After former Devils GM Ray Shero let John Hynes stay a few months too long, the beginning of the end of Hynes’ job security began to domino until the final two games. It was a whirlwind that Ray Shero appointed Peter Horachek to help improve the assistant coaching role while Alaine Nasreddine became the head coach. It was until one Sunday evening around 5:45pmET that Ray Shero and Devils owner Joshua Harris didn’t see eye-to-eye on team philosophy. It was announced that the two “parted ways”, but in subtle terms, Ray Shero was fired.
Over the years, Interim GM Tommy Fitzgerald has been linked to so many NHL teams like the Carolina Hurricanes and the Minnesota Wild came close to hiring him, but he’s not Ray Shero. What makes Tom Fitzgerald unique is that he flipped Andy Greene, an aging captain with a high cap-hit, to the New York Islanders where former GM Lou Lamoriello displayed high interest and gave up a 2021 second and David Quenneville.
The return for Andy Greene to me is far above what I though of for an AHL player and a fourth-round pick. That above cost basis knocked my socks off. However, another trade that wowed me was trading Blake Coleman for Nolan Foote and the Vancouver 2020 first conditional from Tampa Bay.
During April 9th, 2019 in my NHL Draft journal, I had Nolan Foote early as 20th overall and he slid back to Tampa Bay as a Kelowna Rocket. March 22nd, Nolan Foote was ranked 26th overall prior to my NHL Draft Lottery realignment mock draft on April 9th.
What I had written about Nolan Foote before the 2019 Draft Lottery in my notes is that the winger from Denver weighs in at 6’3, 187 pounds. Foote, 19-years-old, has a great snapshot from mid-high danger zone scoring. As well, he’s a great playmaker with above average speed and is a great puck carrier. He makes everyone around him more complete and has silky hands for both shooting and passing.
From what I have seen in Nolan’s development is that he’s become a faster skater playing with power, size, determination and his ability to think cleaner and clearer amongst his peers. Not only with those abilities he displays, but he’s become more of a shooter which is important going forward.
With interim GM Tom Fitzgerald, the Devils traded backstop Louis Domingue for Zane McIntyre (Utica Comets goalie) from Vancouver in a goalie swap which seems to benefit the Binghamton Devils (New Jersey Devils AHL affiliate). In four games played, Zane had a GAA of 0.75 and a 0.977 Sv%. If Tom Fitzgerald is around as full time GM, I see him buying out Schneider, paying him only $2 million per season on his contract.
McIntyre and Gilles Senn could be fighting to earn a spot on the Devils roster, meanwhile, the Devils should pursue Halak, Thomas Greiss and Robin Lehner in free agency. Tom Fitzgerald would also keep some or most of the upper brass from his days under GM Ray Shero. He may hire someone like Mike Gillis to do Hockey Ops and possibly promote Martin Brodeur from Hockey Ops to a higher-level position.
To perfectly predict or even theorize Fitzgerald brings a fresher and more progressive stance than his predecessor and idol, Ray Shero. Tom was interested in moving forward and adding younger talent and highly skilled players, but he will need to keep some big, gritty guys that can bully and protect his big guns. This is something Doug Armstrong did well at balancing while making a coaching change for the St. Louis Blues. Of course he did so en route to the organization winning Lord Stanley’s Cup. The coaching hire will be a major factor after a new GM has been named in New Jersey.