New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has openly said the team will look to go “big game hunting” for a starting goalie this summer. With some suggestions that I’ve seen online, however, today we take a look at why the team should be cautious about it.
When the 2023-24 season is looked back on by New Jersey Devils fans, the trade deadline will probably be viewed as the most important part of it. At said deadline, the Devils parted ways with vastly underwhelming goaltender Vitek Vanecek, while bringing in Kaapo Kahkonen (for Vanecek) and Jake Allen (in a separate deal), which also allowed them to send Akira Schmid and Nico Daws back to Utica. While the Devils as a whole did not improve much, the goaltending certainly did, with higher save percentages and goals saved above average being posted on almost a nightly basis. The improvement in net was a step in the right direction, but more needs to be upgraded.
While defense and coaching (specifically coaching) also could use an upgrade this summer, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has explicitly said he will be attempting to bring a big name goalie to New Jersey. Obviously, as a team official, he would not be able to put any specific names on the table, but that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating on both who they would like to see acquired as well as what the potential offer from the Devils would be. Now, as with any trade proposal, be it Devils related or not, there are some offers that seem realistic, some that seem to need a bit of tuning, and some that are just flat out bad. My worry right now is that with the Devils not wanting to waste another year of their core’s prime, they might make a trade that falls into “flat out bad” territory.
For example, I have seen speculation that people would like to see the Devils trade their first round selection (currently 10th overall) for Jacob Markstrom. Markstrom, to me, isn’t much of an improvement over Kahkonen or Allen, and a player who just posted a sub-.900 save percentage in each of his last ten appearances certainly isn’t worth a top 10 draft selection. I also don’t want to hear the “Markstrom played on a worse team” argument, as the Flames could win tonight and finish with exactly the same amount of points as the Devils. This is exactly the type of trade that, if made, should get a GM fired, even one who was heralded for the moves he made as little as one postseason ago.
Now, there are certainly a number of other attractive options out there; Boston has two goalies in Linus Ulmark and Jeremy Swayman who would each be a clear upgrade, while also having a seemingly NHL ready prospect, Brandon Bussi, down in Providence. Nashville seemingly has a decision to make between Jusse Saros and Yaroslav Askarov for who will be their #1 going forward, while Kevin Lankinen (an upcoming UFA) has done well in the backup role for them. Other names could be out there too, such as Winnipeg’s Laurent Brossoit and Florida’s Anthony Stolarz; that’s not to say the Devils should necessarily target all of those names, but the latter two are proof that there are free agents who posted strong stats that could be gotten without having to part with a high pick for an inferior player.
Now packaging assets for a Swayman, or a Saros is more palatable than sending a lottery pick to Calgary for a middling goalie who could be on the decline. I understand there might be other pieces involved depending upon the needs of the other team as well as the price for the player. The Devils do need to ensure they’re not opening a hole somewhere else in the lineup by trading too much to solidify the goaltending. With the defense also needing a bit of a facelift, the team will need to navigate their summer moves carefully. This could be the summer that defines Fitzgerald’s tenure: succeed, and be back in the good graces of the fans and ownership. Fail? Well, he wouldn’t be the first GM to fall out of favor and have to look for work elsewhere…
Whatever move the Devils make to fix their issues in net, they need to just not make an extreme move in an attempt to balance the disastrous result that was this past season. Fitzgerald can’t stand idle and try to rely on the players the Devils already have, but he also can’t afford to make another part of the lineup worse just to fix goaltending. He also can’t trade a high value item for a player who isn’t a sure thing, which seems to be the idea of a lot of fans. It will be difficult to navigate, and unless Fitz fleeces another GM (unlikely) there will be at least a segment of the fan base who is unhappy. As long as the on-ice product improves, however, any logical, non-knee-jerk trade should wind up being viewed positively if it gets the Devils back to the dance next April.
What are your thoughts on the Devils and needing to fix goaltending; do you worry about what Fitzgerald will offer and who he will get in return? Do you think most of what is being suggested online is unrealistic in one direction or the other? Are you as worried about the team offering too much for a player like a Markstrom as I am? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!