New Jersey Devils: Three Things We Learned At Trade Deadline

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
3 of 4
New Jersey Devils Nico Hischier
(Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Tom Fitzgerald has a plan in mind

It is no guarantee that Tom Fitzgerald is going to get the “interim tag” removed from his job title. He was named as the interim general manager following the firing of Ray Shero in early January. He has already put his stamp on this team in such a short amount of time. There really hasn’t been much negative talk about him, but he hasn’t necessarily won fans over yet.

He got a good return for both Blake Coleman and Andy Greene but fans are attached to both of them so it might take a while for fans to see that. He was okay on the trade deadline but he also didn’t make any serious mistakes. Nobody offered him what he felt was enough for Palmieri so he kept him. That could prove to be a pretty big decision down the road.

Whether or not he stays, he has a plan in his head. If he is allowed to try to execute said plan, he has already begun the process. It is clear that he is going to try to build around Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, which is what any smart GM would do. At the very least, it is good to have a general manager that has a plan in mind. The way that the rest of this season goes will be a big deciding factor on whether or not he stays.