There’s a laundry list of reasons why the New Jersey Devils canned former GM Tom Fitzgerald this season. But as the fallout continues to settle, more insight continues to bring the move into context.
In particular, one notable insider, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, shed some interesting light on the main, overarching reason that led to Fitzgerald’s ousting.
During an appearance on Melnick in the Afternoon, LeBrun made a fascinating observation as to the reasoning behind Fitzgerald’s dismissal earlier this month.
“I think what really hurt him was the weight of expectation in that market of getting Quinn Hughes...and not getting him; that sort of started a campaign really against him...and really never recovered.”
Indeed, it seems as though Fitzgerald and the Devils never really recovered from the downer that resulted from missing out on Hughes. The former Norris Trophy winner had pretty much paved the way for the New Jersey to make the deal happen.
We all recall how Hughes floated the idea of wanting to play with his brothers. Vancouver Canucks management seemed amenable to making that happen. It was pretty much a slam dunk for the Devils.
Yet, Fitzgerald somehow managed to find a way to muck up the deal. Reportedly, Fitzgerald was reluctant to surrender top prospects in exchange for Hughes.
Bill Guerin got an itchy trigger finger and wasted no effort in moving top prospects out for Hughes.
It was that inaction that ultimately convinced the team’s ownership that Fitzgerald just wasn’t the guy. However, the biggest criticism might be: Why did the organization wait until now to make this move happen?
Could Quinn Hughes have changed the Devils season?
In an alternate timeline, the Devils landed Quinn Hughes in a stunning deal with the Vancouver Canucks. Hughes immediately impacts the Devils, making them an instant contender overnight.
That would have been the expectation. The Hughes would have changed the Devils’ fortunes, leading them to instant contender status. Instead of missing the postseason, the Devils would have been firmly in a playoff spot by now.
That situation, of course, is up for debate. Would a single player have been enough to turn things around?
Would Hughes’ influence have been enough to turn the team’s outlook around?
Perhaps the right answer would have been the morale boost that the club would have gotten from the trade. Landing a superstar like Quinn Hughes and subsequently having all three of the Hughes brothers in place would have been enough to give the entire organization a shot in the arm.
That situation is an exercise in imagination. There’s no telling if that would have been the actual case. But judging from the outcome on the ice, it’s fair to say that adding Hughes would have made a monstrous impact.
Perhaps Fitzgerald’s successor may see an opportunity to bring Hughes into the fold in the 2027 offseason. The timeline might still shift towards New Jersey after all.
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