GM Fitzgerald out as Devils eye 'new direction'

Tom Fitzgerald is out as the New Jersey Devils' general manager, the team announced Monday.

"Tom and I had a thoughtful conversation today and agreed it was time to move in a new direction," Devils co-owner David Blitzer said in a statement. "Tom changed the trajectory of our team here, including setting a franchise record for points in a season and helping make New Jersey a hockey destination. He is a well-respected leader across the Devils' organization and NHL, and I am grateful for our friendship. I wish Tom and his family all the best. As we prepare to move forward, it is important I acknowledge our fans.

"I recognize we have not delivered in the way you expect and deserve and I understand and share in your frustration. This is a critical offseason for our franchise, and we will explore all avenues that best position the Devils to compete for a Stanley Cup once again."

Although the Devils (40-34-3) entered Monday still mathematically eligible for the playoffs, they were seven points out of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot with five games left.

"After talking with David Blitzer, it was apparent to everyone that the best course of action is to move on for the benefit of the team," Fitzgerald said in a statement. "I am incredibly appreciative to David, Josh Harris, and the entire New Jersey Devils organization for being a part of my life for the past decade. The Devils are fortunate to have a core of great players, vocal and passionate fans, but most importantly, tremendous people who worked with me toward a common goal. I've always said that New Jersey is a hidden gem and I'm proud of the effort that we put in to raise the standard and make it a destination.

"I look forward to the next step in my hockey career and will always look back fondly on my time with the Devils."

Fitzgerald, who was hired as an assistant GM at the start of the 2015-16 season, was named interim GM in January 2020 after Ray Shero was fired and was promoted to the full-time role later that summer. As a first-time GM, he was charged with trying to build the franchise back into a long-term winner with talents like captain Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, among others.

New Jersey had missed the playoffs for four straight seasons until the 2022-23 campaign when the club began to tap into its promise and Fitzgerald made the trade that landed star forward Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks.

That season would see the Devils advance to the second round, where they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.

Seeing one of the NHL's most promising rosters advance to the second round created the belief that the Devils were potentially ready to establish themselves as a perennial playoff team that could someday win a title.

However, they would miss the playoffs in the 2023-24 season and would eventually move on from head coach Lindy Ruff. Fitzgerald promoted assistant and former Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green as the team's interim coach before hiring former Toronto Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe as New Jersey's coach.

Fitzgerald received a multiyear extension in 2024 and received the additional title of president of hockey operations.

Keefe guided the Devils to an 8-1 start this season, and they were 16-7-1 after Thanksgiving. The Devils, however, were impacted by losing Hughes to a freak hand injury in mid-November that kept him out for 18 games.

Missing Hughes was only the beginning, with the Devils losing five straight to end November and begin December. It was the first of four separate four-game losing streaks that made it difficult for them to attain consistency in a challenging Eastern Conference landscape.

Whomever the Devils hire to replace Fitzgerald will oversee a roster that is projected to have $12.18 million in projected in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia.

The Devils have 12 players under contract who have more than two years remaining on their current deals.