While the New Jersey Devils didn't find a permanent solution in goal like many fans hoped before Friday's trade deadline, general manager Tom Fitzgerald said the moves he made set the club up to strike in the offseason.
"I hope (our players) see that it's an opportunity for us to set ourselves up this summer to have the cap space for a position of need and, to be quite honest, be big-game hunting," Fitzgerald said, per NJ.com's Ryan Novozinsky.
The Devils have been in the market for a No. 1 goalie and were linked to possibly landing Calgary Flames netminder Jacob Markstrom before trade negotiations stalled. Instead, Fitzgerald acquired Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens and swapped Vitek Vanecek for Kaapo Kahkonen.
Allen is signed through next season at a retained $1.925-million cap hit, while Kahkonen is set to hit the open market this summer, giving the Devils more financial flexibility than they had with Vanecek signed through 2025.
"We're looking at a potential tandem that maybe could rate up there in the league if I was able to land one of these big fishes," Fitzgerald said, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "(Trading Vanecek) allows us to be able to be in on anything next summer and have the flexibility with what we believe will be available in the offseason."
With a lack of impact goaltenders available in free agency, the Devils will likely have to go the trade route to reinforce their crease. New Jersey is projected to have approximately $21.3 million in cap space this summer, according to CapFriendly, and currently has 14 players signed.
Poor goaltending is the primary reason New Jersey is six points back of a playoff spot, as the club's .882 all-situations save percentage ranks 31st.
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