NHL Trades: Dumoulin, Sturm, Smith Find New Homes

The New Jersey Devils, grappling with injuries, have made swift moves as the NHL trade deadline looms. On the eve of the deadline, New Jersey secured veteran defenseman Brian Dumoulin in a trade tailored to bolster their defense. Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers discreetly acquired depth center Nico Sturm, hinting at another potential playoff success, and the Vegas Golden Knights reunited with winger Reilly Smith, a notable figure from their recent Stanley Cup victory.

As anticipation mounts, the Devils selected Dumoulin by sending a second-round draft pick and the rights to unsigned prospect Herman Traff to the Anaheim Ducks. This strategic move is a response to key injuries, including leading scorer Jack Hughes, who is sidelined for the remainder of the season following shoulder surgery, and top defenseman Dougie Hamilton’s ongoing injury. With Hughes placed on long-term injured reserve, New Jersey now has a significant amount of cap space, even with Dumoulin joining, given that half of his salary is retained by Anaheim.

The Rangers played a role as well, retaining half of Smith’s salary before sending him back to Vegas. In return, they received young talent Brendan Brisson and a 2025 third-round pick from Vegas, a selection originally belonging to San Jose. Smith’s journey has circled back to Vegas after contributing to their 2023 championship win, first moving to Pittsburgh, then to New York, and lastly, back to Vegas.

The Panthers’ move to secure Sturm involved sending a future pick to San Jose. Sturm, recognized for his penalty-killing prowess, has registered commendable statistics, excelling particularly in faceoffs this season. San Jose rookie Macklin Celebrini lauded Sturm’s ability to handle intricate game components unnoticed by many, thus providing the Panthers with an asset that complements their current lineup.

With winger Matthew Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve akin to Hughes, Florida still has room for further additions. Their prior acquisition of defenseman Seth Jones and backup goaltender Vitek Vanecek cements their ambitions for back-to-back championship titles. The day further witnessed a goaltender exchange, with Kaapo Kahkonen joining from Winnipeg in a swap for Chris Driedger.

For the Devils, the inclusion of Dumoulin introduces a veteran presence, with his impressive history of championship victories with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017 providing a wealth of experience. Dumoulin has also proven formidable on the ice this season, with substantial playing minutes and contributions.

Anaheim’s general manager, Pat Verbeek, expressed a challenging yet strategic decision-making process, acknowledging Dumoulin’s impact both on and off the ice, while highlighting opportunities for younger defensemen within the team.

Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald remains open to augmenting the forward line, potentially seeking a high-caliber center to mitigate Hughes’ absence. With Hughes tied with Carolina’s Mikko Rantanen in the scoring race, the focus now shifts to Rantanen’s uncertain future, marking one of the significant narratives of the impending deadline.

Rantanen, already engaged in a significant trade earlier in the year, could yet again find himself on the move, with no certainty of his continued tenure at Carolina beyond this season. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar expressed appreciation for Rantanen’s abilities, acknowledging his seamless fit with any NHL team, highlighting the capricious nature of player trades in hockey.

While teams fine-tune their squads, the waiver market saw heightened activity. Nashville acquired winger Jakub Vrana, Columbus claimed forward Christian Fischer, and Toronto attempted roster space management by placing Ryan Reaves on waivers.