Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Kuznetsov, Kakko

The Devils could be one of the more aggressive teams heading into the trade deadline with some unexpected cap space on their hands, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic and TSN writes. While unconfirmed, recent reports indicate star defenseman Dougie Hamilton won’t be ready to return from his pectoral injury until the playoffs – likely in April or May. That opens up the possibility for his $9MM cap hit to head to long-term injured reserve, opening up significant room for the Devils to make deadline acquisitions.

With that extra money, look for the Devils to address needs on defense and in goal, LeBrun says. The Devils are receiving strong performances from rookie defenders Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec without Hamilton in the fold. Nemec, who was only recalled a few weeks ago in the wake of Hamilton’s injury, has been especially impressive. The 2022 second-overall pick is logging major minutes, averaging 20:56 through ten games, and has posted a goal and three assists. While his -5 rating suggests he’s struggled defensively at first glance, that figure is artificially brought down by the team’s poor goaltending. His 54.6% Corsi share at even strength is fourth among Devils defensemen this season, and his expected +3.7 rating, per Hockey Reference, is fourth on the team.

For a team that has championship aspirations, though, it would be unwise to rely on a pair of rookies to carry the team the rest of the way until Hamilton returns. They’ll undoubtedly still look to add to their defense, but Nemec’s emergence and Hamilton’s potential LTIR placement open the door for the Devils to address their goaltending issues in a big way. Their .887 team SV% ranks near the bottom of the league, and starter Vítek Vaněček’s -8.3 goals saved above expected is fifth-worst among netminders this year, per MoneyPuck. Obvious targets include Ducks starter John Gibson and Canadiens veteran Jake Allen, both of whom have been linked to New Jersey in recent months.

Elsewhere from the Metropolitan Division today:

• LeBrun also reported Friday that “it’s hard to see a market” for Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov ahead of the trade deadline, and if a trade is coming, it’s unlikely to happen until the 2024 draft. With one more season left after this at a $7.8MM cap hit, it’s a tough financial proposition for any contending team to absorb his contract, especially for a player who has just 11 points in 26 games this season. His trade request last summer was well-publicized, but the Capitals never found a trade partner to find him a fresh start. It wasn’t for a lack of trying, though, as LeBrun revealed Washington was in advanced talks with the Nashville Predators at one point during the summer around a swap of bloated contracts, likely dealing Kuznetsov for one of Matt Duchene or Ryan Johansen, but the deal fell through. The Predators eventually moved on from both players, buying out the remainder of Duchene’s contract and trading Johansen to the Avalanche at 50 percent salary retention.
• Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko is working his way back from a lower-body injury and has begun to skate on his own within the last three or four days, head coach Peter Laviolette said today (per Larry Brooks of the New York Post). Kakko was placed on long-term injured reserve nearly a month ago and has not played since November 27 against the Sabres, missing the team’s last ten games. It’s been a disappointing season for the 2019 second-overall pick, who has taken a gigantic step back offensively with just two goals and an assist through 20 games. Last season, Kakko potted a career-high 18 goals and 40 points in all 82 games.