Bye Bye Bjugstad? New Jersey Devils ALREADY Looking to Trade Away Newest Acquisition

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Earlier today, Chris Johnston of the athletic reported that Nick Bukestad is likely candidate

to get moved to get, wait, why?

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My name is Zach Berman and we got a packed show today back in the old studio for will

be the final time, I can't put a final time at least for a while, I can't believe I'm

saying that.

But we got a packed episode today, a lot of smoke from Chris Johnston, Elliott Friedman

regarding what the Devils may be looking to do ahead of the trade deadline on Friday,

as well as a preview of tomorrow night's game against the Florida Panthers.

Now this will be the first Devils Panthers game of the year that I will not be at.

I was there opening or the home opener when the Devils 131 we had rally towels waving

it really felt like one of the more special nights of the year, I want to go back to that,

I want to go back to that night before before we know what we know now needless to say

things are a little bit different, just a little bit.

We can start there today is the first, or should I say today tomorrow, geez Louise,

is the first of four consecutive New Jersey Devils home nationally televised games, boy

Batman was really banking on the Devils not being terrible, right?

Let me tell you something.

I think needless to say TNT and the ESPN family, they have to be quite thankful that Jack

Hughes scored the golden goal because at least they have something to talk about.

Keep in mind, almost every single one of these games except for Sunday's game against

Detroit is against somebody that is either close to being out of the race or out of the

race entirely, so between the Panthers, the Leafs, the Rangers, God.

I think that's one of the things that I'm most upset about this season is that the Devils

being bad is robbing us of just an all-time, legendarily terrible for them and a hilarious

for us Ranger's hate watch season.

Like good God, the last I checked it was 4-2, oh my God, they tied that, what?

The Rangers came back.

Okay, first of all, as I mean I've never said this before in my life as a Devils fan, I

want the Rangers to be winning games right now because that screws up their draft position.

That screws up their chance to win the lottery.

We already got one generational player in the division last year with Matthew Schaefer.

We don't need another.

Oh my God, the Rangers were down for nothing going into the third against Columbus.

Who's a net for the Jackets?

It's, of course, it's Merzlegans, oh, that's ridiculous.

Sorry for getting off topic, but oh my sweet, tap-danced, and Christmas, afford nothing

blown lead to the tanking New York Rangers in 15 minutes.

Oh my God, wow, like I said, something about a hate watch season, right?

Are you kidding me?

Oh my God, okay, let's get back on topic.

Funny I bring up Matthew Schaefer because he was a big part in yesterday's New Jersey,

oh my gosh, he's still laughing at the Rangers.

He was a big part of yesterday's New York Islanders win over tomorrow's opponent, the

Florida Panthers.

Now Florida, there hangover seasons, and then there's whatever the Panthers are going through.

I think Panthers fans can, well, at least what I've seen on social media.

And I think this is fair, is Panthers fans are cutting their team some slack, given that

they've made three straight Stanley Cup finals and one two of them.

The hangover season is acceptable.

They're pretty far out of it.

There are eight points out of the second wild card, a full 13 points out of third spot

in the Atlantic.

So if you had told me that a March second, the Devils and Panthers would only be separated

by three points, I'd be like, woo, but that's not been the case.

Like I said, I've been at both Devils Panthers games this season.

I won't be at tomorrow night because I can't imagine giving any money to HBC right now.

Yeah, no, thank you there.

But tomorrow's game will be on TNT, not on the MSG networks, which means the whole world

can watch how bad the Devils are at scoring goals.

The whole world also does not have to be subjected to Don LaGrecca or Candatico or broadcast

is so bad now.

So that's at least a positive.

We've been gifted the Islanders booth for tomorrow night's game Brendan Burke and

Bush Goring will be on the mic for TNT.

I've been at both Devils Panthers games, Devils 131 in the home opener back in October, and

then they lost one nothing in sunrise, their lone trip to sunrise this season.

Sam Ryan Hart scoring the only goal in that game.

Jake Allen was fantastic, but Sergei Babrovsky even better.

When you look at the Panthers, they're an interesting group this year.

The injuries have caught up to them.

The roster is definitely a lot more top heavy than it used to be.

Of course, losing Alexander Farkov before the season, that certainly hurts.

They do have two veterans that are having just about career years in Sam Ryan Hart's

got 28 goals and 29 points, 60 games, just about almost a point per game, and then you

have Brad Martian who has had a complete career renaissance at 37 years old, 27 goals,

26 assists over a point per game at 49 games played.

Panthers have three more guys with 40 plus points, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhagi, Anton Lundell.

After that, the drop is steep and sudden all the way down to 27 points with Evan Rodriguez.

Sergei Babrovsky has also had a rough year in 872 save percentage in 42 games played.

