The New Jersey Devils are struggling more now than they have in the last several seasons. That might seem dramatic, but it’s true. And recently losing the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes certainly doesn’t help. It begs the question, is GM Tom Fitzgerald on the hot seat?
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski joined Devils Rink Report to assess Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald’s job security amid the team’s injury-plagued struggles, rating the heat level and pointing to the playoffs as the ultimate barometer.
“I mean, [his security], it’s probably like a six or a seven at this point,” Wyshynski said. “If the team doesn’t make the playoffs this season, there’s only so much plausible deniability you can have so far for the injuries that they’ve suffered.”
He gave Fitzgerald credit where due. The Devils sought depth scoring in the summer, and some of the buttons he pushed are working out.
“I think some of the things that Fitz took a lot of grief for have paid off better than maybe people give him credit for… The Connor Brown move, I love. I think that’s exactly the kind of guy that’s played in important games in the last two years that they should be looking for.”
However, it hasn’t completely solved the depth issues they’re currently facing.
“When this team is at full strength, there are still some holes in the lineup that are being filled in a ‘let’s hope this works out’ kind of way… I like Cody Glass as a player, but I don’t think that he’s a legit 3C on a championship contender… Do they need more scoring up front, even when Jack Hughes healthy? I think so.”
The root problem, Wyshynski stressed, is availability.
“The real issue for this team is it just can’t stay healthy. We don’t know what it looks like half the time, because we’ve not gotten a chance to see what it looks like at full strength.”
Timing of any potential change? Not mid-season.
“I have to imagine, if there’s any kind of change, it’ll probably happen in the offseason. I don’t think it’s going to be something that happens in-season. And again, whether or not they make the playoffs is going to be really contingent on him potentially keeping his gig.”
Ownership’s involvement adds another layer.
“When a general manager loses his job, it’s not because he’s being fired by anyone but the people above him… I don’t know this for sure, but where’s ownership’s head right now on this team? Every time I see Josh Harris, he’s hanging out at a football stadium in Washington. Like, how much time and attention and pressure is there right now to make a change at the top? I don’t know—that’s part of the equation, too.”
Wyshynski’s verdict: Fitzgerald’s seat is warm (6-7 out of 10), playoffs are the deciding factor, and any move likely waits until summer—unless ownership’s patience runs thinner than expected.
