The New Jersey Devils fired general manager Tom Fitzgerald Tuesday, making them the third NHL team this season to announce a GM change. Bruins AGM Evan Gold has been floated as a candidate for vacant GM positions.
The New Jersey Devils have fired general manager Tom Fitzgerald. The move, announced Tuesday, comes with one year left on Fitzgerald's contract and marks the third GM change in the NHL this season, following Nashville and Toronto.
Fitzgerald, a Billerica, MA native, had been at the helm in Newark for over five seasons. James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now has more on the firing.
GM Candidate Pool Forming
According to Greg Wyshynski, a name is already in the mix for the Devils’ front office spot. Elliotte Friedman reports that the Florida Panthers have multiple general manager candidates within their front office. One of Florida’s AGMs has already interviewed for the Nashville GM position, and another has been linked to Toronto.
Bruins AGM and Providence-Bruins GM Evan Gold's name has surfaced as a potential candidate for multiple openings. However, St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong will not be available to the Maple Leafs in their search. Armstrong, according to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, will pass the torch to Alex Steen this summer, remaining with the Blues as team president.
Bruins Road Trip Concludes
The Boston Bruins (43-26-9) conclude their four-game road trip tonight in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes (49-22-6). Boston has yet to win on the trip, dropping both games in Florida and losing in overtime to Philadelphia. The Hurricanes have won three of their last four but are coming off a road loss to Ottawa.
Despite the Bruins' struggles on the road, their playoff odds remain high at 98.1% (MoneyPuck) as no games feature teams directly competing for Eastern Conference playoff spots tonight. The team sits in a wild card position.
Around the League
The Philadelphia Flyers, who defeated the Bruins on Sunday, have surged into a playoff spot. At the Olympic break, their playoff chances were just 10.1%. The New York Islanders, one point out of a playoff spot, hired Pete DeBoer as head coach on Sunday. The Detroit Red Wings, meanwhile, are on a downward spiral as outside noise has crept into the locker room.
The quick hook on Fitzgerald signals a lack of patience in New Jersey. Five seasons is a decent run, but clearly not enough to convince ownership the team was on the right path.
The Bruins face the Hurricanes tonight at 7:00 PM (NESN+). Other key games include the Flyers at Devils and the Lightning at Senators, both at 7:00 PM. Tonight's results could significantly alter the playoff picture in both conferences.
