Devils GM Fitzgerald Could Have 3 Panthers as Trade Targets

New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald was at FLA Live Arena over the weekend when the Florida Panthers hosted the Boston Bruins. With the trade deadline weeks away, speculation season is in full swing, and fans are paying extra close attention to which scouts and front-office personnel are in attendance at games throughout the league.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, there are plenty of reasons why the Devils’ general manager would be at the Panthers-Bruins game on Jan. 28. His son Casey Fitzgerald was placed on waivers by the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 10 and was claimed by the Panthers on Jan. 11. He was as a healthy scratch against Boston, while his cousin, Matthew Tkachuk, saw over 21 minutes of ice time. Additionally, during this break, many Devils players and staff members flock to warmer weather to soak in the sun before the race for the postseason continues on Feb. 6.

Notable attendees for tonight’s #NHLBruins at #FlaPanthers game tonight:
#NJDevils GM Tom Fitzgerald
#CBJ Director of Pro Scouting Josef Boumedienne (along with frequent attendee AGM Basil McRae) https://t.co/R2mKFg3u0I

However, Fitzgerald might also have been killing two birds with one stone and mixed business and pleasure. It is no secret that the Devils will look to make a move ahead of the deadline. While Timo Meier is the big fish, it would be foolish not to look at other options, especially with the speculation that the San Jose Sharks forward wants upwards of $9 million per year, which is more than Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes.

Now, back to the two teams at hand. The Bruins became the fastest team in NHL history to reach 80 points in the standings – 47 games – and because of that, they may not make any major moves at the deadline. The Panthers, however, are a different story. At the time of publication, the club has 54 points and is out of a wild-card spot. They are in a peculiar position because it will depend on how things play out over the next few weeks before we know if they are buyers or sellers.

In the spirit of one of the most hectic times of the season, we’ll have some fun and take a look at three Florida Panthers forwards who could fit into Fitzgerald’s plans for his team.

Sam Bennett

Hockey insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff named Florida a team to watch over the next few weeks. He specifically mentioned 26-year-old Sam Bennett as a potential trade candidate. He is under contract until the 2024-25 season with an average annual value (AAV) of…