The New Jersey Devils are a fascinating team at the NHL Trade Deadline. President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald put Evgenii Dadonov, Luke Glendening, and Maxim Tsyplakov on waivers on Thursday. With about $2.9 million in current cap space, the potential of an extra $4 million gives him around $7 million in cap space to retool the roster that has underperformed.
Fitzgerald is trying to make a hockey trade that can improve the roster. This group has underperformed, but is missing pieces mainly upfront. Whether it is a center where Jack Hughes can move to the wing, or bringing in a scoring winger they never replaced when trading out Tyler Toffoli.
It was reported that they were in on Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland before he was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Garland going to New Jersey was not happening. The Devils were low on the tier. Plus, did the Devils want to take on a player about to go into a new six-year extension at an $6 million AAV with trade protection?
If the Devils are going to do anything, it could be adding a young forward to grow with the group. But it would be at the cost of Simon Nemec. As Pierre LeBrun of TSN stated on Insider Trading, when asked about the potential of the Devils trading Nemec.
The New Jersey Devils have talked to teams all week long about Nemec, the second-overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, LeBrun said. The only way they go down this path and do a blockbuster is if they pick up a first-line-type forward, preferably a centre, that can augment their forward group. That’s what they’re asking teams, that’s what teams are aware of. It would be easier to name the teams that didn’t call than those that called, because it’s so rare to have a guy like this on the market.”
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On Friday morning, LeBrun doubled down on the Nemec talk and the Devils wanting an impact top-six young forward.
Devils continue to listen on Simon Nemec, who needs a new contract this off-season. New Jersey would only move him in the right package for a top 6 young forward that impacts the group.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 6, 2026
Could the Devils make a play for the St. Louis Blues and forward Jordan Kyrou? That would be the type of move the Devils want to make at the deadline.
As for Simon Nemec, who is a restricted free agent at the end of the season. So the Devils have control. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, he changed agents from J.P. Barry at CAA to Craig Oster at Newport. It is believed it happened recently. Nemec needs a new contract, and Fitzgerald’s comments about a contract extension weren’t a ringing endorsement.
“Well, he needs a contract,” Fitzgerald said. “Where that goes again, that’s part of my job, but it’s not for today.”
As LeBrun noted on TSN’s Insider Trading, Nemec could start with the Luke Hughes extension signed at the beginning of the season as a starting point.
“His deal’s up at the end of the year, and you saw what kind of contract Luke Hughes signed last year, it wasn’t an easy negotiation, I’m telling you, Simon Nemec and his camp would probably start with that comparison as well and say well ‘we want a big contract as well.'”
However, if Nemec doesn’t move by the Friday NHL Trade Deadline, this could happen in June at the Draft or during Free Agency. Nemec wants a bigger role and has proven he can handle those minutes.
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It will be interesting to see whether the Devils move on from this young, promising player. In addition, they have defenseman like Jonas Siegenthaler, Brenden Dillon, Dougie Hamilton, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Paul Cotter out on the market.
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