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On Simmonds, Vatanen, Palmieri, and potential deadline trades

February 19, 2020, 9:33 AM ET [153 Comments]
Todd Cordell
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We’re less than a week away from the trade deadline and the New Jersey Devils are one of the few clear sellers.

There are a lot of lines in the water with regards to what they might do, and I have a few ideas of my own for what they could/should do, so let’s dive right in.

• A potential marriage between Wayne Simmonds and the Vancouver Canucks continues to be a thing. It was speculated weeks ago the Canucks could have interest if Micheal Ferland was unable to return to full health and play this season. Unfortunately, that is the case.

Despite the Canucks parting with a nice futures package for Tyler Toffoli (2nd round pick + Tyler Madden, a quality offensive prospect), they apparently still have their sights set on Simmonds.

This from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic:

I still believe Wayne Simmonds remains of interest to the Canucks and if that’s not a trade that ends up happening, I think Vancouver looks to add toughness in some other ways.

By the way, Simmonds has an eight-team no-trade list but I’m told that Vancouver is clear of that. And as I reported recently, the Canucks were runners-up for Simmonds last July before he signed in New Jersey.


I think a 3rd would be a strong return for Simmonds if a deal were to transpire. The Canucks are already without a 1st and 2nd this season, though, so that may have to be pushed back to 2021.

You’re probably all sick of hearing about players for picks but plenty of teams want more picks. It’s just more ammo to load up on players that do fit into the teams long-term plans.

• Sami Vatanen is another body likely to be shipped out prior to Monday, assuming he’s healthy. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet offered some insight into what the return may look like in his latest 31 Thoughts column.

Meanwhile, New Jersey has been eyeing a second-plus for Sami Vatanen, who needs to get healthy.


I would assume the plus is a good but not great prospect. This is clearly a seller’s market and, for all his flaws, Vatanen is producing at a 40-point pace this season over an 82-game schedule. He’s not going to be handed over for nothing. I would be fine with that kind of return, especially if there is a conditional pick (or upgrade) attached if Team X wins the Stanley Cup, for example.

• There’s a lot of talk about Kyle Palmieri right now. GM Tom Fitzgerald doesn’t want to force him out the door – nor should he – but if the offers are there, I think it makes sense to move him.

Boston has been linked to Palmieri for what feels like forever and I think he’d provide them some much needed pop in the RW2 hole. I don’t know that the Bruins would go for it but I’d certainly have interest in a package including a 1st round pick and prospect Jack Studnicka, who could probably handle himself and contribute in the NHL as soon as tomorrow. I think it would take that type of deal to get Fitzgerald to move on Palmieri.

• Ondrej Kase has long been rumored available. LeBrun doesn’t think the Ducks are anxious to move him, but believes they would under the right circumstances (we learned that in the summer when he was almost dealt in a Justin Faulk deal).

LeBrun mentioned the Calgary Flames as a potential fit because they a) want a cost controlled scoring winger and; b) have all their picks over the next two years.

Here’s a thought: Kase to the Devils. He is 24, his rate scoring numbers are awesome (much like Palmieri during his younger days as a member of the Ducks), the Devils need pieces like that to surround their core and become competitive sooner than later, and they have a warchest of futures.

For fun, let’s say the Devils can get a 1st and Studnicka for Palmieri. Move that 1st in a deal for Kase, then suddenly you flipped Blake Coleman (30 a month into Y1 of a new deal) and Palmieri (30 before playing a game on a new deal) for a 1st, an already established winger in Kase, and two high quality forward prospects in Studnicka and Nolan Foote. I think those are the kinds of moves the Devils should make, and will be looking to make.

They can set themselves up to remain competitive with guys like Kase, and adding Foote and Studnicka (or another quality prospect) to a cupboard featuring Jesper Boqvist, Ty Smith and co. would make the future extremely bright.

numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com

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