The New Jersey Devils announced today that the team has acquired Nashville’s own fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and defenseman Jeremy Hanzel in exchange for forward Erik Haula. The announcement was made by President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.
Hanzel, 22, spent last season with Nashville’s minor league affiliates, the Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) and Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL). He registered two penalty minutes in four games with the Admirals and three goals and 19 assists for 22 points with 28 penalty minutes for the Gladiators. He appeared in four regular season games (0g-2a, 2 PIM) and one Calder Cup playoff game (PIM) with the Admirals in 2023-24, following the completion of his junior career.
Hanzel was acquired by Nashville from Colorado on March 7, 2024, with the Avalanche’s third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft in exchange for forward Yakov Trenin and defenseman Graham Sward. Born in Coquitlam, British Columbia, and a native of Burnaby, he was initially drafted by Colorado in the sixth round, 187th overall, of the 2023 NHL Draft.
The 6’1”, 195lbs. blueliner played four seasons, 2020-21 to 2023-24, with Seattle (WHL) where he scored 149 points (39g-110a) in 218 games, adding 129 penalty minutes and registering a plus-72 plus/minus mark. He added 35 points (7g-28a) in 41 playoff games. Hanzel was part of the WHL championship-winning team in 2023 that reached the Memorial Cup. Over the course of the run with Seattle, Hanzel had an impressive 22 points in 19 games. He served as alternate captain in his final two seasons with the Thunderbirds.
Haula was originally acquired on July 13, 2022, from the Boston Bruins in exchange for Pavel Zacha. He scored 41 goals and 56 assists for 97 points with 140 penalty minutes in 227 games played with the Devils over the past three seasons. He added seven points (4g-3a) and 17 PIMs in 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games with New Jersey in 2023 and 2025. Haula had one-year left on a three-year contract with an AAV of $3,150,000.
New Jersey currently holds seven picks in the 2025 NHL Draft: two in the second round (NJ and Edm. via Utah), one in the third (VGK), two in the fourth (NJ and recently acquired from Nsh.), and two in the sixth (NJ and SJ).
