‘The Moves That We Made Are Outstanding’: Devils Forward Confident After Productive Summer

Devils forward Curtis Lazar shares his excitement for the upcoming season.

As hockey fans continue to make their way down the shore to soak in the final few weeks of summer, it is a good time to reflect on the work that New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald completed this summer.

He addressed every position his team needed, starting in the crease and working his way out.

When training camp begins, seven players will enter Newark, having played for a different organization in 2023-24.

During a phone interview with The Hockey News, Curtis Lazar expressed his excitement about his team's future.

"I think we are anxious to get going and to prove a lot of people wrong. The moves that we made are outstanding," he said.

Fitzgerald's offseason did not begin with free agency or the hiring of head coach Sheldon Keefe.

As Lazar explained, the process begins before the players part ways for the summer.

"It all starts in our exit meetings. Us players are passionate about what needs to be changed, and (Fitzgerald) is passionate too," the forward said. "He is the mastermind behind it all."

In a matter of weeks, Fitzgerald acquired a starting goaltender in Jacob Markstrom and solidified his defense with the additions of Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, and Johnathan Kovacevic. Up front, the organization reunited with Tomas Tatar and Stefan Noesen and traded for Paul Cotter.

"The maturity and our age bumped up a bit. There are going to be more kids around the dressing room and more families, which I love," Lazar said. "I was actually just talking to Dougie (Hamilton) about it. You look around the room, and everyone is a professional in their own way. It is going to help with the younger guys who want to take that next step because wherever they turn, there is going to be a guy who has gone through stuff, has experience in this game, and has their own thoughts on things to share.

"The team that we have and the strides that we have taken, it is awesome," Lazar continued. "You go from, I guess, having success, taking the league by storm, making it into the second round of the playoffs, and then you have a bit of a stinker. Well, you learn a lot from those seasons that you lose, and we addressed those areas."

Keefe's responsibility as the team's head coach will be to set expectations, which Lazar is confident he will do as the new bench boss.

During his introductory media availability, Keefe said as much.

"The expectations are high, and I'm drawn to that," he said. "I've never coached any team at any level that didn't expect to win every time they put their equipment on. That's the case here. That excites me from Day 1."

Devils rookies will begin training camp in a little over a month's time on Sept. 11. Veterans will report one week later on Sept. 18.

"(Fitzgerald) did his part. It is up to us to do ours," Lazar said. "I like the squad and our team make-up right now. I'm excited."