Plan B Option Named For Devils If Mammoth Match Hayton Offer Sheet

The Utah Mammoth have until Wednesday to decide whether to match the $4.775 AAV offer sheet from the New Jersey Devils to Barrett Hayton. The Devils are targeting the former No. 5 overall pick as their third-line center. 

But if the Mammoth elect to match and keep the franchise's homegrown product, the Devils will be left to search elsewhere for a 3C. 

James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now has proposed that the Seattle Kraken's Shane Wright would be a good Plan B for the Devils. 

Insider Elliotte Friedman reported this weekend that Seattle was indeed looking to move Wright this offseason, following up on the trade rumors that circled him back in March at the deadline.

Why Shane Wright would be a good Plan B for the Devils if Hayton's offer sheet matched

"Wright isn’t a carbon copy of Hayton, but the numbers from their underlyings show enough overlap in production and style to make him a logical alternative—and one with more runway ahead," writes Nichols. 

Hayton had 10 goals and 25 points in 67 games last season, with a +3 rating. Wright's numbers were almost identical—12 goals, 27 points in 74 games with a +6. But the Kraken center, who, like Hayton, was a Top 5 pick in the NHL Draft (4th overall in 2022), is four years younger. He would cost the Devils more than the second-round pick as compensation for signing Hayton. 

But Nichols makes the argument that Wright would be an ideal pivot here for New Jersey if Utah steps up to keep Hayton.

"Still, the statistical overlap in production pace, shot danger, and skating metrics makes Wright a defensible target if the Hayton deal falls through. He addresses the same roster hole—secondary center scoring and depth—while adding four years of team control at a fraction of the cap hit at $886,666."

The clock is ticking for the Mammoth. And the Devils.