Natale: Considering a Devils Trade Swapping Star Prospects for Long-Term Balance

Upgrading the New Jersey Devils’ third-line center position is all the rage these days. Given Erik Haula’s long-term absence and lack of production, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald may finally look to pull the trigger on upgrading this roster via a Devils trade.

If Fitzgerald intends to make a move in the near future, he’ll have $3.16 million in cap space to play with, and if he decides to wait until the deadline he’ll have roughly $7.524 million.

According to the Trade Boards via Chris Johnston of The Athletic and Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff, the Devils will have plenty of win-now options to fill the 3C position. Expect names such as Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders, Jake Evans of the Montreal Canadiens, Trent Frederic of the Boston Bruins, and Yanni Gourde of the Seattle Kraken to get thrown into the mix once Devils trade chatter picks up.

READ: Devils Trade Chatter; Tom Fitzgerald in San Jose, Concern Over Scoring

However, what if Fitzgerald forgoes all of these short-term options and looks to make a Devils trade that would set up New Jersey for long-term stability down the middle of the ice?

The Devils don’t possess any high-end center prospects in their farm system. On the flip side, they possess multiple high-end to elite defensive prospects that are part of a logjam. Five out of six Devils defensemen in the NHL are on multi-year contracts, with Johnathan Kovacevic the only pending UFA. Whether they decide to extend him or not, 2022 second overall pick Simon Nemec is the heir apparent to the team’s blueline, while last year’s 10th overall selection, Anton Silayev, is viewed as a “unicorn” type of player who is a part of the long-term plans for the Devils.

That leaves one of the organization’s best and most valuable prospects in a tough situation: Seamus Casey.

The former second round pick flashed elite offensive abilities during his time at the University of Michigan and in his first year of professional hockey. In eight games in New Jersey, Casey scored three goals, and since being sent down to the AHL, he’s recorded 14 points in 17 games. Casey’s talents as an offensive-defenseman are undeniable, but his future in New Jersey is cloudy.

READ MORE: Seamus Casey Makes Devils Roster, Confidence Builds with Coach Keefe’s Assurance

Perhaps Fitzgerald could look at a prospect-for-prospect swap, moving his offensively gifted right-handed defenseman in exchange for an NHL-ready center prospect. Casey’s value may be as high as ever, given his track record and what he put on tape this season, and the chance to flip him for an immediate and long-term solution at 3C could be a win-win. Casey would have a clearer path at the NHL, while the Devils get a young center ready to join the core of a Stanley Cup contending team.

It’s a move that is much easier said than done, but there are a handful of teams that may be thin on defense and are willing to move on from a young center.

One of the best names of the bunch is Matthew Poitras of the Bruins. The 20-year-old has 47 games of NHL experience but was sent down to the AHL after a disappointing start to this season. With 19 career points, Poitras was once one of the Bruins’s budding young prospects, and still may be, but faces a logjam of his own within the organization’s center position. Meanwhile, outside of Mason Lohrei, the Bruins lack many—if any—top-four defensive prospects.

Since being sent down to the AHL, Poitras has 18 points in 21 games and looks more like the player he was prior to shoulder surgery last February. He’s a hardworking, two-way playmaker who has the tools to become a do-it-all 3C for years to come.

Fitzgerald could also look within his own division, and the Columbus Blue Jackets in particular, to make this type of trade. High-energy and undersized center, Gavin Brindley, could be the Devils’ long-term solution at 3C. The Blue Jackets have a boatload of centers in both the NHL and within their prospect pool. Meanwhile, they have four pending UFA defensemen, in addition to trading away former sixth overall and right-handed defenseman David Jiricek, leaving a hole on the backend.

Brindley has a high motor and a feistiness that works well as an energy third liner and is just under a point per game in his first full season in the AHL. In addition, Brindley was the top scorer on a University of Michigan team that featured Seamus Casey in 2023-24, as well as teammates with Luke Hughes at Michigan and with Team USA at the World Junior Championship in 2022-23.

A more difficult, but much higher-upside player would be Brad Lambert of the Winnipeg Jets. It would likely require extra assets to pry the former first round pick away, but it could be the big swing to take to solve some of the scoring issues. Lambert is an incredible skate who has torn up the AHL the past year and a half while struggling to make an impact at the NHL level. He’s recorded a single assist in five games while putting up 70 points in 90 career AHL games thus far.

Again, the Jets have a handful of centers both at the NHL level and within their prospect pool, while looking a little thin on the backend. They have three pending UFA defensemen including their top offensive producing right-handed defenseman Neal Pionk. Concern over Lambert’s defensive game would give Fitzgerald pause, but under Keefe’s improved team defense, the burden wouldn’t fall on his shoulders to be a shutdown center, and at just 21 years old, he would have time to grow defensively.

RELATED: A Devils Trade to Reunite with Taylor Hall is a No-Brainer

With the Devils on course to being one of the league’s top contenders this season, Fitzgerald may be blinded by a win-now perspective—and rightfully so. However, with no young centers coming up the pipeline, it would be wise to address the problem before it catches up with them. It would be a bold move to cut bait on Casey, especially after showing so much promise early in his career, but the numbers game has him on the outside looking in, and Fitzgerald probably knows this. Swapping Casey for one of these young centers—or any other that fits the mold—fixes that, while also addressing a position in dire need of an upgrade.

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