Over the last little while, the New Jersey Devils weaknesses have exposed themselves. It’s not unlike anything we’ve already mentioned before. The Devils need depth scoring, and they need it as soon as possible. The Devils general manager explained in a recent interview that he’s “open-minded” when it comes to the NHL trade market.

MORE: Devils GM Could Be Forced Into Tough Decision

In a recent interview with The Athletic’s Pierre Lebrun, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald disclosed he’s in the market for a center.

We know one thing is for sure. Said center will not bump Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier down the lineup. Therefore, whoever comes in is playing in the bottom-six, which fits the need for depth scoring.

“Somebody that can come in and maybe give us that extra oomph — and maybe properly slot people to make us a strong, four-line team come playoff time,” Fitzgerald told The Athletic. “And build depth because of injuries. And build competition, too. We love what we have. I just really want to add on top of that.”

As far as Fitzgerald’s open-mindedness, he explained he’s willing to pay for a rental or someone with term.

GMs cannot disclose specific names for tampering purposes, but LeBrun mentioned the likes of Ryan O’Reilly, Yani Gourde, and Scott Laughton, as possibilities. Those are all players who will certainly cost a pretty penny.

The problem? Well, right now, there’s no one team you can really point to in the Eastern Conference as a bona fide seller. With such a tight race, the NHL trade market is being held up as teams assess whether they’re going for it or not which will determine their buyer or seller status.

We’re about three-plus weeks away from the 4 Nations Face-Off. The expectation is that there will be some NHL trade activity just before the international tournament, which will act as somewhat of a trade deadline.

However, the real deadline is March 7th, and the expectation is that the Devils will certainly be adding to boost the roster.

From the sound of it, a center is the priority. Right now, the Devils deploy Justin Dowling and Curtis Lazar on the third and fourth line. Erik Haula is out with an ankle injury, and typically man’s third-line duties.

However, Haula’s struggled to fill the scoresheet and the Devils could use an upgrade.

Part of Fitzgerald’s open-mindedness is the willingness to add on the wing if his center focus doesn’t present a formidable option.

Names such as Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, and Trent Fredric come to mind.

The Devils have dropped three of their last four games in overtime. They haven’t necessarily been bad losses, hanging in tight with some well-established teams.

Yet, one could certainly argue that the Devils might have swept the extra points they left on the table if they had a little more punch in their bottom-six.

Certainly, Fitzgerald is willing to deal now. However, with the hold up on the market, it could be a few weeks before anything comes to fruition—with the potential for a longer wait closer to the March 7th deadline.

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