NHL Trade Deadline

Here’s Why Injured Devils Should Be Strategic Buyers

Between injuries and a free fall in form, Tom Fitzgerald’s Trade Deadline plans should be to pivot to adding players for the future.

Published

3 weeks ago

March 5, 2025

Nick Natale

The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline is inching closer, and the New Jersey Devils look to be one of the teams to watch. Things have gone from bad to worse over the past week with injuries to Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, coupled with their free fall in form.

General Manager Tom Fitzgerald has reportedly been one of the more active GMs working the phones to try and improve his team for the final stretch run.

The Devils’ needs have been the same for the past three months: top-six winger, third-line center, and depth scoring. The Devils needed to add, even with Hughes and Hamilton in the lineup. Fitzgerald spent this past offseason adding size and physicality to his lineup, a course correction from the speed and finesse that helped the team reach the second round of the playoffs in 2022-23 before ultimately losing to a more physical Carolina Hurricanes team.

Now, with Hughes likely out long-term and the Devils playoff hopes dwindling with each back-breaking loss, Fitzgerald should pivot at the deadline.

No, not by becoming sellers like they have during this part of the season for the majority of the last 15 years, but rather by doing their summer shopping early.

Hot names linked to the Devils at one point or another were pending UFAs Jake Evans (who recently signed an extension), Ryan Donato, Kyle Palmieri, and Trent Frederic. Had the Devils regained their form at any point over the last three months, as well as managed to stay healthy, then any one of those names would be perfectly fine adds to provide depth.

However, spending premium assets for rentals when the playoffs are no longer a certainty is far from a good idea. Instead, Fitzgerald should look to add a player/players with some term who can both help down the stretch and play integral roles next season.

Players New Jersey Hockey Now has discussed in the past, such as Jared McCann, Ryan O’Reilly, and Casey Mittelstadt, all have term on their contracts and would solve holes in the top nine.

READ: Devils Trade Target: Jared McCann Addresses Scoring Need

Even a team such as the Buffalo Sabres has reportedly had multiple impact players with term discussed in trade talks. Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, and J.J. Peterka would provide a significant boost to the Devils’ lineup and would fit in the medium and long term.

Fitzgerald has been an active GM since he took the reigns as the Devils’ head boss, and it would be surprising if he stood pat before 3:00 pm on Friday. He’s refrained from making moves and is staying patient while he collects more cap space to utilize at the deadline. In addition, if Hughes’s injury is long-term, as most suspect, having an extra $8 million in cap space by putting him on Long Term Injured Reserve gives Fitzgerald even more of a reason to go out and add an impact player.

The Devils’ willingness to take on 50% of Trent Frederic’s contract in Tuesday’s trade further hints at Fitzgerald preparing to weaponize his cap space.

For those who may not know, the closer you are to the salary cap ceiling before putting a player on LTIR, the more of that LTIR pool money you can use.

If Fitzgerald and Devils planned on adding cheaper rentals at the deadline, then all of the cap gymnastics done over the past few months would’ve been pointless. However, getting creative with the cap, a la the Tampa Bay Lightning or Vegas Golden Knights, to go big game hunting makes much more sense.

Unfortunately, the Devils’ poor play has left a sour taste in the mouths of most fans, and no matter what happens at the deadline, it won’t be enough. The issues that have plagued the Devils this season stem from the offseason and probably won’t be fixed until this summer, but in the meantime, Fitzgerald needs to do what’s best in the short and medium term and bring someone in who can be a part of the core past the 2024-25 season.

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