The New Jersey Devils have multiple major decisions to make this offseason. They’ve already made arguably the biggest decision, hiring Sheldon Keefe as head coach. Now, he will work to put together his coaching staff. Once that’s done, Tom Fitzgerald needs to get to work.
Most likely, his first move will come on or slightly before Friday, June 28th. That’s when the Devils are expected to make the 10th overall pick in the NHL Draft. They might make a pick or they might use the pick to upgrade the current roster through trade.
That brings us to today’s article. After the draft, the Devils and Tom Fitzgerald will focus solely on upgrading the current roster. Has has a few different avenues to do that. Trade and free agency are the most popular methods to upgrade a team’s roster. That is what Fitzgerald will look to use this offseason, as well. With a few weaknesses showcasing themselves last season, the Devils have a few spots to focus on. These are the five biggest roster decisions the Devils must make in 2024.
5. Should the Devils re-sign Tyler Toffoli?
The Devils have been pretty open about wanting to re-sign Tyler Toffoli this offseason. They haven’t been that secretive about their desire to bring him back. They only traded him because it seemed like they were going to get a massive haul. Then, they didn’t even get that.
It’s fine, as this made the Jake Allen trade basically a wash, and Allen returns to the Devils this season. It would be much better if the Devils could re-sign Toffoli for a simple price.
The Devils have just $18.8 million in cap space this offseason. If Toffoli earns himself a $6 million yearly salary, that leaves the Devils with just $12.8 million to re-sign Dawson Mercer and then do everything else that’s on this list. That’s such a hard pill to swallow. If the Devils truly want to re-sign Toffoli, it makes the rest of the offseason much, much harder. Will the Devils want to do that?