The New Jersey Devils sit at 70 points, which puts them fourth in the Metro. Washington, Philly and Pittsburgh are all bunched at the top, but the Devils are still ten points over in the Wild Card race. The Devils are clearly buying, however, with the trade for Grabner. New Jersey isn’t as deep as Washington, but they aren’t facing the same type of expectations.
This move is somewhat surprising, as Grabner is a rental. A young team would theoretically take this success and plan further for the future. Maybe they’re doing a bit of reshaping. It’s clear New Jersey is putting a premium on speed.