Tom Fitzgerald is out of work, and that alone says plenty about how far things have gone off the rails in New Jersey.
The Devils moved on after another season that ended with nothing to show for it, and Fitzgerald is now paying the price for a run that never fully lived up to the talent on the roster. Since taking over in 2020, he has overseen five playoff misses in the last seven seasons. That’s a brutal return for a team with Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes down the middle.
Even the postseason trips that did happen didn’t amount to much. One of them, in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, was basically a matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes that felt over before it started.
Fitzgerald had been a good GM once, at least by the standard many around the league would have used. But things changed after the Devils lost in the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That defeat could have been pinned on the rest advantage Carolina had - five full days compared with just one for New Jersey after a seven-game battle with the New York Rangers - but instead Fitzgerald went all in on trying to catch the Hurricanes.
What followed was a roster churn that stripped away a lot of familiar names, including Damon Severson, Ryan Graves, Miles Wood, and Tomas Tatar.
The results kept sliding. Fitzgerald didn’t get enough back in the Tyler Toffoli deal, and the goalie situation helped sink the 2023-24 season.
When Jack Hughes got hurt in 2025, the Devils couldn’t find the right answer on the trade market and ended up wasting a playoff chance. Then there was the Quinn Hughes situation, which he also mishandled.
Still, Fitzgerald has always had a strong network around the league. He worked on Bill Guerin’s staff with Team USA and was widely viewed as Guerin’s right-hand man on the gold medal-winning team. That kind of connection usually keeps a front-office executive in the mix.
He was also reportedly a leading candidate for the Nashville Predators job, but Barry Trotz ended up pulling the rug out from under him before retiring.
Even with all that baggage, it’s a little surprising that Fitzgerald still doesn’t have a job. Detroit has an opening that could theoretically fit, but that looks unlikely. A consulting role would keep him around the game, though it would be a clear step down.
There are still a few paths that would keep him in hockey. Minnesota with Guerin would make sense.
So would a return to Boston, where multiple members of the front office have already moved on. Wherever Fitzgerald lands, it would be a shock if he ended up outside the sport altogether.
In Other News...
Luke Hughes Debate Just Took A Stunning Turn For Devils Fans
Luke Hughes first full season under his new deal has not been the smoothest ride for the Devils, and the scrutiny has come with it. The young defenseman has had stretches where the production and the defensive detail did not quite match the expectations attached to a $9 million contract, even as his speed and ability to help drive play still show up in the underlying numbers.
What makes the conversation more interesting for New Jersey is that the analytics case for Hughes has not cratered along with the criticism. His market value may actually sit a bit above his current salary, and there are signs he can still trend upward once his game settles in. The bigger issue for the Devils is not just Hughes finding another level, but the team cleaning up its own defensive-zone play so his strengths are not constantly being asked to cover for everyone else. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Weighing A Risky Scoring Gamble Fans Know Too Well
Sunny Mehtas first offseason running the Devils has already looked nothing like the Tom Fitzgerald era, with changes across the front office, coaching staff and roster and moves such as the trades of Jacob Markstrom and Simon Nemec. New Jersey has also added Anthony Mantha on a two-year deal, but the work is not done as the club keeps sorting through the remaining free-agent market with an eye on finding more scoring without sacrificing too much flexibility.
One name in that mix is Patrik Laine, though the Devils are approaching him with caution because any contract would hinge on what he shows in a workout. The question is whether he can still drive the puck the way he once did, after his shot speed dipped last season, and whether that is enough for New Jersey to justify a bonus-heavy offer rather than a more ordinary commitment. [Read more 🡒]