The New Jersey Devils are expecting major changes this offseason, and the moves have already started. A few weeks ago, the team moved on from Tom Fitzgerald and, after a relatively short search, hired Sunny Mehta as their next GM and decided against hiring a President of Hockey Ops.Â
With Mehta looking to build a staff based on his ideals and path forward, we expect him to make changes across the organization. That began on Friday when the Devils announced that both Assistant GM Dan MacKinnon and Senior Advisor Chuck Fletcher would not be renewed and would be leaving the organization.
MacKinnon was a scout with the Nashville Predators before he joined the Pittsburgh Penguins as a scout. He eventually became the Director of Player Personnel, which is where he worked with Ray Shero and Tom Fitzgerald. He moved to the Devils in the same role when Shero became GM with the Devils, but he was promoted to assistant GM in 2019.Â
He held that role up until this season, acting as GM of the Utica Comets since 2021. The Comets have left much to be desired under MacKinnon’s watch, missing the playoffs yet again this past season. The Comets made a run for the playoffs, but their early-season struggles were too much to overcome.Â
Fletcher joined the Devils two years ago as a senior advisor. Many believed that he could have taken over as interim GM because of his previous experience. He was the former GM in both Minnesota and Philadelphia, but both those stints ended in disaster.Â
The Devils comments on the decision were short and sweet.
"The organization thanks them for their time, dedication and efforts, and wishes them all the best as they pursue future opportunities."New Jersey Devils statement
In the end, both of these moves were expected. MacKinnon is expected to follow Fitzgerald to his next destination, whether that’s in Nashville or somewhere else. Fletcher was a short-term executive who didn’t work out.
There are multiple big leadership decisions to make, including the future of AGM Kate Madigan and head coach Sheldon Keefe.Â
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