{"id":408011,"date":"2026-01-14T23:01:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T23:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/408011\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T23:01:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T23:01:14","slug":"devils-gm-tom-fitzgerald-speaks-to-local-media-the-hockey-writers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/408011\/","title":{"rendered":"Devils’ GM Tom Fitzgerald Speaks to Local Media – The Hockey Writers –"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Wednesday morning, New Jersey Devils<\/a>\u2018 general manager Tom Fitzgerald spoke to the local media for the first time since the opening day of Training Camp. It was a great chance to gain insight into the struggles of the team, who currently sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division, just two points ahead of the last place New York Rangers.<\/p>\n

After various requests from local media over the past few months had gone unfulfilled, he immediately made it clear that he was not intentionally avoiding media, as many have alluded to. He added that some teams have general managers who speak regularly, and some don\u2019t, which is just how he typically chooses to go about things.<\/p>\n

Related: <\/a>Reporter Reveals Why the Maple Leafs Didn\u2019t Acquire Flames\u2019 Rasmus Andersson<\/a><\/p>\n

Here is a transcription of the most important tidbits from the presser:<\/p>\n

On frustration from fans and why they should trust him and his plan: \u201cIt\u2019s a great question, and a question I know a lot of people probably want to know, but I\u2019m very confident in where I\u2019ve taken this team to and how we built through the core and added the pieces that we wanted to add to become a contender every year. The passion I have for New Jersey, the Devils\u2019 ownership and more importantly fans, I love this. I love New Jersey. It\u2019s my it\u2019s been my home for the past 10, 11 years. I do think I can be the one to help move this organization forward. And the goal has never changed to be a Stanley Cup champion, and that\u2019s not going to change, and I believe I can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

On not getting any deals done thus far: \u201cAnother good question. It takes two to tango in trying to find the right deals to help add to this team. You know, again, there\u2019s no excuses. But every team feels they can make the playoffs, and every team wants to see where they\u2019re going to, where they\u2019re at. Where do they go? Do they continue to rise? Do they fall before they want to make personnel decisions and sell off? So [I\u2019m] trying to be patient there \u2026 I believe in this group, and for the fans, I know how passionate they are, and I know how desperate they want a champion, and I\u2019m trying to continue to do what I was set out to do, and that\u2019s to build a contender.\u201c<\/p>\n

\"TomTom Fitzgerald, New Jersey Devils (Josh Reinitz \/ The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

On plans to add: \u201cI\u2019d like to add up front. Continue to give more depth.\u201c<\/p>\n

On frequency of contact with ownership\/concerns about job security: \u201cI don\u2019t worry about that. Like Life\u2019s too short to worry about things like that. I\u2019ve been Listen, sitting in this position is a privilege, and I\u2019ve never taken that for granted. I\u2019m constantly in communication with ownership, my CEO, Tad Brown, Bob, Myers, we all work together \u2026 We\u2019re all trying to find solutions, and we\u2019re all pulling the same way.\u201c<\/p>\n

On Jacob Markstrom contract<\/a>: \u201cI don\u2019t think I rushed into it. I it was something I\u2019ve talked about with him and his agent since the day I traded for him. When I traded for him, the goal was to extend him, and that\u2019s that never changed. When you go back and look at Mark, he\u2019d be the first to tell you about his ups and downs this year, but when you go back and evaluate him at that point, you look at his playoffs and how well he played in the Carolina series, and felt he gives us a chance to win every game \u2026 And I just felt working with Jake Allen, the tandem they had, gave us the best opportunity to win hockey games.\u201d<\/p>\n

On if the number of no move clauses hampered his ability to make any moves: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

On head coach Sheldon Keefe\u2019s job security: \u201cWe are in lockstep.\u201c<\/p>\n

On the validity of the reports that the Devils couldn\u2019t clear the space needed to acquire Quinn Hughes: \u201cNo, not true.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

On team\u2019s struggles when Jack Hughes is absent from the lineup: \u201cYou can\u2019t replace Jack. It doesn\u2019t matter.\u201c<\/p>\n

On how the team \u2014 who is 24-32-2 without Hughes since 2023-24, could better prepare for his absences: \u201cI think it\u2019s playing differently. It\u2019s playing above pucks, you know, clearing out in front of our net. Be okay with winning 2-1, you know, lower score games \u2026 You can still win games by playing the proper way.\u201c<\/p>\n

On if\/how the Quinn situation impacted the locker room: \u201cI would have to say, of course it affected people. You know, \u2018Does my phone ring and it\u2019s Tom Fitzgerald, you know?\u2019 And you live on pins and knees a little bit. That\u2019s, I think, natural and human.\u201c<\/p>\n

On bottom-six: \u201cWhen we set out to do this, adding a Connor Brown and [Evgenii] Dadonov, and you felt that they were going to be able to add some pop, along with [Stefan] Noesen and [Paul] Cotter kind of playing the same type of hockey they played for us last year, production wise. And felt that we had added, enough. We added a 20-goal scorer Dadonov. I really want to see this team where it\u2019s at healthy \u2026 You know, when Dadonov\u2019s on your fourth line, it gives you more depth, right? And it gives you a deeper roster. So you got to see where this goes, because this was our vision from the start. \u2026 So that\u2019s what excites me moving forward, like I do think what we saw the other night wasn\u2019t afflicted. I think you know, when we put our mindset mind together and commit to playing away from the puck, offense seems to generate more.\u201d<\/p>\n

