Back in the summer of 2024, former New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald declared that he wanted to go “Big game hunting” for a premium goalie after the 2023-24 season was sunk, in large part, due to shockingly bad goaltending. Sure enough, on June 19, 2024, Fitzgerald got his man in the form of Jacob Markstrom. It cost a first round pick in the 2025 draft plus Kevin Bahl, but the goalie position was thought to finally be stabilized after years of shoddy play. Unfortunately, Markstrom has
not provided the stability we all would have wanted, even though his 2024-25 season was solid enough. Still, even though it didn’t quite work out, I did think it was a good move at the time, and even looking back on it now I think the process was sound even if the results haven’t been great. As much as I criticized Fitzgerald for his lack of conviction when it came to strengthening the roster, I have to give him credit for swinging a big move like this.
Now, Fitzgerald is gone, and Sunny Mehta has taken his place. During his time as a key member of the Florida Panthers’ front office, the organization pulled the trigger on many big game hunts of their own, such as for Matt Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Seth Jones to name a few. This, coupled with his background in poker, make it pretty apparent to me that Mehta is not someone who will shy away from pulling off a big trade if he believes it will help this team.
So with that in mind, the next question we have to ask ourselves is this: What exactly are the options for a big game hunt this summer? Luckily for Mehta and the Devils, there do appear to be at least a handful of top players that are varying degrees of available. We’ll go over those options today.
Before we dive in, I do have to acknowledge that it’s unlikely New Jersey pulls off a big trade this summer. The Panthers in the Mehta era were certainly known for big trades, but they were equally known for unearthing hidden gems in under the radar moves. So while I do expect a blockbuster or two at some point with Mehta at the helm, I expect the first summer under his leadership to be one of tinkering on the edges. So while it’s possible some big game is hunted this offseason, it’s probably best to temper expectations. Still, because it’s within the realm of possibility for this team, I do feel that it’s worth it to explore these options.
Let’s begin.
The Blues Brothers: Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou
Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou have been on the block for seemingly a full calendar year now. Ok, maybe not that long, but it’s been a long time. Kyrou had a down year with only 18 goals and 46 points in 72 games. But Thomas performed well despite missing a decent amount of time (25 goals and 64 points in 64 games). Both have a history of great play-driving metrics, as well as strong production. Both can make a big difference in New Jersey’s top six (or, in the center Thomas’ case, as a ludicrously overqualified 3C if New Jersey thinks that would be the best use of his skills). And interestingly, both have identical contracts, with matching $8.125M AAVs and matching lengths of five years remaining on their deals.
Chances the Blues trade them: High. There’s been so much smoke around Thomas and Kyrou for such a long time now that I have a hard time believing they stay in St. Louis this summer. With Doug Armstrong moving from general manager to President of Hockey Operations and Alex Steen taking the GM job, perhaps Steen decides he wants to make his mark by hitting the reset button. With the Blues stuck in a hellacious Central Division with a mediocre roster, it’s probably in their best interest to get all the futures they can for Thomas and Kyrou. We’ll see if they agree.
The Familiar Name: Quinn Hughes
Yes, we once again find ourselves at the Quinn Hughes well, taking another wishful drink. I won’t waste too much time here, as we know all the angles of a potential Hughes trade by now. Just know that, while it might seem more unlikely now than it was before he got traded to the Minnesota Wild, stranger things have happened.
Chances the Wild trade him: Medium. Despite the fall of the Devils and the rise of the Wild, I still think there’s a reasonable shot that Hughes still wants to play with his brothers enough that he tries to force a trade. And now that New Jersey has an exciting new GM in place as opposed to Fitzgerald, perhaps if he had any reservations about Devils management, those fears are now alleviated. I can absolutely see him going to Bill Guerin and requesting a trade, or maybe Guerin does it before Hughes even asks him if he sees enough writing on the wall. I won’t say the chances of this are high, but they’re far from nothing.
The Pending RFA: Jason Robertson
The Dallas Stars’ ultra-talented winger has been the speculation of trade talks since roughly last offseason. This was mostly due to Dallas being dangerously close to the cap ceiling, but also a little due to Robertson’s perceived playoff underperformances. Going through Robertson’s playoff numbers, that narrative seems a little overstated to me, although before this postseason, his goal-scoring hasn’t quite on par with what he produces in the regular season. That being said, that’s a tall order because his regular season goal-scoring is truly something special. Over the last five seasons, Robertson has potted 196 total goals, averaging almost exactly 40 goals per season over that span. He’s comfortably a point per game player in that span as well, and perhaps most impressively, he’s been an ironman for years now, playing all 82 games in each of the past four seasons. For a Devils team that has suffered its fair share of injury woes in recent times, durability like that would be invaluable.