He'll be a Panther past this weekend, who knows, 22 wins, 18 losses, one loss in overtime.

Will we see Babrovsky?

Will we see Terrasov?

Who knows?

But it is a hangover season for the Florida Panthers.

That's really the best way you can describe it.

Let's see what is still 4-4 in the garden yet.

It's a hangover season.

I think it's definitely a, yeah, we can, we can trash this one, get back to it in the

offseason kind of thing.

If you have Bill Zito as your GM, if you have Paul Marais as your head coach, I'm really,

I really wouldn't be worried if I was a Florida fan.

That's a rough year, but it happens.

Cup hangovers are a real thing, the cup tax is a real thing.

Three straight runs, the Stanley Cup finals, that's a lot of mileage on those skates.

It stinks, but you get right back to it.

I kill to be in a position that the Florida Panthers are in.

The New Jersey Devils, well, they're actually, believe it or not, they're coming off of

a win on Saturday in St. Louis, so yay.

Three won against the Blues, I thought they played pretty well, but of course it's pretty

meaningless.

The Devils are a lot of points out of the, out of the playoffs in the first game of a

seven game homestead.

The Devils come in 11 points out of the second wild card and a staggering 15 points out

of third place in the Metropolitan Division.

What do I think is going to happen?

I did watch a little bit of the Florida game on last night, Panthers, Islanders, Anders

Lee scored in the final minute to give the ills the win in regulation.

I feel like the most obvious painful thing to happen is that the Devils win in Duluth,

Tom Fitzgerald, into doing something he shouldn't have dreamed that line.

So I'm going to predict they win.

I predict they win 2-1 in overtime.

Why not?

Why not?

And because it is March, Timo Meyer scores the GWG in OT.

But speaking of the trade deadline, we got a lot to talk about.

Some big news came out earlier today.

There was a trade involving a veteran defenseman that I think could serve as a blueprint for

what Devils fans might expect with any of their defenseman getting dealt.

We got a lot to talk about coming up on the other side of the break on a locked on Devils.

Ah, the Rangers won.

I mean, oh, excuse me.

Well, they won in tank terms.

They lost in hockey terms.

But who could have seen a four-nothing comeback?

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This next segment is presented by the every day or club trade deadlines Friday folks.

Last call to get a month free as part of the every day or club.

Link is in the show notes and use the code deadline ahead of the trade deadline to snag that one free month.

This is locked on devil's part of the lock down podcast network.

And yeah, let's talk trades or potential trades because earlier today,

a stutter to animals and all stutters perhaps.

If you've been paying attention, you'd be awfully stunned.

The New Jersey Devils supposedly are shopping their newest acquisition.

Nick Buegstad ahead of the trade deadline.

Tom Fitzgerald finally has a team where he can roll for NHL caliber centers.

So what's the response?

Yeah, the guy that we have under control next year for 1.5 mil, let's trade him.

It really feels like some of these decisions are being made by AI.

Like are we getting pumped?

Like what's going on here? Seriously?

Who's who's ideas at the trade Nick Buegstad right now?

I mean, yeah, I get it. The devil should be selling, but why would you give up assets to get him in the first place?

They really just...

I know that they have no direction.

I know the beatwriters are going in on Fitzgerald shouldn't be allowed to run this search of course he shouldn't be.

Like no sugar honey iced tea.

But I don't know what can you do? I...

I don't get it. I don't get why Fitzgerald's being allowed to run this.

And even though Buegstad hasn't really produced since he came over, he just got here.

He's played well defensively. He's kind of been what I think everybody expected him to be.

So you're going to trade him away already?

You know, he's got a year left to control. I mean, I guess if someone overpays like crazy then...

Yeah, sure, absolutely, but it's just another odd decision

from a GM who has just built his entire tenure on odd decisions.

I'm not even going to act like I understand what the plan is.

The rumor is that Fitzgerald wants to deal one if not multiple defensemen,

which would be great if he can actually pull it off.

I don't like that he's being given the chance to pull it off, but

it would certainly make the next guy's job easier.

And Jonathan Kovacevich's name has been thrown around, which to me

got me to open my eyes a little bit. I said, oh!

If they can get rid of Kovacevich's absolute monolith of a contract,

no, I'm not saying if Fitzgerald can clean up his own mess that he deserves to keep his job.

No, that is not what I'm saying.

But it does make the job easier for hopefully the next guy.

I hope there's a next guy. I mean, Ryan Novazinski said it himself that Tom Fitzgerald

is in fact on the hot seat like his words.

So may he please be right,

but Kovacevich has a no movement clause right now.

It's not a good contract situation. Can he get rid of it?

I think it remains to be seen.

I wouldn't bank on it.

But the market, if you are buying defenseman,

right now is pretty lucrative for sellers. Why?

