Devils ‘not shopping’ Toffoli heading into Trade Deadline, GM says

The New Jersey Devils would prefer not to trade Tyler Toffoli and continue to search for goaltending help before the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Friday hoping to make a late run for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, general manager Tom Fitzgerald said Tuesday.

The Devils (30-28-4) are eight points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division. They are also eight points behind the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, who are tied for two wild cards into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

But after firing coach Lindy Ruff and replacing him with associate coach Travis Green on Monday, Fitzgerald believes New Jersey still has a chance to climb back into the race. Trading Toffoli, who leads the Devils with 26 goals in 61 games this season, wouldn’t help that cause.

“It’s a dilemma because of where we believe we’re at, (where) we want to go (and) messaging as well to the rest of team,” Fitzgerald said. “If you trade your leading (goal)-scorer, you’re throwing in the towel. You can get on a run. No one knows what type of run you can get on.”

Toffoli, who was acquired in a trade with the Calgary Flames for forward Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft on June 27, 2023, is in the final season of a four-year, $17 million contract ($4.25 million average annual value) he signed with the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 13, 2020, and can become an unrestricted free agent July 1. Fitzgerald hasn’t given up on re-signing the 31-year-old after discussing his future with him when New Jersey was in Los Angeles to play the Kings on Sunday. But he acknowledged other teams have expressed interest.

“I’m not shopping Tyler Toffoli,” Fitzgerald said. “Tyler and I sat together in L.A. We had a great talk. Tyler knows how I much I’d like to bring him back, but unfortunately right now there’s a possible term difference. That doesn’t mean we can’t revisit this past the deadline, if he’s still here, or in the offseason.

“But the reality is teams have called on him and what a return looks like. I wouldn’t be giving away a player, my leading scorer, that’s for sure, just to gain future assets. But the reality is those future assets could help us down the road.”

While waiting to decide what to do with Toffoli, Fitzgerald also is trying to address the Devils’ goaltending issues but isn’t sure if it will have to wait until the offseason.

“I am in the market,” Fitzgerald said. “Is there the right person out there for the right price without mortgaging the future, but understanding the short game here that it’s an important position?”

New Jersey is tied for 27th in the NHL in goals-against per game (3.52) and is 31st in team save percentage (.882), ahead of only the Ottawa Senators (.880).

Vitek Vanecek, who has been out since Feb. 10 because of a lower-body injury, is 17-9-3 with a 3.18 goals-against average and .890 save percentage in 32 games (29 starts). Nico Daws is 8-10-0 with a 3.47 GAA and .887 save percentage in 18 games. Akira Schmid is 5-9-1 with a 3.15 GAA and .895 save percentage in 19 games (15 starts).

“I’m not ignoring that, to be quite honest,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m not sitting here thinking, ‘Oh, it’s all great.’ No, our goaltending has not been good enough. Yes, that’s on me to go out and try to upgrade, but I wish it was as easy said than done. I really do. But I am trying to do the right thing for the organization in the short window, but with the big window version in my mind.”