If Not the GM or Coach, Devils Must Shake Up the Core

4 days ago 2

When both general manager, Tom Fitzgerald, and head coach, Sheldon Keefe were both at the Prudential Center on Wednesday for practice, New Jersey Devils ownership made their choice.

After a disaster on Long Island Tuesday night, everyone kept their jobs.

Keefe then addressed the media, explaining the Devils were in “crisis.” However, he did not speak like someone who believed he was about to lose his job.

“This is not my first crisis in my coaching career, and I don’t plan on wasting it,” Keefe said on Wednesday. “So today was an important day for me and for our group and for the players themselves. [It was] focus on what you can control. Today is a good practice day, and then you get an opportunity tomorrow to get out and play. Now, we’ve been in these situations before, maybe not as bad as last night, but it shouldn’t take a wake-up call like this. We’ve had too many of them, but this is where we’re at. Let’s be real. That’s the first thing. Let’s embrace who we are and what’s going on. Let’s not kid ourselves about who we think we are. This is where we’re at. So let’s get to working in fixing it.”

There are a lot of folks are to blame here for what’s thus far been a failed season. The Devils GM for the roster construction. The head coach, for perhaps not structuring his roster to its strengths, and a questionable call to let goaltender Jacob Markstrom “own it,” leaving him in for a full 60 in a 9-0 loss at UBS Arena to the New York Islanders. And the Devils roster, for allowing themselves to get to this point.

However, Fitzgerald and Keefe are still here. That says one thing.

Ownership is giving the Devils GM at least one more shot to make things right. If no one lost their job after Tuesday night’s nightmare, then everyone is at least riding out the rest of the season.

Whether that’s the right call or not doesn’t matter at this point. That’s just the situation at hand.

So, what can Fitzgerald do?

Well, trading Dougie Hamilton or Ondrej Palat has proven to be too big of a mountain to climb. Those deals are more likely to come in the offseason when things are a bit more flexible.

Dealing minor assets gets the Devils nowhere.

As rock bottom as this all feels, New Jersey still only remains three points out of the playoffs.

Suffice to say, the Devils need a shock to their system. Something to say, “No one is safe.”

With everyone so close in the standings, there aren’t many true sellers right now. So what’s going to pique an opposing GMs interest?

It’s time to take a hard look at trading a piece of the core.

Amid the Quinn Hughes speculation, it felt like the Devils were waiting for something to happen, as they were front and center in the trade rumors. Ultimately, Quinn unexpectedly landed in Minnesota, and there was certainly disappointment in the locker room, whether that’s because certain players knew their names were part of trade discussions, or because there was no impact player coming to save them.

In fact, it still feels like the Devils are waiting for something to happen.

First and foremost, the Devils need to inject some truth serum into the Hughes brothers. After how Luke Hughes was verbally assaulted a few nights ago, and the continued hardships Jack Hughes is part of, whether he’s part of the problem or not, Devils ownership should be asking them just how committed they are to the organization.

That might sound silly after Luke signed a seven-year contract in the summer, and with four years remaining on Jack’s contract after this season. However, the circumstances have changed. No one foresaw the Quinn debacle happening when and how it did.

If it’s good news, and they’re 100% fully committed, great. If they’re 99.9% committed or lower, cut bait. Retrieve a Quinn-like haul for the brothers, and accelerate a youth movement that’s not a total rebuild.

Otherwise, it’s time to take a look at Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier.

These are the core pieces not named Hughes. Dawson Mercer, to an extent, too, although he moves further away from the “core” as we check days on the calendar.

Fitzgerald should be looking to move one of these players to shock the system. In all honestly, it’s unlikely that it’s Hischier. So you’re looking at Bratt, Meier, and Mercer. Then, you’re probably attaching what you need to get a deal done.

The Devils need someone who is going to be of significance in return. I’m not suggesting that Brady Tkachuk is even available, but you’re looking to deal for someone in return that will make that sort of impact.

An elite presence on and off the ice, someone who is going to shake up the culture, bring a bit of snarl, and hold his teammates accountable.

It feels as though some players feel too comfortable in their current situation. Asked Brenden Dillon after Tuesday’s loss if he felt that was the case. He didn’t say it was, but his body language did. Here’s how he answered the prompt.

“Some of these questions are above my pay grade,” Dillon explained. “I think we’ve just gotta show our care level when you’re going out, whether it’s finishing checks or not turning pucks over when you’re trying to do the right things. Scoring has been tough for us this year. That’s the reality, scoring goals for us has been tough. So with that being said, you can’t give up free ones. You can’t, and how you start the game is so important to set the tone.”

Something isn’t right in the locker room. Night after night, the Devils are finding new, more embarrassing ways to lose.

If ownership isn’t going to make a statement and remove one of the men in charge of the roster or bench, then they should be pushing for management to make a statement and shock the system.

The country club needs to close. The Devils need new blood.

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