The New Jersey Devils will be entering one of the most challenging offseasons in recent memory. That’s not hyperbole. It’s a reality that the organization will have to come to grips with.
The biggest issue will be the airtight cap that leaves little to no room to maneuver. That was the main factor that handcuffed Tom Fitzgerald over the last couple of seasons. Now, that’s no accident. There is a definite argument there to pin the blame directly on Fitzgerald’s shoulders.
Additionally, the abundance of no-trade clauses made moving contracts out even harder. That’s something that hasn’t changed and won’t change heading into this summer.
That’s why Fitzgerald’s successor will have a heck of a time trying to undo the giant knot messing with the organization at the moment.
In a way, what the Devils will be going through this summer is akin to a corporate restructuring. The front-facing side of the business won’t really change. What customers see will be pretty much the same. What will need to undergo a massive shift is everything that happens behind the scenes.
That change will involve the organization’s business practices. For instance, the Devils won’t be handing out no-trade clauses to free agents. And that’s something that could make New Jersey somewhat of an unattractive destination.
There will also be the matter of power. While Fitzgerald didn’t have a blank check, he did have more power than the average GM. That’s likely to change with his replacement.
The next New Jersey Devils GM will have a great core but a terrible situation
The next Devils’ GM will most assuredly have to deal with a President of Hockey Operations (POHO) looming over major decisions. Now, this doesn’t mean the Devils will be looking to micromanage everything coming out of the GM's office.
But what it does mean is that whoever takes over won’t have as much leeway as Fitzgerald did. If anything, the next Devils GM may take over with a beefy to-do list of issues the organization wants to address.
As for who could take over, that’s an even bigger existential question for the organization. My sense is that the team has someone in mind they’d like to bring in. That’s why the move happened now, and not further down the road.
It seems that the Devils may not wait too long to name a successor to Fitzgerald. The move will likely begin at the top and then trickle down. It could start with the POHO role and then trickle down from there.
However the situation actually unfolds, fans shouldn’t expect it to drag out too long. The sooner the Devils figure things out, the sooner the team can get down to business.