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The New Jersey Devils are playing well with a month to go before the NHL Trade Deadline. New Jersey missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024 after a disappointing campaign. This resulted in the Devils firing Lindy Ruff as head coach midway through the season. Former Toronto Maple Leafs bench boss Sheldon Keefe replaced him in the summer.
Keefe has had some ups and downs with his new team. At one point, it seemed as if New Jersey would contend for the Metropolitan Division title. However, some degree of separation formed at the top of the table. Entering the 4 Nations break, New Jersey is in third place on 68 points. This places them 12 points back of the division-leading Washington Capitals — whose 80 points are good for the best in the East.
The NHL Trade Deadline presents teams with a chance to tweak their roster for the stretch run. And New Jersey certainly has some moves to make. This is far from a perfect team by any means. In fact, the Devils have not strung together a winning streak longer than two games since late December, which was a three-game win streak.
New Jersey is likely to make a move before 3 PM Eastern Time on March 7th. Not only is this likely, but management has been quite open about what the team is seeking on the trade market. It's an area of need general manager Tom Fitzgerald hopes to address before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
Devils management has sought forward depth for months
Devils management has wanted to add forward depth to the lineup for months now. And this is something they have communicated since the season began. Fitzgerald first made mention of this back in early December when discussing his approach to the trade market with The Athletic.
“You can’t have enough depth,” Fitzgerald said. “I’ve been in touch with teams. … I’m looking for utility players, I guess — guys who can skate. I like size and versatility and guys who can play in the middle and on the wing. Just to add depth to the organization.”
Fitzgerald mentioned positional versatility when discussing this earlier in the season. More recently, he mentioned wanting a center. “When you look at how many players can play other positions, you can’t have enough centers,” Fitzgerald told The Athletic. “You just can’t.”
His desire to add a center certainly makes sense. The Devils are without Nico Hischier due to injury at this time. Hischier, a former second-overall pick, is one of the best second-line centers in the NHL. He will provide a major boost to New Jersey's lineup when he returns to the ice.
In the meantime, veteran Erik Haula is deployed as the second-line center. In the interim, this is passable. However, the Devils may run into serious trouble against other Eastern Conference contenders if they have to slot a player like Haula that high in the lineup come playoff time.
The Devils have not ruled out a swing for a big-name on the trade market. However, they also don't need to break the bank for a player who could play as a second-line center in a pinch. A player like Casey Mittelstadt makes sense, though he is making nearly $6 million for the next three seasons.
Whoever they go after, it's clear what the Devils want to do. They want to deepen their forward group and add some offensive punch. Depth shines in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. New Jersey could go on a long playoff run if they can add the right depth pieces before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
