The New Jersey Devils have been a massive disappointment this season. If it wasn’t for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Devils would be the biggest disappointment. Fortunately for them, there are some teams taking away the spotlight from this disaster, including the letter senders across the Hudson River.
Still, there have been rumblings that Tom Fitzgerald’s job is possibly in jeopardy. It sounds like he’s safe for now, but another season with no playoffs, and we can’t see him getting the NHL Draft. It’s been a disappointing season in New Jersey, and he is the one who is taking the most blame amongst the fanbase. He did build the team, so it makes sense.
While he’s safe for now, we’re not surprised that teams are circling the Devils as a priority destination for a future GM. This next GM gets a chance to see four more years of Jack Hughes, the growth of top-five picks Simon Nemec and Luke Hughes, and to negotiate an extension for Nico Hischier.
It sounds like some NHL analysts are curious who might be the next GM to get a job. Jarmo Kekäläinen is the only GM to take over this season, becoming the full-time guy for the Buffalo Sabres. On Monday, we learned that Barry Trotz would be stepping down. That has many speculating who might be next. It could be Fitzgerald if things don’t turn around quickly.
On Monday’s edition of “The Sheet,” Jeff Marek’s podcast, Pierre McGuire said he’s heard former New Jersey Devils great and Toronto Maple Leafs’ executive Brendan Shanahan’s name thrown around.
"I hate to say this, because I don't like to speculate about people's jobs, but clearly it's been an underachieving season with New Jersey. Clearly, it's been an underachieving season for the New York Rangers two years in a row now. So you wonder about whether there could be something there for Brendan (Shanahan), who is a big name and is obviously very popular around the National Hockey League offices."Pierre McGuire on "The Sheet"
McGuire was clearly being careful with his words, but he mentioned both the Devils and Rangers by name. Shanahan played for both teams during his career, including two stints with the Devils.
Shanahan started and ended his career with the Devils. He connected with Devils legend Lou Lamoriello in Toronto. He played alongside Martin Brodeur, so we can see him fight for Shanahan to take over the role. He’s also highly respected, as McGuire noted, and that could help him in negotiations around the league.
It’s still early to have this conversation, but it’s not too early to speculate. Tom Fitzgerald is in a desperate position, and Devils ownership is likely seeing what they have as options if it doesn’t work out. It’s not surprising that Shanahan’s name has been floated.
We'll tell you one thing; we don't think Shanahan would have let Quinn Hughes go to Minnesota.