The New Jersey Devils have high expectations for the 2023-24 season, and general manager Tom Fitzgerald believes that the sport's highest prize is an attainable goal.

“The standard has been set, expectations have been set and now it's go time,” Fitzgerald told NHL.com's Mike G. Morreale this week. “Our goal is to play the best hockey we possibly can play for 82 games, get in the playoffs and then push to win a Stanley Cup.”

The Devils advanced to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2018 last season, upsetting the powerhouse New York Rangers in Round 1 before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second-round.

Still, New Jersey had an exceptional campaign, finishing with the most wins (52) and points (112) in the team's history. And they're only getting better.

“I said three years ago, we got some good kids,” Fitzgerald explained, per Morreale. “We added some men to our lineup, but now we're watching our kids turn into men and that's exciting.”

Standout forwards Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier were both signed to mammoth eight-year contract extensions before the NHL's free agency period opened, and along with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, make up one of the league's best top-six offensive groups.

Meier says he could see the team as currently constructed competing for a Stanley Cup as soon as next season.

“For me the moment was after the season when I had the time to reflect on the time I had in Jersey and look at the team, look at the future of this team, the area, the fanbase, the management, all those things,” he said. “That's the time I realized I wanted to be [in New Jersey]. That's the place I want to win a Stanley Cup.”

It's clear that the hopes are high in Newark for a Devils team that looks similar to the one that marched all the way to the Stanley Cup Final back in 2012.

“New Jersey is a place where people and players want to be,” Tom Fitzgerald asserted. “One, because of the talent we have in a team we're building but also because it's a hidden gem. People don't really know Jersey until they get to New Jersey and understand what we have.”

The Devils kick off their season against the Detroit Red Wings at home on Oct. 12.