New Jersey Devils part ways with general manager Tom Fitzgerald

[p]Fitzgerald, 57, was promoted to general manager and executive vice president of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-jersey-devils/Kh0O591A/"]Devils[/a] in 2020 after working as the assistant general manager since 2015.[/p][p][b]“Tom and I had a thoughtful conversation today and agreed it was time to move in a new direction,”[/b] said Devils Manager Partner David Blitzer.[/p][p][b]“Tom changed the trajectory of our team here, including setting a franchise record for points in a season and helping make New Jersey a hockey destination,"[/b] said Blitzwer. [b]"He is a well-respected leader across the Devils’ organization and NHL, and I am grateful for our friendship."[/b][/p][embed guid="b5372f6e-ea32-475e-845c-9a0290a3a0f7" url="https://x.com/NJDevils/status/2041287648468144539?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Devils set a franchise record for points in the 2022-2023 season under Fitzgerald, finishing 52-22-8 (112 points) and losing in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. [/p][p]However, since he was hired as GM, the Devils have made the playoffs just twice in six seasons, and they are on the brink of playoff elimination as the season enters its final slate of games. [/p][p]Across six drafts, the Devils have only had three real standouts whom Fitzgerald drafted - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mercer-dawson/0MhvxaYE/"]Dawson Mercer[/a] (2020), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hughes-luke/r3HZXy2R/"]Luke Hughes[/a] (2021), and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nemec-simon/A5ijxMDO/"]Simon Nemec[/a] (2022). All three of the players are former top-10 picks and are currently on the Devils' roster. [/p][p]His biggest trade came in 2023 when the team acquired [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meier-timo/hjIkXUIJ/"]Timo Meier[/a], which sent off [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zetterlund-fabian/Iav9HZfP/"]Fabian Zetterlund[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mukhamadullin-shakir/plT3C5EP/"]Shakir Mukhamadullin[/a] to the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/san-jose-sharks/E588Co9j/"]Sharks[/a]. Meier needs just one more goal and two more assists to make it three straight seasons with at least 20 goals and 25 assists since joining the Devils. [/p][p]The team is 40-34-3 (83 points) with five games remaining - all against teams fighting for a playoff spot: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/philadelphia-flyers/QySGG7oT/"]Philadelphia Flyers[/a] (April 7th), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pittsburgh-penguins/AkN0nWU6/"]Pittsburgh Penguins[/a] (April 9th), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/detroit-red-wings/dnJdmCF0/"]Detroit Red Wings[/a] (April 11th), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ottawa-senators/noTCHmWM/"]Ottawa Senators[/a] (April 12th), and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/boston-bruins/jeans23J/"]Boston Bruins[/a] (April 14th).[/p]