One of the biggest deals of the 2026 offseason is in.
The Devils and newly rebranded Inter Toronto HC have completed a four-piece trade that sends established NHL talent and the 2nd overall pick in one direction, while one of hockey's more intriguing young offensive defencemen and the 17th overall pick head the other way.
Devils receive:
- Quinton Byfield
- 2nd Overall Pick
Inter Toronto HC receive:
- Cole Hutson
- 17th Overall Pick
For the Devils, this is an aggressive move toward both the present and the near future.
Byfield is still only 24 and has already established himself as a productive NHL forward. He gives the Devils a player who can contribute immediately while still carrying meaningful long-term value in a keeper format.
The addition of the 2nd overall selection makes the package considerably more valuable. In a keeper league, a pick that high gives the Devils access to one of the best players available in the draft and provides another premium asset with long-term upside.
The Devils are essentially exchanging some projection for considerably more certainty.
Byfield can help now. Pick No. 2 can potentially help for years.
For Inter Toronto HC, the calculation is different.
Cole Hutson is exactly the type of player who can become disproportionately valuable in the Lifetimepool format. Only six defencemen count toward a team's scoring total, which makes a genuinely high-end offensive defenceman especially valuable if he develops as projected.
Hutson brings legitimate offensive upside from the blue line and, at only 20 years old, gives Inter Toronto HC a player whose best seasons should still be well ahead of him.
That makes this more than simply trading down from No. 2 to No. 17.
Joe Gallo is betting that Hutson can eventually become a major scoring asset on defence while still retaining a meaningful draft selection at 17th overall.
Who Won the Trade?
On immediate value, the Devils appear to have acquired the safer package.
They receive an established young NHL forward plus the second selection in the entire Lifetimepool draft. There is less projection involved, and the Devils now hold a premium draft position with considerable flexibility.
Inter Toronto HC, however, is making the higher-upside developmental bet.
If Hutson develops into a high-end offensive NHL defenceman, his value in Lifetimepool could become significant. The 17th overall selection also ensures Inter did not surrender all of its draft capital in the deal.
The trade ultimately comes down to two very different philosophies.
The Devils are buying certainty, immediate production and premium draft position.
Inter Toronto HC is betting on upside, positional scarcity and long-term growth.
There is also an added storyline for Inter Toronto HC.
After retiring the Canucks identity and beginning a new chapter under the Inter banner, Joe Gallo did not wait long to put his stamp on the franchise.
His first major move of the Inter Toronto HC era is a significant one.
Inter Toronto HC receive Cole Hutson and the 17th overall pick.
This is the type of keeper-league trade that may take a few seasons before Lifetimepool really knows who won it.