Devils could move their 1st round pick for goaltending help; are the Leafs a potential trade partner?

The New Jersey Devils are trending in the right direction after embarking on a rebuild, having stocked the cupboards with some quality young prospects who will begin to trickle in as soon as this coming season to surround young superstar center Jack Hughes.

The Devils are not without their flaws, however, and will need to upgrade in goal before they can turn the corner in their rebuild and begin to transition from basement-dweller to legitimate contender. 25-year-old MacKenzie Blackwood has taken a significant step backward in each of the last two seasons and has experienced a lot of health issues, playing just 60 games over the last two seasons combined.

A report has surfaced late Thursday that the Devils are open to the idea of moving their 2022 1st round pick in a deal to aquire a goaltender. While a deal with the Leafs seems highly unlikely, the idea of adding another 1st round pick this year must be an intriguing possibility for Leafs GM Kyle Dubas - especially if the Leafs are eliminated in round 1 for the 6th consecutive season.

Now, I know what the obvious concerns here are. There is absolutely no way the Leafs are getting a first round pick for Petr Mrazek. But could the Leafs perhaps package rookie Erik Kallgren with a top prospect like Topi Niemela for that pick? That might be something that a young team like New Jersey could be interested in. Granted, Kallgren is 25 as well, so he wouldn't be younger than Blackwell, but he has significant upside.


A very "outside the box" option would be that if the Leafs do not see themselves re-signing Jack Campbell, perhaps they could facilitate some sort of a sign-and-trade with the Devils involving that 1st round pick. The obvious issue here is that the Leafs would then need to go out and find a new starting goaltender.

So, again, while a trade between the Leafs and Devils remains unlikely, if the Leafs come up short yet again and need to make some significant changes this summer, there could be some options that make sense for both clubs.