NHL trade deadline: 6 scorers who should be on Devils’ radar

Here are 6 players who can become unrestricted free agents next summer that should be on the Devils’ radar in March:

1. PAUL STASTNY

The skinny: Like his father Peter Stastny, a Hockey Hall of Famer and former Devil, Paul Stastny is a terrific two-way player with a lot of offensive skill. In a perfect world, the Devils would sign him in July and not lose a good player and/or draft pick, but Stastny could be moved before then even though the Avs are one of the top teams in the West. Why? The Avs are loaded with elite young high-scoring forwards.

2. MATT MOULSON
Buffalo Sabres

The skinny: Moulson already was traded this season from the Isles to Sabres, and he could be moved again because there have been no serious contract talks with Buffalo. Moulson isn’t real physical, but has good hands, a good shot and he’s a good finisher. The problem with Moulson playing for the Devils is that he’s usually at his best when playing with an elite playmaking center. He had that on Long Island in John Tavares, but wouldn’t in Jersey.

3. MIKE CAMMALLERI

The skinny: The most attractive thing about dealing for Cammalleri is his history of playoff success, 17 goals and 32 points in 32 career games. In the spring of 2010, he helped carry the Habs to the Eastern Conference Finals with 13 goals in 19 games.

4. OLLI JOKINEN

The skinny: Jokinen has 310 career goals, so he’s a proven scorer, and the Devils probably wouldn’t have to give up much to get him. His strengths are his size (6-2, 210), hands and ability to finish, but his critics say he plays soft and isn’t clutch. He also has virtually no playoff experience, as his teams qualified just once in his first 15 NHL seasons – in 2008-09, when he scored 5 points in 6 games for the Calgary Flames.

5. BRAD BOYES

The skinny: This would be an interesting rental for the Devils. Boyes had 2 big seasons for St. Louis earlier in this career, piling up 43 goals in 2007-08 and 33 the next season, but he had just 51 over his next 4 seasons. He still has good hands and is a threat to score, especially at the net, but he may not fit into Devils coach Pete DeBoer’s system because he’s known for lacking defensive discipline. His playoff track record is short and unsuccessful, as well: 3 goals in 17 games.

6. DEVIN SETOGUCHI

The skinny: Setoguchi has lots of speed and a good shot, but his intensity has been questioned and he’s not the player who scored 31, 20, 22 and 19 goals from 2008-09 to 2011-12 for San Jose and Minnesota. He’s having a bad first season in Winnipeg, which only gave only a fourth-round pick to get him from Minnesota last summer. Earlier this week, he was publicly criticized by Jets coach Claude Noel for not “bringing his A game.” Worth a risk for a low-round draft pick? Maybe.

http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2014/01/nhl_trade_deadline_6_scorers_that_should_be_on_devils_radar.html