Buyers or Sellers?
The New Jersey Devils were expected to experience plenty of growing pains under the watch of general manager Ray Shero and first-year coach John Hynes.
One of the bigger surprises of 2015-16, the Garden State representatives actually find themselves involved in the playoff conversation as the team vies to make the NHL's "second season" a reality for the first time in four years.
With that in mind, what role do the Devils (30-24-7) plan on playing as the NHL's trade deadline draws near? Well, New Jersey likely will be a seller as the team continues to lean on All-Star goaltender Cory Schneider (league-best 2.06 goals-against average) and its conservative ways in a bid to gain entry into the postseason.
Team Needs
The Devils are in need of some offense in the worst way, with veteran forward Michael Cammalleri's wrist injury only underscoring the problem. A top-six forward and offensive depth in general should be the focus of New Jersey, which is averaging NHL worsts in goals per contest (2.23) and shots per game (24.6).
Should they wish to dip their toe in the trade waters, the Devils are dealing from a position of strength with their surplus of quality young defensemen.
With that said, Shero is on record as saying that the club isn't interested in mortgaging the future for a rental player. "Nothing's changed," Shero told Tom Gulitti of the Bergen Record last week. "Nothing's changed from really when I was hired in terms of the bigger picture and things like that."
Key Players
Lee Stempniak
Stempniak certainly made the most of his tryout with New Jersey, as the 33-year-old leads the team with 41 points (16 goals, 25 assists). A pending unrestricted free agent, Stempniak has already surpassed last season's total in goals (15) and assists (13) with the New York Rangers.
A second-round draft pick could be the return for Stempniak, who the Devils got on the cheap with a one-year, $850,000 deal in the summer.
David Schlemko
Schlemko, who is tied with Stempniak for a team-leading nine power-play assists, could provide a contending team with considerable minutes and depth on the blue line. The 28-year-old leads all Devils' defensemen in scoring (17 points), a nice boost after he mustered only four (one goal, three assists) in 44 games with three teams last season.
New Jersey would be wise to pick up a draft pick and/or a prospect for Schlemko, who signed a one-year contract for $625,000 this summer.
Eric Gelinas
Gelinas could be on the outs after voicing his displeasure with his lack of playing time. The 24-year-old defenseman, who is in the first season of a two-year deal worth $3.15 million, could be included as part of a package with a draft pick to land a forward.
