During the off-season, the New Jersey Devils have made many changes in this years roster.
This team has many fans that don’t want to change anything but many might disagree.
GM Tom Fitzgerald took a look at some players we might need to resign and saw Jesper Bratt's name. Fitzgerald had a sit down discussion with the team and talked about the plan they have coming forward. The agent of Bratt and GM have had long talks and decided with the agreement of his contract. When news broke to all fans, everyone went crazy when Bratt signed a eight-year contract, ( 2023-24 to 2030-31) and with an average of 7.8 million dollars.
On June 22, 2023, the team after losing old assistant coach Andrew Brunette, they might have found a better replacement in Travis Green. Green had been a head coach of the Vancouver Canucks from 2017-18 to 2021-22. Something beneficial for this team up-coming season seems that Green led his previous players into the second round of the 2020 playoffs. Green will be the first coach to be on the same team with three brothers Quinn Hughes the oldest, Jack Hughes the middle child, and Luke Hughes the youngest brother.
A player liked by many people is staying with the team for three years. Erik Haula is staying with the Devils for around 9.4 million dollars. Here’s an overview of his contract (New Jersey Devils) 2023-24: 3.9 million, 2024-25: 3,150,000 and 2025-26: 2.4 million. Haula had his first full season with the Devils and adding up all his goals (14) and assists(27) ending with 41 points. Haula has played eight seasons, ending with his ninth with the Devils. During the playoffs, he ranked second ending with four goals.
Another shocking move Fitzgerald made was trading defenseman Reilly Walsh in exchange for forward Shane Bowers. Bowers played for Colorado’s American Hockey League and tallied 14 points (4g,10a) in 37 games. Later on, he was traded to the Boston AHL and continued for 20 more games. The 6’2 forward fully totaled 21 points between both games. He had made his NHL debut with the Colorado Avalanche on Nov. 10, 2022. He was drafted in the first round and 28th overall in the 2017 NHL draft by the Ottawa Senators. Before his AHL/NHL career, he played for Boston University and was placed in the top five for scoring.
On June 27, 2022 one older goalie Mackenzie Blackwood was traded to the San Jose Sharks for a sixth round draft pick of 2023. Blackwood was drafted by the Devils in the fifth round and 42nd pick in the 2015 NHL draft. He had made appearances in five seasons 2017-18 to 2022-23 with the Devils.
Yegor Sharangovich ,liked by many many fans, will be leaving the Devils and a third round pick in exchange for talented player Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames. Toffoli will join the roster with career high points of 73 (34g,39a) last season. He started his NHL journey with the Los Angeles King, where he spent eight seasons from 2012-13 to 2019-20. Toffoli partially spent half a season with the Vancouver in 2019-20. Eventually, Toffoli was traded to the Flames. Drafted in the second round, 47th overall in the 2010 NHL draft later went on to represent the International Canadian level to win the gold medal.
Fitzgerald proving to everyone that he will get the job done and will win the cup. The Devils announced that the team have agreed to keep Timo Meier for eight more years for an average of 8.8 million dollars. (New Jersey Devils) Here's the overview of the contract: 2023-24: $12 million; 2024-25: $11.1 million; 2025-26: $10,750,000; 2026-27: $7,750,000; 2027-28: $7.2 million; 2028-29: $7.2 million; 2029-30: $7.2 million; 2030-31: $7.2 million.
Meier was traded from San Jose Sharks during the 2022-23 season, trading off forward Andreas Johnsson and Fabian Zetterland, defense Nikita Okhotiuk and Shakir Mukhamadullin with a second and seventh draft picks in the 2024 NHL draft. Meier began his career with the Sharks in 2016-17 season, this tough player earns 14 points (9g,4a) in 21 season games with the new team the Devils, making him one of the 19 NHL players to have 40 or more goals.
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