General manager of the New Jersey Devils, Tom Fitzgerald, shockingly is not a finalist for the NHL's 2023 Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award.
New Jersey Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald should have been a finalist for the 2023 Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award for his construction of a strong, competitive roster following a long rebuild. The award finalists for General Manager of the Year are Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars, Don Sweeney of the Boston Bruins, and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers. The finalists are decided through a vote by NHL general managers, NHL executives, and members of the media.
The Devils exceeded expectations with 112 points in the 2022-23 regular season, a 49-point improvement over the 2021-22 season, the largest turnaround in NHL history. The team held a regular season record of 52-22-8. They went from the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference one year to the third-best record in the NHL the next year. In an exciting Stanley Cup Playoffs series, the Devils beat the New York Rangers in Round 1 before being eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2. Captain Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Dougie Hamilton were some of the Devils who had a lot of success this year.
Despite a disappointing 2021-22 season, Fitzgerald kept Lindy Ruff as the head coach for the 2022-23 season. Instead of moving to a new head coach as some hoped he would, Fitzgerald improved upon the Devils' assistant coaching staff by hiring Andrew Brunette, Sergei Brylin, and Ryan McGill. In the 2022 NHL draft, the Devils drafted Simon Nemec, Seamus Casey, and Tyler Brennan. Simon Nemec is expected to have a big impact in the 2023-24 season.
Fitzgerald made some big, bold moves with roster construction in recent years. He also made some quieter moves that paid off. First, let's look at Fitzgerald's big moves which show that Fitzgerald was snubbed.
Big moves Tom Fitzgerald made while building a Devils roster to compete for a Stanley Cup
The biggest splash of the 2023 season was the trade for Timo Meier at the trade deadline, sending ripples of excitement through the Devils fanbase. Fitzgerald traded Fabian Zetterlund, Andreas Johnsson, Nikitia Okhotiuk, and Shakir Mukhamadullin along with draft picks in exchange for Timo Meier, Santeri Hatakka, Scott Harrington, Zachary Emond, Timur Ibragimov, and a draft pick. The Sharks retained half of Meier's salary.
Fitzgerald made this massive deal happen without having to part with a big name like Dawson Mercer or Luke Hughes. This offseason, Meier is going to be a restricted free agent with a $10 million qualifying offer. Fitzgerald would like to square things away with Meier, who scored 40 goals during the regular season. Meier fits in well with the Devils.
Dougie Hamilton's signing was two offseasons ago, so it might not be looked at when examining what a GM has done in the past year to deserve a General Manager of the Year nod, but the Hamilton signing paid off in the 2022-23 season. Fitzgerald locked down the veteran defenseman through 2027-28 with a big seven-year contract worth $63 million. In addition to shutting down opponents' offense, Hamilton scored 22 goals during the 2022-23 regular season, tying a franchise record for most goals by a defenseman in one season. Get the puck to Dougie Hamilton when the game is on the line. He's known for delivering.
Goaltender Vitek Vanecek was acquired in the 2022 offseason through a trade with the Washington Capitals as a restricted free agent in exchange for draft picks. It may not have seemed like a huge trade at the time, as the Devils were expected to roll with Mackenzie Blackwood as their main goalie, but it was a bigger deal than many realized. Considering the Devils used seven goalies during the 2021-22 season, Vanecek's reliability was an answer to the Devils' struggles between the pipes.
The Devils signed Vanecek to a three-year deal worth 10.2 million. While Mackenzie Blackwood dealt with injuries, Vanecek shined in his first regular season with the Devils. He had a .911 SV% and joined Martin Brodeur as the only goalies to win 30 games in one season in Devils history. Although Vanecek struggled during the playoffs, he's a key part of why the Devils got there. The goalie situation is under a microscope for the 2023-24 season due to Vanecek's playoff collapse. Fitzgerald will need to decide if he's going to have Lindy Ruff roll with an Akira Schmid/Vitek Vanecek goalie duo or if he'll address the position in another way.
One move that might look like it hasn't quite panned out is signing veteran winger Ondrej Palat, but there's more to the story than stats. Fitzgerald brought Palat in on a five-year $30 million deal as a veteran presence with playoff experience. Palat spent a good chunk of the season out with a groin injury and didn't generate much offense once he returned. Despite time missed, Fitzgerald made it clear that Palat remained involved with the team during his rehab, offering steady leadership. Palat has more years in a Devils' uniform to create a lasting impact on the team.
Now, let's look at Fitzgerald's savviest moves.
Smart moves Tom Fitzgerald made while building a Devils roster to compete for a Stanley Cup
Fitzgerald has made a lot of moves to construct a solid roster. Bill Spaulding of MSG Networks pointed out that "it isn't just the big moves, but also the smart trades." Spaulding mentioned two acquisitions that he considers smart moves with great value, Jonas Siegenthaler and John Marino.
Fitzgerald's smartest move in the past year was the John Marino trade during the 2022 offseason. He traded defenseman Ty Smith and a third-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Marino. Fitzgerald believed that Marino would strengthen the Devils' back end, which he did. Smith is an offensive defenseman, while Marino is known for his solid defense. Fitzgerald felt Marino's defense would fit in well with the Devils' needs.
Marino played a huge role in his first season with the Devils while playing on a line with Ryan Graves. The line saw a lot of time on the penalty kill, with Marino contributing heavily to New Jersey's successful PK. Marino has a salary of $4.4 million through the 2026-27 season. The Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Ty Smith spent most of the season in the AHL. Marino was a big part of the reason why the Devils made the playoffs.
Defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler was acquired via a trade in 2021 with the Washington Capitals in exchange for a conditional third-round pick. Siegenthaler then signed a five-year extension during the 2022 offseason with a team-friendly $17 million deal. He has a cap of $3.4 million a season through 2027-28. Siegenthaler took the team-friendly deal because he wanted to stay with the Devils. Like Marino, Siegenthaler is all about defense. This makes him a great fit to pair on a line with Dougie Hamilton, the Devils' best offensive defenseman. Siegenthaler is a good skater, and he limits opponents' chances.
Another notable move for Fitzgerald was the Erik Haula trade. It was time for Pavel Zacha to get out of New Jersey, and he was traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Haula. Zacha may have had a better season than Haula, but Fitzgerald rightfully stood by the trade during his exit interview, saying, "I'd make that trade seven days a week, twice on Sunday." Haula brought a veteran presence to the team in addition to 41 points. Haula hasn't previously found a long-term home. He made it clear he wants to stay in Jersey, and it seems likely that will happen.
Tom Fitzgerald did everything he could with this roster the past few years. He also has a grasp on how to keep the wheels turning in the right direction for the Devils next season. The Devils are finally in a window where they should make several playoff runs in the coming years, and that's in large part thanks to Fitzgerald's efforts. Tom Fitzgerald was snubbed in the voting for the 2023 General Manager of the Year finalists. Often, it takes a few times of coming up in the conversation before being recognized. Perhaps Tom Fitzgerald's recognition will come down the line.
