Devils Trade Targets: 3 Goalscorers to Consider Acquiring

The New Jersey Devils have been going well as of late, capping off a 3-1-1 home stand over their last five games. However, there has been one underlying issue. Goals have been hard to come by, and they could certainly use a pure goalscorer. There’s been a lot of chatter lately as to who could be available, and quite a bit of movement around the league. New Jersey should consider joining the fun and nab a scorer in a Devils trade.

At the surface, goals don’t appear to be an issue on paper. The Devils rank seventh-best in the NHL in goals for per game, averaging 3.33 goals in 33 contests.

However, lately they’ve only been coming in bunches.

The trend started against the Colorado Avalanche, the second of five games on home ice over the last week. The Devils were shutout by former goaltender Scott Wedgewood. Then with Toronto in town, they only scored on goal on nearly 40 shots and left a point on the table in overtime.

With the Los Angeles Kings in town, the dam began to break near the end of the middle frame. While the Kings held a 1-0 lead, with about a minute left to play in the second period, Ondrej Palat‘s late period goal led to two third period tucks en route to a 3-1 win. And on Saturday, the Devils were shut out in the first 40 minutes of their tilt with the Chicago Blackhawks by a rookie goaltender, despite holding the shot and chance advantage.

Simply, a pure goalscorer very well may be the answer to finding the back of the net sooner. When the Devils gave up Tyler Toffoli, general manager Tom Fitzgerald sought an internal replacement, mentioning Dawson Mercer by name. It hasn’t quite worked out that way, and the Devils could use someone who can change momentum at the snap of a wrist.

So, who could be available?

Brock Nelson

Brock Nelson‘s name has been circulating in rumors for the majority of this season.

Only Lou Lamoriello knows what the New York Islanders’ plan is going forward. However, as they’ve been for a few seasons now, they’ve been middling at best.

In the same breath, the Islanders have been without key forwards Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair, as well as defenseman Adam Pelech, and have hung around in the standings by the skin of their teeth. The aforementioned are expected to return soon, so we’ll see if the Patrick Roy-led Isles can improve their game.

However, if they can’t, Nelson is a pending free agent who is a perennial 30-plus goalscorer.

Jack Hughes will become a little more familiar with Nelson and his game as they will be Team USA teammates at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Nelson’s a responsible two-way forward who is versatile in the sense that he can play center or wing. He’s strong in the faceoff dot and is a pesky forechecker. However, his greatest asset is his shot that’s led to a 34, 36, and 37-goal season in each of the last three years.

In 2024-25, Nelson’s scored 10 goals in 31 games and is on pace for 26 goals. Nelson is shooting below his career average 14.2 shooting percentage, with an 11.4 S% so far this season. That should regress to the mean, and he should reach the 30-goal plateau again this season, especially if he’s playing next to Hughes or Jesper Bratt.

Nelson is in the final year of his contract, with a $6 million cap hit.

Frank Vatrano

The Anaheim Ducks have certainly been active in the NHL trade market. Recently, they’ve acquired defenseman Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers and sold Cam Fowler to the St. Louis Blues.

The Ducks are still in a rebuilding phase and are seemingly in the business of acquiring assets. Therefore, it’d be a surprise to see Frank Vatrano still in a Ducks sweater by the end of the 2024-25 season. Especially since he’s in the last year of his contract, with a $3.65 million cap hit.

General manager Tom Fitzgerald should certainly inquire on a Devils trade. Skating next to Ryan Strome and Troy Terry, Vatrano’s potted seven goals and 14 points in 28 games. That only puts him on pace for about 20.5 goals in 82 games. However, he’s another shooter who is converting below his career average shooting percentage.

Last season, Vatrano found the back of the net 37 times in 82 games, collecting 60 points in the process. Perhaps, Vatrano can’t get back to his 13.6 S% last season. However, he should certainly be able to at least get back in the double digits, which would translate to nearing 30 goals by season’s end.

Upgrade his linemates and stick him in the Devils’ top-six, and it’s hard to see Vatrano below the 30-goal threshold.

Jared McCann

This one is a bit different from the previous two names. Jared McCann is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027. Therefore, he has two extra years on his contract that carries a $5 million cap hit.

That means his price tag could be a bit higher.

However, McCann has proven to be a pure goalscorer in his time with the Seattle Kraken.

The Kraken are similar to the Islanders in the sense that they have a bunch of good players, but not one elite player that puts them over the top. They’re currently out of the playoff race, and not many are placing bets for them to sneak in. The Kraken have young talent in their pipeline, but not an overabundance of it, pointing toward a middling future. Suffice to say, they should be in the business of collecting assets as well.

McCann is two seasons removed from a 40-goal, 70-point campaign en route to the playoffs. Lasts season, McCann potted 29 in 80 games on a Kraken team that regressed and didn’t make the postseason.

The 6-foot-1 forward has tucked 11 goals in 32 games this season, playing on a line with Chandler Stephenson and Andre Burakovsky. He’s on his way to another 30-goal campaign, and at 28 years old, can continue to fill the net for the Devils for the next couple of seasons.

Acquiring McCann, or any of the previously mentioned scorers, will push Mercer down a notch on the third line and fill out an already dangerous Devils’ top-six.

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