Proposal: Devs-Blues

[devils29]

Devils receive: Kyrou.

Blues receive: Hamilton (2 mill retained, 7mil AAV), Mercer, 2026 1st, 2025 3rd.


Devils get their scorer that Meier was supposed to be, and actually save some money to use for signing actual NHL players in their bottom 6 during the off season. Blues get their RHD they need at a fair AAV, more depth which they need and some picks to use or trade.

 

[TGWL]

I think if Blues were to trade Kyrou they want more of a sure thing coming back at forward, or to lead the D. Aside from 2022-2023, Hamilton has missed a lot of games. I don't see this being smart for St. Louis.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Hamilton is still a capdump at 7M. He is regressing steadily and is oft injured. Not a player anyone wants anymore.

 

[HugeInTheShire]

I think if the Devils are willing to retain on Hamilton they should retain at least 2.5 million. Hamilton at 6.5 is a decent piece to a lot of teams. I'm not sold that the Blues are one of them though. I think they'd be more interested in Nemec or Casey + for Kyrou, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Frenzy31]

If the Blues move Kyrou - Nemec + something is a what I think they would be looking for.

They may veiw Nemec as the main piece, but maybe not.... I don't watch enough Devils games to really know.

 

[Em etah Eh]

Blues D on paper next year is already old. Hamilton is pretty much the same age as Parayko. All Army talks about is growing the younger core together. I highly doubt Army/Steen see any need to pay a high price for somebody that isn't in that age group.

Leddy 34
Fowler 33
Faulk 33
Parayko 32
Broberg 23

Tucker 25
Kessel 24


The young core without naming prospects is probably something like this. (Does Army have Kyrou in his core? I bet he does in trade talks, haha)

Kyrou 27
Thomas 25
Holloway 23
Neighbours 23
Broberg 23
Bolduc 22
Snuggerud 20

A lot of fans want to trade Kyrou but I'm fine with keeping him. You can't teach his speed and skill. He had a much better season. Yeah his playoffs wasn't great but he didn't look right to me. I'd give him another year with Holloway, hopefully make the playoffs again, and hopefully have a healthy Holloway in the playoffs.

 

[rumrokh]

In addition to what's been said, the Blues are the definition of a team that succeeds due to depth, with the exception of Thomas - if he's out for any amount of time, they're boned. So saying they need depth on the wing sounds like a random stab rather than an intention to address actual needs. I mean, if they dealt Kyrou, they'd want someone to replace him in the lineup, that makes sense, but not because "they need" winger depth.

But Mercer still wouldn't crack the Blues' top two lines. He'd have less ice time, a worse center, and would never see the powerplay. Barring a big breakout, he'd likely disappoint relative to his past performance. It'd be a lot worse than just unplugging Kyrou's impact and plugging Mercer's in.

 

[BleedBlue14]

Blues shouldn’t entertain trading Kyrou outside of a few very unlikely circumstances. Great chemistry with Holloway gives us two high end scoring lines.

 

[Forge]

If the Blues move Kyrou - Nemec + something is a what I think they would be looking for.

They may veiw Nemec as the main piece, but maybe not.... I don't watch enough Devils games to really know.

He was solid year 1. Bad year 2, looked really really bad sometimes, but looked good in the playoffs.

I am torn as hell on nemec.

 

[wetcoast]

Devils receive: Kyrou.

Blues receive: Hamilton (2 mill retained, 7mil AAV), Mercer, 2026 1st, 2025 3rd.


Devils get their scorer that Meier was supposed to be, and actually save some money to use for signing actual NHL players in their bottom 6 during the off season. Blues get their RHD they need at a fair AAV, more depth which they need and some picks to use or trade.

Value wise sure it's close but the Blues keep the best player and I've never been a huge Hamilton fan.

 

[Omar Little]

What about Hamilton retained for some of the blues younger depth pieces + a cap dump (Faulk)

 

[Junohockeyfan]

What about Hamilton retained for some of the blues younger depth pieces + a cap dump (Faulk)

Why in the world would the Blues, who's D are old, want a past his prime Hamilton who is a bonafide capdump?

