Tom Fitzgerald Has Devils Positioned Well For Years To Come

The New Jersey Devils continue to make themselves a Stanley Cup Contender. Even though Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald did not win the GM of the Year award, he continues to make smart hockey trades to help the Devils win now. Not to mention, he is getting the players to sign long-term inside a salary hierarchy.

And let us not forget the hockey trades Fitzgerald has made to go along with some of the free-agent signings as well. Ever since taking over for Ray Shero, Fitzgerald has been cleaning up a mess as he was positioning the Devils behind the scenes to be a contender for many years to come.

Look at some of the players he brought in along the way from Dougie Hamilton, John Marino, Jonas Seigenthaler, Ryan Graves (who left via free agency), Tyler Toffoli, Erik Haula, Timo Meier, Ondrej Palat and Vitek Vanecek. Some of these players he acquired practically for nothing. And he is still not done.

One thing you need to know about Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald is that he always wants to improve areas of strength. In his eyes, having depth players is a good thing. Whether it be for injury or to give a player a night or just a different look. Depth is a good thing. Just look at teams that have recently won the Stanley Cup. Vegas and Tampa Bay had loads of depth. That is how championship teams are built these days.

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Fitzgerald is surrounding his young players (Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt) with the right group of veterans that want to play in New Jersey. And that is a huge thing now. Players want to sign and play in New Jersey. There was stigma unfair or not, players did not want to play in New Jersey and for the Devils. However, that reputation is changing.

Timo Meier told his agent Claude Lemieux during the negotiation process before signing his new eight-year contract, that he wanted to be in New Jersey long-term. He also indicated after signing that New Jersey was the place he wanted to win a Stanley Cup.

That says something for a player that was acquired only in March. But Fitzgerald is building a winning culture in New Jersey as players want to be there now. That says something for a franchise that could not close the deal for many years.

The Devils hope to build on the success of last season, where they made the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was the first time the Devils made the playoffs since 2018. In addition, it was the first time the Devils made it to the second round since 2012. The pieces are in place for the Devils to be successful for a long time.

“It is a good day to be a fan of the New Jersey Devils, executive vice-president of hockey operations Martin Brodeur told Full Press Hockey during the 2023 NHL Draft. “The future is now and the window is open. And open for the foreseeable future.”

That is a bold statement from the Hall of Fame goaltender that led the Devils to three Stanley Cup Championships and five final appearances. However, it is not that bold considering the progression of this young Devils team over the years.

There was a lot of progress through pain. However, that pain and growth experience has this Devils team positioned to be a Stanley Cup contender for a long time. Just imagine if they get a true number-one goalie like John Gibson or Connor Hellebuyck. Not to say their current duo of Akira Schmid and Vanecek is bad, but having that true number one gives them an edge over a lot of teams in the East. It may be just what this team needs to put them over the top.

One thing is for sure in this salary cap environment, Tom Fitzgerald has got his players buying into the system he has put into place. His top players are signed to long-term deals that not only benefit them but the team. Leaving money on the table for others to get and to be successful down the road. Fitzgerald is trusting his own process of letting players buy into New Jersey themselves instead of forcing it upon them.

This strategy has the Devils ready to be a prime contender for the Stanley Cup for many years to come. The future is now as the championship window is just opening for this team.