New Jersey Devils
Devils No-Move/Trade Clause Changes on July 1st, 2025
Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald wants changes, and that path becomes easier on July 1st due to some changing move/trade clauses.
By the sound of it, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald plans to be aggressive this summer. He wants to add, but he can only do that if he’s going to subtract some current contracts. Some changes to no-move/trade clauses as of July 1st make that task a touch easier.
READ MORE: Changes Coming, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald Not Satisfied
A good portion of NHL trades happen leading up to and at the NHL Draft. In that case, said move/trade clauses will not have kicked in yet, however, with the changes coming on July 1st, players may opt to wave their protections knowing it could just come down the line anyway.
Fitzgerald knows the Devils didn’t score enough this year. His top players such as Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier are not under scrutiny. However, it’s the players around the core that did not contribute enough on the scoresheet that led to Fitzgerald’s “underachieving” assessment of his offense.
There’s an argument to be made that the core, or the top-six is short a scorer.
Regardless, the Devils need to add offense this summer, and their road to making NHL trades and clearing cap space is about to get easier with a number of clauses shifting at the start of the new fiscal year.
Gaining
There are a number of players who won’t see any changes to their trade clauses. Those names include Bratt, Hischier, Timo Meier, Stefan Noesen, Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Jacob Markstrom.
The only player, thus far, who is gaining any protection is Johnathan Kovacevic.
Tom Fitzgerald inked Kovacevic to a five-year extension this past winter, with a $4 million average annual value. He’ll gain a full no-trade clause for the next two seasons when his new deal kicks in on July 1st.
Changing
Many have labeled some of the contracts that are seeing shifts in their protections as “dead weight.”
That’s probably an overreaction, but it is fair to say that at least two of the three players who are losing some protections. Still, criticism was certainly fair for underperforming players.
Erik Haula is going into the final year of a three-year deal he signed to stay in New Jersey two summers ago. His full no-trade clause shifts to a six-team, no-trade list, giving Fitzgerald 25 NHL teams to work with via trade should he choose that path.
If the Devils are going to be aggressive this summer, adding Haula’s $3.15 million to the cap isn’t the biggest, but also not the smallest difference, and could be crucial by way of making an upgrade.
It’s true that he came alive toward the end of the season and put on a strong showing. However, if the Devils want to be better offensively, they may need to move on from the Finnish forward who scored 11 goals in 69 games, and went 28 games between goals this season.
Perhaps the most criticized player on the Devils is Ondrej Palat. He’s entering the fourth year of a five-year contract signed in July 2022.
Palat was brought in as a veteran who could contribute in the top-six, while also bringing the playoff presence we saw so much when he hoisted two Stanley Cups as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The truth of the matter is he just hasn’t been that player in New Jersey.
He’s shown flashes and has had good moments. Yet, the weight of his contract far outweighs his overall performance.
Palat’s trade protection is far more limited than Haula’s. Palat will downgrade from a full no-move clause to a partial no-trade clause. He keeps his no-movement rights, preventing him from being put on waivers or sent to the minors. However, Palat will submit a list of 10 teams he grants Fitzgerald permission to trade him to on July 1st, should the Devils GM choose to do so.
Finally, Dougie Hamilton—who is unlikely to be moved—is in the same situation as Palat. The Devils defenseman also keeps his no-movement rights, and will also submit a list of 10-teams he approves an NHL trade to.
It’s likely the Devils enter next season with additional movement/trade protections after the summer shakes out.
They’re sitting on a Luke Hughes extension that wouldn’t surprise anyone if there are protections woven in. And depending on Fitzgerald’s level of aggressiveness, any incoming players in free agency could negotiate those protections into their deals as well.
For now, the Devils see three key contractual changes heading into summer 2025. It certainly could contribute to those changes Fitzgerald appeared so adamant about.
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