New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald finally met with the media on Wednesday in a surprise press conference at practice. The Devils just came home from a four-game road trip where they salvaged two points against the Minnesota Wild on Monday night. The team is in a bad place, and fans have been begging to hear from Fitzgerald for weeks.
He addressed many topics on Wednesday, including whether he felt he deserved to keep his job. One of the most intriguing answers he gave came after one of his more controversial moves of the season.
In October, the Devils gave Jacob Markstrom a two-year extension worth a total of $12 million. Many were confused by the contract, as Markstrom hasn’t had the best career in New Jersey. He was really struggling at the beginning of the season, and he had already missed some time with an injury in October.
Giving Markstrom, who is over 35 years old, a contract worth $6 million per season isn’t the best use of resources. It’s especially scary when he’s struggling and the Devils are tight against the salary cap.
This contract also spelled the end of Nico Daws future with the team. He’s still toiling with the Utica Comets, and he’s great depth for this season, but he is blocked from ever making a meaningful run in the NHL.
When asked about why he “rushed” into the contract, Fitzgerald said he wasn’t rushed. He said he had been working on this extension since Markstrom was traded to New Jersey in the 2024 offseason.
"When I traded for him, the goal was to extend him. And that never changed. "Tom Fitzgerald, New Jersey Devils GM
However, Markstrom currently holds an .879 save percentage. At the time of the signing, he was sporting an .830 save percentage. It just felt like the type of business that should wait until the offseason when the Devils were sure he could turn it around.
Instead, Fitzgerald felt Markstrom had earned the new contract. He pointed to Markstrom's playoff performance, but that was essentially five games of work.
"He gives us a chance to win every game. He doesn't have to be spectacular, and we don't ask our goalies to be spectacular every game. Just give us a chance. I just felt that working with Jake Allen, the tandem that they had, gave us the best opportunity to win hockey games. And I still believe that. "Tom Fitzgerald, New Jersey Devils GM
Fitzgerald says that Markstrom knows he needs to be better, but he feels like he can stabilize the Devils when they need him.
The Markstrom contract is obviously scary moving forward. When asked if he had a contingency plan to get out of it if it didn't work, Fitzgerald just said they'd deal with that if it came.