After a few years of rumoured discussions involving Pavel Zacha, the Devils finally sold a year after his peak value, as the former sixth overall pick was shipped off to Boston in a straight-up exchange for Erik Haula.  

What the Bruins Get:

Zacha is a big forward that can play both centre and wing, though with the possible returns of both David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron, it would appear as though Zacha would start on the wing. The 25-year-old is approaching his breakout threshold as a bigger forward, and they have a spot open in the top-six for first half of the season with Brad Marchand out. Between Bergeron, Krejci, Jake Debrusk, Taylor Hall, and David Pastrnak, there will be some talented linemates for Zacha regardless of how the lines shake out.

Zacha could be in a position to see a big breakout in the first half of the year, though he's someone to watch for a potential drop in the second half ice the ice time decreases as the Bruins get healthy.

What the Devils Get:

Erik Haula will be joining his seventh team in the last seven seasons, and has had a variety of performance levels through those years as well. Also a centre that can play the wing, Haula saw the majority of his success in the second half last season playing between the aforementioned Pastrnak and Hall. That line thrived after being thrown together, and Haula put up one of the best stretches of his career with 19 points in his last 19 games while playing only 15 minutes of ice time a night.

He's a middle-six forward on a bargain contract that will slot in well for the Devils and allow them the flexibility to go after Johnny Gaudreau, and adjust the lineup regardless of how the rest of the offseason plays out. Regardless of whether he ends up on the Nico Hischier or the Dawson Mercer line, we could see Haula play with a couple of skilled forwards, though not on the same level as Hall and Pastrnak.

Players this helps:

Pavel Zacha

Players this hurts:

Erik Haula

Possibly DeBrusk in the second-half of the season if all of the Bruins are healthy.