Was a Quinn Hughes deal to the Devils in place? We may never know, but a few things seem very odd to me.
On Saturday and Sunday a few things came out about this deal that will really make you scratch your head. Yes, the Canucks were in Jersey for yet another failed "Hughes" Bowl, but why would Quinn's gear be in Jack's car? Was he prepped for practice in NJ Saturday as a member of the Devils? I don't think it was in there for Jacky one arm to drive him to the airport. If that were the plan, how could they forget the tradesman's most important thing, his tools? An awkward confirmation of what seemed like an "oops maybe I shouldn't" Bill Guerin was given during the Wild broadcast yesterday.
The confession which was filled with more "um's" than the lyrics to the Little Drummer Boy, sure made Guerin seem reluctant and hesitant as he moulded his response.
In addition were the questions to Luke, that he was with Quinn when Quinn found out about the trade which he replied... "uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, he was not," (with an expression and tone equivalent of a wink).
Then when asked about whether Jack was with Quinn, "No me and Jack were hanging out".
So where was Quinn? Why was an NHL player lugging his own bag around on a road trip? Why did he put it in his brother's car? How did he put his equipment in his brother's car if he wasn't with him? How did he leave for the airport without his equipment? Sounds like he knew he was getting traded, but was still scrambling and in shock when said trade happened...
Did "Fitzy" have deal in place that fell through?
More chatter surfaced Sunday morning about the future of GM Tom Fitzgerald in NJ after his failure to secure the Devils most desired piece. Arthur Staple hit X with:
"Despite the W and the prospect of an actual win streak today vs. VAN, hearing some noise around Tom Fitzgerald last couple of days..."
This one sent the Fitzy haters, which there are many of, into a frenzy. However, Elliotte Friedman quickly doused those flames with a response of his own...
Did Dougie Hamilton and or Ondrej Palat block a trade, costing us Quinn? Palat has turned his compete back on as of late, perhaps in an effort to prove his worth. Struggy Hamilton however continues to underhwelm. Weak in front of the net, slow, can't handle pucks, doesn't shoot, the list goes on...
Do you think Fitzy should be fired?
I personally find injuries hard to blame on a GM or coach. With Jack in this season they're 12-4-1, with Pesce they're 8-1. How many teams could lose 3-4 of their most important players and still win on a nightly basis? The Devils, especially of late, are missing arguably six of their top ten players. In addition they've gotten sub par play in goal making it nearly impossible to get two points on any given night. With that said, I do believe it is time for Fitzgerald to prove he is worthy of this position beyond 2026. Even when healthy, there are massive holes on this roster that will prevent this team from taking the next step. Injuries and poor goaltending have really hindered his tenure as GM, but the excuses are getting tired. Time to get cookin' Fitz...