Tom Fitzgerald's most common trade partners and how it can tell us about the New Jersey Devils' offseason

The beginning of NHL Free Agency has been slower this year than in previous years due to other teams keeping their players before the opening of the signing period. Many insiders believe that the trade market will be the primary means by which most teams improve. Can we see who the Devils will deal with based off of Fitzgerald's previous trades?
Dallas Stars v New Jersey Devils
Dallas Stars v New Jersey Devils | Bruce Bennett/GettyImages
2 of 7

Teams with Zero Trades

  • Chicago Blackhawks
  • Detroit Red Wings
  • Florida Panthers
  • Los Angeles Kings
  • New York Rangers
  • Philadelphia Flyers
  • Ottawa Senators

There have been seven teams that Tom Fitzgerald has not made a trade with yet. Among those seven, two are arch rivals, two Atlantic Division teams, and three Western Conference clubs.

It is easy to explain why the Rangers and Flyers have never been trade partners, as the teams are bitter rivals. The Red Wings and Senators were involved in minor league deals with the Utica Comets, but once again, we are not counting those. For interested parties, the Devils acquired Troy Dello from the Red Wings and Jayce Hawryluk from Ottawa, both for future considerations.

As the Blackhawks rebuild, it is surprising that a deal was never made. The Panthers need to shed some salary, and with the Devils in need of some depth help, there could be a first trade between the two clubs to help each other. Maybe Fitzgerald is still upset from the 2012 Finals, although he had nothing to do with that playoff run.