Grading New Jersey Devils’ 2022 Offseason Additions Prior to Playoffs

The New Jersey Devils were a favorite around the NHL to take a massive step forward in the 2022-23 season, as they boasted a massive amount of cap space to pair with prime rebound candidates and the continued development of their young core. Goaltending remained a mystery heading into the summer, but it was a foregone conclusion that Tom Fitzgerald would address the situation in some fashion.

After all of that, the Devils finished 2022-23 with the third-best record in the league while posting the greatest single-season turnaround in NHL history en-route to their first playoff appearance in half a decade. Now, let’s see how Fitzgerald did this offseason, grading each move one by one.

Devils trade Pavel Zacha for Erik Haula

Tom Fitzgerald was left with some rotten eggs when taking over the GM position from Ray Shero, and none was perhaps more rotten (especially to the Devils’ fanbase) than Pavel Zacha. The sixth-overall pick in 2015 showed flashes of brilliance during his time in New Jersey, paired with maddening inconsistency. A prime candidate to be moved during the 2022 Trade Deadline, the soon-to-be RFA stayed put until Boston came calling in mid-July.

In exchange for Zacha, the Devils received long-time bottom-sixer Erik Haula. The Finnish center made his career in the NHL as a defense-first matchup player and penalty killer.

After a very rough start in front of goal, Haula quietly finished his first season in New Jersey with 41 points and 14 goals, surpassing Zacha’s best point total in a Devils uniform.

While Zacha went on to have a career year in Boston, it’s clear that a change of scenery was best for him, and the Devils were able to add a veteran roster player and known commodity to a young team that needed it. If Haula were a few years younger, this would have been a slam dunk for New Jersey.

Grade: B

Devils trade for Vitek Vanecek

Mackenzie Blackwood has played 40 or more NHL games just once in his career and played fewer than 30 both this season and last season. Coupled with increasingly worse performances, Tom Fitzgerald simply had no trust left to place for #29. After starting seven different goalies in the 2021-22 season, it was time for a new face between the sticks.

Vanecek was pretty average in Washington, and the same could be said about Vanecek’s first year in New Jersey too. The key, though, is that Vanecek has been remarkably consistent, setting career-highs in wins, Goals Against Average, and save percentage. Vanecek also became the first Devils netminder to reach 30 wins in over a decade (Martin Brodeur, 2011-2012).

Is Vanecek an All Star? Not really. But, the Devils only gave up a third-round pick to acquire a starting-caliber goalie who signed on a cheap deal and also managed to come away with Seamus Casey with their swapped second-rounder. He might be better than either of the Capitals picks.

All told this is easily a Devils win so far.

Grade: B

Devils sign Ondrej Palat

The Devils were the center of speculation in the offseason, with Tom Fitzgerald looking to swing big for a star forward. Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau, or Timo Meier*? Three up, three down. Instead, New Jersey inked long-time Tampa Bay Lightning fixture Ondrej Palat to a five-year, $30m contract ($6m AAV).

Palat is a great player, but handing out $30m to a guy on the wrong side of 30, with a No-Move Clause is just bad business. Palat hasn’t scored 20+ goals since 2013-14 and has just three 50-point seasons to his name (all coming before 2017-18). Compounding the disappointment, Palat finished his first season in New Jersey with just eight goals and 23 points after missing three months due to groin surgery.

Palat was basically only signed for his experience and playoff pedigree, and he will need to show it in a big way, starting with the upcoming series against the New York Rangers.

Grade: D+

Devils sign Brendan Smith

The departure of Ty Smith left a hole on the left side of the defense, with Marino patching up the right side. At the time, it was ambitious to think Kevin Bahl or Nikita Okhotyuk could nail down a regular role on the third pairing, meaning the Devils were in the market for a cheap third-pair defender.

Brendan Smith was probably not who most of us had in mind.

Smith is, apparently, a great locker room presence, but his on-ice product is the opposite of great. The ex-Ranger regularly drew the ire of Devils fans with clumsy, and sometimes plain stupid, penalties and contributed absolutely zero offensively to atone for it. Smith finished his first season in New Jersey goalless in 60 games with five assists, alongside 24 minor penalties.

Personally, I’m glad Luke Hughes is here and that Kevin Bahl has made some massive strides too.

Grade: F