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Ray Shero has been in charge of the New Jersey Devils for just over three years now.
In that time he has helped transform the Devils from an old, slow, bottom-feeder to a young, fast, playoff-caliber team.
While there are a lot of ways to build a roster, Shero has made a habit of using the trade market to shape his.
With that in mind, I thought it'd be fun to grade the deals he has made since taking over as GM of the Devils.
Before I begin I should clarify a) I will not comment on AHL moves and; b) I will only be handing out As, Bs, Cs, and Ds. No pluses or minuses.
1. Devils trade 2015 2nd, 2016 3rd to the Ducks for Kyle Palmieri.
Grade: A
Shero's first trade was a very good one. The Devils were desperate for some firepower – particularly on the right side – and Palmieri certainly addressed that. He has averaged 29 goals and 56 points per 82 games played since being acquired by the Devils.
2. Devils trade Lee Stempniak to Bruins for 2017 2nd, 2016 4th
Grade: A
Stempniak was still a free agent in September of 2015. Any team could have had him for nothing. The Devils elected to bring him into camp on a tryout basis. He made the team, played well, and then the Devils flipped him for a pair of draft picks. To get a 2nd and 4th for a guy any team could have signed for pennies just months earlier is fantastic work.
3. Devils trade Stefan Matteau to Canadiens for Devante Smith-Pelly
Grade: C
Matteau's tenure in Montreal lasted 12 games. Smith-Pelly dressed in 71 for the Devils but was a massive possession anchor and ended up being bought out. Nothing to write home about here.
4. Devils trade Eric Gelinas to Avalanche for 2017 3rd
Grade: B
After it became clear Gelinas wasn't much more than a one-time threat on the power play, the Devils cut bait and traded him for a lottery ticket. Gelinas tallied just one point in 33 games with the Avalanche so it's safe to say they made the right decision.
5. Devils trade Graham Black, Paul Thompson to Florida for Marc Savard and a 2018 2nd
Grade: A
The Devils parlayed cap space they didn't need into a 2nd round pick, which they later used as the main piece in a Marcus Johansson trade.
6. Devils trade 11th overall (Logan Brown) to Ottawa for 12th overall (Michael McLeod) and 80th overall (Brandon Gignac)
Grade: C
This is a trade you make every single time. The difference in value at 11th overall and 12th overall is basically non-existent and the Devils picked up a lottery ticket with ~15% chance of paying off for their troubles. More often than not they would win this trade.
It's still early but this might be a rare case of where the seller doesn't profit. McLeod averaged 1.15 points per game in the OHL this season and there are questions about his offensive upside. Gignac tallied three points in 21 AHL games during his injury-shortened season.
Brown, meanwhile, averaged 1.50 points per game in the OHL and looks like he could be a No. 2 center, and plus playmaker, at the NHL level.
In terms of pick value, this was an excellent trade for the Devils. They don't look to have cashed in on that. Had they made a different selection at 12 – Charlie McAvoy, for example – it'd be a much different story.
The process was great. Unfortunately, the end result might not be.
7. Devils trade 2016 3rd to Penguins for Beau Bennett
Grade: C
I still think Bennett is a more than capable depth forward at the NHL level. The Devils moved on after one year, though, so it's hard to say this was a fantastic value deal. What helps matters is the player Pittsburgh chose didn't even earn an entry-level contract.
8. Devils trade Adam Larsson to Oilers for Taylor Hall
Grade: A
Larsson is a solid defensive defenseman. Hall is a Hart Trophy winner who has averaged 73 points per 82 games since entering the league. It's inarguable which team won this trade.
9. Devils trade Vern Fiddler to Predators for a 2017 4th
Grade: B
Honestly, getting anything for a 36-year-old forward with one goal in 39 games seems like a job well done.
10. Devils trade Kyle Quincey to Blue Jackets for Dalton Prout
Grade: C
Quincey was an OK depth defender having a decent season on a bad Devils team. The Devils traded him for an AHL-caliber player. A draft pick of any kind would have been a better return.
11. Devils trade P.A. Parenteau to Predators for a 2017 6th
Grade: C
Parenteau has always, always, always been undervalued league-wide. Still, a 6th rounder was a pretty underwhelming return for a guy producing at an 18-goal, 38-point pace at the time.
12. Devils trade 2017 2nd, 2017 4th to Sharks for Mirco Mueller, 2017 5th
Grade: C
Mueller is not a play driver and has tallied just 10 points through 82 career NHL games. At 23 there is still a little room for growth but it sure looks like Shero traded a 2nd rounder, and a pick upgrade, for a 3rd pairing defender on a team with a below average blue line. If that proves to be the case, a C might be generous.
13. Devils trade 2018 2nd, 2018 3rd to Capitals for Marcus Johansson
Grade: B
From 2014-17, Johansson averaged 52 points per 82 games played. A 2nd and a 3rd is really not much to pay for that kind of production.
Unfortunately, Johansson's debut season with the Devils was severely derailed by a pair of concussions – one of which the result of a completely unnecessary and dirty elbow from Brad Marchand.
If Johansson is mostly healthy moving forward, this will be a very good deal. Sadly that could be a big if.
14. Devils trade Scott Wedgewood to Coyotes for 2018 5th
Grade: B
A draft pick for a fringe goaltender who did not feature into the team's long-term plans. Not much to see here.
15. Devils trade Adam Henrique, Joseph Blandisi, 2018 3rd to Ducks for Sami Vatanen, conditional 3rd (pending on Henrique re-signing, which he did)
Grade: B
Essentially the Devils traded an inefficient 5v5 scorer they weren't going to pay to re-sign, and a fringe NHLer, for a defender who produced at a 40 point pace while holding his own in tough minutes.
I do have some concerns about what Vatanen's next contract will look like, though.
16. Devils trade Dalton Prout to Flames for Eddie Lack
Grade: C
A fringe NHL defender for a fringe NHL goaltender.
17. Devils trade Yegor Rykov and a 2018 2nd to Rangers for Michael Grabner
Grade: D
A relatively promising prospect, and a 2nd rounder, for 23 games of Grabner regression seems like a lot to give up. I understand the logic behind the move but it simply did not work out.
18. Devils trade J.D. Dudek and a 2019 3rd to Oilers for Patrick Maroon
Grade: B
Though Maroon walking away in free agency was a tough pill to swallow, he tallied 13 points in 17 regular season games for the Devils and helped them get into the playoffs for the first time since 2011-12.
Conclusion
Though there were a few misses along the way, Shero won more trades than he lost – including arguably the four biggest (Hall, Palmieri, Johansson, and Vatanen). Fans should be confident that when Shero pulls the trigger on a deal, it'll work out in the team's favor.
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