With the holiday roster freeze just hours away, the New Jersey Devils are reportedly hunting for stability down the middle—and their sights are set on Los Angeles.
If you’ve been watching the New Jersey Devils lately, you know the panic button is within reach. With Jack Hughes sidelined, the hole at center ice is glaring. Enter TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, who dropped a bombshell report this week: despite a slow start, Los Angeles Kings center Phillip Danault is generating serious interest, and the Devils are among the teams calling.
The clock is ticking. The trade freeze looms, and while Danault’s agent has denied a formal trade request, the smoke is getting thicker. LeBrun notes that this isn’t a rental situation—Danault has term left at $5.5 million. The Kings aren’t looking for futures; they want a “hockey trade.” They want help now.
For Devils fans, this is the pivotal question: Do you trade for a guy with zero goals on the season to save the defensive structure of your team? I think the answer might be yes.
The Cost of Business: Dawson Mercer vs. Ondrej Palat
Let’s look at this from my perspective as someone who tracks the cap as closely as the standings. The Kings have been clear: they need offense. Danault has struggled mightily this year (5 assists, 0 goals in 30 games), and his role has diminished.
If I’m Ken Holland in Los Angeles, I am starting the conversation at Dawson Mercer.
Mercer makes sense for L.A. He’s 24, he has 20-goal potential, and he fits that middle-six need perfectly. For New Jersey, moving Mercer hurts, but it’s a classic “change of scenery” swap. You get the defensive stalwort in Danault to lock down the 3C spot (or 2C while Hughes is out), and the Kings get a younger forward who can actually put the puck in the net.
However, we can’t ignore the math. The Devils are pressed against the cap. A one-for-one swap of Danault ($5.5M) for Mercer ($4M) adds $1.5 million to New Jersey’s books. Unless they move another body, that might be impossible.
The Financial Reality: Ondrej Palat
This is where the trade gets realistic, albeit less exciting for Los Angeles. Ondrej Palat ($6M AAV) is the money-match. Swapping Danault for Palat actually saves the Devils $500k. Palat brings the “veteran winner” pedigree the Kings usually love, but at 34, his decline is real.
My Take: If the Devils are serious about contending this year, they can’t wait for internal solutions. Danault’s offensive stats are ugly right now, but his defensive metrics and faceoff ability are exactly what a team missing its superstar center needs to survive the winter. If the Kings are willing to take Palat to make the money work—perhaps with a sweetener—GM Tom Fitzgerald needs to pull the trigger before the freeze hits.
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