Greg Wyshynski, speaking on “The Sheet with Jeff Marek,” suggests that the New Jersey Devils must consider altering their core group of players during the upcoming offseason. This difficult decision will likely fall to the team’s next general manager.
The current core, which has led the Devils to only two playoff appearances—one with Jack Hughes and one without due to injury—has not yielded the desired long-term success. Wyshynski draws a parallel to the Florida Panthers’ strategic acquisition of Matthew Tkachuk. At a crucial stage of their development, the Panthers made a bold move, trading their leading scorer and a key defenseman to bring in Tkachuk. This acquisition proved transformative, instilling a new level of swagger and influencing their style of play, ultimately contributing to their success.
The discussion then turns to the possibility of the Devils pursuing a player like Brady Tkachuk, who may become available. Acquiring such a player would undoubtedly come at a significant cost. Wyshynski posits that, similar to how the Vancouver Canucks might have approached acquiring Quinn Hughes, securing a player like Brady Tkachuk could potentially necessitate parting with a foundational player like Nico Hischier. Despite Hischier’s valuable role as a quintessential second-line center on a championship-caliber team, Wyshynski argues that a change in the core is necessary for the Devils to advance.
He emphasizes that simply changing management would be a superficial fix. The team needs to fundamentally alter its composition and, more importantly, its style of play. The Devils are currently perceived as too easy to play against. While they possess a strong transition game and are a good “rush” team, they lack the necessary physicality and playoff resilience. Their current DNA is not conducive to sustained playoff success, and acquiring a player with the attributes of a Brady Tkachuk could provide the grit and intensity they are missing.
Is it time for the New Jersey Devils to start thinking about changing up their core a bit? That might be something their next GM has to consider
Greg Wyshynski on the New Jersey Devils and how there needs to be some change to their core this offseason.
“There is something to be said about the core that he put his trust in, and the fact that that core only produced two playoff appearances, once with Jack and once without Jack when he was injured.
And I got to be honest with you, the more I talked to people last and the more I kind of contemplated it. You know what I kept, you know who I kept thinking about? Jonathan Huberdeau.
I kept thinking about Jonathan Huberdeau because there came a point in the Florida Panthers maturation as a franchise, in which there was an opportunity to acquire Matthew Tkachuk. He wanted to come to Florida. He was available. They had to ante up to get him, and boy, did they, at the time, trading away their leading scorer and one of their best defensemen for Matthew Tkachuk. And it had a transformative effect on the entire organization, from a swagger perspective and from a way they play perspective.
Could the New Jersey Devils Consider Trading Nico Hischier this Offseason?
Now, could that have happened if they, if the Devils had gotten Quinn Hughes? Who’s to say. But you think about a player like Brady Tkachuk, for example. Who may or may not become available in this offseason. And you say to yourself, what would the cost of acquisition be for Brady Tkachuk?
And much like the Canucks did with Quinn Hughes, it probably starts with Nico Hischier. And the more I think about it, Marek, the more I say to myself, as much as I love Nico, and as much as I think Nico is your quintessential number two center on a championship team, the core has got to change.
Something’s got to give here. Like they need to not only change management, but all of the other stuff that will be happening is kind of cosmetic, absent from changing the composition of your core, and, more importantly, changing the way you play. They’re easy to play against. They’re a rush team. They’re a damn good rush team, but they’re not physical. They’re not built necessarily for playoff success. They don’t have the kind of DNA that a Brady Tkachuk could give them.
