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Ray Shero Is Out As New Jersey Devils General Manager

By Charlie Borges Jr.

NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 25: General Manager Ray Shero of the New Jersey Devils addresses the media during his post trade deadline press conference prior to the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Prudential Center on February 25, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 25: General Manager Ray Shero of the New Jersey Devils addresses the media during his post trade deadline press conference prior to the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Prudential Center on February 25, 2019 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Andy Marlin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The New Jersey Devils and Ray Shero have “agreed to part ways” according to a statement released by the team late Sunday night. In the interim, Tom Fitzgerald will be taking over that position with Devils legend Martin Brodeur will “support him”. The move comes as a complete shock as the Devils seem to have turned a corner coming into the year 2020. Shero was the Devils General Manager since the 2015-16 season after taking over for current Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello. Shero took one of the oldest teams and organizations and completely overhauled the prospect system and NHL roster.

In Shero’s four and a half seasons apart of the organization, the team has made the playoffs only once while having two number one overall selections in the draft. They had a MVP winner in the lineup as well as the emergence of Blake Coleman and Mackenzie Blackwood. The team came into the 2019-2020 with incredibly high aspirations and hopes for the playoffs. What came next was a disastrous start, a head coaching change, and a star player being traded. Was this the reason Shero was let go? Only time will give us all of the answers. But the question remains, why now? It is a such a confusing time to make the change. Why not wait until the end of the season to make the change?

On top of that question, more come to mind. Why fire Shero after he just traded a former MVP? What happens now with pending unrestricted free agents who have openly admitted they would like to stay in Sami Vatanen and Wayne Simmonds? Is Martin Brodeur being groomed to become the next general manager? How does this affect the head coaching search for the organization? Another thing to consider is does this change the Devils’ chances to sign Reilly Walsh from Harvard or will they see another Crimson player leave for another team in free agency?

Coming into the year the Devils thought that they had all of their answers. Now, they have more questions than they ever have before. The turmoil that the team has been through this season from firing their head coach, trading away Taylor Hall, scoring on their own net, and now the firing of the fourth general manager in the organizations almost 40-year history is astounding. Devils fans have not seen this type of dysfunction probably since the franchises inception in New Jersey.

Only time will answer all of these questions. But as Devils fans we should thank Ray Shero for the position that he has put the franchise in right now. Two potential superstars down the middle in Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes as well as a goaltender that has shown the potential to be a game stealer with Mackenzie Blackwood. The Devils are in a much better place now than when Shero just came to town five years ago.

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