New Jersey Devils Trade Captain Andy Greene to the New York Islanders for David Quenneville and a 2021 2nd Round Pick

The Andy Greene era in New Jersey has come to an end. At 3:53 PM ET the New Jersey Devils announced that they have traded their longtime defenseman to the New York Islanders for defenseman David Quenneville and a 2nd round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. Here is the team’s press release:

The New Jersey Devils today traded defenseman Andy Greene to the New York Islanders, in exchange for New York’s second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and defenseman David Quenneville. New Jersey now has seven picks in the 2021 NHL Draft: the club’s own selections in rounds one, three, four, five and six; in addition to New York’s second-round pick and Arizona’s third-round selection (conditional).

Quenneville, 21, will report to New Jersey’s AHL affiliate in Binghamton.

Greene, 37, was signed as a free agent by New Jersey out of Miami University (Ohio). In 14 seasons with New Jersey, he has appeared in 923 games scoring 49 goals and 197 assists for 246 points while registering 259 penalty minutes. Greene’s games-played total ranks seventh in franchise history. He was named the team’s eleventh captain on October 8, 2015. Greene is due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

”Andy has been a bedrock for the Devils franchise for the past 14 years and an exceptional leader in my time here,” said Devils Executive Vice President/Interim General Manager Tom Fitzgerald. “I constantly communicated with Andy throughout this process to make sure he was comfortable with the decision, as it was not one I took lightly. We thank him for all that he’s done on and off the ice for the organization, and wish him, his wife, Rachel, and sons, Colton and Maddox all the best.”

My Quick Reaction

First, I want to say thank you to Andy Greene. He went from being an undrafted product out of Miami University (Ohio), where he played from 2002-06, to signing with the Devils and making the NHL roster in the 2006-07 season. He quickly became one of the more underrated defenseman in the league and though his game has declined some in recent years as he’s aged, he’s been a steadying prescence as captain since the 2015-16 season. He gave us 923 regular season games and 50 playoff games to go along with leadership during some tough times for the franchise. I wish him all the best.

Next, I have to say I think that interim GM Tom Fitzgerald got a nice return for the 37 year old and soon to be free agent Greene. I really like getting the 2nd round pick, even if it isn’t until 2021. This pick replaces one of the picks that the Devils traded to the Vegas Golden Knights when they acquired Nikita Gusev. As the press release noted, this gives the Devils 7 picks (all over the first 6 rounds) of that 2021 NHL Draft.

David Quenneville, who is John’s brother, is a 21 year old defenseman that has split this season between the AHL and ECHL. EliteProspects list him at 5’8, 190 lbs and as a right handed shot. He’s currently signed to his Entry Level Contract for $775,833 per year through the 2020-21 season and will be a RFA at the end of it. Since turning pro at the end of the 2017-18 season, he has a goal and 5 assists in 21 AHL games and 5 goals and 18 assists in 69 ECHL games. He could be an intriguing project for the Devils to try to develop as they continue to re-stock their prospect pool. Overall, I think Fitzgerald did well with the return he got for the 2019-20 version of Andy Greene.

Your Take

What is your opinion of this trade? Are you satisfied with the return? What are your thoughts on Andy Greene’s time in New Jersey? Leave your comments below and thank you for reading.