Golden Knights GM on Former Devil: ‘We’re Taking a Swing at His Upside'

The New Jersey Devils officially parted ways with 2020 seventh-overall pick Alexander Holtz .

On June 29, it was announced that New Jersey acquired forward Paul Cotter and a 3rd-round pick in 2025 from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid .

It was apparent the young Swede would eventually be on the move after his coaches and general manager publicly criticized his performance throughout the 2023-24 season.

"He has not had a good year," general manager Tom Fitzgerald said of Holtz. "I don't believe it is because he's been on the fourth line. The core values you have as a player – strong on walls, puck play, puck management, are you turning pucks over, can you be better in certain situations. It is not about goals… It's the other areas, the game within the game, which I say a lot, it matters. Managing the lines, turnovers. Those areas have to be way better."

After a tumultuous year, the 22-year-old gets a well-deserved clean slate and can embrace a new beginning in Las Vegas.

During a recent media availability , Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon addressed the reporters and explained how beneficial a change of scenery can be for a young player.

"We are taking a swing at his upside and what a change can do sometimes for young players. We have seen (that) with different players who have been brought into Vegas needing a change and have benefited by that change," he said.

"That was the motivation behind acquiring Alexander Holtz. He is still a young player and we think he is going to fit into our lineup and contribute and grow his game here," McCrimmon continued.

One of the best examples is Golden Knights forward William Karlsson , who, in his final season with the Columbus Blue Jackets, scored six goals in 81 games. Karlsson broke out the following season, his first in Vegas, scoring 43 goals and racking up a career-high 78 points in 82 games.

McCrimmon continued to say that Holtz was a player that the Golden Knights had "tremendous regard for as an amateur" saying among his peer group he was elite.

"We think Alexander Holtz has got untapped potential that we feel we can unlock here to some degree with the opportunity," he said.

Holtz is coming off his first full season in the NHL, appearing in all 82 games and earning 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists). He concludes his tenure in New Jersey with 34 points in 110 games.

The young winger was never going to be a permanent fixture in the Devils' top six, playing alongside either center Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier . Regarding the bottom six, Fitzgerald said Holtz was simply the odd man out.

"In the vision we have to build our roster that I've talked about since the end of last season, we want a different looking bottom-six. Paul Cotter fills that with his skating, speed, and physicality," Fitzgerald said to team reporter Sam Kasan at the 2024 NHL Draft. "We are betting on Cotter's upside, and he's just scratched the surface of what he can do. With that being said, we have to give up to get a Cotter, and Holtz would have been the odd man out in our bottom six group."

Holtz was drafted seventh overall because of the work he put in up to that point, now it is time for him to prove what he is capable of and this change of scenery might just be the thing to elevate his game to the next level.

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