The New Jersey Devils have built a very good young team over the last few seasons. Once they get Dawson Mercer signed, they will have 12 very solid forwards who can compete on a nightly basis.
They also have $5.7 million in cap space, and while a portion of that is going to go to Mercer’s new deal. However, they will still have money left over, which they can allocate to another player at the NHL level.
The Devils should connect with the Los Angeles Kings and inquire about their unsigned forward, Arthur Kaliyev.
Kaliyev requested a trade from the Kings’ organization earlier this off-season, which has essentially ended any chance of the two sides agreeing to a new contract.
If the Devils can swoop in and offer the right asking price, they could acquire Kaliyev and add him to their already offensively stacked roster; it could be a win-win for their organization.
The Kings are without a second round pick in 2025, which will likely be part of the asking price to acquire Kaliyev. The Devils may need to add a prospect or another late-round pick to get the deal done.
Nevertheless, it would make a ton of sense for the Devils to add another young, talented forward to their roster to increase their chances of hoisting the Stanley Cup.
