New Jersey Devils: Tom Fitzgerald Needs To Be Permanent General Manager
By Dave Browne
The New Jersey Devils are once again facing uncertainty heading into what will be another eventful summer of change. Year five of general manager Ray Shero’s rebuild did not go as planned, as the Devils ultimately took two steps back, and their playoff chances dissipated in early November.
Both Shero and Taylor Hall were supposed to be part of the long-term solution, not see their respective tenures end three months into the season. Head coach John Hynes was also fired in the process.
Needless to say, the team that had many fans and hockey pundits alike calling for a playoff berth had failed miserably to live up to the hype. The Devils will look to hire a head coach and once again have the resources to add respected NHL talent to the roster. The team is in dire need of continuity, and interim general manager Tom Fitzgerald can provide that. It is time to let him gain full control of the franchise.
Tom Fitzgerald has had an extensive career in the NHL spanning almost 30 years, both as a player and assistant general manager. He even served as an assistant coach for the 2009 Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins and has worked as an assistant with the USA Hockey program. The man knows the game, and is well respected within league circles. He been with the Devils since he was hired in 2015 as an assistant to Ray Shero, and prior spent five seasons with the Penguins under the same title.
Fitzgerald has made his presence felt since he was named interim general manager on January 12th. He boldly traded fan favorite Blake Coleman to the Tampa Bay Lighting for highly-touted prospect Nolan Foote and a 1st-round pick. He sold high on Coleman, who was having one of his best seasons of his career and undoubtedly would have gotten a hefty raise in the summer of 2021 as an unrestricted free agent. Coleman’s raise and age would not correlate with the Devils’ rebuild, therefore trading him at his highest value was good asset management.
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He also traded upcoming unrestricted free agent to be Sami Vatanen for Janne Kuokkanen and a conditional 4th-round pick. Kuokkanen was a major get and already made his presence felt for the Binghamton Devils. Devils fans should be eager to see what he brings to the big club, as he has excellent vision and hockey IQ. As a 21 year old, he is a lot closer to making an impact with the team than a 2nd rounder the Devils could have gotten in return for an oft injured defenseman like Vatanen. Lastly, he traded Wayne Simmonds for what looks like will be a 5th rounder. The cost to attain Simmonds’ services cost the franchise virtually nothing, so getting something in return for him is a win.
It’s clear that Tom Fitzgerald has a proactive vision for the future of the Devils. The Devils will do their due diligence and interview other candidates, but it is imperative that they look closely to the candidate that is already in house.
He knows first hand what the team is, what their prospects look like and what the organizational needs are. The only thing that could infringe on that is if ownership steps in and hires someone to come in and make moves to expedite the rebuild. If ownership wants a general manager to spend vigorously on free agents, then the Devils will not be contenders any time soon. If the Devils decide to go in a different direction, Fitzgerald would get scooped up by a different organization. Fitzgerald has made moves that bodes well for the franchise, it is only fair that he gets the opportunity to see things through as full-time general manager of the New Jersey Devils.