Because earlier today, counter Murphy veteran defenseman

for the Chicago black ox was traded to the Edmonton Oilers.

And I like the move for Edmonton.

Really like the move for Edmonton actually.

Black ox are retaining half of his 4.4 million dollar capet

and Chicago got a second round pick in return.

If that is the market for stay-at-home veteran defenseman,

really, really like the devil's potentially selling

Jonathan Kovacevich over Seganthaler,

Brennan Dillon, do they actually get it done?

It is Tom Fitzgerald. We're talking about fire Tom Fitzgerald, but

who knows? It's just such an odd trade deadline because

you have a complete loose cannon at the helm.

Who like might buy? He might not buy.

There always a...

I feel like there are always these... Oh, this trade deadline is going to be so

massive.

Tweets from insiders coming in and oh, guess what guys?

There are going to be some big moves made.

We'll believe some of the players we see getting moved.

Could Doug Hamilton be one of them? Who knows?

And then it winds up being like a vandercane for a second.

It's like the biggest move in the off-seat of the deadline.

I expect next to nothing when it comes to

trade deadline stuff because every year it gets hyped up.

This isn't the NBA. The NBA deadline always hits.

The NHL, it's almost always a letdown.

Won't be a letdown for the delts? It depends on what you're expecting.

I don't really know what I'm expecting.

And I guess that's what we'll talk about next. Unlocked on delts.

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Welcome back.

Lockdown Devils.

And I'm confused.

I think that's really the best way to put it.

I'm really confused as to what the vision is.

And I know both of our big-time beatwriters and James Nichols and Ryan Novazinski went

all-in on rightfully criticizing that Tom Fitzgerald is being allowed to run this deadline.

I'm confused in a way, but also

HBSC doesn't fire GM's midseason.

That's just not a thing they do for lack of a better term.

So I know I and so many others have been foaming at the mouth saying like,

well, they have to do something like what we're dealing with is so incredibly frustrating.

I'm trying to find the right words because I would really like just as a host

to over the next month and a half or so going into the offseason

to take a less pessimistic outlook on this show because to be honest, it's like

the complaining is fun.

Ah, fire, everybody, it is fun.

And yes, everybody does need to be fired.

That is like not at all a doubt.

But what if I'm tired of calling for everybody's head?

Sack, you wouldn't say such a thing.

Yeah, I would.

It's exhausting.

I'm sure it's exhausting to listen to.

There is nothing I want more than for the New Jersey Devils to be good again.

I miss it.

And I never really got to experience like some of the glory days that some of you guys have.

And I know it's tough to not complain all the time when

in contrast to expectations, this is probably the worst season of our lives.

Like, I just can't recall a season where the expectations were higher in the output was

lower, I just can't.

So if you guys have any ideas of how you guys would like me to cover this team in a different

way, maybe a more positive way.

In the coming days and weeks, because look, season's not going to get me better.

We just got to suck this up and that sucks.

I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Because at the end of the day, we all want the same thing.

And that's for the New Jersey Devils to get back to their winning ways.

And I, damn, I get this happy with you guys again.

What is going on?

I think I'm just frustrated.

Like when I, I don't know, I expected to be talking about playoffs this time of year.

I expect to be talking about who the devils could acquire by it to go all in.

I didn't expect this.

I don't think anybody.

I mean, even as someone that was more pessimistic than most lean on the season,

I didn't have them being this far out of the race.

It is absolutely shocking.

I don't know what the direction is with the team.

I don't know what the direction is with the front office.

I don't know what the direction is with ownership.

I'm really confused.

In fact, I go so far to say that I am just like, absolutely stumped.

That's like, I'm sure we're going to find out more in the coming days about what this team might

have planned. Well, they might not have planned.

We're definitely going to get a Fitzgerald presser this weekend.

Oh, boy, or maybe even Friday, perhaps.

It's like, I don't, I know we begged to hear him speak.

And then he actually starts speaking.

And we all go, no, no, no.

How about you stop speaking?

I think I just wanted your GM like at the end of the day.

I think all I want is for that.

And then maybe just maybe the New Jersey Devils to figure out what's going on and get back

to winning hockey games.

I'm missing.

And I know you guys do too.

So tomorrow, I am traveling all day.

I will maybe record post game.

I'll be if I can 830 flight to Salt Lake City tomorrow.

That's going to be late.

You'll wake up to something Wednesday morning, possibly.

If not, you'll get something sometime Wednesday.

I'll recap the Panthers game Wednesday because we also have a game on Wednesday night too

against the Maple Leafs.

Yeah, too back to back this week.

What a time to be alive.

What a time to be a New Jersey Devils fan.

Like, subscribe.

Thanks for stopping by.

This is Locked on Devils.

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Once again, thanks for stopping by.

And as always, Fire Tom Fitzgerald.

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