 

[lanceuppercut75]

IF the Blues are really high on Nemec's potential...

Hamilton (2 million retained) (3y @ $7.0m cap hit)
Nemec (waiver exempt until summer 2026)
draft pick

for

Kyrou


2025 2026
Fowler - Parayko
Broberg - Hamilton
Leddy Faulk
Kessel
callups - Nemec, Loof

2026 2027
extend Fowler, dump Faulk's final year
Fowler - Parayko
Broberg - Hamilton
Loof - Nemec
Kessel
callups - Lindstein + Jiricek

2027 2028
Broberg - Nemec
Fowler - Parayko
Lindstein / Loof - Hamilton (final year)
Loof / Kessel
callups - Lindstein (if not in NHL) + Jiricek

 

[devils29]

IF the Blues are really high on Nemec's potential...

Hamilton (2 million retained) (3y @ $7.0m cap hit)
Nemec (waiver exempt until summer 2026)
draft pick

for

Kyrou


2025 2026
Fowler - Parayko
Broberg - Hamilton
Leddy Faulk
Kessel
callups - Nemec, Loof

2026 2027
extend Fowler, dump Faulk's final year
Fowler - Parayko
Broberg - Hamilton
Loof - Nemec
Kessel
callups - Lindstein + Jiricek

2027 2028
Broberg - Nemec
Fowler - Parayko
Lindstein / Loof - Hamilton (final year)
Loof / Kessel
callups - Lindstein (if not in NHL) + Jiricek

Im honestly fine with that too. Devils have a glut of RHD and it should be used to weaponize the anemic offense

 

[dgibb10]

I'd rather just keep Hamilton.

Kyrou is great, but the 3rd guy on a line and PP2 is generally diminishing returns (if you want to call him the 2nd guy on the line and push someone else down to PP2, idc but then you just get diminishing returns from that player for the same end result).


I think this makes us worse on both special teams units for a marginal improvement to one of the top 2 lines

 

[dgibb10]

IF the Blues are really high on Nemec's potential...

Hamilton (2 million retained) (3y @ $7.0m cap hit)
Nemec (waiver exempt until summer 2026)
draft pick

for

Kyrou


2025 2026
Fowler - Parayko
Broberg - Hamilton
Leddy Faulk
Kessel
callups - Nemec, Loof

2026 2027
extend Fowler, dump Faulk's final year
Fowler - Parayko
Broberg - Hamilton
Loof - Nemec
Kessel
callups - Lindstein + Jiricek

2027 2028
Broberg - Nemec
Fowler - Parayko
Lindstein / Loof - Hamilton (final year)
Loof / Kessel
callups - Lindstein (if not in NHL) + Jiricek

NJD is not moving Nemec and Hamilton.

With Kovy out to start the year that leaves us with just 1 NHL ready RHD in Pesce to start the year

 

[dgibb10]

Im honestly fine with that too. Devils have a glut of RHD and it should be used to weaponize the anemic offense

Moving out Hamilton does not help our offense

 

[Omar Little]

Why in the world would the Blues, who's D are old, want a past his prime Hamilton who is a bonafide capdump?

No defenseman on the Blues is a legitimate PP QB which Hamilton is

 

[devils29]

I'd rather just keep Hamilton.

Kyrou is great, but the 3rd guy on a line and PP2 is generally diminishing returns (if you want to call him the 2nd guy on the line and push someone else down to PP2, idc but then you just get diminishing returns from that player for the same end result).


I think this makes us worse on both special teams units for a marginal improvement to one of the top 2 lines

Youre concerned about messing up the chemistry of the PP that went 0-15? or bumping Noeson/ Haula down in the lineup?

 

[dgibb10]

Youre concerned about messing up the chemistry of the PP that went 0-15? or bumping Noeson/ Haula down in the lineup?

No I'm concerned about messing up this. I don't particularly care what the PP does against the best PK in the league with Jack Hughes out.

If Jack Hughes isn't healthy, we won't win a cup no matter what the rest of the roster looks like, and so that should NOT be a consideration when roster building.

