After a number of moves this offseason, the Devils are set to look very different in 2024-25. Whether or not these moves pay off could impact the direction of the franchise.
The NHL offseason itself is not even two weeks old, but for the New Jersey Devils it’s been quite some time since the team last played. Once the team’s disappointing 2023-24 campaign came to an end, the exit interviews and subsequent news reports indicated that there would be some changes made. Things went dark for a bit, as they typically do for teams not playing in the playoffs, but as May was drawing to a close, the team hired Sheldon Keefe to be the new coach. Then, as the Stanley Cup Finals drew closer to a conclusion, the team finally swung for a goalie, bringing in Jacob Markstrom.
Once the draft arrived, however, we really started to see Tom Fitzgerald attempting to re-shape the team,
Having sent Kevin Bahl out in the Markstrom deal, Fitzgerald would continue to adjust the defense by sending John Marino to Utah. He would then send Akira Schmid and Alex Holtz to Vegas for Paul Cotter. In the short gap between draft and free agency, Jonathan Kovacevic would be brought in to boost the blue line. Once free agency opened, the Devils were quick to add Brett Pesce, and Brenden Dillon while also bringing back an old friend in Stefan Noesen. Day two would see another former Devil return with the signing of Tomas Tatar to a one year deal.
As these deals were made, the list of Devils who were on the roster at the conclusion of last season that would no longer be on the team grew. In addition to Bahl, Marino, Holtz, and Schmid, Brendan Smith, Tomas Nosek and Kaapo Kahkonen would all find new homes from unrestricted free agency. Let’s not forget players traded prior to the end of the season too: Vitek Vanecek, Colin Miller and Tyler Toffoli all played significant games for he Devils last season and all of them will not be back in New Jersey either.
As the picture caption says, the core is still here: Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier are hopfully using some of this time off to rest up and get themselves ready. Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec should be better with their rookie seasons under their belts. And don’t forget the supporting players who will be back too: Dougie Hamilton and Nolan Foote will both hopefully be healthy this season. Jonas Siegenthaler, Erik Haula and Dawson Mercer will all have a chance to bounce back from underperforming seasons. Curtis Lazar will keep bringing energy and effort and Ondrej Palat will bring…veteran leadership, I guess. Oh, and Kurtis MacDermid is here too.
There’s a number of familiar faces as you can see/read, but the Devils will still look vastly different this season, and in a way, this could be a make or break year for the team. Now this isn’t to say that if things don’t work that the Devils will blow the whole thing up and start another rebuild. However, if the team doesn’t trend in the correct direction, there may be more changes to be made. Namely, if the Devils flounder or are somehow worse than last season and miss the playoffs again, perhaps Tom Fitzgerald’s earned good will begins to evaporate and maybe ownership reevaluates his standing. Maybe the Devils come to regret some of the players that they dealt in the offseason if they outperform players still on the roster.
On the other hand though, maybe these are the moves needed to get the team back to form. Maybe Tom Fitzgerald winds up looking like a genius wen the Devils become a team that can not only out speed opponents, but also physically wear them down. Maybe defense and goaltending return to being the strength of the franchise. High scoring potential still exists with the group that the Devils have, and if they can maximize the overall talent, then maybe this group goes further than the team has gone in years. If things continue to go right, perhaps this summer’s moves set the Devils up for not just a year of success but another extended period of it.
Obviously now, the games have to be played for us to ascertain whether the Devils got better, worse or stayed roughly the same. However you want to look at it though, this is not the same Devils team build of last year, or even the last few seasons. Only time will tell, as we said, if this is for better or for worse.
What are your thoughts on the Devils as they are set to enter this season? Do you think the overall group will perform better or worse? Is there anything specifically you’re looking forward to or not looking forward to with them? Leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!