Chances the Stars trade him: Medium. Dallas is once again going to have a hard time fitting a full roster under the cap ceiling. According to PuckPedia, the Stars will enter 2026-27 with about $11M in cap space. They only have 10 forwards under contract for next year. Mavrik Bourque is due for a raise now that his ELC is done. Captain Jamie Benn needs a new deal as well if Dallas wants to bring him back. And then there’s Robertson. He’s about to conclude a contract that was an absolute steal at $7.75M AAV, and while Dallas will retain his rights this summer as an RFA, it’ll be very difficult for them to get any sort of discount even with that leverage. The perennial 40-goal man would probably eat up every bit of Dallas’ $11M in cap space by himself, so on the surface, it really might seem like Dallas won’t have room for him. That being said, the Stars are a very well-run organization, and they generally find a way to keep the talent they’ve accumulated. I would bet on Dallas finding a way to move money around and making room for Robertson. Which is a shame, because I think a player like Robertson is exactly what the Devils are looking for. That being said, I can’t deny that their cap picture is pretty dire, so a Robertson move might be more likely than I think.
The Sequel: Connor Hellebuyck
In 2024, it was Jacob Markstrom. Two years later, might it be the reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner? Connor Hellebuyck had, by his standards, an absolutely dreadful season. In 57 games this year (the fewest amount of games he’s played in a non-Covid season since 2016-17), Hellebuyck posted an .895 save percentage and a 2.86 goals against average. While it’s true that goaltending across the NHL is way down, with the league-average save percentage sitting at .896 this past season, you still want a lot more than slightly below average out of your superstar goaltender. That, coupled with the fact that Hellebuyck seems to be feeling at least a little weary of playing for the Jets has many speculating if a trade could be in his future.
Hellebuyck has four years remaining on his contract at $8.5m AAV. He also turns 33 in less than a month. If his decline this season is the start of a trend, that’s one heck of an albatross contract. If it’s just a one-off, he could finally, finally, FINALLY be New Jersey’s long(ish) term solution to their netminding woes.
Chances the Jets trade him: Low. I do think Hellebuyck’s comments were overblown a bit. That being said, there clearly is some disillusionment there, so if the Jets decide they can’t be competitive in a brutal Central Division this upcoming season, it’s possible Hellebuyck requests a trade. But he’s a franchise legend, and this is a team that is only one year removed from winning the President’s Trophy, so I think it’ll take a lot for them to consider moving him.
The Biggest Game: Auston Matthews
This would be quite the coup, wouldn’t it? Auston Matthews is one of the very best players on the planet. He had a bit of a down year (27 goals, 53 points in 60 games) this past season on a Maple Leafs team that saw the bottom drop out. His underlying metrics were way down across the board as well, as according to Natural Stat Trick, his 5-on-5 Corsi For%, Scoring Chances For%, High Danger Corsi For%, and Expected Goals For% were all underwater for the very first time in his career. Still, this is Auston Matthews we’re talking about. Prior to this season, he posted 33 goals and 78 points in 67 games with strong play-driving numbers in 2024-25. Before that, he was out of this world as a sublime play-driver and one of the best goal-scorers any of us have ever seen. And of course, current (for now) head coach of the Devils Sheldon Keefe has plenty of familiarity with him. Matthews has two years left on his current deal at a $13.25M AAV, and there are already stories emerging about his future (or lack thereof) in Toronto. This potential trade would take an absolute haul to pull off, not to mention moving a ton of money and shopping in the bargain bin for the rest of the roster this offseason. Still, if New Jersey could somehow, someway pry Matthews out of Toronto without having to give up either of Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier, a center depth chart of Matthews-Hughes-Hischier would be a once-in-a-generation accumulation of talent. Even if they did have to give up Hischier in a trade for Matthews, as much as we all love Nico, we have to admit that Matthews is clearly the better player.
Chances the Maple Leafs trade him: Low. But of course, as Fitzgerald was fond of saying, it takes two to tango. Yes there is uncertainty about Matthews sticking around long-term in Toronto, but with two years left on his deal, it’s likely that Maple Leafs management (whoever that may be) will keep him around for at least one more season before deciding on the larger picture. I just have a hard time believing that new management will want to tear it all down and that ownership will give their blessing for that plan. Still, if there’s even a whisper that a player like Matthews is available, you have to at least do your due diligence and check in on the situation.
As mentioned near the top, while Mehta had a history of helping the Panthers swing big trades during his time in Florida, it’s hard to expect that in his first offseason in charge with New Jersey. I expect some of those patented under the radar moves that helped Florida build terrific depth first, then maybe some haymakers either at the trade deadline or next offseason. Still, it’s not impossible for Mehta to come out of the gate hot in his first summer running a program, and if he does, be on the lookout for a move involving one of the players we’ve discussed today.
What do you think of any potential moves for any of these players? Which of these do you think would be the most realistic? Which would be your favorite move? Do you expect Mehta to be more conservative, or to make a big time run at a major move? As always, thanks for reading!
