2023 State of the Team | FEATURE

Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald joined the media on Wednesday to hold his yearly season-ending media availability. And he touched on the biggest storylines facing the team heading into the 2023 off-season.

Back Behind the Bench

Fitzgerald confirmed that Devils head coach Lindy Ruff, whose contract is set to expire, will return for the team next season.

"He'll be back behind the bench," Fitzgerald said.

Ruff, who is a finalist as NHL coach of the year, led the Devils to an historic season, setting the franchise record with 52 wins and 112 points, while setting an NHL record for the biggest point improvement from season to season (+49, 82-game schedule).

"He's a Jack Adams finalist for a lot of reasons, the work he put into it, the work his coaching staff put into it, the players that executed that strategy," Fitzgerald said. "I think Lindy Ruff is a Hall of Fame coach for what he's done over his career, longevity. But he's a Hall of Fame person. I'm proud to call him a friend. He's the right guy for this job."

Ruff was hired at the start of the 2020-21 season to handle the mentorship and development of a young team. Those years of work paid off last season with the team's first postseason berth since 2018 and a First Round series victory against rival New York Rangers.

"(Three) years ago I was looking for the right coach for this organization for where we were (and) how do we get to where we want to go," Fitzgerald said. "Watched the development of our core players and how they've grown. As we went along, we always said that Lindy Ruff was the right coach for this group. So, here we are today. He's still the right coach for this group."

The details of the new contract are still being worked out.

"He's earned that right. He deserves that. We deserve him," Fitzgerald said. "He's a great partner for me and those kids love him. There's no such thing as a perfect coach but he has the utmost respect from our players, from us, from ownership. He's still the right guy for this job."

Free Agency

The Devils began their scouting meetings this week, both Pro and Amateur. The team has a lot of forthcoming free agents in both restricted and unrestricted capacities.

"We're just starting our pro and am meetings, going through what our roster may look like," Fitzgerald said. "What players could possibly be back, what players possibly won't be back, what players may outprice us because of where we're at cap-wise, what does one player want that leaves crumbs on the table for somebody else?"

Restricted Free Agents: Nathan Bastian, Jesper Boqvist, Jesper Bratt, Michael McLeod, Timo Meier, Yegor Sharangovich, Kevin Bahl, Mackenzie Blackwood.

Unrestricted Free Agents: Erik Haula, Tomas Tatar, Miles Wood, Ryan Graves and Damon Severson.

The team hasn't set a "priority" list on their free agents. They're trying to figure out the entire puzzle and how the different pieces may fit.

"Every piece is so important," Fitzgerald said. "I'm trying to build a team here. I'm not just trying to build individuals that play an individual game. The best teams play as a team. That's what we're trying to strive for."

The two biggest names on the list are arguably Bratt and Meier.

Bratt, who was drafted by the Devils in the sixth round (162nd overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft, signed a one-year deal last season with the team. In 2022-23, his sixth NHL season, Bratt, 24, set a career high with 32 goals.

"We paused the (contract) talks prior to the playoffs, which I think was the right thing to do," Fitzgerald said. "There was definitely progression. There's a framework of a deal to be done long-term if Jesper wants that. Jesper knows exactly what that framework looks like. I know Jesper wants to be a Devil long term and so do we.

"He's part of the fabric. He's part of the core. We just want to get this done."

Meier, 26, was acquired by the Devils at the NHL trade deadline. He scored nine goals for New Jersey while setting a career high with 40 total on the year.

"I reached out to (Meier's) agent to touch base," Fitzgerald said. "We knew going into this that he's one year from being a UFA. We felt what we could offer players, having them come in and experience it, if winning and being on a future good team is important this isn't a bad place to be.

"I believe this is the right place for Timo."

Whether it's Meier, Bratt, McLeod, or the NHL's free agency day, the team will have a busy summer in regard to signings.

"I just want people who want to be here," Fitzgerald said. "They have to want to be here for the right reasons, understand what we're trying to build. Some pieces are bigger than others. That doesn't mean the smaller pieces aren't important. I'm trying to build the best team possible."

The Devils also have restricted free agents Aarne Talvitie, Timur Ibragimov, Reilly Walsh, Zackary Hayes and Jeremy Groleau. And unrestricted free agents Joseph Gambardella, Jayce Hawryluk, Mason Geertsen, Brian Pinho and Robbie Russo.

NHL Draft

The annual NHL Draft will take place June 28 and 29 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Currently, the Devils do not have a first-round pick (San Jose, Meier trade). But the club, which has five selections, will prepare for any possible draft scenario.

"The mandate is to find players with the highest upside and the probability of them hitting their upside," Fitzgerald said. "We don't have a first-round pick, that doesn't mean we won't get one. But we have to be prepared that we do have a first-round pick. We have to continue to go through the right processes to find the right players."