Brenden Dillon’s blocked trade now opens the door to a new deal!

The New Jersey Devils have been keeping veteran defenseman Brenden Dillon on the outside looking in, scratching him from their last four games. But the bigger revelation is what happened behind the scenes last season, when Dillon reportedly exercised his contractual trade protection to prevent a deal from going through.

According to Elliotte Friedman, speaking on Monday's episode of The FAN Hockey Show, Dillon used at least part of his no-trade protection during the previous campaign to stay in New Jersey.

"He has some protection and I think he used some of it last year," Friedman said.

Friedman did not reveal which team or teams may have been involved in the blocked transaction. Notably, Dillon was not the only Devil to exercise that right. Dougie Hamilton also reportedly invoked his trade protection to remain with the club last season.

Dillon's contract situation has shifted meaningfully heading into this year. The 35-year-old signed a three-year, $12 million deal with New Jersey in July 2024. The first two seasons included a full no-trade clause, but this final year features a modified 10-team no-trade list, giving the organization significantly more flexibility if it decides to explore the trade market.

That flexibility could matter, especially given that Dillon appears to have fallen out of favour under GM Sunny Mehta's leadership. Head coach Sheldon Keefe acknowledged on Monday that keeping Dillon out of the lineup has been a difficult call.

"The conversation's not easy. Dillon's a guy that's worked extremely hard in his career to establish himself in the league," Keefe told NJD.TV. "He's an important leader on our team, so to not have him involved, it wasn't an easy discussion."

Despite the healthy scratches, Dillon continues to be viewed as a respected presence in the Devils' locker room. Earlier this season, he expressed his pride in wearing the sweater.

"It should be really an honour to play for this team, for this crest," he told NJ Hockey Now.

Friedman himself offered kind words about the veteran blueliner, saying, "Brenden Dillon can play for me anytime."

The path forward for Dillon remains uncertain. The reduced trade protection this season means a deal that was previously impossible could now materialize, making the coming weeks a pivotal stretch for both Dillon and the Devils.