On belief in the core: \u201cI believe in the core. We as an organization believe in this core. We\u2019ve seen them at the top of their game, and we all like it.\u201c<\/p>\n

On a report that Hamilton wouldn\u2019t waive his no-movement clause<\/a> to go to San Jose: \u201cI can\u2019t comment on that situation. I don\u2019t really want to go there, because Dougie is here. He played really well the other night.\u201c<\/p>\n

On if Keefe is running a different system than he is in Toronto: \u201cI\u2019m not really sure if it\u2019s exact, because a lot of teams now are switching to man-on-man after lost face-offs. I would have to go back and check actually to see exactly what changed. If I had to guess, he\u2019s continuing to evolve his system and where it can get better to make these small, subtle adjustments, but overall, I would guess it\u2019s very similar.\u201d<\/p>\n

On if the team has moved away from what made them successful in 2022-23: \u201cWhat made us successful in 22-23 was how good we were off the rush, right? We were very good rush team, a very quick strike type of team, and that\u2019s still how we want to play. But the reality is other teams don\u2019t want to get into these track meets, we call them, so they know when they play us, if they get into a track meet, it\u2019s probably not going to look good [when] they\u2019re committed to playing on top of the puck and on top of our guys to limit those. And now it\u2019s how we adjust. You know, are we comfortable in those uncomfortable situations, grinding it out down low and having to chip pucks in at certain times? So that\u2019s development and growth. How does an individual take on something that may be a little bit less comfortable than they\u2019re used to \u2026 I love watching our team play off the rush, but when it\u2019s not there, how do we win? We gotta find a different way.\u201c<\/p>\n

\"JesperJesper Bratt, John Marino, Ryan Graves, and Tomas Tatar celebrate a Game 7 playoff goal for the 2022-23 New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr<\/a>\/The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

On if there\u2019s anything he attributes to the lack of production from core players (Timo Meier, Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt\u2019s numbers are all down offensively from last season): \u201cI really don\u2019t. I really don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

On if there\u2019s any question that playoffs are still the goal: \u201cOh, f*** yeah. Listen, I don\u2019t even look at standings, but I know that we\u2019re, we\u2019re one streak away from being where we were at the start, where we really liked what we had and thought we were. We\u2019re a good team.\u201d<\/p>\n

On if a run doesn\u2019t follow, how does he work his way out of this: \u201cI\u2019m just going day to day here. Today\u2019s a new day. I want to build on the lasy day \u2026 When it comes to getting out of something, you take it one day at a time, and that\u2019s all we\u2019re doing here as a group.\u201d<\/p>\n

On if an Arseny Gritsyuk extension is something he plans on visiting: \u201cYeah, we do plan on that \u2026 When a player like that comes in, and you feel he can pop and he can tell you he can still be better, you feel very lucky.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the plan for Lenni Hameenaho: \u201cWe feel very fortunate. He\u2019s a dip your toe in the pool kind of player. Got to get a little comfortable to feel better about his game. And we\u2019ve actually talked about bringing him up, even just to practice with us so he\u2019s comfortable here. It\u2019s a meritocracy and he\u2019s playing well and we want to give him an opportunity. But we want to make sure he feels very comfortable in a situation that we can get the best out of him at that time.\u201d<\/p>\n

On struggles in Utica over past couple seasons: \u201cWhen it comes to our American League, I don\u2019t look at winning a Calder Cup as a barometer of success. When I look at their daily numbers and see where they\u2019ve been at and how much better they\u2019re getting, their production and their underlying numbers have been really good. Wins should follow, and I think we\u2019re seeing that right now, but you\u2019re right to start: It wasn\u2019t good enough. And you know, it hasn\u2019t hindered player development.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the large cap hits of Hamilton, Markstrom and Ondrej Palat<\/a>, coupled with restrictive clauses: \u201cWell at that time, that was what the numbers were negotiating with their agents and other teams helped them set that market.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further confirmation on whether he would have been able to move money to make a Quinn Hughes deal work: \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n

On passionate fanbase: \u201cI keep myself accountable to the fans and I know that they\u2019re unhappy right now. They\u2019re a passionate fanbase. And that\u2019s what I love about being here, because of that fanbase and what their expectations are. So, we\u2019re working to find ways to improve our team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quick Analysis<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, all fans want are results. The Devils have won just one single playoff series since 2012-13 and are rightfully frustrated. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a huge failure that the 2025-26 Devils are in this position after winning a franchise record 52 games in 2022-23. These next few weeks leading up to the Olympic break will be very interesting to see if they can shake things up and get back on track.<\/p>\n

While the roster, as constructed, may not be championship-caliber, they are certainly better than they\u2019ve played as of late. What are your thoughts? <\/p>\n

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