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Tom Fitzgerald's standing within New Jersey Devils appears strong

May 15, 2020, 11:09 AM ET [9 Comments]
Todd Cordell
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Tom Fitzgerald has done a lot of good as interim GM of the New Jersey Devils.

Rather than paying Blake Coleman handsomely well into his 30s, Fitzgerald decided to sell high at the trade deadline.

He was able to parlay ~1.5 seasons of Coleman into one of Tampa Bay's best prospects, Nolan Foote, and an additional 1st round pick. If the Devils hit on it, they'll theoretically flip 1.5 years of control into 10+. That's a win in my books.

While the Coleman trade was the headliner, Fitzgerald also did well flipping Andy Greene to arguably his biggest fan in Lou Lamoriello. That helped maximize the return.

On top of that, Fitzgerald landed a B-level prospect in Janne Kuokkanen for what currently stands as zero games of Sami Vatanen.

It appears Fitzgerald's work did not go unnoticed by the higher ups in the organization.



We'll comment on Point 1 and save the latter for another day.

I have no problem with Fitzgerald sticking around as GM. None.

He paid his dues for years while waiting for a shot. Then, in my opinion, he made the most of the opportunity when he did get it. I think he deserves to be rewarded.

With that said, I would like to see the Devils bring in reputable names to support Fitzgerald and help take some of the load off his shoulders.

Mike Gillis is a progressive mind with a solid track record. Rumor is he would rather his next job be as President of Hockey Ops than GM. I think he would be a good fit to work with Fitzgerald.

The Devils' track record in terms of drafting has been hit and miss over the last five years or so. Most notably, there have been some big misfires in the 1st round (Pavel Zacha at 6 in a historically good draft; Michael McLeod chosen a spot in front of Charlie McAvoy, etc.). They could use some help in that department.

It just so happens Mike Futa recently left LA's organization. He is highly regarded for his scouting prowess and the Kings have completely stocked their prospect cupboard over the last few years. He'd be a nice guy to have on board, starting with a draft where the team could have three top-20 picks.

Judd Bracket is another guy worth targeting. He's also regarded as a scouting guru and gets a lot of credit for Vancouver's recent draft success. He's had a falling out with GM Jim Benning, so to speak, and seems intent on going somewhere he'll be given the say he deserves. That could be New Jersey.

While the Devils aren't going anywhere without hiring a good head coach, and drastically improving the roster, they first need to get everything in place up top.

Pairing Tom Fitzgerald at GM with any of the other three - multiple, ideally - would be a great place to start.

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