Tom Fitzgerald is Open to Trading Away The 10th Overall Pick in The Draft… Is That a Smart Move?

Tom Fitzgerald is Open to Trading Away The 10th Overall Pick in The Draft… Is That a Smart Move?

the draft is right around the corner do the Devils hold on to that pick or do they Trade It Away Tom fisherald recently spoke to nhl.com to give his thoughts and he also talked about the goalie market and gave an update on Jack Hughes lots to dissect in today’s episode of Locked on Devils buckle up everybody you’re locked on Devils your daily podcast on the New Jersey Devils part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day hi this is Bryce Salvador and you’re locked on devil trade Matthews scores oh St stepped up nailed got the what a shot the Devils win Stanley all righty now what is up New Jersey welcome back to the lockon Devils podcast here on lockon network I’m your host College hockey P play announcer Del R from P pitch forks and also parttime credential Mia member Trey Matthews our buddy Mike of nhl.com recently published an episode talking about Tom fitzerald and his mindset heading into the off Seas morial had the chance to ask Fitzy a couple questions and Fitzy touched on the 10th overall pick in this year’s anel draft which is a few weeks away he talked about the goalie Market his mindset heading into it and he also gave us an update regarding Jack Hughes and his injury circumstance as we all know Jack hughes’s season was cut short yet again because he had to get shoulder surgery and ever since then he’s been a little radio silent he didn’t conduct an exit interview because he was already back in Michigan recovering from surgery that he had in Colorado I believe and finally Fitzy gave Devil’s fans something to get their hopes up about because it’s projected that Jack Hughes should be ready to go by training camp if all goes well but let’s begin with the 10th overall pick because that’s been a big talking point amongst the devil’s discourse it’s been a big talking point on my show moriel asked Fitzy would he consider trading away the 10th overall pick and here’s what Fitzy had to say he said quote if we feel like it helps us now and in the foreseeable future then yes I’m listening I haven’t forgotten anything yet but the more I talk to teams I say listen I’m open to moving the number 10 pick but it’s going to have to be something significant and a lot of people are curious what would Fitzgerald trade the number 10 pick four would it be a topnotch forward would it be a defenseman would it be a goalie because the Devils need help in all three categories in different ways I’ve touched on on my show before but just to reiterate they need some more depth in terms of offense to replace miles wood and Michael McLoud decent two-way play but some someone who’s not afraid to play physical and someone who could be a little more efficient than Curtis mcder on the defensive side of things they’re way too soft they need a grittier defenseman and someone who’s a little more defensive minded uh some players that come to mind are like Damon serson or Ryan Graves they’re one of the more underrated pieces as to why the Devils had a historic season and goal tending it’s a complete mess but we’ll talk more about that in segment two and if you recall 11 years ago if you could believe it the Devils traded away their ninth overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Cory Schneider we know how that Saga turned out but people are still curious would the Devils entertain that thought once again because people are saying like if the Devils get a decent goalie maybe they’ll be an even better team here’s what Fitz sherald had to say quote does the number 10 pick get you that type of player that you can add to the group it’s easy to say go get so and so and then you build from there but there are some guys who have different contracts so how are those players going to reprise that there’s a lot to it but yes the focus is on finding that goal tender okay there’s uh quite a bit to dissect here and I split it up to three parts question number one should the Devils trade the pick and I’ve talked about it in a previous episode personally I think they should trade away that pick because they had the second overall pick a couple years ago and that became Simo neem and during that time who was available Kevin fiala was available Matthew kachuck it seemed like he wanted out of Calgary Alex De Brink he was available there were a decent amount of options for the Devils to try to trade away their second overall pick and Ryan novinski of nj.com he appeared on this show a couple summers ago and he he said that there was some Tire kicking when it came to trade discussions surrounding the second overall pick obviously nothing came into fruition but Fitzgerald was just entertaining the thought a little bit now fast forward a couple years later the devils are in a different circumstance they already have some of their impactful players they already have a core established and the big thing for them is that they just need to get healthy but doesn’t hurt to add a little bit more Firepower I personally think they should trade away that pick and see who you could potentially get no they will not get Brady kachuck and know that 10th overall pick more likely than not in a one forone deal is not going to get you the impactful player that you have in mind but if you package it in some sort of deal like if you add a few prospects here and there if you add say an Alexander Holtz just for for argument sake then maybe you can get a decent return but we’re going to have to see who’s available and I’ll touch on that momentarily it can also mean nothing because similar to what I just said moments ago Devils had the second overall pick and even though Fitzgerald was open to trading it away even after it became the second overall pick at the conclusion of the draft lottery it didn’t seem like the Devils were gaining traction and Novo even said that he wasn’t sure as to how close the Devils were to actually trading it away but there was some interest there and I don’t want people to jump the gun on anything just because Fitzgerald is entertaining the thought doesn’t mean it’s gonna come into fruition don’t