The Winnipeg Jets have acquired defenseman Colin Miller from the New Jersey Devils for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Jets Wrap Up Stellar Deadline With Addition of Depth Defenseman
Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, with his moves today, has sent a clear message that his team is all-in for a Stanley Cup and wrapped up deadline day by bolstering his blue line. The Jets, who sit second in the Central Division, have been one of the NHL’s stingiest defensive teams this season but were seeking an upgrade over Neal Pionk on their second pairing or at the very least, an upgrade over Logan Stanley or Nate Schmidt on their third pairing. Miller seems to fit that bill.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound right-hander Miller has four goals and four assists for eight points to go along with 79 hits and 33 blocked shots in 41 games for the Devils this season. The 31 year old is a veteran of 507-career games and has recorded 39 goals and 126 assists for 165 points between the Devils, Dallas Stars, Buffalo Sabres, Vegas Golden Knights, and Boston Bruins.
Miller was originally selected 51st overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He is in the final year of a two-year deal worth $1.85 million per season and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Devils Heading in the Opposite Direction in Selling Off Assets
The Miller deal was the second swap between the Jets and the Devils today. Winnipeg, in an attempt to keep pace in the Central Division arms race, also acquired top-six forward Tyler Toffoli, who was in his first season with the Devils, for a pair of picks. In early February, they also acquired Sean Monahan from the Montreal Canadiens.
Related: Cheveldayoff Puts Faith in Jets With Rare Trade of 1st-Round Pick
The Devils have had a disappointing season and are likely to miss the playoffs after finishing second in the Metropolitan Division in 2022-23. There’s been a number of reasons for their downturn, but two major ones have been injuries to key skaters and poor play by netminders Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid; Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald acquired longtime NHL netminder Jake Allen earlier today from the Canadiens in an attempt to shore up their goaltending deficiencies.
Fitzgerald has shifted his focus to acquiring draft capital given his team is likely to miss the postseason. He’s gotten three picks from the Jets alone today and now has has six picks in the 2024 Draft, six picks in the 2025 Draft, and nine picks in the 2026 Draft.
The Devils are six points out of the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot. On March 4, they fired head coach Lindy Ruff and later named assistant coach Travis Green their interim head coach.
