The New Jersey Devils finished in the bottom third of the NHL standings in 2025-26, and there are a lot of reasons to explain this. Between an off-ice injury to Jack Hughes early in the year, subpar goaltending, and a gauntlet of an Eastern Conference, making the playoffs just wasn’t in the cards. With all those reasons that kept them down, there's plenty to believe it won’t happen again. However, they can’t run it back with the same group of philosophy. With Sunny Mehta leading the way now, things will be different. Part of their path to getting better is making trades. The Devils don’t have the elite pipeline of young players they did when Tom Fitzgerald was earlier in his tenure, but they do have assets other teams would want. These three would be the most enticing to other organizations: 12th Overall Pick The 12th overall pick may be in play for the New Jersey Devils. There is a chance that this pick would turn into a complete stud, but it isn’t as sure as selecting in the top three. For a team that is trying to get over the hump into the playoffs, it might be a pick better served as trade bait. If the Devils are going to trade this pick, you can be certain that they are getting something of significance back. Whether it’s used in a huge blockbuster or even some top-six help on the wing, it will serve the Devils well if they are correct in their process. Simon Nemec Obviously, stars like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt are the most valuable players in the organization. However, they are not trading any of those three anytime soon. Of the players that they may actually move, Simon Nemec is at the top of the list. The second overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft has had some ups and downs to begin his NHL career. He has mostly been unhappy with his usage, but he is also a 22-year-old defenseman with under 200 games played in the NHL. It is going to take some time, as it does for all young defensemen, but Nemec has the tools to be a star. This upside may be what lands the Devils a good return if they do decide to move on. Dawson Mercer Simon Nemec isn’t the only good, young player that the Devils have to offer. Dawson Mercer isn’t as impactful or has the same upside at a premier position as Nemec, but he does have, as a former first-round pick himself, the tools to impact NHL games as a middle-six goal-scoring forward. Mercer is good for 20 goals a year with no issue. However, he did have one career year in that department (2022-23) with 27 goals. Mercer is also good for just about every game. He has played in every single game to begin his NHL career: 410 consecutive games played. That includes the COVID-19 era, where players were being shut down for days at a time due to illness. He never missed even once. Unfortunately, he didn’t take the steps that the Devils were hoping he would, but he is still a solid middle-six forward who can play center or wing. Mercer doesn't drive offense, but he can make plays with great linemates if presented the chance. As part of a big trade with layers, there is no reason another contender wouldn’t love to have him. He won't move the needle on a deal, but he'd be a notable sweetener. Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/ca9a00a8-31f3-4c77-a63f-38c38a850cd5.jpeg] Visit The Hockey News New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils]team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more. For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