Cool strawman with Noesen/Haula, they weren't mentioned anywhere. I don't particularly care however who the 3rd wingers are on the lines of Jack-Bratt and Timo-Nico. Find someone who fits stylistically instead of trying to mash point totals from bigger roles into smaller roles. They have shown to dominate their minutes regardless of who the 3rd winger is.

And as we have seen from previous attempts to try and acquire said 3rd winger (Meier himself, Toffoli, Palat) it has not had any meaningful impact compared to, as you say, just sticking a guy like Haula there.

But in terms of Noesen, at least on the PP he fills a netfront role which we need and which Kyrou would not be capable of filling.

 

[bleedblue1223]

IF the Blues are really high on Nemec's potential...

Hamilton (2 million retained) (3y @ $7.0m cap hit)
Nemec (waiver exempt until summer 2026)
draft pick

for

Kyrou


2025 2026
Fowler - Parayko
Broberg - Hamilton
Leddy Faulk
Kessel
callups - Nemec, Loof

2026 2027
extend Fowler, dump Faulk's final year
Fowler - Parayko
Broberg - Hamilton
Loof - Nemec
Kessel
callups - Lindstein + Jiricek

2027 2028
Broberg - Nemec
Fowler - Parayko
Lindstein / Loof - Hamilton (final year)
Loof / Kessel
callups - Lindstein (if not in NHL) + Jiricek

We aren't trading Kyrou for 2 defenseman. If we like Nemec enough to move Kyrou for, then Hamilton is pointless in a deal.

I could see some framework of a deal with Jersey, but none that I would really jump at to take.

 

[StlBill]

Fowler did just fine as QB1 on the power play, I mean that role is essentially Robert Thomas and he’s fabulous at it

 

[dgibb10]

Fowler did just fine as QB1 on the power play, I mean that role is essentially Robert Thomas and he’s fabulous at it

Hamilton is a different kind of PPQB btw

He's not the guy skating around the ozone and having the puck for most of the time. (And he works best when you DO have such a forward to do this role, a la Hughes).

He's a cannon back there that moves the puck well when it does come to him and makes the defense constantly respect it opening things up.

Bouchard and Hedman type guy back there rather than a Quinn Hughes or Lane Hutson. The latter type will get a lot more points on the PP (since every touch is running through them), but if you have a forward suited to skate with the puck, a lot of the time the first type will help your PP more.

 

[devils29]

No I'm concerned about messing up this. I don't particularly care what the PP does against the best PK in the league with Jack Hughes out.
View attachment 1041149
If Jack Hughes isn't healthy, we won't win a cup no matter what the rest of the roster looks like, and so that should NOT be a consideration when roster building.

Cool strawman with Noesen/Haula, they weren't mentioned anywhere. I don't particularly care however who the 3rd wingers are on the lines of Jack-Bratt and Timo-Nico. Find someone who fits stylistically instead of trying to mash point totals from bigger roles into smaller roles. They have shown to dominate their minutes regardless of who the 3rd winger is.

And as we have seen from previous attempts to try and acquire said 3rd winger (Meier himself, Toffoli, Palat) it has not had any meaningful impact compared to, as you say, just sticking a guy like Haula there.

But in terms of Noesen, at least on the PP he fills a netfront role which we need and which Kyrou would not be capable of filling.

My point being Noeson/Haula are the guys on the 1st/2nd line that Kyrou would be bumping down...

Noeson/ Haula. great bottom 6. Terrible is you have them on the top 6. If Noeson/Haula/Palat are in the top 6 next year we wont win a cup either

 

[Zippy316]

Devils are more likely to get Schenn in a Hamilton trade, if he’s available.

I could see that making sense as a swap of assets something around Schenn + Leddy. Texier also interest me from a Devils perspective as a young center option with skill too.

Frankly, I just don’t think Hamilton has a ton of value as a standalone asset at his age and cap hit. Devils are best off liquidating him to get a center behind Hughes & Hischier. Take a cap dump defender in return to make it work.