Okay, so we can all see that the Devils have 8 defensemen signed, almost all of which deserve to play regularly in the NHL. Beyond that, they have prospects like Alex Urbom and Eric Gelinas who, while they may not be NHL-ready, they can probably fill in capably for some games. In addition, the forward lines right now look like this:
?-Zajac-Kovalchuk
Henrique-Elias-Zubrus
?-Josefson-Clarkson
Carter-Gionta-Bernier
Figure Tedenby will get his shot to go back on the 3rd line and that the Devils may be entertaining delusions of using Barch or Janssen on the 4th line and moving someone else up higher. Whatever the case, it still looks like this team could use a forward. So who out there needs a defenseman and has a possible trade available?
1. Edmonton
Edmonton may be dumb enough to think they’ve got enough defensemen, but they clearly do not. Furthermore, they’ve got a ton of forwards. Their defense is currently something like this:
N. Schultz-Petry
Smid-J. Schultz
Whitney-Potter
Peckham-Sutton
There’s not a top pairing guy in the mix or even anything resembling it, and the forwards won’t be able to cover that up all year. Trouble is, they’ve got too many defensemen signed as it stands.
Forwards:
Smyth-Horcoff-Hemsky
Hall-Nugent-Hopkins-Eberle
Yakupov-Belanger-Gagner
Jones-Lander-Petrell
Possible Targets: A. Hemsky, M. Paajarvi
I think Greene and a low-ish prospect could fetch Hemsky, if the Oilers were so inclined to deal him. Still, Magnus Paajarvi doesn't even have a spot on the team even if someone above him were dealt - I'd deal Greene and Urbom for him and feel pretty happy about it. His skills might never translate to the NHL, but he's not getting a good chance in that system as it stands now, and he'd immediately become one of the Devils' best young players.
2. Calgary
Calgary currently has a weirdly assembled roster with Tanguay, Hudler, Cammalleri and Glencross at LW, with Cervenka, Stajan, Backlund, and Horak as possible centers. Even if they move one of their LW over to center, it still feels like they’ve got too many LWs - RWs are Iginla, Stempniak, Comeau, and Jones. And I haven't even mentioned Sven Baertschi, who tore up the WHL to the tune of 2 points a game - the Flames surely have to consider a place in the NHL for him.
Trouble is, Calgary’s defense looks like this:
Bouwmeester-Wideman
Giordano-Butler
Brodie-Sarich
Babchuk-Smith
If they deal Bouwmeester for a center, things open up, but while Butler was bad this year, I don’t see them improving on that necessarily. Still, they are void of defensive prospects, and maybe they would consider Greene and Urbom for Cammalleri and Babchuk, where NJ would buy out Babchuk. Still, that would need to happen awfully soon, and it’s hard to imagine Babchuk waiving his NTC to be bought out.
3. St. Louis
St. Louis is crazy deep at forward right now. Here’s their forward lineup:
Perron-McDonald-Oshie
Steen-Backes-Stewart
Berglund-Sobotka-Langenbrunner
Reaves-Nichol-D’Agostini
And I haven’t mentioned top prospects Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko - players who might need places in the NHL. I therefore think that people like Patrik Berglund and Chris Stewart could be on the block - both guys are only signed for one more year.
Their defense, not so deep:
Jackman-Polak
?-Pietrangelo
Russell-Shattenkirk
Either Greene or Tallinder would make a perfect pair for Pietrangelo. I doubt they could pry Chris Stewart, but maybe Patrik Berglund? Berglund turned 24 and has not taken that extra step yet - I think Greene for Berglund+3rd would be a fair deal.
4. Toronto
Toronto has too many forwards right now, here’s their forward list:
Van Riemsdyk-Grabovski-Kulemin
Lupul-Bozak-Kessel
MacArthur-Connolly-Lombardi
McClement-Steckel-Frattin
Toronto has at least one too many forwards, possibly two too many, as Nazem Kadri is still being left off this list. Their defense:
Gunnarsson-Phaneuf
Gardiner-Franson
Liles-Komisarek
Yuck. Komisarek probably gets amnestied. It's ugly - Franson is a soft-minutes player. Me, I'd want Nikolai Kulemin or maybe Clarke MacArthur, and I think Tallinder would be enough to get MacArthur, Greene for Kulemin would also be a fair-ish deal.
5. Detroit (!)
Astoundingly Detroit is on this list. Defense now:
Kronwall-White
Quincey-Ericsson
Kindl-Smith
Eep. They think much higher of Jonathan Ericsson than I do, but I think he's not very good. Trouble is, they can't really spare any forwards of note either - their forward lineup:
Franzen-Datsyuk-Samuelsson
Filppula-Zetterberg-Cleary
Abdelkader-Helm-Tootoo
Miller-Nyquist-Eaves
Rumor is that Todd Bertuzzi may retire, so I won't include him on this list. New Jersey would have to deal for some prospects instead of NHL players - not sure they'd be willing to do that.
6. New York Islanders
The Islanders managed a trade for a defenseman, so they may no longer need one. Except for the fact that he might not want to play on Long Island anymore - if he manages to get himself traded back to Anaheim, it will be interesting to see what the Islanders do. They’ll be desperate for defensive help.
Streit-Hamonic
Visnovsky-McDonald
Carkner-?
Okay, so they still need a defenseman even if Visnovsky stays. Still, not sure if Greene or Tallinder is interesting to them. Their forward situation looks like this:
Moulson-Tavares-Okposo
Grabner-Nielsen-Boyes
Martin-Reasoner-Bailey
Niederreiter-Cizikas-?
So a lot depends on whether they think Ryan Strome is NHL ready. Or whether they don't care if he’s NHL ready and jam him into the NHL anyway like with Nino Niederreiter and a lesser extent Josh Bailey. Brock Nelson may also get a shot at the NHL.
7. Nashville
If Weber leaves, we have to imagine they use some of the picks to take on a defenseman from Philadelphia, who is in a similar-ish predicament to us. Still, they’re in quite a fix without both guys:
?-?
Josi-Klein
Gill-Ellis
Klein and Josi were horrible last year - Nashville would probably sign a guy like Rozsival, and trade for multiple people. The problem is, they don’t quite have the forward depth to make this happen:
Erat-Legwand-Hornqvist
S. Kostitsyn-Fisher-Smith
Bourque-Gaustad-Halischuk
McGrattan-Spaling-Yip
I didn’t put Colin Wilson here - he’s an intriguing possibility. Regardless, I think Nashville will use its defensive prospects to get a better defense - I don’t think the Devils and Nashville are a fit, as Nashville also is weak at forward and is unlikely to move a forward to get a defenseman.
Edited by Triumph, 23 July 2012 - 12:29 PM.
