On November 30, 2017, the New Jersey Devils finished a trade that sent fan favorite Adam Henrique to the Anaheim Ducks. It was a day most Devils fans hated, for one because one of the most beloved Devils was no longer with the team and two, Henrique literally had his charity soiree just days earlier.
Add in a 3rd-round pick and Joseph Blandisi, and the Devils turned that into the defensive help they desperately needed. They did add Will Butcher in the offseason, but Sami Vatanen was the piece to play top-line minutes that they just didn’t have.