NJ will conduct thorough GM/Management Team and Head Coaching search

Ever since the New Jersey Devils somewhat shockingly parted ways with General Manager Ray Shero and promoted Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald to Interim General Manager, team chairman Joshua Harris said the team will conduct a search for his successor in the coming weeks or months. Yes, Tom Fitzgerald is definitely part of the process and is still a strong contender, maybe even the heavy favorite. Legendary former Devils goalie Marty Brodeur was also brought on from the business side to the hockey operations to help advise Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was given the keys to run the trade deadline for the team and it was evident back in January that they were going to be sellers based on where they were in the standings and that making the playoffs was not going to be in the cards.

His first trade was a very significant one by sending team captain Andy Greene across the river to the New York Islanders for a 2nd round pick in the 2021 draft and defensive prospect David Quenneville, brother of former Devils center John Quenneville, who was traded to Chicago in the Summer. He is not projected to be in the NHL anytime soon, but they got a 2nd rounder for a soon to be 38 year old defender and unrestricted free agent. Hours later, he made another significant deal shipping fan favorite Blake Coleman to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for top prospect Nolan Foote (TB's 1st round pick in 2019) and Vancouver's 1st round pick they acquired in the JT Miller deal. That pick is conditional if the Canucks miss the playoffs would transfer to 2021. NJ could potentially have 3 first round picks this year. Foote is the younger son of former Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote and brother of Lightning prospect Callen Foote. Nolan Foote is expected to compete for a roster spot next season.

At the deadline, he shipped Wayne Simmonds to Buffalo and Sami Vatanen to Carolina along with Louis Domingue to Vancouver. Simmonds brought back a conditional 5th round pick which can turn into a 4th in 2021 if he plays 10 games and the Sabres make the playoffs. Vatanen cost Carolina prospect Janne Kuokkanen, defenseman Frederick Claesson and a conditional 4th round pick, which can end up in no pick if Vatanen doesn't play in X amount of games. All 3 players traded are pending unrestricted free agents.

Now the question is, with the job Fitzgerald did, does he deserve the full-time role and remove the Interim tag? 

In my opinion, I think Fitzgerald did a phenomenal job by accumulating assets, he can use this Summer to acquire potential NHL help for next season. However, Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada reported that the Devils interviewed former Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis for the GM position. This does not mean anything until a final decision is made. It simply means that the team will conduct a thorough search and hire the best possible person for the job. If they feel Fitzgerald is the best guy for the job, then he will get it thru a process. Fitz was the runner up in 2018 to Paul Fenton for the Wild GM job and again this past Summer when Fenton was fired after 1 season, but it ended up going to Pens Assistant GM Bill Guerin.

There is talk in league and media circles about a possibility that Gillis could get hired as President of Hockey Operations and would hand pick his GM like a Laurence Gilman, who is now the Assistant GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. NJ cannot interview Gilman until the Leafs season is over and if they are granted permission. Friedman noted that they are expected to interview more candidates until the regular season is over and possibly well into the off-season. But make no mistake, Fitzgerald is still a serious contender for the job. Brodeur is not interested in the GM job, but possibly a President of Hockey Operations position.

What does the future hold for Interim Head Coach Alain Nasreddine? 

Nasreddine's future with the Devils is not as certain as Tom Fitzgerald's. He will definitely be given consideration for the full-time role no matter who the GM or Management Team will be, but many feel it is better for the Devils to move into a different direction. Even if Fitzgerald is the GM and he plans on building around Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes along with MacKenzie Blackwood in goal, Nas is still unlikely to get the full-time job. Simply put, there are better suitors for the job.

What does it mean for the Devils draft and off-season plans? 

So, this is the question if Fitzgerald is not the full-time guy. A new Management team will definitely try to revamp the scouting department, but that is usually done after the draft like Ray Shero did in 2015 when he replaced David Conte with Paul Castron. If Fitzgerald remains the GM, Castron is more likely to stay. In terms of the off-season, NJ will have about $28 Million in cap space, so that will have to be smartly used.