Devils' Fitzgerald: We want another center for 'extra oomph'

New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald made one of his wishes for the upcoming trade deadline abundantly clear Friday - depth down the middle of the ice.

"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's Pierre LeBrun. "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."

The Devils have a strong one-two punch down the middle in Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier but arguably lack depth in their bottom six. Justin Dowling and Curtis Lazar currently anchor the third and fourth lines, respectively.

"When you look at how many players can play other positions, you can't have enough centers," Fitzgerald said. "You just can't."

Some of the top rental pivots said to be available before the March 7 deadline include Yanni Gourde and Brock Nelson. Players in the rumor mill with term beyond this season include Ryan O'Reilly, Scott Laughton, and J.T. Miller.

League sources told LeBrun the Devils are already checking in on their list of targets.

The Devils sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 58 points through 47 games and are well on track to qualify for the playoffs after missing the cut last season.