When the Los Angeles Kings eliminated the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012, little would fans know that it would be a long road to seeing wins again.
Lou Lamoriello, the general manager most fans knew, had brought the team to three Stanley Cups. Once he left, heads were down low.
Captain Zach Parise left the team for Minnesota to be closer to home, and there was a huge downfall. The team lost superstar Ilya Kovalchuk in the following years to "retirement." This team was ran poorly in regards to trades and poor drafting. Even Hall of Famer and "GOAT" Martin Brodeur parted ways with the team. Things were not going the way players and fans wanted. Something had to change.
Josh Harris and business partner David Blitzer purchased the team and felt the change immediately. The Devils brought Ray Shero from the Pittsburgh Penguins to replace Lamoriello as general manager. A new era for most Devils' fans was about to begin.
Shero's time as GM was a mix of highs and lows. The Devils officially began a rebuild as beloved players like Adam Henrique and Adam Larson were traded away. The team brought on players like Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall, which gave the team some excitement. Shero was lucky enough to win two draft lotteries and used them to get future captain Nico Hischier in 2017 and Jack Hughes in 2019. He added players like fifth-round pick Jesper Bratt and fan favorites Michael McLeod and Nathan Bastian. The Devils, by a close cut, made the playoffs in the 2017-18 season but were quickly defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning. By January 2020, Shero was fired by ownership, and new general manager Tom Fitzgerald was brought in.
Before Fitzgerald was in place, the Devils traded away an essential piece of the team, Taylor Hall, after he made it clear that he wouldn't re-sign with the Devils. In Shero's last big move, Hall was traded for what was considered hopeful pieces and draft picks.
Fitzgerald was a first-time GM and no one knew what to expect, but he had a plan. He traded away fan favorites like Kyle Palmieri, Blake Coleman, Travis Zajac, and Captain Andy Greene. As COVID shortened the 2020-21 season, the Devils were left with many young players with nothing more than potential.
Fitzgerald used the pick from the Taylor Hall trade to bring in Washington Capitals' defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. He grabbed a big free agent in Dougie Hamilton and traded Ty Smith for game-changing defenseman John Marino from Pittsburgh. Finally, he brought in the leadership of Brendan Smith for being a veteran on the ice.
On the offensive side, he brought a mix of skill and experience to surround his young core. He traded Pavel Zacha, who never reached his potential in New Jersey, for Erik Haula from the Boston Bruins. He added playoff veteran Ondrej Palat from Tampa Bay Lighting in free agency. In addition to this amazing lineup, Fitzgerald grabbed Timo Meier. This season he added leading Calgary Flames scorer Tyler Toffoli to an impressive lineup.
Drafting current players like Dawson Mercer and potential stars Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec adds to the fans' excitement.
Hischier, the youngest captain in the NHL at one point, has proven it isn't just a title. Jack Hughes is turning into the superstar that was promised when he was drafted in 2019. The Devils are beginning to ascend to being a feared team to play against and a Stanley Cup contender.
The 2023 Development Camp last week showed fans that the future is also bright. Recent draft picks, trades, and invited players showed off their skill and fire. Young players like Chase Stillman, coming off his playoff run, are finally ready to take the next step. Fans were impressed by the play of 2023 draft picks Cole Brown, Lenni Hameenaho, and Cam Squires, who dazzled with their offense. The Devils proved you don't need a first-round pick to find great players.
Other players showed significant advancement in their game, like Samu Salminen, Charlie Leddy, and Artem Shlaine all came into camp far above last year. Standouts like Josh Filmon, criticized over his size in the past, were bulked up, and his dump and corner game shined. Seamus Casey, a player at Michigan, played like a future top-four defenseman in the NHL. Jakub Malic and Cole Brady were poised, intense, and positionally sound in goal. A place of obvious concern in the Devils' future, these two give hope to solving the Devils' goaltending depth. Even invitees like Ondrej Psenicka stood out to most fans with this knowledge of how to handle the puck moving around the other team.
These new Devils are hungry, skilled, filled with confidence and attitude, and ready for the 2023-2024 Season. The young prospects are waiting, improving, and preparing to take the light for the future.
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