Devils willing to trade 1st round pick: deal with the Maple Leafs in the works?

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Graham Montgomery
June 5, 2024 (8:48)

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New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald recently revealed that he is open to trading the 10th overall pick, opening the door for the Leafs to add young talent to the organization.

The Devils GM has essentially signaled to the league that he is open to trading the 10th overall pick. He is reportedly hoping to trade down, potentially using the pick to upgrade in goal.

The #NJDevils open to trading No. 10 pick in 2024 NHL Draft. Tom Fitzgerald: "I haven't gotten anything yet but the more I talk to teams, I say 'Listen, I'm open to moving No. 10, but it's going to have to be something (significant).'"

That being said, the trade market for goalies is not exceptionally hit right now. Possibly, Nashville's Jusse Saros could be had, but would the 10th overall pick be enough to get the deal done? As one fan pointed out, it would likely be a lot safer and more efficient to trade the pick to bring back a quality NHL skater instead.

There are very few goalies worth trading the 10th overall pick for and the ones that are worth it aren't available. That's the type of asset you use to bring in a good D or F on a good contract.

This could make a trade with the Maple Leafs a bit more likely. The organization does not really have a goalie with a lot of trade value at the moment, aside from Joseph Woll, but he figures to grow into the starter's role over the next couple of seasons. However, the team could very well be considering trading a big-name skater. After all, Mitch Marner has been in trade rumors all summer. That being said, those rumors have died down lately, with Pierre LeBrun revealing that both sides appear to be kicking the can down the road.

The Mitch Marner camp reportedly prefers to play out the 2024-25 season and see how things shakeout

If Marner wants to play out the season though, that could mean the Leafs are forced to move someone else. Perhaps the Devils would be interested in Morgan Rielly? Then again, they already have a young defense core with many offensive threats. Perhaps the Devils would be interested in a player like Matthew Knies. Leafs fans likely won't want to see him go, but that may be the level of asset required to get the 10th overall pick.

Source: MapleLeafsDaily
Devils open to moving 1st round pick: is there a deal to be made with the Leafs?