The New Jersey Devils are poised to make an impact trade before the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The New Jersey Devils are poised to make an impact trade before the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline.
“They’re going for it, that’s for sure,” an NHL executive source told RG on Friday.
“I’m hearing they’d really like to add a rugged, scoring, playoff-type guy into their top-6 and also add more depth on defense. With the way they’ve been playing heading into and coming out of the break, I think you’ll see Fitz [New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald] do something soon, maybe even by Monday.”
That sounds accurate based on what the Devils GM told RG recently.
“We know what we need to do here (on the trade market) but more importantly we need more from the guys that are already here and they know that,” Fitzgerald told RG.
The Devils will play the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday in the first game of a back-to-back that concludes in Las Vegas on Sunday against the Golden Knights. They enter the game in Salt Lake City having lost two of three games out of the break and being outscored 9-6. Prior to those three games Fitzgerald, the Team USA Assistant GM, knew what his team was as they headed into the Four Nations break up and down.
“I think the first thing is, we’re looking in the mirror, and let's find the game that we all had going back to before Christmas,” Fitzgerald told RG.
“We were a good team, and we still have the same players that were a good team, and we got the same players that we're committed to. I know we still have that. So let’s get back to our game, OK?”
“Would we like to add some depth scoring? Would we like to add some support on the back? You can never have enough of that, right? So what's the cost? We’re looking at that and we will figure it out but I think we have that here. So it’s up to me to add to that and it's up to the guys we have to do that too.”
Fitzgerald did not reveal his gameplan on how he would accomplish those goals before the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline, but based on numerous conversations with NHL executives and NHL pro scouts, it’s no secret that the New Jersey Devils would love a banger that can score in their top-six and a center that can float in the middle-six forward group. According to multiple reports, Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans appears to be one of the primary targets for the Devils, but it should be noted that was never confirmed or asked about with Fitzgerald.
On Friday night, one NHL executive source contacted RG unsolicited and said: “Watch out for the Devils, man. They’re all in!”
A follow-up with two other trusted sources confirmed that:
“Yes, they’re going for it!”
According to Puckpedia.com, the Devils have $1.4 million in salary cap space ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. As one of the aforementioned sources points out, it’s likely the Devils would need to move out a roster player for an impact move. One thing is certain though, the Devils appear to be going for it.
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James Murphy
