Reason To Sign Him #2: Bring Faith Back Into Fanbase
Faith within the New Jersey Devils fanbase is at an all-time low. While there is no true “measure” for such a stat, it’s hard to disagree. The Devils have missed the playoffs in seven of the past eight years, they were sellers once again at the deadline, depleting more talent, they made a coaching hire that seemed out of nowhere, and the end of the rebuild is still nowhere in sight. Can you blame the fanbase for being absolutely out of their mind? The team has a .419 win percentage since going to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012.
The Devils fans want to believe. We saw that last offseason. After adding Hughes, Subban, Wayne Simmonds, and Nikita Gusev, the fanbase thought the dark times were over. Then, the darkest timeline began. The Devils lost their captain, their head coach, star player, most-popular player, big free agent signing, and general manager all in a matter of months. It was quite possibly the worst season in Devils history when everything was taken into account.
Signing Pietrangelo would get people excited once again. Who knows what the situation will be with fans next season, but if they are allowed back in the Prudential Center, Pietrangelo is a player that will put butts in seats. It’s the old adage that to make money you have to spend money. The owners are not held in high regard with fans, but if general manager Tom Fitzgerald is able to pull of Pietrangelo, hope will come back in droves. So will season ticket holders.