The NHL Trade Deadline has proven to be a time of improvement and realignment for a team like the New Jersey Devils. There has been a dip in winning if you add the injuries of Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton as of late. This Devils team has not had the consistency in chemistry, and a full bill of good health.
The contract extension of Jonathan Kovacevic is likely going to be the beginning of either Simon Nemec or Seamus Casey's end in New Jersey. The depth chart on defense is still backlogged given the fact that there are four guys in the AHL that can be called up at a moments notice in Daniil Misyul, Topias Vilen, Colton White, and Santeri Hatakka. The other 8 possible drafted defenders waiting in the wings might have to wait a few seasons before getting to the AHL and the NHL level. So there is a case needed in point for Tom Fitzgerald to make a potential trade to re-balance the organizational depth chart internally.
Johnathan Kovacevic, extended 5x$4M by NJ, has played effective top four defensive hockey for the Devils this season. Kills penalties, solid rush defender too. #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/9loQoU7MJh
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) March 7, 2025
Jonathan Kovacevic's new 5 x $4M deal does align to his second-pairing numbers, being a tremendous penalty killer, helps scoring, strong competitor, and this fortifies the Devils right side on defense with Dougie Hamilton, and Brett Pesce on this roster. This means one of Simon Nemec or Seamus Casey will be the extra defender with an upcoming expanded roster.
It is not an excuse but a straight up observation. GM Tom Fitzgerald looks to bolster the forward group after adding a defenseman in Brian Dumoulin, who can help improve the left side on defense and strengthen the penalty kill as a shutdown simple hockey strategy that has helped him succeed in his career. The Devils parted ways with a 2025 2nd-round pick and prospect Herman Traff who was sent to the Anaheim Ducks. From a scouting perspective, his goal scoring, power forward game is something the Ducks will covet for quite a long time. It truly means that the Devils believe more in winger Kasper Pikkarainen who plays a similar game out of Finland.
The New Jersey Devils could be on the move to bolstering their offense by 3pm with Jack Hughes out. With Dougie Hamilton currently out, having Brett Pesce, Jonathan Kovacevic, Seamus Casey/Simon Nemec depending on what happens by the NHL Trade Deadline. Just a gut feeling that the New Jersey Devils add one of Ryan O'Reilly a former player of Sheldon Keefe's to fill in Jack's place for the time being. Brayden Schenn and Rickard Rakell are still on the board to be added but anything can happen or amend even with things in the queue a bit after 3pm EST.
New Jersey is trying to remain as bullish as possible going into this deadline, and the priority right now is adding more scoring up front on the top 6 forward lines. It is the job of Tom Fitzgerald to reward the team a beautiful haul of firepower, and makes the bottom six looking stonger, and add that scoring punch where theres been a lot more grit added this past summer. It is a matter of what GM Tom Fitzgerald can figure out and helping make the job easier for his roster to finish out games, catchup to a less potent offense in the Carolina Hurricanes, and pack on the points in the standings once again to put anyone from within the division from catching the Devils at the second spot in the metro.