get your hopes too high but don’t get your hopes too low either when it comes to trades there’s always different circumstances a player doesn’t want to be a part of the organization anymore teams want just unload on some contracts teams know that they have no shot of contending next year or showing that much sign of improvement so they want to try to get rid of some of those assets and see what they could get while the price is relatively high and you’re just going to have to wait and see and similar to what happened a couple years ago you’re G to have to just anticipate who might be available because we had to wait a few weeks before the draft we saw that Kevin fala and Alex the brat more likely than not were going to be out of their current situation then a little deeper into the summer it didn’t seem like the relationship between Calgary and kachuck was going all that well and as a result he got delt to the Panthers every trade circumstance is a little bit different I’d say one of the biggest trades that the Devils made within the last year or so was getting Tyler to Foley and teimo Meer to fully reveal that he did want to extend with Calgary but they didn’t seem all that interesting and he just wanted to avoid the inevitable and just get out of there same with te o me I think the Sharks were interested in resigning te om Meer but it didn’t seem like the love was reciprocal and Mike Greer knew that and he had to unload on team o Meer who was set to become a restricted free agent in about a year or so and now T foi is in Winnipeg for time being and teimo is still on the devil’s long term trades are interesting and the big question is going back to the second quote I read should the Devils do a one for one deal and get a goalie who’s available Jacob markstrom the two goalies out in Boston UC Soros John Gibson Elvis M Lincoln basically names that have been touched upon prior to the trade deadline could they make their could one of those goalies make their way to New Jersey I think the devils are interested in Jacob marstrom and they’re waiting to see how that relationship between him and Calgary unfolds a little bit more rumors are saying that marstrom is not the happiest of campers in Calgary due to how they’ve been handling his trade circumstance and Elvis M lincol also said to the media that he wanted out of Columbus there’s so much that could happen but I would just Express caution don’t jump the gun on trading away the 10th overall pick for a goalie because one of the things I always say when it comes to making a trade is that you have to look at it as an investment how many more years can Jacob markstrom in his mid-30s give you whereas if you were to draft say Cole Eiserman Eiserman hasn’t even entered the NHL yet and he could give you 10 years of service for all I know that’s my thing which is I think the Devils have learned their lesson after the Cory Schneider Fiasco because he got off to a really good start but unfortunately injuries plagued him and it kind of derailed his time in New Jersey and the Devils had to let him go for nothing that’s my thing I’m a little hesitant when it comes to trading away that pick for a goalie and I think Tom feral also realizes that and he says that has to be big he’s not just going to get a decent player for the 10th overall pick teams are going to have to pay up the big thing is what assets do the Devils have to give up in a trade circumstance and we’re GNA talk about that momentarily but before we continue I want to tell you guys about FanDuel it’s win or take all time in the NBA and NHL and fanduel’s giving you a shot to bring home a big win of your own right now new customers get $150 in bonus Bets with any winning $5 bet that’s 150 bucks to bet on spreads money lines player props and more visit fanduel.com lockon and make every playoff shot count FanDuel America’s number one Sportsbook visit fanduel.com and remember to gamble responsibly okay let’s look at what Tom Fitzgerald had to say about the goalie Market because when it comes to finding a good goalie it’s a little spread thin and fiter realizes that he was quot to say I’m in the goalie Market talking to teams but there’s a butt and the butt is how do we want to build our team we like to add up front we like to add on the back end so what are those pieces going to cost us with the gold tending what’s going to cost us basically what fitgerald is saying is like similar to what I said in the previous episode that getting a big name goalie is not a guaranteed ticket to the Stanley Cup Final look at the Florida Panthers for example Sergey bosski yes he has won two vzna trophies he has appeared in All-Star games and he makes crucial saves at the right moment I’ve been seeing it on full display during the playoffs but similar to what I said in the previous episode that entire Panthers team they what it takes to win Matthew kachuck someday I think he can uh win the heart trophy he put up a 100 plus points last year or Alexander barov he won the Norris this season so your offense and your defense is also covered and you have good goal tending whereas for the Oilers they have great offense I cannot deny that but their defense and their goal tending leads me to wonder how much further can they go in the Stanley Cup Final and this is hockey upsets happen all the time but the thing is like there’s only so much that a good goalie can do because if you don’t have a good defense in front of them their good efforts could go to waste that’s the thing and when looking at the Devils Mike moriel touched on this in his article The Narrative for the Devils that ever since Fitzgerald took over office it’s been musical chairs it’s been a revolving door in terms of fighting the right goalie for New Jersey they have been through 12 different goalies some that come to mind McKenzie Blackwood VCH Vanek Akira Schmid Nico Daws uh I can go on but you get the point that the Devils have had a goal tending issue for a few years and they need some steady goal tending and I just don’t think a tandem of cappo kinan and Jake Allen is going to get you far in the playoffs I think that could be a decent regular season tandem but with that tandem can you beat a team four times out of seven which is what