Holtz: future first line player
2023 1st: top ten pick

thats already too much

Did you not just make a proposal where coyotes got two sens 1sts? both those should be higher than Jersey's picks. Only way Jerseys falls in the standings is if Hughes gets hurt. Holtz also doesn't have a spot ahead of Bratt or Mercer at the moment, so he will be 3rd line unless he has a major breakout.

Why are the Devils spending those assets when Luke Hughes is coming up next year? Not saying he's a top line out of the gate, but it's not like the Devils lack LHD so badly they should go all-in with those assets now.

Same reason the were open to trading their first round pick this year at the draft, they want to pull out of the rebuild now. Luke Hughes will be a great addition to the team at the end of the season but banking on a rookie D to just jump up to the NHL and dominate is not a smart bet to make, this shelters him and allows him to adapt his game. If Hughes jumps Chych on the roster in a season or two then Jersey still has one of the best Blue lines in the NHL while Nemec, Hughes are still on ELC's
Severson is likely being shopped and can likely be moved for forward help if needed.

Chych- Hamilton
Hughes- Marino
Graves/ Seigenthaler- Nemec

not many teams will compete with that and only Graves isn't locked up for 3+ years

It's far too much of a risk to give up 2023 1st.

add protection then... top 5 protected?

i did just make a proposal where coyotes got two sens firsts. but unless something goes horribly wrong, OTT should be fighting for a wild card
Holtz should be starting on the third like most rookies do, and if he does better than Bratt or Mercer (or Sharangovich), he'll move up. simple as that

Hughes & Siegenthaler are both top 4 left side med & long term. Seems like wrong team for Chychrun to me

Fitzgerald was considering moving #2 for an asset under team control for a way longer duration than that of Chychrun's three years, nevermind that they (Tkachuk and DeBrincat) are way better players than Chychrun.
Your suggested offer of a 1st in the most stacked draft since 2003 and a future top of the lineup player in Holtz is in my view a gross overpayment for Chychrun.

By 23-24 Hughes will have two years of development outside of the NHL.
Given the way he excelled in the NCAA as a 18 year old last year it's nothing if not reasonable to expect him to thrive in a top 4 role right away, meaning there won't be much of a need for Chychrun.
Besides, getting Chychrun in would mean that neither Bahl nor Okhotiuk would be able to play for the Devils in any meaningfull capacity, which would be a huge waste as they will be looking beat B. Smith out for the 3LHD spot this season already.

Trading all that for Chychrun would really only provide some marginal gains at LHD, while simultaneously imposing enormous costs for the future of this Devils core.
The Devils are nowhere near ready to trade such an amount of futures for immediate (marginal) gains anyway, can we just please let this core try and make the playoffs first?