Devils Set for Major Offseason Changes After First-Round Exit

“I like our group,” Fitzgerald said. “My job is to continue to better the group. And we’ve got a lot of decisions to make on certain players, bringing guys back, trading players…”

Fitzgerald acknowledged the roster lacked depth and underperformed at key moments.

“I think players underachieved,” Fitzgerald said. “I bang my head against the wall every day wondering, ‘What is depth scoring?’”

According to PuckPedia, the Devils will enter the offseason with $12 million in cap room, without accounting for possible re-signings and team/player-option activations.

The Devils face critical decisions on a number of unrestricted free agents, including Jake Allen, Tomas Tatar, Brian Dumoulin, and Daniel Sprong. 

They also must negotiate extensions with restricted free agents Luke Hughes, Cody Glass, and Nolan Foote. Cap space is limited in New Jersey, however, with just over $5 million available at this time.

Fitzgerald indicated discussions with Allen’s agent are ongoing, but the team is exploring all options. He also cited the importance of determining which players fit into their long-term vision.

“We won’t be coming back with the same group because it was not good enough,” Fitzgerald said.