the requirement is come playoff time when it comes to goalies the market is spread thin similar to what I said just a few minutes ago and opposing teams can make you be at their Mercy when looking at the devil’s roster currently who are some assets that they can package in to potentially get a goalie I mean people want to get rid of Andre palot but the thing is is like he’s guaranteed three more seasons and he has a cap hit of $6 million you’re not going to get rid of him I don’t think anyone wants to get rid of Eric Holla he has two years remaining on his contract Kur Lazar same thing I don’t think anyone wants to get rid of him he has one year remaining on his contract Alexander Holtz maybe depending on the asking price Dawson Mercer is a pending RFA but I said it a few weeks ago I don’t think you should put Dawson Mercer in any trade discussions I think he has potential to grow Nathan Bastion I I don’t think so either basically the devils are in a very peculiar situation which is like do they have the assets to trade for a top-notch goalie that’s the big question you want those two one of those two goalies out in Boston UC Soros Jacob marstrom John Gibson Elvis M lincol you name it I get it but the thing is like what do what do the Devils have to give up in order to get that goalie if they give up Luke Hughes or Nemitz I don’t think that helps them in the long run same with Marino it’s just like you need more defense you need all the defensive bodies you could potentially get because that’s already a weakness for New Jersey I don’t think that makes them any better quite honestly when it comes to the goal tending situation obviously Tom fitgerald he’s much smarter than me in that regard I’m sure he’ll make the right move but just to just to give you that sort of reference the Devils might have to get rid of a top-notch prospect in order to entice a team to give him a goalie Who’s That top prospect gonna be I don’t really know but if you can maybe get a b or c tier Prospect and maybe one roster player that’s not going to kill you doesn’t seem like the organization likes Alexander Holtz anyway doesn’t seem like he’s going to be given the role that he deserves we’ll see what happens but just to give you that sort of reference it’s going to be rather difficult for the Devils to trade for a top-notch goalie and I believe they could do so but the road it’s going to be a little bumpy in my eyes and I don’t know if Tom fald is serious about incorporating the number 10 pick James Nichols of New Jersey hockey now he actually put this out on social media that he also doesn’t believe that fit is going to entertain that thought but we’ll see what happens and things are going to get interesting this offseason for New Jersey I can definitely feel it all right to close out today’s episode let’s get an update regarding Jack Hughes and his shoulder surgery FY was quoted to say his range of motion is not completely full but he’s doing a lot of things off ice he’s working out to gain strength a lot of Plyometrics he’s really excited and is looking forward to getting to the gym every day get stronger and that’s music to my ears what’s the kid going to be like when he puts on another 10 pounds of muscle all right I didn’t really do an episode centered around Jack and his season because I sort of touched on it when I was discussing his injury and ever since then we didn’t really talk much about Jack Hughes he’s not really on social media and he’s gone a little radio silent for the most part but getting that update from Tom feral is great and I just want to say one or two things one Jack really needs to work on getting healthy he needs to work on just having a full season because the biggest what if so far in his career what could he accomplish if he just doesn’t get injured and I get it that sometimes if you just avoid injury you’re lucky but Jack has to similar to what Fitzgerald said gain 10 pounds of muscle 10 pounds of something because he does get moved off the puck a little bit too often and this has been an issue ever since he was drafted Jack is a very skilled player but we kind of saw him go from phenomenal to somewhat human the rink and I I get it he he is a human but you get the analogy or the hyperbole however you want to put it Jack had to move off of his natural position at Center to a Winger position and sometimes he just looked a tad bit slow he couldn’t use his his own strength to his Advantage which was his speed because it seems like he was not at a 100% and that was somewhat obvious and there was questions as to whether or not he might need surgery or something like that and lo and behold he did get it I think it once he does become healthy I think and he does gain that weight hopefully we could see a better improved Jack Hughes and he can just Elevate his game to the next level what will he be like if he gains 10 pounds of muscle well I think he’ll definitely be harder to move off the puck I’ll just say that and he he he needs to know that he’s no longer an underrated player that’s my thing is once the Devils showed that they can be a threat you saw less teams use their backup goalie but you also saw more teams get physical with them Jack Hughes Nico heer you name it anything to get underneath their skin and a lot of it happened before Curtis mcder joined the roster two things for Jack Hughes this season is be vital for him because I genuinely believe he could become an MVP caliber player we saw it during the month of October and unfortunately come the first week of November that’s when he sustained his first shoulder injury against the St Louis Blues and then similar to what Fitzy said Can Hughes gain 10 pounds a muscle so that way he could be a bit of a harder Target to move off the puck that’s my thing let me know what you guys think what do you think about the 10th overall pick should the Devils hold on to it should they Trade It Away who are some of your targets for the goalie market and give me your quick thoughts on Jack Hughes and what you anticipate from him this upcoming year as’s episode that’s all the time I have for you continue to stay safe have a wonderful day New Jersey go Devils I’ll catch you guys in the next episode thanks for listening once again

