The New Jersey Devils have done a masterful job building this defense for the long term. They’ve spent incredibly high picks on Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, giving them two pillars on the blue line for the foreseeable future. Tom Fitzgerald spent particular attention on the right side of the defense.
After he watched his predecessor at GM Ray Shero make the right side of the defense a priority, adding Sami Vatanen, P.K. Subban, and Will Butcher through trade and undrafted free agency. With Damon Severson already on the roster, the Devils were trying to bolster what is usually a weakness for most teams.