Devils' GM Confirms Trade Talks Heating Up on 2 Players in New Jersey

The New Jersey Devils are open for business as general manager Tom Fitzgerald appears to be willing to do whatever he can to turn around their season, and perhaps, keep his job.

Fitzgerald met with the media on Wednesday and opened up about how things are going for his team, some of their struggles with injuries, and most importantly, the ongoing trade talks around a couple of his veterans, including defenceman Dougie Hamilton and forward Ondrej Palat.

“These are two respected players,” Fitzgerald said at a wide-ranging roundtable with reporters. “They’re very respected in that locker room, and they will be treated with respect.”

Hamilton was almost traded to the San Jose Sharks over the summer and he decided against it, using his trade protection. Now, the talks have heated up in a major way after Hamilton was a healthy scratch last weekend. The 6-foot-6 right-handed blueliner has struggled this season and only has 12 points in 41 games, this coming after a 70-point season not that long ago. At $9 million against the cap for a couple more years, and a deep, young blueline, it makes sense for Fitzgerald to try and move on.

“His agent and I have been in constant communication, so there’s no secrets,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s no lost in translation, whatever it is. Just want to make sure everybody’s hearing the same message.”

Palat on the other hand is signed through next year at $6 million AAV and is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, and someone a number of contenders could consider for depth up front. He's recorded 10 points in 46 games this year, and is averaging under 13 minutes of ice time per game.

“Ondrej, he’s a great pro, and he cares and he really wants to push and help,” Fitzgerald said. “Our players admire him. No, his production isn’t where anybody envisioned it. But it was more the person, the experience to come in to help our young guys understand what winning looks like from his experience.”

Keep an eye on the Devils, they are talking trade, and two deals could be going down before the Olympic roster freeze.