Last offseason, New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald brought in a marquee player in Dougie Hamilton as a free agent. Before that deal, he made a trade with Colorado Avalanche that sent prospect Mikhail Maltsev and 2021 second-round pick for big defenseman Ryan Graves. And to add more size and beef to the blueline, he flipped trade pieces acquired from the Taylor Hall trade with Arizona Coyotes to get Christian Jaros (Nick Merkley). The Devils also traded for Jonas Siegenthaler (conditional 3rd round pick VIA Arizona) before the 2020 NHL trade deadline. Moreover, Fitzgerald added the size and depth the Devils desperately needed on the backend.
Fitzgerald needs to find several key pieces for next season and will be evaluating the current roster in the final 32 games. The Devils need a starting goaltender, a top-six scoring winger, and veteran role players that can be effective on the third line and bring more leadership to this young team.
The goaltending situation has too many question marks as both Mackenzie Blackwood and Jonathan Bernier have seen significant time on injured reserve while Jon Gillies, Nico Daws, and Akira Schmid have been holding down the fort. Pucks and Pitchforks blog editor-in-chief Nick Villano interviewed Devils Hockey Network color analyst Chico Resch on The State Of The Fan Address and asked about the goalie situation.
SOTFA EP150: Devils Back From Break! | Guest: Chico Resch @chicoreschNJD @PrimetimeSamWoo @nick_villano @pitchforkedpuck #NJDevils #NHL https://t.co/MWkzPt2f4z
— Let's Go Devils Podcast (@LetsGoDevilsPOD) February 24, 2022
“You cannot go into next season with two unknowns (Blackwood and Bernier),” Resch said.
It may be too pricey at this moment for Fitzgerald to get a number one NHL goaltender before the NHL trade deadline as other teams are making a significant push for the Stanley Cup playoffs. For sure, we’ll get to see Schmid and Daws progress with the big club and also how they will fare up in Utica when the AHL playoffs start as well. Although unlikely, we might see Mackenzie Blackwood before the season is over. Regardless, Fitzy needs to get this right before training camp next season.
We heard all the Vladamir Tarasekno trade rumors last offseason. But Fitzy stuck with the plan and decided not to mortgage the Devils’ future and settled on Tomas Tatar. It begs the question can Fitzgerald trade for a winger that can score. Frank Seravalli of DailyFaceoff.com put out there that Brockness Monster (Brock Boeser) could be an interesting fit in New Jersey. Fitzgerald needs to find a team with cap issues and be able to leverage a trade without giving up the farm. Now is the time to make this happen because Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer are in need of a supporting cast to finish off plays with goals.
Devils need veteran role players that can provide the team leadership and a solid checking line to shut down their opposition. Don’t underestimate role players. You need to protect your young nucleus and have that physical presence to keep opposing teams honest. Great teams always have a great third line, and this is what is missing with the Devils. Remember the days of Jay Pandolfo, John Madden, and Sergei Brylin? The Devils need to find their version of this.