Devils get Dumoulin, while the Panthers add more depth ahead of the NHL trade deadline

By Canadian Press on March 6, 2025.

The banged up New Jersey Devils wasted no time filling an area of need ahead of the NHL trade deadline, while the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers made an under-the-radar move that could pave the way for another deep playoff run.

New Jersey acquired veteran defenseman Brian Dumoulin from the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday for a second-round pick and the rights to unsigned 19-year-old prospect Herman Traff. Florida got faceoff specialist and depth center Nico Sturm and a 2027 seventh-round pick from San Jose for a fourth-rounder in 2026.

The Devils’ acquisition comes after they learned leading scorer Jack Hughes is done for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery and with No. 1 defenseman Dougie Hamilton also out because of injury. With Hughes joining Jonas Siegenthaler on long-term injured reserve, they can add roughly $10 million worth of players before the deadline, even after getting Dumoulin.

That is because the Ducks are retaining half of Dumoulin’s salary for the rest of this season. The pick they’re getting is the better of the second-rounders between Edmonton’s and Winnipeg’s in the draft this summer.

Dumoulin, 33, has played 768 regular-season and playoff games in the league. He won the Cup with Pittsburgh in 2016 and ’17 and this season has 16 points while skating just under 20 minutes on average over 61 games with Anaheim.

“Brian was good for us both on and off the ice, and we wish him well in New Jersey,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. “This wasn’t an easy decision for us. We do feel this allows more opportunity for our young defensemen, who have proven they can play and succeed at the NHL level.”

General manager Tom Fitzgerald has any number of options for how to use his newly accrued space. Getting a high-end forward — ideally a center — would help fill the void left by Hughes’ absence. Hughes is tied with Carolina’s Mikko Rantanen in the league scoring race with 70 points on 27 goals and 43 assists.

Rantanen’s future remains the biggest mystery to watch before the 3 p.m. EST deadline Friday. Already traded once this year from Colorado to the Hurricanes in a three-team blockbuster in late January, the 2022 Cup-winning, point-a-game winger in his prime could be on the move again with no guarantee Carolina will be able to sign the pending free agent beyond this season.

“If he got moved out of Carolina, it’s not because of his play,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Thursday. “Just looking at Mikko’s game, he’s played well since he’s been there — a little snake-bit at first — now the production is starting to come. I think he’s a fit on any team in the league, including Carolina. So, yeah, I think that’s just the business side of hockey at this point.”

In Sturm, the Panthers get a fourth-line center and capable penalty-killer who has won 62.7% of his draws this season with the Sharks, the highest total of anyone who has taken part in at least 200 faceoffs. The 29-year-old from Germany also has seven goals and six assists in 47 games.

With top winger Matthew Tkachuk on LTIR like Hughes, Florida — which already traded for defenseman Seth Jones from Chicago and added backup goaltender Vitek Vanecek — still has space to potentially add another forward in the aim of becoming the third series of back-to-back champs over the past decade.

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AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press

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