New Jersey Devils: What Are The Options Moving Forward?

Moving Forward

This team has two ways they can do this now and it is very unclear what way they will be going.

Option 1: Continue trying to improve around a few players.

The team needs to make some moves that help now and in the future. Target teams who are equally desperate or need to make moves. The Coyotes are in a full-on tank so what would it take to get Chycrhrun and or Crouse. They already have 3 first-round picks and 5 second-rounders with more probably on the way from players like these and older veterans like Kessel and Stralman.

This is a risky proposition but with Fitzgerald in charge, I still have faith in him as of right now. He got a proven backup two years straight and it is not his fault they got injured when it comes to defense he is the only guy I can recall getting a legit first pairing in one year.

Right now they need a defensive defenseman who can play in the bottom four a goaltender and a middle-six player who can score and drive the play. It is a lot but the team has added a lot under him already so it is not out of the question he will get it done.

Option 2: Blow it up and rebuild again

This would sit poorly with most fans but quite frankly if this team is in the basement 20 games into next season this is probably the best option. Next season’s draft has the best prospects available since McDavid and the difference between getting Bedard or Michkov and being 6-10th is franchise-changing. If they can’t make the playoffs with this group by then it probably won’t happen so going all in for another group is the best play.

Hughes and Bratt should be virtually untouchable upfront but anyone else not on an ELC would be up for grabs and I do mean anyone.  This is not suggesting they dump good players like Nico but for the right price, they absolutely should listen. They need to build a strong defensive core again and get some players that defend first and foremost in front of a new goalie that is going to sit at a .915 save percentage instead of sitting at the bottom of the league.

Hopefully, it won’t come to this but the future is not looking good.