This is one of the worst Devils trades I've witnessed. Trading assets away when their value is low is incompetent GMing
I'm pretty done with Fitz to be honest. Trading Marino for just picks was pretty disappointing, but to use those picks to a long shot goalie while giving away a much more established goalie prospect is just insanely stupid. I think he overpaid for Markström too. I don't hate the Silayev pick, but considering he's at least 3 years away when we should be competing now, you have to wonder if someone like Buium or Brandsegg-Nygård would have been more immidiate help. Or trading the pick all together. I really haven't loved anything he's done in the past year other than maybe the Keefe hire. If the Devils don't make the playoffs this year he needs to be fired. f***ing reckless asset management, why draft Holtz if you don't have the patience to develop him.
If trading assets when their value is low is incompetent, what do you call "wasting a roster spot and white knuckling a guy who will likely be out of the NHL in two years"? Alex Holtz isn't good. We saw Alex Holtz isn't good with our eyes. We heard "Alex Holtz isn't good" from coach and management in every interview about him since last season if you listened closely enough.
We read "Alex Holtz isn't good" when San Jose wanted no part of him, despite the fact that their top prospect was his best friend. We read "Alex Holtz isn't good" when Calgary didn't want him despite the fact that a right-handed RW is their top organizational need.
We got slapped in the face with the fact that "Alex Holtz isn't good" when 11 "absolutely not NHLers" got selected to the Swedish National Team last year while Alex Holtz stayed home.
This is a poor skating, poor defending, shot-first hockey player who has 19 goals in 110 career games. Everyone needs to take a f***ing breath and stop acting like we traded Dawson Mercer for Cotter.
(Also, they traded Marino for 2 picks -- not one. They used one of those picks on a better prospect than Akira. They still have the other pick as ammo for a trade, if he decides the team needs one.)