The 2021 New Jersey Devils season went off the rails pretty quickly. It wasn't a season of huge expectations, but some thought they could compete off the backs of a quality goaltending tandem. After signing Corey Crawford to a two-year deal, the tandem with Mackenzie Blackwood could have been one of the best in the league.
Then, Crawford surprisingly retired, and the year was basically a wash. This was already a shortened season, playing just 56 games as the world was still dealing with the pandemic. However, the team's play on the ice made it worse.
There was plenty to celebrate this season. In February, Nico HIschier was named captain. Jack Hughes played every single game (for the only time in his career), and we saw good seasons from young players like Yegor Sharangovich, Miles Wood, Pavel Zacha, and Ty Smith. It was very clear the Devils were still in their rebuild, and selling their older assets was the right direction to take the team.
The Devils most popular trade asset was Kyle Palmieri, but he was having a bad season. The former 30-goal scorer only had eight goals in 38 games prior to the trade. It was a rough season for Palms, but he had a track record as a really good scorer. So, most thought the Devils could still get a first-round pick.
Unfortunately, Tom Fitzgerald wasn't able to get a team to bite on that deal. They wanted another first-rounder after using three first-rounders in the 2020 NHL Draft. Another big haul would set the Devils up for the next 10 years.
With that in mind, Fitzgerald called an old Devils' friend. Lou Lamoriello was attempting to capitalize on the Eastern Conference's weakness. So, the Devils made a deal. They added Travis Zajac to the deal, and it implored Lamoriello to put the first-round pick in the deal. They also got A.J. Greer, who was the prize they didn't know they had.
The draft pick the Devils got for Travis Zajac ended up not being worth it
To the Devils' horror, the Islanders once again went on a run in he playoffs. They upset the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, and they got past the Boston Bruins in the second round before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
If the Islanders lost in the first round like the odds said they would, the Devils would have picked around 20th overall, which is where top goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedt was selected. It's also three spots before Wyatt Johnston was selected, who would look really good in red and black right now.
Instead, Fitzgerald went off the board and selected Chase Stillman from the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL. Most thought Stillman would still be there in the third round. He didn't make it because Fitzgerald lost his mind.
Fitzgerald made the right move trading Stillman this season. He was part of the package that brought Cody Glass to New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Penguins didn't waste too long, trading Stillman to the Vancouver Canucks for goalie Arturs Silovs. Stillman is now in his third organization in six months.
Now that both Greer and Stillman are out of the Devils organization without much to show for their existence, it's time to call it what it is: a failure. Adding Zajac to that trade ruined a Devils legacy. Seeing him in that Islanders jersey is just wrong.
This isn't Martin Brodeur on the St. Louis Blues level of wrong, but it's still wrong. Playing every game in a Devils uniform is great for the legends of the franchise. Zajac was a true Devil. It made sense to try to get more value out of Palmieri, but Fitzgerald lost a little part of the Devils' soul when he sent Zajac away.
Zajac did return to the Devils to sign a one-day contract and retire with New Jersey, but it felt like it would have been a bigger deal if he never left.