The final month of the NHL is upon us and a crazy 2024 NHL trade deadline has come and gone. It has been a hectic few weeks since our last New Jersey Devils stock up/stock down. Head Coach Lindy Ruff was fired, Tyler Toffoli was traded, and the Devils acquired two new goalies. It may not change the course of the 2023-24 season, but the mechanisms are in motion for a massive upcoming offseason for the franchise.
Amid all the chaos some hockey was played too. Unfortunately, none of it was good hockey. The Devils finished up their California road trip with back-to-back losses. They followed that up by going 1-2 in a three-game home stand and then most recently lost to the New York Rangers. A 1-5 record since the start of March has set the Devils up for a long, miserable final month.
New Jersey Devils Stock Up/Stock Down
Stock Up
Offseason Flexibility
With the Devils all but out of the playoff race, the focus is now on the offseason. The first step was taken when General Manager Tom Fitzgerald fired Lindy Ruff. The move was long overdue but it now gives him a clean slate to find a coach to take the team over the top. Barring a miracle turnaround, the poor results in Travis Green’s interim trial stink likely taking him out of the running for the fulltime gig.
However, the most consequential moves made were the trading away of Tyler Toffoli, as well as trading away Vitek Vanecek. With Toffoli, the two sides couldn’t agree on a contract so he was rightly shipped off for draft picks. The Devils are nearing a cap crunch so locking up a solid, yet flawed player for big money would’ve been a mistake. As for Vanecek, getting San Jose to take on the last year of his $3.4 million gives Fitzgerald more breathing room to operate in the offseason.
"We look at this deadline as a transitional deadline, setting us up for the offseason." – Tom Fitzgerald, #NJDevils
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) March 8, 2024
Stock Down
Tom Fitzgerald
Fitzgerald’s tenure as the Devils GM has been overall fantastic. There’s been a few blemishes but it has otherwise had a good process. However, he’s made the same mistake as his predecessor, Ray Shero, when it comes to the coach. The biggest complaint about Shero was that he didn’t fire John Hynes sooner. The same sentiment can be said about Fitzgerald and Lindy. Had a move been made a month or two earlier like it should’ve, then maybe a new coach bump for the team would’ve salvaged the season. Instead, he had too much respect for Lindy and kept him on board way longer than he should’ve. And for that, it will cost them a season of this team’s core. The pressure will be amplified during this summer’s coaching search, and will likely determine his fate as GM.
#NJDevils GM Tom Fitzgerald: “I hold our entire organization to the highest levels of accountability to focus on being a competitive team that expects to be a perennial playoff contender. Unfortunately, we are not currently at that level, and I needed to make this decision..(1/2) https://t.co/r35LHpHkao
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) March 4, 2024
Stock Up
Timo Meier
How about something tangible on the ice for a change? During a stretch where it looks like the team has quit, Timo Meier has been playing his best hockey of the season. It’s been a really difficult year for Meier after signing an extension in the summer. A slow start, and two injuries right as he began to get going lit his season up in flames. However, it looks like he’s put the injuries behind him and is playing more like the Timo Meier the Devils acquired last season. Before their recent loss to the Rangers, Meier was on a five-game goal streak which included a hat trick. He also has 12 points in his last nine games, including two games where he was held off the scoresheet. It may not make a difference this season, but Meier finding his game will go a long way for 2024-25.
TIMO TIME to toss those hats! pic.twitter.com/rpI0axEe2X
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 8, 2024
Stock Down
Fan Interest
A mere 365 days ago the Devils were looking at the standings with thoughts of making a run at the Metropolitan Division title. Now, it’s to get a glimpse at where they might be in the draft lottery. Years of irrelevancy have caused a lot of fans to have to learn prospect names in early spring. Last year looked like they had come out the other side, yet here we are. Some fans will hold out hope for a playoff run, but in reality, the season is gone. The general manager agrees with the moves he’s made and the players are showing it too with their lacklustre effort. For Devils fans, try and enjoy this last month as best you can with the realization that you won’t see them play again until October. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to start reading up on prospects either.
#TradeCentre simulates the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery based on today's standings and @CraigJButton draws up a mock draft: https://t.co/D8k9PSg2rx pic.twitter.com/HeGhLwc9nZ
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) March 8, 2024
Main photo: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
