After hiring Sheldon Keefe to take over head coaching duties for the New Jersey Devils, the General Manager, Tom Fitzgerald is now moving on to the next item on his docket for the offseason. Earlier today, Josh Gold-Smith of TheScore reported that Fitzgerald is entertaining moving on from the team’s 10th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to acquire a top-tier goaltender.
Speaking with Mike G. Morreale of the NHL on Monday, Fitzgerald was quoted, “If we feel it helps us now and in the foreseeable future, then, yes, I’m listening. I haven’t gotten anything yet, but the more I talk to teams, I say ’Listen, I’m open to moving No. 10, but it’s going to have to be something (significant)“. If the Devils do end up trading the 10th overall pick it should be a high enough return to acquire the likes of Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames, Juuse Saros from the Nashville Predators, or Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins, assuming the Devils can sign one of the latter two to an extension this summer.
Specifically in New Jersey, there is precedent from the organization in trading a top-10 pick for an established goaltender. After making it to the 2012 Stanley Cup Final, the Devils cratered in the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season, earning the ninth overall pick of the 2013 NHL Draft. To soften the blow of the eventual departure of franchise legend Martin Brodeur, New Jersey traded the ninth overall pick (which would be used to select Bo Horvat) to the Vancouver Canucks to acquire Cory Schneider.
Although the Devils only made the playoffs once during Schneider’s seven-year run in the Garden State, the team acquired a 26-year goaltender coming off a .927 save percentage over 30 games in the prior year for a top-10 selection. Factoring in trades for goaltenders over the last several years, the 10th overall pick should satisfy the desired return for all three goaltenders listed.
Ullmark or Saros with an extension, yes. Markstrom isnt worth 10oa, his age not only doesn’t match their core, his best years are behind him. Saros has to be the priority here, the most proven commodity as a 1A with a large workload.
Maybe Marky isn’t but retained he is or packaged he is
Any deal that involves a player like Mercer going the other way as well is NOT worth it, there are only a handful of goalies that i could see him included for and none of these 3 are them. You should see some of the ridiculous ones people come with on Capfriendly
I mean i dont see how a team donest jump on trading there back up goalie for the 10th pick no matter how good he is, its there BACK UP
Ullmark will be the cheapest to acquire. Just the 10th alone might do it
The Bruins are not going to trade him in the division and then have to play him in the playoffs. LA seems like the best destination for Ullmark. Plus Sweeney obviously doesn’t care about draft picks.
LA doesn’t have the 10th OA
Ullmark has a 16 team MNTC & a desire to stay out East.
Devils are not even in the same division what are you talking about?
the bruins will trade in the division to get a top 10 pick by splitting hairs and saying Devils are Metro Division so not one of the 3 Atlantic division slots.
it’s not splitting hairs. it’s actually how the divisions are
If Carter Yakemchuk is there I would like to see the Blackhawks pull the trigger on a trade. How about this trade:
NJ Devils
10th pick
Blackhawks
18th pick
Drew Commesso G
Isaak Phillips D
Pass
What about binnington, Saad and a 5th rounder for the 10th pick. Blues retain 50 percent this year of binnigton and 25 percent next year?
Thats an even harder pass