Mike Morreale (NHL.com) recently published an article centered around a conversation he had with general manager, Tom Fitzgerald. The New Jersey Devils will have the 10th overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft, and Fitzy said that he’s open to trading it away. Obviously, one of the main priorities is for the Devils to get a goalie. There’s no guarantee that the pick will be traded. But, it’s still good indemnity to have in a trade.

Check out Mike’s latest article: https://www.nhl.com/news/new-jersey-open-to-dealing-no-10-pick-in-2024-nhl-draft

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LODevils?sid=YouTube

Locked On NHL League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Prospects & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNHL

Subscribe to Locked On Devils!
Follow me on the “X” app: @treymatt4
Follow the show on the “X” app: @LockedOnDevils
Listen to Locked On Devils: https://linktr.ee/LockedOnDevils

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

Monopoly GO!: Get in the game and join your friends. Click HERE to Download MONOPOLY GO! now free on The App Store or Google Pay. The mobile hit twist on classic MONOPOLY.

eBay Motors: For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.

Policygenius: Check life insurance off your to do list in no time with Policygenius. Head to policygenius.com/lockedonnhl to get your free life insurance quotes and see how much you could save.

Sleeper: Download the Sleeper App and use promo code LOCKEDONNHL to get up to a $100 match on your first deposit. Terms and conditions apply. See Sleeper’s Terms of Use for details.

Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNHL for $20 off your first purchase.

FanDuel: FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook. Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning GUARENTEED That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – win or lose! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

Thumbnail credit: Getty

#NewJerseyDevils #Devils #NHL #TomFitzgerald #NHLDraft #TradeRumors