Monday’s news of the New Jersey Devils inking former first-round pick Anton Silayev to a three-year entry-level contract is a big deal. The contract comes with a $1.075 million cap hit.
With such a contract, it’s easy to assume that he’ll be in the mix for a job next season. And that situation could have a significant cascading effect on the Devils’ blue line. Consequently, Silayev’s arrival could pave the way for a major trade.
The Devils' defense corps looks to be getting a bit crowded as it stands. The organization has six defensemen under contract for next year. Dennis Cholowski is set to be a UFA, while the big enchilada will be re-signing RFA Simon Nemec.
Assuming the Devils at least re-sign Nemec, plus Silayev, that’s eight blueliners. Needless to say, at least one more defenseman has to go.
The Devils could carry eight defensemen if they really wanted to. But that would mean limited playing time for some. And Silayev isn’t going to be sitting in the press box.
Now, this entire conversation could be moot if Silayev just heads down to the AHL to start the season. But judging based on the expectations, the organization will give the Russian rearguard every chance to make the team out of camp.
If that’s indeed the case, who becomes the odd man out?
Who could be the odd man out on Devils blue line?
Rumors about the Devils looking to trade a defenseman are about as old as time. They’re nothing new and shouldn’t surprise fans.
The question is who gets the heave-ho.
The most evident candidate is Dougie Hamilton. Rumors continue to persist involving Hamilton and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Other teams have expressed interest in the 32-year-old defenseman, even if his cap hit is still a little eye-watering.
Then, there’s the case of Simon Nemec. The 22-year-old made some headlines regarding a purported trade request. That situation has since been denied. But it might not take away from the fact that other clubs might be calling Sunny Mehta about Nemec.
If we assume that Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Jonathan Kovacevic are not on the block, that only leaves Brenden Dillon. Dillon is hitting the final year of his contract and has a 10-team no-trade list.
Could Dillon be the odd man out?
That all depends on the market for the 35-year-old blueliner. Teams looking for depth would certainly kick the tires on the left-shot defenseman. But then again, his $4 million cap hit might not be easy to manage for some contending teams.
But if there’s a good deal out there, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear about the Devils willing to retain something on the final year of his deal.
All told, it will be interesting to see what happens with Silayev. The Devils could partially solve the issue by starting the rookie defenseman in the AHL next season. But there’s a very good chance that he’ll push his way into an NHL role sooner rather than later.
