R.I.P 2010-2011 New Jersey Devils: Should Devils buy or sell by Next Moday at 3 PM ET?

The playoffs might still be a possibility for the Devils, but they are still 10 points out and it is is still a long shot since they have to leap frog so many teams before focusing on the 8th seed team that being Carolina at this moment. The NHL trade deadline is next Monday, February 28th at 3 PM ET, which is a rarity for the NHL since the deadline usually falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday or sometimes Thursday. The last two years it was on a Wednesday. So, the tough big question for the Devils is, should they be buyers, sellers or even neither?

For the Devils, they would like to have wished that the deadline would be next Thursday, March 3rd, because Parise is scheduled to visit his doctor to get clearance to practice on March 2nd, which would paint a much clearer picture for them for what to do. Jason Arnott is the most trade-able player on the team since he is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in the Summer and is open to being moved to a playoff team, but is also open to riding out the rest of the season with the Devils. It is not yet known if the Devils are interested in bringing him back for next year. On defense, Andy Greene is also a possibility to be traded since he will become unrestricted over the summer.

So, there you see it, the options for the Devils are limited due to the salary cap and the Parise questions. If they do buy to strengthen their depth, it would be tough to fit any of the new players in their line-up, so it might be better off for them to stand pat, because simply put, their struggles this year in my opinion is only a one year blunder and they should be good for next year with a few minor adjustments in the off-season. Their biggest need whether it be on deadline day or in the summer is resigning Parise, which as I have mentioned numerous times should be top priority 1 and 1A and 1B and puck moving defensemen to take pressure of the forward corps. If the Devils do make a deal, it will likely be for a puck moving D-Man. Their forward corps are filled and might be difficult to fit anyone new especially with Parise possibly coming back in late March-early April. Adam Mair might be moved for a draft pick just to get ready for a Parise return.