General Manager Tom Fitzgerald Let The New Jersey Devils Fans Down With What Was Done On Trade Deadline Day. With Suffering Devastating Losses to Star center Jack Hughes, Defenseman Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler the NJ Devils needed help and had the cap space and assets to get that help leading into the NHL trade deadline and their general manager didn’t help them out as expected.
He acquired Defenseman Brian Dumoulin, And forwards Cody Glass and Daniel Sprong. Did Fitzgerald do enough to help the Devils in a playoff push?
#njdevils #tomfitzgerald #nhltradedeadline
@New Jersey Devils
26 Comments
I didn't expect Fitzgerald to get big name players. What he did at this year's trade deadline was expected by me.
Also, the Devils were in on Brayden Schenn (sp?), but the Devils didn't like the assets St. Louis was asking for.
I knew it was unlikely that Fitz would be able to land any "big fish" in a trade since NJ simply didn't have the assets to acquire them without severely overpaying with what little they had. So I'm not bothered by him not giving away assets that could be used later when he's not dealing with a lopsided sellers' market. He can get a lot more at the draft trading with teams that are no longer in a playoff push. What aggravated me was the fact that it's not likely that NJ goes deep in the playoffs, so why spend anything at all for rentals? Unless he plans to sign these guys in the offseason as cheap replacements for current players leaving via free agency, what was the point? The point was only to make some fans happy that he did ANYTHING, which isn't going to satisfy anyone. Maybe guys like Glass, Spring, and Dumoulin end up playing well in this system and earn an extension or motivate others to step up their game. But considering the Devils just weren't in a realistic hunt for any stand out players, I'd have rather seen AHLers brought up and assets held onto and make the trades later to fill the gaps.
Disheartening. Fitz sat on his hands again.
Fitz seems to not have the pulse of who’s available come the deadline. Zetterlund would have been a good addition. Picking up Granlund earlier would have been a good addition. You have to wonder if Fitz didn’t over-value Nemec and traded him earlier for a decent winger when teams were calling, would Jack be on IR right now? Two seasons of doing too little, too late. #FireFitz
It took a dozen years to get a roster as good as we had in September and when we needed help from above to pull the team out of the frying pan, Fitz made highly questionable trade deadline moves. Several hockey commentators are ripping him up. We have 18 games left and we are 4 points ahead of the Jackets and Rags – both of which have more games left. I keep wondering if Sharangovich would have made a difference this year. If we could get Fabian Zetterlund back for next year I'd go for it.
I am officially done with Fitzgerald. This team needs a new direction. He sat on his hands for the last 2 months when it was clear a middle tier center and bottom six winger was obtainable. NJ was involved with every player and signed none of them. The assets used to acquire Dumoulin should've been used for Donato.
I am upset about these moves. Tom do something in the summer or else..
Also with two defensive players out and Hughes
Give these guys a chance
It's really hard to convince me the team owners really want to win and haven't raised the white flag on this season when you have LTIR 13 plus milly in your pocket and do nothing. The 6-1 loss to the Jets tells you how the players feel.
I am dead inside. Nothing happened for 2 months while the team skid and, for the second year in a row, Fitz made it sound like he just didn't have the assets it took to make a deal. They had 3 second round picks! I don't know what is more egregious, the inaction or the excuses. Those second round picks have what chance to even get to the NHL? In fact, I hope Fitz trades all the draft capital because he and his crew have done AWFUL at the draft outside of the slam dunk players. Nemec instead of Cooley is now the latest pick that looking like a real dud move. Just like Holtz we got pundits saying people don't like Nemec's effort. What the hell is going on with player development? This is the second or third top 10 pick that is now a complete dud. This team is killing me.
It's all about money for the owners they don't give a shit about this team or winning. They need to send the few stars we have to other teams that want to win the cup because it will never be won in nj with fitz and this ownership..
as a caps fan i had you winning the metro in preseason, hocky is a strange beast , mayby your team rallies knowing its on them now. i dont want you and that goaltender in the first round i rather see you and caralina. plus it was pricey to get players this deadline caps gave a 2nd in their trade and a lot of youtube experts laugh at us, i love it beauvilla fits well plus we keep our tight team together ans may have ryan leonard just before playoffs. caps did all the trading last deadline and summer and these guys played a whole season together vs what just happened at this deadline ,20 games to learn each other and play as a team is tough, next year the big traders will be forminable but not this year, i think you hold off wildcard teams and finish 3rd, i bet markstrom is the reason it happens. side note Daniel Sprong(former cap) can go off on scoring i hope he gets a chance.
Fitz also said he tried to get the player he wanted but he was moved to another team. But I’d like to know what the couch GMs would have done? ……
Do you know what I actually feel sorry for Tom Fitzgerald‘s losing your best player just a couple of days before the
Deadline was actually worse than anything that he did during trade deadline day fancies to stop overreacting. He’s done way more than good.
Don’t forget that a top 6 center is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
With the ice time he’s been getting, it looked like Nemec was being showcased. If Lou were still here he’d already be gone. After the Winnipeg debacle he needs to be sent back down and replaced by Casey.
Devils will be out of a playoff spot within 2 weeks 😢
Fire Fitz and take Sheldon Keefe with you
The worst part is literally every player he traded for are bottom barrel UFA's that shouldn't be signed to any deal. He basically gave away assets for nothing, and none of the players brought in are going to help us win.
Fire fitzy!!!
Deflated is the perfect word for the trade deadline lack of action. The $10 million available salary cap was never going to be touched by the owners…they even traded assets to get a trade with Anaheim retaining 50% of a dirt cheap salary.
When the Devils miss the playoffs this season, Fitz better be fired before they pull the plug on the ice rink to let it melt.
I’m heard it’s ownership that didn’t wanna spend the money with the LTIR
“The future is bright “ to all these people we basically been in a rebuild for the last 10 yrs
This was tough to watch after seeing what unfolded at the deadline. Dumoulin is pretty much Seigs replacement until season/playoffs end. He will probably will go to free agency since Dillon and Siegs are both left-handed stay-at-home d-man. Plus add Pesce and Kovacevic, I feel they got too many stay-at-home d-man now. I also hope Nemec and Casey get a chance to play a number of games for further evaluation. Does Glass really fill the void left by McLeod now? Mercer now seems he has to play center for the remainder of the season/playoffs although I think he fares better playing at RW. Hopefully, something major happens in the off-season. The depth chart can definitely be mended in the offseason, and I still believe this team can contend for a cup in the upcoming years ahead.
I'm not calling for Fitz's job. But I'm not defending him anymore.
My heart's been ripped out of my chest. Back in late December after a win over the Hurricane's I commented on this channel about how this team was "so for real". I and every other Devils fan was completely fooled. I don't know what to think at this point. Fitz doesn't draft well at all. Keefe is not a disciplinarian. Jack breaks like glass. Nico (and I hate myself for this) is not a team captain. And Timo is overpaid and overrated like so many members of the rest of the team. And ownership really just doesn't know hockey. I'm not sure there's a way out of this. So frustrating.
#FireFitz