTradeTalk.com has reported, the Devils continue to be linked to Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans. Evans is a perfect fit for the Devils as he can kill penalties, play in the bottom six, score goals, and has a cheap cap hit of $1.7 million. Plus, the Devils and Canadiens have been trade partners before. And the Devils have the ask the Canadiens want.

Another player linked to the Devils is Scott Laughton of the Philadelphia Flyers. The versatile forward would be a strong addition to their bottom six, bringing size and grit. He also has another year remaining on his contract with a $3 million AAV. However, acquiring Laughton won’t come cheap, especially from a division rival.

Other names include Braden Schenn of the St. Louis Blues, but as Elliotte Friedman noted on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the Devils cost was too high. Could they go after Trent Frederic out of Boston? What about Yanni Gourde in Seattle or Ryan Donato from the Chicago Blackhawks?

But with Hughes injured and maybe lost for the rest of the regular season, does Fitzgerald pivot and try to help the Devils in the playoffs now and set himself up for the future moving as well?

What About a Long-Term Fix for the Devils?

The Devils might want a long-term fix for scoring in the top six. Timo Meier was supposed to be that solution, but it has not turned out that way. Brock Boeser has always been linked to the Devils. However, Vancouver still wants to make the playoffs without sacrificing goal-scoring. So, do they roll the dice and have him walk in free agency?

The New Jersey Devils had to fill Tyler Toffoli‘s goal-scoring void. They had a chance at Jonathan Marchessault, but Fitzgerald did not want to go the extra years, which is similar to how the Montreal Canadiens and Vegas Golden Knights viewed it.

Players like Pavel Buchnevich of the St. Louis Blues or Dylan Cozens of Buffalo might be options, but the price won’t be cheap.

Friedman noted in 32 Thoughts that Fitzgerald was one of the more active general managers. Finding the deals and players is another story.

The New Jersey Devils will be a team to keep an eye on at the deadline. It’s difficult to know which way they’re leaning.

Next: Report: Provorov Trade is Unlikely, Extension Also In Weird Spot