On the next GM... Interim general manager Tom Fitzgerald did some good work leading up to the trade deadline. Great work, even.
He was able to parlay 37-year-old Andy Greene, on an expiring contract no less, and 1.25 seasons of Blake Coleman into power forward Nolan Foote, a 1st round pick, and a 2nd round pick.
Say what you want about the other deals – I do like that Fitzgerald pried Janne Kuokkanen from Carolina in the Sami Vatanen trade – but getting an A-level prospect (not A+, but A) and two high picks for Greene and Coleman is outstanding business. It just is.
Greene is a one-way depth defender and Coleman, as much as I love him, is on pace for 40 points in what could very well be his career season.
Fitzgerald rightfully garnered a lot of praise for those moves, which many assumed would earn him the full-time GM position. Not so fast.
While that could still prove to be the case, Fitzgerald is going to have some competition. The Devils are going to go through a search, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
7. In most situations, Tom Fitzgerald’s deadline work in New Jersey would earn him the permanent GM job. This is not “most situations.… Fitzgerald’s been told he is a legitimate contender, but the Devils will go through their search. Most interesting early development: I heard one individual was told he “doesn’t have the skillset… the organization is looking for. With that in mind, it’s not a surprise that former Vancouver GM Mike Gillis was among the first interviewees (if not the first). New Jersey is only talking to untethered candidates until those under contract are available later.8. If Fitzgerald is not the long-term choice in Newark, he’ll be a serious candidate for other openings.
I would presume the “doesn’t have the skillset… tidbit pertains to the Devils wanting somebody very friendly with numbers, and making analytically inclined decisions, but that’s not based on anything I’ve heard.
At any rate, I have no problem with the Devils interviewing other candidates. That doesn’t mean I’m against hiring Fitzgerald full-time; far from it. He seems like a sharp guy and the early returns on his work are promising. I just don’t see much downside to exploring all options.
When a team interviews a GM candidate, they generally want to know a) what their philosophies are; b) which players they plan to build around; c) which players they don’t and; d) how they’re going to go about it.
I think gathering all that info from numerous sources is valuable. You can get more insight into how certain players are viewed. You can gather ideas about the different paths that can be taken to building this team back up. It’s good.
And if the team doesn’t absolutely love what it hears from an external candidate, they can confidently stick with Fitzgerald. There is no harm in talking to others.
On the rising cap... One thing that’s crystal clear: Fitzgerald, or anybody else running the team, is going to have a lot of cap space to work with moving forward. Emphasis on a lot.
Word came out on Wednesday that next season’s salary cap is expected to be between $84 million and $88.2M.
On the low end, the Devils would have more than $27M in space with Jesper Bratt and Mackenzie Blackwood being the only notables in need of new contracts.
After that, we’re talking guys like Mirco Mueller and Kevin Rooney. I’m not sure they’re coming back, and if they are...they’ll be cheap.
If we’re looking at a $88.2M cap, the Devils will have $31.2M in space. Craziness!
That doesn’t mean the team should go on a spending spree in free agency. That said, there is nothing wrong with adding a couple useful players that won’t command massive term (a guy like Mikael Granlund, for example).
They’ll also have plenty of space to attack a cap strapped team, be it via offer sheet or the trade route.
This could be a fun off-season.
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