With the NHL Draft here as we know it. The New Jersey Devils seem to be on the cusp on signing Carolina Hurricanes defenseman, Brett Pesce. That contract and term are definitely gonna eat up a lot of available cap space. A lot of cap management and roster maneuvering really has to go the right way for Tom Fitzgerald to add a Top 6 Forward via trade.
In the short term, people want to see the pick get parlayed for a star player who can potentially help the Devils win now. However, there is $15.27 million available, and Tom Fitzgerald really needs to be fiscally savvy to get the right pieces into place. Yes, the idea of Martin Necas sounds good, but you can definitely draft a guy with a similar offensive style of hockey, like Brett Sennecke of the Oshawa Generals, who would fit that bill. Some players will be bought out and made free agents, and Tom Fitzgerald needs to visit other avenues and look at other players who don't cost a lot.
Simon Nemec, after the 2024-2025 season ends, the Slovak offensive-defenseman is gonna ask for a fair amount of money on his deal, especially since his counterpart Luke Hughes will likely get a nice payday and remain as one of the two offensive defenders anchoring the Devils blueline for the long term. Luke's extension needs to be ready for the 2025-2026 season as an RFA. Dawson Mercer is also looking for a bump over 2.68 million aav that could eat into that 15.27 million cap space faster than you think.
It feels more like a pipe dream where guys like Martin Necas are rumored to be trade targets, but I was recently informed that the Devils are looking to get Ross Colton from the Colorado Avalanche. The Devils really need that size, sasquatch attitude on the ice, and someone who has a Stanley Cup to his name and would do well with Ondrej Palat around with the Tampa Bay connection.
It is a much better idea to draft a guy that actually fits in your system much easier than overpaying for a player who doesn't have the right skill set defensively under a very offensive-minded team. If there are some things Tom Fitzgerald needs to do is to reallocate the remaining cap space and invest it into players that play tough defensively, chip in timely goals, defend properly systemically, and buy into Sheldon Keefe's system that will get New Jersey a 4th Stanley Cup.
There really aren't that many players out there worth the 10th overall selection, but if Tom Fitzgerald wants to trade back, then getting players like Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Michael Hage, John Mustard, Stian Solberg, Igor Chernyshov, and Sasha Boisvert will likely be there between 16-32 that are on my draft board if the Devils move back. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard likely will be there at 10th overall, and the Norwegian winger can score some really nice goals. Still, his bread and butter is playing with and without the puck and being a very physical presence up along the boards, and he would do an amazing job under Sheldon Keefe's fast and attacking system. He will be in Sweden's SHL next season and will work out his skating stride a bit so that he will not be rushed.