The roar has been intensifying for years. "Fire Fitzy" has been a wagon that some fans were hesitant to board at first, however at this point there's fans hanging from the sides, standing on the roof and a few more chasing it down the road in desperation. Has the time come? Several media outlets have been floating the idea that the charter home from Thursday night's game in Pittsburgh may have a few extra seats if a W isn't also on board with the team.
This is the third straight season that the Devils have come out of the gates as a favorite to compete for the Metro, and more importantly the Stanley Cup. They haven't come close. Injuries, lack of physicality, low confidence, no confidence, underachieving stars, anemic offense, nothing from the bottom six, absolutely zero help from the GM, no consistency in net, the list goes on. The biggest fail for Fitz has been the poor roster construction. Every season it seems good on paper going in, but when it falters Fitz sits, and watches as it crumbles.
Perhaps the biggest snafu is how Tom Fitzgerald has continued to drag his feet on the Dougie Hamilton issue. This is a player that should've been shipped out last deadline, he didn't do it. This is a player that should've been shipped out this summer, he didn't do it. This is a player that absolutely needs to be shipped out NOW, he will not do it. At this point, he probably won't even be able to. Fitzgerald has held onto Hamilton for so long, that making the rapidly depreciating asset disappear from New Jersey would be a tall task even for Tony Soprano. Between his limited 10 team trade list, absolutely awful play and $9m cap hit, what can you really do with Hamilton? Hamilton needs to be told he can accept a trade or be a scratch for the remainder of his Devils career here until a summer buy out.
The same should be said for Ondrej Palat. Pa-lease move this guy who right now only gives pa-little to this roster. His -5 rating in just 9:39 of ice time on Tuesday, is laughable and needs to be the last straw.
It's time to shed the country club way of hockey in NJ. Too many passengers get on this bus every single day, knowing their seat is there for them. That needs to change. Yes, these are (most likely) friends of the guys we would like to keep and keep happy, teammates that have shared special moments with over the years, but that's in the past. The players would have no one to blame here if friends were treated poorly but themselves. And guess what!? If anyone else doesn't like it, they can waive their NTC(becuase we know Fitz gave them one too) and kick rocks. There isn't a single player in that room that should NOT be open for trade if the right deal comes. Just a few months ago there would have a list of guys that were untouchable, however they've proved something to us all these past few weeks especially, they're not winning anything with this current group.
With that said, there are 14 no move/trade clauses handed out almost entirely by Fitz, that make any moves a tall task. Fitzgerald has handcuffed himself and lost the key. This is where Sheldon Keefe may become the sacrificial lamb. Something has to change, and the roster is stuck in the mud. If it can't be key players, and if it's not the GM, then who?
Sheldon Keefe has done the best he can with what he's been given thus far. His failures, of which we shouldn't even call "his", have many acceptable excuses attached to them. Keefe has either been bombarded with injuries, bad goaltending, or poor roster construction. He hasn't got a fair shake yet in his two seasons as Devils HC, but life and especially hockey, are not fair. I assure you this, if Keefe is gone, he will be coaching in the NHL by next September, or even sooner. (If he is fired, and doesn't get a job by next season, save this as a coupon and I will buy you one free beer pregame at Redd's or American Whiskey next season.)
So will tonight in Pittsburgh be it? Or will the Devils show up and take two points? Or, the more likely scenario where they lose and no changes are made?
Keep the intensity going in the comments.