What’s next for Devils after firing GM Tom Fitzgerald: Here’s what I’ve learned
· Yahoo Sports
The Devils made a seismic change on Monday, parting ways with general manager Tom Fitzgerald after more than five seasons in the role.
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The move came amid another disappointing (and likely playoffless) season in Newark. In total, the Devils are going to miss the playoffs in four of six years under Fitzgerald’s guidance. That’s an abject failure, considering the talent on New Jersey’s roster.
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So, what comes next?
Well, for starters, the Devils have to finish up the five remaining games this season. The team entered Monday sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 40-34-3 record. They host the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday and will hold a full morning skate before (that’s when we’ll hear reaction from players/coach Sheldon Keefe).
A person with knowledge of the situation told NJ.com that the team will not have an interim GM for the remainder of 2025-26. The search for Fitzgerald’s long-term replacement — which has already begun — is ownership’s No. 1 priority.
Before they make that decision, they must determine how they’re going to structure the front office. A person with knowledge of the situation told NJ.com that ownership has not yet decided whether they’ll hire one person to take the reins as general manager/president of hockey operations or split the role into two.
According to Sportsnet, the Devils intended on having a two-person duo up top when they offered the president job to John Davidson in 2021, but Davidson felt it was “too close to his ties to the Rangers,” so he chose to return to Columbus.
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There’s an impressive list of candidates out there — which explains why the Devils made this decision before the season wrapped up. Ex-Devils player and former Maple Leafs executive Brendan Shanahan will be near the top of their wishlist. Ditto for Panthers assistant GM and Wyckoff native Sunny Mehta. Wild card options include John Chayka, Mike Gillis and Jason Spezza.
Whoever gets the job will have a massive first decision to make: The fate of Keefe, who has the Devils playing well. While he’s largely disappointed this season, Keefe’s post-Olympicsystem tweaks might just be enough to earn him a third chance.
From there, this person will be tasked with building a contender around Jack Hughes, who leads the NHL in points since the Olympic break. The Devils are projected to have $12.18 million in salary cap space this summer, according to PuckPedia. They need to use some of it to find Hughes a scoring winger.
This is the most important decision in franchise history — especially after such a disappointing half-decade.
If they get this wrong, they’ll further waste Hughes — a top-five player in the sport — and the rest of their promising, well-valued core.
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