The Minnesota Wild leapt out of nowhere to acquire star defenseman Quinn Hughes in a blockbuster deal that left everyone at a loss for words. However, there was an undercurrent that a failed participation in the Hughes sweepstakes would bear adverse repercussions for the New Jersey Devils, and it did.
New Jersey Devils Management Feeling the Heat After Unsuccessful Quinn Hughes Pursuit
After the defenseman’s unambiguous expression of interest in playing with brothers Jack and Luke in New Jersey, the community was puzzled to see that it was the Wild that had the last laugh. Minnesota was not even named as one of the teams interested in Hughes when discussions regarding the elite blueliner’s future were at their most fervent, further increasing confusion.
It goes without saying that Devils GM, Tom Fitzgerald, has faced the ire of the community for missing out on a defenseman of Hughes’ stature. As the team struggles to regain its composure, currently dealing with a four-game losing streak, insider Elliotte Friedman has spoken up on the subject of how the Devils continue to face the aftermath of the Hughes fiasco.
“For the Devils, it is very clear to me that the whole Quinn Hughes situation just damaged their internal workings. Business got out, no trade clauses used, things like that,” Friedman stated in a recent episode of the “32 Thoughts” podcast, as shared by the NHL Rumour Report.
Friedman further highlighted the awkward state of flux in which the Devils currently find themselves. “And I don’t know how you fix that. I mean, I kind of look at it like its business, and you have to put it behind you. But the Devils right now have moved into a team that’s kind of like, ‘we are waiting for something to happen.’”
The Devils are in a bad spot standings-wise as well, and everyone is waiting for some magic to happen. The team started on a high note this season, but soon took a turn for the worse and has since then steadily dropped several ranks. Amid it all, Fitzgerald remains a contentious figure. In a recent interaction between Jeff Marek and former Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Brian Burke, Burke urged Fitzgerald to introspect to solve some pressing issues affecting the team.
“It’s a cumulative thing. He has gone through a couple of coaches, so at some point, you run out of coaching changes. At some point, you have to look in the mirror. At some point, the ownership is going to look at Fitzy and say, ‘You have one chance to fix this. Try and make something happen,” Burke noted that it is not just the Hughes issue that has plagued the team, but a combination of several problems.
The Devils have fallen into a slump, and the team must act together to overcome it, paving the way for a comeback sooner rather than later.