The New Jersey Devils are at an interesting moment in their franchise’s history. Some of their biggest stars are either just entering their prime or not quite there yet. They have four top-5 picks between the ages of 20 and 25. They also have Jesper Bratt (26 years old), Timo Meier (27 years old) and Dawson Mercer (22 years old), who are stars in their own right and would definitely go in the top 10 in a redraft today.
This gives the Devils an enviable position when it comes to their Interested parties pool. They can be patient with young players and let them grow at their own pace. Most of the time, however, this means the Devils are trading away once promising players for less than their true value. That is what happens with players like Reilly Walsh and Tyce ThompsonThe Devils didn’t want to wait and see what would become of them and traded them for another talent at another position.
Before the Devils see their top talents lose value, it might make sense to trade them for high-profile NFL support. They are in their Stanley Cup window, as they have shown Trade for Jacob MarkstromThey want a fourth Stanley Cup in New Jersey, and these three talents could serve as bait for a trade.
Chase Stillman is a first-round pick that surprised many when the Devils took him in 2021. He was the 29th pick the Devils got in the Kyle Palmieri-Travis Zajac deal. The Devils had already taken Luke Hughes in that draft, so they thought they could take a risk on their next pick. Now it feels like a bust, as most Devils fans were hoping to get Logan Stankoven, who somehow survived another 17 picks.
Stillman played his first season in Utica last year, scoring 14 goals and 24 points in 54 games. Honestly, it wasn’t bad for his first season in the pros. However, he’s probably not needed now that the Devils have Paul Cotter. Cotter is already the rich man’s version of Stillman, and he’s only 24 years old.
His experience as a first-round pick and his scoring ability in the AHL could increase Stillman’s value. Will that translate to the NHL? It’s hard to believe, but there’s hope until he proves himself one way or another. That’s basically all these prospects are: hope.
