Devils targeting this forward makes absolutely no sense at the NHL Trade Deadline

The New Jersey Devils are just hours away from the NHL Trade Deadline, and Tom Fitzgerald hasn’t made a move since trading for Nick Bjugstad before the Olympic break. As of this writing, we’re hours away from the 3 p.m. Friday deadline. The Devils have been in rumors, but as we’ve seen in the past, they haven’t made a move. 

There have been a few moves that worked out when Fitzgerald waits until the last minute. Both Jake Allen (2024 Trade Deadline move) and Cody Glass (2025 Trade Deadline move) are both playing really well on the Devils this season. However, it’s not enough to make this team a contender. The Devils needed bigger moves, and at this point, they should be considered a seller.

Unfortunately, Fitzgerald is looking more and more like a lame duck GM, and that’s not what you want during a trade deadline. Why would Fitz care about future draft picks he’s not using? Would he rather use them to collect players to possibly help a three-game winning streak turn into more?

And that’s what's most terrifying about the latest rumor. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the New Jersey Devils are one of the teams calling about Vancouver Canucks forward Connor Garland. 

Conor Garland doesn't make any sense for the New Jersey Devils

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard the Devils circling Conor Garland. The deals go back so long that there were trade proposals that included Ty Smith. For four years, we’ve heard about the possibility of Garland in red and black, but it never happened. So many times, it could have made sense. Right now, it makes no sense. 

Garland turns 30 years old later this month, which is obviously significant. He has 26 points for a dog Canucks team. That’s not a good look for a player making $6 million per season. Is this just the Devils replacing Ondrej Palat with another Ondrej Palat minus the Stanley Cup success?

Garland has 50-point upside, but that’s still not what the Devils need. They need someone they can staple to Jack Hughes for a long time. That’s the whole reason they are making Simon Nemec available. They need a high-leverage forward in the top six.

What would Garland do to upgrade the roster? Is he better than the worst forward? Sure, but s thar worse than what they could get for $6 million on the open market? Is he better than Connor Brown?

There’s no rhyme or reason for the Devils to be in this position. Garland is the wrong player at the wrong time. Years ago? Maybe this works. Now? It would be preposterous.