The New Jersey Devils missed out on another big-name player. Matthew Tkachuk was recently traded to the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster deal. It’s probably a blessing in disguise that the Devils didn’t obtain him. Because the return package to the Calgary Flames was a complete overkill. Not only would the Devils have to include their 2023 first-round draft pick and also a high-end prospect, but players like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier might’ve had to be included as well. That would not be a good long-term investment for a rebuilding organization that is on the come up.
While missing out on Johnny Gaudreau is a tough pill to swallow, the Devils still have a chance to have a respectable season. Because their main priority is just to improve their overall depth.
I discussed their overall forward issue going into the offseason on the latest episode of Locked On Devils.
One of the biggest problems on the offensive side of things last season was that the Devils didn’t have enough consistent scoring. Outside of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier, players throughout the lineup struggled to score on a consistent basis.
The Devils can certainly bank on more production from players like Yegor Sharangovich and Dawson Mercer. However, Tomas Tatar and Andreas Johnsson are both wild cards when it comes to racking up points. Signing Ondrej Palat will certainly add more production to the top-six. However, the Devils need to add one more top-six capable winger to their roster before the start of the season. Palat can only do so much in that regard.
Obviously, the Devils have their eyes set on some plausible trade scenarios that involve either Vladimir Tarasenko, J.T. Miller, or William Nylander. However, they shouldn’t be afraid to look for diamonds in the rough in order to fill out their roster.
Sometimes it’s not the best-case scenario for a team to be too “top-heavy” and ruin their cap space, just ask the Edmonton Oilers or Columbus Blue Jackers. Going into the offseason, the main priority for Tom Fitzgerald was to recruit some big-name players. While they didn’t hit the home run that they were hoping for, the Devils still have a solid roster so far. But in order to take it to the next level, getting another scorer has to be a priority.