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Kevin Shattenkirk has not played his best hockey during the playoffs but he will still have no problem breaking the bank on July 1.
He has put registered at least 40 points in five consecutive seasons (lockout shortened year aside), is the biggest name on the market in a thin free agent crop and, quite frankly, teams are always willing to pay up to add top-4 defensemen.
There will be a lot of interested teams and, according to a radio interview Pierre LeBrun did with TSN 690, the Devils will likely be among them (
transcription courtesy of FanRagSports).
“You just mentioned Ray Shero. I’d be shocked if the New Jersey Devils weren’t one of the teams that threw an offer at him.”
This is no surprise to anyone.
Damon Severson has led Devils blueliners in points during consecutive seasons with 21 in 2015-16 and 31 in 2016-17. Those are good numbers for a young defenseman but shouldn't be good enough to lead the team. Simply put, the Devils aren't getting enough offense from their defense and Shattenkirk would certainly help address that.
The Devils would need to add a lot more to their roster than just Shattenkirk if they really want to be competitive but he'd be a good place to start.
Including the money the Devils will save with Ryane Clowe on LTIR, they have ~$26 million to work with. Should Shero have interest in Shattenkirk, and all signs point to that being the case, gathering enough money to make an enticing offer won't be an issue.
**
During LeBrun's interview, he also touched on whether Ilya Kovalchuk is actually looking to return to the NHL and offered some insight into how that situation could play out (again,
transcription courtesy of FanRagSports).
“I think Ilya Kovalchuk is, but I think for the right fit and the right contract. I don’t think New Jersey is that team for him.
...
“So the other way, which is the only way that they can do it, is to sign a deal with the Devils and have the Devils agree to trade him to X team.
“And that’s where the next conversations are headed, I think, between Jay Grossman and Ray Shero.
A week ago
Elliotte Friedman hinted a sign and trade was more likely than Kovalchuk returning to the Devils. LeBrun certainly echoed that with his comments above.
Should that be the case, the next step is talking to Grossman about which teams Kovalchuk would be willing to accept a trade to.
If the list is small, Shero's hands will be somewhat tied in trade negotiations. If Kovalchuk is willing to play for a handful of teams, Shero can have a bidding war of sorts and get more value in the return.
Hopefully, it's the latter because the Devils need all the assets they can get.
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