Bold Devils Trade Target Goalscorer Could be Closer to Home Than Realized

How many trades in NHL history have the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers consummated? You can count them on one hand. The answer is three. However, general manager Tom Fitzgerald should try and change that this summer in a Devils trade if one of the Flyers’ goalscorers becomes the odd-man out amid Philly’s rebuild.

READ MORE: Devils Trade Targets: 3 Forwards to Address Scoring Need

Via Philly Hockey Now, colleague William James laid out three candidates who the Flyers could trade this summer as they continue to reshape their roster amid a rebuild.

Of the three candidates listed, James explained Owen Tippet could be the odd-man out in Philadelphia this summer.

James accurately points out the Flyers lack centers. What they do have, however, is a plethora of forwards. Among some of their top forwards, James writes:

“Matvei Michkov is not being traded. Travis Konecny has a full no-movement clause and a cap hit of $8.75 million–he’s not getting traded. The next wave is Tippett and Foerster, and of the two, Foerster seems to be the more favorable option to keep.

“Foerster is younger, scored more goals last season, will likely be paid less, and has a higher ceiling.”

Perhaps it’s unlikely, but Tippett is exactly the kind of scorer the Devils could use.

Tippett is going into the second year of an eight-year contract that carries a favorable $6.2 million cap hit through 2031-32. He has a 10-team no-trade clause that kicks in two seasons.

At the ripe age of 26 years old, Tippett is entering his prime years, and fits in well with the core of the Devils consisting of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Luke Hughes.

Last season was a bit of a down year for the 6-foot-1, 210-lb winger. In 77 games, he scored 20 goals and 43 points, mostly skating alongside Sean Couturier at 5-on-5.

However, Tippett scored closer to the 30-goal range in the two previous seasons, netting 27 & 28 goals in 2022-23 and 2023-24 respectively.

As a speedy winger, Tippett has developed his game well on the rush. That certainly fits in with the Devils’ M.O.

Tippett’s plus skating and skill allows him to create scoring chances on his own, both for himself as a pure goalscorer, and his teammates.

It’s easy to imagine a situation where Tippett is a multi 30-goal scorer playing for New Jersey.

If the Devils want to absolve themselves of their depth scoring issue, they’ll need to knock some skaters in the top-six down a peg.

Stefan Noesen, who scored a career-high 22 goals in 2024-25, is ideally a third line winger. And if Ondrej Palat remains, he also is an ideal fit in the bottom-six.

Tippett, a right-shot who can play on both wings, is a complimentary top-six player who would certainly knock a few skaters down a peg on the depth chart.

How likely is it that the Devils and Flyers can consummate a deal?

History say’s it’s highly unlikely. However, we live in a modern NHL where perhaps GMs such as Fitzgerald and Briere are more open-minded.

Would anyone be against swapping Tippett for Dawson Mercer?

And if Mercer isn’t the answer, the Devils have the picks and prospects desirable for a rebuilding team.

One thing is for sure. The Devils need better goal scoring. If Tippett were to suddenly become available as the odd-man out in Philadelphia, Fitzgerald would certainly have to place a phone call. This is one where both teams may have to look past their rivalry for the sake of their development trajectories.

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