What’s Next for the New Jersey Devils After GM’s Bold Comments on the Roster?
While the New Jersey Devils made it to the Stanley Cup playoffs despite injuries to key players like Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton, their disappointing first-round exit left a sour feeling. The Carolina Hurricanes eliminated them in just five games last week, and now, following a press conference on Thursday, it’s clear that changes are on the horizon for the Devils.
General Manager Tom Fitzgerald and head coach Sheldon Keefe both made it known that the current roster will undergo significant changes. “We’ve got a lot of decisions to make on certain players, whether we bring guys back or trade them. We won’t be coming back with the same group,” Fitzgerald told the media. “It was just not good enough.” Coach Keefe echoed his sentiments, saying, “We finished 16th out of 32 teams. That’s average, and we are not here to be average.”
Those are bold remarks from Fitzgerald and Keefe, signaling a shift in mindset. But looking at the Devils’ roster situation, it’s clear that making sweeping changes won’t be easy.
New Jersey currently has about $12 million in salary cap space for next season. They still need to sign a backup goalie for Jacob Markstrom (unless they opt for Nico Daws), and many of their top players have no-trade or no-move clauses in their contracts.
This includes veterans like right winger Timo Meier, who had a down year with 26 goals and 53 points in 80 games, well below his career highs of 35 goals and 76 points. Left winger Ondrej Palat also struggled, posting just 13 assists and 28 points in 77 games, far behind his career-best numbers of 47 assists and 63 points.
While it’s unlikely that the Devils will convince Meier and Palat to waive their no-movement clauses, New Jersey will need more consistent performances from players around Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt. Fitzgerald will have to shake things up to improve a team that didn’t perform well when the pressure was on.
The Devils also have eight pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), including goalie Jake Allen, defenseman Brian Dumoulin, and forwards Curtis Lazar, Daniel Sprong, and Tomas Tatar. Even if the Devils decide to let these players walk, Fitzgerald’s comments suggest that a bigger overhaul is on the way.
Just a short while ago, the Devils were one of the most talked-about teams with high expectations for a deep playoff run. While injuries to key players certainly hurt their chances this season, there’s a sense of unfulfilled potential surrounding New Jersey. This feeling of disappointment is likely to lead to significant roster changes.
Next season, the Metropolitan Division will be more competitive, with teams like the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes at the top, while the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New York Islanders will be looking to rebound. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers also have promising, young rosters. The Devils will need to improve, not only to make the playoffs but also to secure home-ice advantage.
For all these reasons, it will be intriguing to see how Fitzgerald reshapes the roster in the offseason.
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