Tom Fitzgerald cannot overreact, but needs to act for New Jersey Devils

Tom Fitzgerald was said to have been in the hunt to add the eldest Hughes brother, but it continues to add to the "we were right there" narrative surrounding the Devils' General Manager. The Devils are in desperate need of help, with the biggest fish in Quinn Hughes off the board, Fitzgerald needs to do something, but he cannot overreact.

Before we get started here, it is common practice not to refer to yourself in pieces like this. With that said, I, Charlie Borges, think that Quinn Hughes not ending up on the New Jersey Devils sucks. There is absolutely no way around that. Trying to cover this as a rational writer as well as a fan is a hard line to walk.

The Devils not trading for the eldest brother of their two stars is a bad look. Having The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun report that the Devils made "a strong offer" is even worse, as it is a common theme for this Devils regime: coming in second or being right there.

However, there are a few good things to look at, though, as highlighted by Pucks and Pitchforks Site Editor Nick Villano.

One of the main things he pointed out is that the Devils retained all of their assets and can easily sign Quinn in two years when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. They keep the likes of Simon Nemec, Dawson Mercer, possibly an Anton Silayev, and more. They can sign him in two years.

That does absolutely nothing for the current New Jersey Devils. The Devils have lost six of their last seven games, are 5-9-0 in the 14 games without Jack Hughes, and have shown no signs of stopping the bleeding since the middle Hughes brother was ruled out month-to-month in a freak accident.

Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald has to absolutely make a move sooner rather than later to address this team before it becomes even more of a dumpster fire than it currently is. Dumpster fire may be harsh, but when you lose 8-4 on home ice, you deserve any verbal description you get. Some say Fitzgerald should have done something as soon as the Jack Hughes news came out.

The counterargument to that would have been: "They're waiting for the sample size without Hughes to make a decision." To which the rational person would have responded: "They have gone 40 games without Jack the last two years, the sample size is already there."

The latter thought is correct.

The Devils and Fitzgerald have done nothing. They have fallen in the standings. But hey, at least Angus Crookshank has a goal. It is quite clear that a trade needs to be made within the next 48 hours, otherwise the hot seat Fitzgerald is currently on will become magma levels of hot.

With Quinn Hughes off the board, Fitzgerald will have to look elsewhere. But he needs to be smart about what assets he parts ways with. He cannot give up a similar package for someone not named Quinn Hughes that he would have actually given up for Hughes. He cannot overspend in a panic move.

If Fitzgerald gives up a Quinn Hughes trade package, let us say, for Ryan O'Reilly, that is bad news for all. The Devils are short on assets as is, so giving up the sun and the moon for players, not Quinn Hughes, would be counterproductive and expedite a new general manager for the Devils.

Now, some fans may want the expedited process for a new general manager in New Jersey. The Devils have been under the thumb of Fitzgerald for five seasons now. Where has it gotten them? Two playoff appearances, one series win, and a whole lot of "we tried.

One thing is for sure: Fitzgerald needs to try harder. He cannot overpay for someone just to try to save his job. If he does, it could ironically be the one thing that leads him closer to the unemployment line.