Edited Aug. 17, 2022 at 4:26 a.m.
There'd be some risk for the Devils here but I can see the trade working out really well for the Devils.
Personally I'm fond of the idea of getting a cost controlled asset for an expiring contract, especially if the return is a play driving top six winger.
Quoting: pretzelcoatl
Devils decline. Too many forwards, no LD to replace Graves. IF, and only if, Luke decides not to return to Michigan, the Devils accept. However, the Oilers would still have to take a forward back, which they cannot afford to do.
You make a good point on lacking depth at LHD if moving Graves out, but it may not be that big an issue at all.
Suppose this trade is done no earlier than the 2023 TDL (not sure if the exact date is released yet so let's go with last year's date, March 21st) the Devils would have 12 games remaining in the regular season.
If we'd be looking at keeping Hughes ELC-slide (I think we should) then the Devils would have LHD exposure for (12 - 9 =) 3 games where the LHD would have to be Siegenthaler - Smith - Bahl / Walsh / Okhotiuk.
But after those three games you'd just have Hughes stepping right into the vacancy left by Graves.
I don't know about you but I'd be very confident that Luke Hughes would be fully ready for top 4 responsibilities by late March 2023.
If you could turn Graves into Puljujärvi, with Hughes stepping into the lineup no more than 10-11 days later, I say the Devils should 100% do it.