New Jersey Devils: Devils add depth, trade Adam Henrique to Ducks

The New Jersey Devils are one of the most surprising stories in the NHL this year. They are young, fast, and winning.

On Thursday morning the New Jersey Devils continued to surprise hockey fans when they traded Adam Henrique to the Anaheim Ducks (via NJ.com).

The trade does many things for the Devils.

The defense in New Jersey is thin and they need to make a move before they struggle and fall out of contention.

It bolsters the defense, gives them depth, and will help them win more games when the offense is putting on a clinic.

The Sami Vatanen trade is a win now move but the Devils also have him locked up beyond this season.

Sami Vatanen, drafted in 2009, has spent his entire career with Anaheim before the trade.

He and the depleted Ducks are struggling this year. On the season Vatanen has four points with just one lone goal.

Perhaps the most head scratching stat is his -6 ratio. This also reflects poor team play. Overall he is +22 on his career.

The 26-year-old will jump onto the Devils right away and keep them afloat in the Metro.

As for Henrique, long career as a Devil comes to an end. On his way out, he should be applauded.

His goal in Game 6 OT to beat the Rangers and win the East in the 2011-2012 Eastern Conference finals is a moment Devil fans will never forget.

Henrique was a fan favorite on many bad New Jersey teams.

Henrique had a 30 goal season in 2015-2016. He is struggling so far this year only finding the back of the net four times.

Aside from the performance aspect to this trade, it should now be time for Devils fans to hop aboard the Nico Hischier train.

With the nostalgic, long time fan favorite gone, the Swiss rookie is ready to take on the new role.