The Edmonton Oilers have traded away 29-year-old winger Patrick Maroon to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and prospect J.D. Dudek, Bob McKenzie announced Monday. Maroon was an interesting name on the trade market given his size and ability to chip in offense at a fair pace in his two-plus seasons in Edmonton.
J.D. Dudek is the prospect going from NJ to EDM as part of the Maroon trade. So a third and Dudek.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) February 26, 2018
While he wasn’t much of an offensive threat in his first few seasons at the NHL level, scoring only 26 goals and 79 points in 204 games over five years, Maroon’s offensive potential really took off when he was traded to the Oilers in 2016. Scoring eight goals and 14 points in 16 games with the Oilers, it was clear very early on that Maroon had found a good match in Edmonton.
Maroon Improved in Edmonton
In his first full season with the Oilers, Maroon blew his previous career-high of 11 goals from 2013-14 out of the water with his new benchmark total of 27 goals. Maroon also set career-highs in games played with 81 as well as points with 42. He also scored three goals and eight points in 13 postseason contests that season.
To be fair to Maroon, he had proven in the past that he could produce offense when necessary. In 29 postseason games with the Ducks, Maroon scored nine goals and 18 points and was a threat with his size at 6 foot 3 and 225 pounds.
There were a number of teams who were reportedly interested in Maroon given his size and offensive potential, but many were cautious when approaching the Oilers given their high asking price and the fear that Maroon couldn’t produce when playing away from phenom Connor McDavid.
In 56 games this season with the Oilers, Maroon has scored 14 goals and 30 points. Those totals would put him on pace for 20 goals and 44 points. The fear, however, is that he wouldn’t be able to produce anything near those totals without McDavid centering him. It’s a realistic fear to have, especially given the fact that the league has shown time and time again that certain players benefit from playing with stars.
Related: 2018 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
A few examples can be found in Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau with John Tavares and Matt Beleskey with Ryan Getzlaf. While their abilities were bolstered by a certain player on their former teams, their careers were undoubtedly less successful once they moved on. At the expense of a first-round draft pick, many teams elected to pass on Maroon.
The Devils ultimately cashed in on two of the top wingers on the market in Michael Grabner and Maroon at the cost of Dudek, a second and third-round draft pick. While the Devils may have been closer to the basement of the NHL’s standings last year than they were to first-place, this team has proven they can compete and earn a playoff spot this year. Their additions could prove to be invaluable, providing speed, penalty killing, size and most importantly, a tendency to score when needed.