The New Jersey Devils have swung a trade deal with the Washington Capitals. The Capitals have sent defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler to the Devils for the Arizona Coyotes’ third-round pick in 2021.
🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨
We have acquired Jonas Siegenthaler from Washington in exchange for Arizona’s conditional third-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.#NJDevils | @investorsbank pic.twitter.com/DSBWAXNwIg
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 11, 2021
Jonas Siegenthaler Traded to the New Jersey Devils
Siegenthaler, a 23-year-old, left-shot defenseman, has played 97 NHL games, all with the Capitals. This season, he has slotted into seven contests and has yet to record a single point. With seven defensemen all ahead in the pecking order in Washington, the Capitals no longer needed the young Siegenthaler.
For the Devils, who waived Sami Vatanen earlier today, they add more youth to their roster and start to focus on developing and growing their players. All they remove is a third-round pick, which can always be later regained by selling off some of their assets at the incoming 2021 NHL trade deadline.
What This Means Moving Forward
This deal does not carry a whole lot of weight for either team. It signals that the Devils are likely to sell off defensemen at the deadline and puts a focus on their young players. Again, after placing defenseman Vatanen on waivers, it’s clear what path the Devils are going down. Continue to watch for players such as Vatanen, Ryan Murray and other upcoming unrestricted free agents. As for the Capitals, according to CapFriendly, it does not give them any sort of cap space. They are still left with $0 in remaining space, ultimately meaning that this deal does not help in setting up a potential deal at the deadline. It releases them of a player they were not using much of. It also earns them an asset in the form of draft capital.
Make sure to keep checking out Last Word on Hockey as we continue to provide news and analysis. Keep checking us out as the NHL trade deadline approaches.
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