The New Jersey Devils are expected to sign general manager Tom Fitzgerald to a multiyear extension and added President of Hockey Operations to his list of roles. Fitzgerald has been with the Devils since the summer of 2015 when he joined the club as an assistant general manager. He served in the role for five years, ultimately taking over for general manager Ray Shero when he was fired from the club in January 2020. Fitzgerald was granted the full general manager title that summer and has since built one of the league’s premiere squads, serving a key role in the blockbuster trade for Timo Meier, Dougie Hamilton’s seven-year contract, and the drafting of top defensive prospects Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec.
New Jersey is a fantastic team on paper, though injuries have significantly limited their ability to reach their ceiling. In fact, the Devils are currently outside of the playoff picture, currently sitting two points behind the Eastern Conference’s second wild card – though they do have two games in hand. Their season has been marked by heavy limitations to all of their top names – with Hamilton currently out indefinitely, Meier and Jack Hughes both missing 13 games and Nico Hischier missing 11. The team hasn’t been able to match the production that these top-line players bring, as only two Devils currently have 30 or more points through the team’s first 45 games.
But despite the struggles, New Jersey is opting to stick with their top brass, extending both head coach Lindy Ruff and now GM Fitzgerald. They will hope the duo can command the Devils’ roster back to the Stanley Cup hopes they entered the season with, once they’re able to get healthy.
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