The worst-kept secret in hockey is that the Arizona Coyotes are poised to move to Utah and start play in Salt Lake City next season. While the location change is unlikely to impact the New Jersey Devils, it may allow them to supplement their roster with players who don’t want to make the move. You wouldn’t know it from their record, but Arizona has a roster of talented players who could fit well in New Jersey. It is unclear yet which players will ask management for a trade and which will have no problem making the move. The potential ownership group in Utah has indicated it will spend to the cap and wishes to be immediately competitive, so a fire sale is not anticipated. Further complicating matters is the draft capital the franchise has amassed, totaling 14 picks combined in the first three rounds of the next two years’ drafts. With all that in mind, here are three players who the Devils should target from the team formerly known as the Coyotes.
Nick Bjugstad – Center
The first thing you notice about Coyotes’ center Nick Bjugstad is his imposing size. Standing at 6-foot-6, he commands attention everywhere he goes on the ice. The man his teammates call “Rotisserie Chicken” has a reputation throughout the league for being a good locker room guy and productive on the ice. Bjugstad would potentially fit a bottom-six center role that New Jersey lacks, in that he can help offensively and add depth scoring while still being defensively responsible, as shown by the team’s .923 save percentage with him on the ice. Notably, Bjugstad is plus-11 on a team that is overall minus-20. He would be the only right-handed true centerman on the team if added to the Devils, and historically, he has hovered around 50% on face-offs. With one year remaining on a deal that will count as $2.1 million against the cap, New Jersey has very little risk and the potential to obtain a 40-point player who contributes on both the power play and the penalty kill.
The Devils would have to choose Bjugstad or re-sign a player like Tomas Nosek. Nosek endured a rough season in New Jersey, playing in less than 40 games due to multiple injuries. He had started to get consistent playing time and provide consistent results as a 3C the last few weeks, only to again be forced out of the lineup by injury. The advantage Bjugstad possesses is that he can play power play minutes, chip-in depth scoring, and is right-handed, something the Devils have missed at center since the departure of Michael McLeod in January. It is a no-brainer if they can secure that at one year for $2.1 million.
Alex Kerfoot – Center
Last summer, among the upheaval in Toronto, center Alexander Kerfoot left the Maple Leafs to sign a two-year contract to play in Arizona. Almost a year later, the team is moving, and it would be natural to ask whether Kerfoot wants to move with it. The versatile forward, who the Devils originally drafted, is a good fit for a rebuilt Devils’ bottom six. This season, he has played center almost 65 percent of his shifts, while the two years prior, he played 70 percent of his shifts on the wing. Coyotes’ head coach Andre Tourigny has spoken glowingly of Kerfoot, saying, “He’s a Swiss Army knife. You can play him center, right-wing, left-wing, PK, power play, end of the game when you lead, and end when you need a goal. He’s that kind of a player. We’re lucky to have him.” Putting him on either a third line with Ondrej Palat and Erik Haula, or the fourth line with Curtis Lazar seems like a perfect fit and an upgrade for New Jersey. The team would have to absorb a $3.5 million cap hit, which should be doable for New Jersey.
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Kerfoot will turn 30 before the start of next season and has averaged 41 points per 82 games for his career. He already has 75 blocks this season, which is more than any Devils forward. He has a similar game to Lazar in his versatility. While he doesn’t play as heavy on the walls and forecheck as Lazar, he can pitch in offensively as depth scoring. The only thing better than one Lazar would be two. Since he is on an expiring deal, the price tag for acquisition should not be exorbitant. The Devils have several players on the cusp of needing regular NHL time in Nolan Foote and Graeme Clarke. Either could find regular time in the Coyotes lineup, which would be a fair trade for both clubs.
Lawson Crouse – Forward
The Devils need a middle-six winger with size, scoring touch, who plays with some sandpaper. Lawson Crouse fits that perfectly. He will turn 27 before the start of next season, and at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds with three straight seasons of at least 20 goals and 175 hits, he could be a cheaper but comparable alternative to players like Pavel Buchnevich or Brady Tkachuk as a winger for Jack Hughes. He is nicknamed “The Sheriff” for his tough and physical play; he would be ideal for patrolling the ice alongside the Devils’ talented top six. Crouse has split time between the right and left wing in his career and has played on both the power play and penalty kill. He has never shied from using his physicality to protect his teammates and is ready to scrap, as seen recently in a fight with former Devils winger Miles Wood.
Crouse’s salary cap charge comes in at a relatively team-friendly $4.3 million with three years remaining after this season which would take him through his age 30 season. The Coyotes would not be seeking to move Crouse, so the Devils would have to convince them with assets. Unlike Bjugstad and Kerfoot, he does not have trade protection in his contract so he could not block a trade. Would a package of younger players on the cusp of the NHL or other prospects in the system be sufficient? It is likely to depend on how motivated the Coyotes are to sell.
Despite their place in the standings, the Coyotes have a talent-laden roster. With their rumored relocation to Utah appearing to be a done deal, there may be an opportunity for New Jersey to trade for forwards who may not want to make a move to Utah. The Devils have sufficient assets to provide Arizona with the pieces they want. With the Coyotes not having a defenseman under contract past this season, perhaps the Devils could look to move one of their veteran defensemen along with an American Hockey League (AHL) player/prospect to get a deal done and bring back one of these forwards.