The Devils Got Their Goaltender, Now What?

After months of talk and speculation, the New Jersey Devils finally got their No.1 goaltender.

Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald had made it a clear point of emphasis that he would upgrade in goal and finally acquired Jacob Markstrom of the Calgary Flames after months of on-and-off trade talks.

With the first big piece of business done, Fitzgerald can now turn his sights to his other pressing needs. After the Markstrom trade, he’ll have a little of $16 million in cap space to do so.

His first piece of business, however, will be the draft. The Devils didn’t relinquish control of their first round pick, meaning they’ll be selecting 10th overall. Most of the recent chatter has been on a goalie trade rather than the draft, but we’ve highlighted an underrated forward and defenseman that may be of interest with that pick, as well as a complete mock draft of all six Devils picks.

The 10th overall pick represents a lot for the Devils. They’ve already moved their 2025 first in the Markstrom trade, and with the team trying to contend for the Stanley Cup year in and year out, they’ll likely be moving future first rounders for immediate help. After the disappointing season they’re coming off, this very well could be the last opportunity the Devils will have to land an elite-level prospect high in the draft.

No matter who they take with the 10th pick, that player will be right on the cusp of the timeline the Devils are on. Whether it takes a year or two before they make it to the NHL, they’ll eventually be able to inject a top-six forward or top-four defenseman straight into their lineup on a cost-controlled ELC.

The caps savings of an ELC will go a long way for a Devils team that’s signing their core players to long term contracts. One of which Fitzgerald will have to take care of this summer is Dawson Mercer.

After a breakout 27-goal, 56-point season in 2022-23, Mercer’s play took a step back this past year. He still found his way to 20 goals but started slow and lacked the consistency he’d shown the previous season. What Fitzgerald will have to determine is if Mercer is a part of the core that he’s given long term contracts to (ie: Bratt, Meier, Hughes).

Also, how much of the $16 million in cap space will Fitzgerald want to eat into to pay Mercer? According to AFPAnalytics contract projections, on a short term, two-year deal, Mercer would get $3.78 million per season. On a long term, six-year deal, Mercer is projected $6.5 million. A near $3 million swing in cap space. With holes to fill in free agency, it’ll be interesting to see what avenue Fitzgerald goes down with Mercer this summer.

As for free agency, the Devils should be somewhat active in the early days of July. We’ve taken a look at some centers, wingers, and defensemen that they should target to fill out the roster. Depending on where Erik Haula plays, they’ll likely need to add either a top-six winger or third-line center, which should be pricey. Also, Fitzgerald is almost certain to add a physical bottom-six forward into the mix. Not to mention with the loss of Kevin Bahl in the Markstrom trade, the Devils now have a huge hole to fill on the defense, another position that may cost multi-millions.

If Fitzgerald goes long term with Mercer he’ll only have about $9.5 million to play with in free agency. That’s hardly enough money to add everything that he needs to. On the flip side, a short term deal for Mercer would give the Devils around $12 million to spend. If Fitzgerald is willing to spend up to the cap ceiling then he should have no problem filling those holes.

The first domino has fallen for the Devils this off-season, but there’s still plenty of work to do. The Markstrom trade had looked inevitable for some time, but after learning the parameters of the trade, it’s helped set the Devils up for what is a pivotal off-season toward winning a Stanley Cup.

For more Devils news, visit New Jersey Hockey Now and like our Facebook page.

Follow us on 𝕏:

@NJDHockeyNow, @JamesNicholsNHL, @NickNatale10

And on Threads:

@JamesNicholsNHL