The scoreline didn’t just hurt; it humiliated. When you lose 9-0 and 4-1 to division rivals like the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, it’s not just a bad night—it’s a distinct signal that something is fundamentally broken. Naturally, the fanbase in New Jersey is screaming for heads to roll.
But before you start tracking private jets for a new coach, let’s look at what is actually happening behind the scenes. While the noise around Sheldon Keefe’s job security has reached a fever pitch, the reality inside the front office is different. GM Tom Fitzgerald isn’t looking to subtract from his staff; he is desperately trying to add to his roster. The panic button has been hit, but it’s wired to the trade market, not the coaching carousel. Here is why a Top-6 forward is the only cure Fitzgerald is interested in right now.
The Reality of the “Hot Seat” in New Jersey
If you check social media, the verdict is in: fire everyone. However, according to TSN Insider Darren Dreger, the internal temperature regarding General Manager Tom Fitzgerald and Head Coach Sheldon Keefe is cooler than you might expect.
Dreger reported this week that despite the floundering results, job security isn’t the primary concern for Fitzgerald. The GM maintains open, weekly lines of communication with ownership. They are aware of the “path” this team is on. This implies a level of patience from the top that the fanbase currently does not share.
My take? Keefe isn’t going anywhere yet. You don’t fire a coach regarding “systems” immediately after a blowout; you fire him if the room is lost. Right now, this looks less like a mutiny and more like a roster imbalance that has been exposed by injury or underperformance. Fitzgerald knows that firing the coach is his last card to play. He’d rather play an Ace from the trade deck first.
Tom Fitzgerald’s Aggressive Hunt for a Top-6 Forward
The 9-0 drubbing by the Islanders was a wake-up call that the status quo is unacceptable. Dreger confirmed that Fitzgerald is trying to “shake things up in a significant way.”
The target? A Top-6 Forward.
The Devils are desperate for goal-scoring help to balance the attack. Relying too heavily on the core four to produce offense leaves them vulnerable when depth scoring vanishes. Fitzgerald wants to be aggressive, but he is facing a significant hurdle: the market.
As we approach the mid-season mark, the trade market is notoriously thin. Teams are still deluding themselves into thinking they are playoff contenders, meaning sellers are scarce. For the Devils to land a legitimate top-six scoring threat right now, they may have to overpay significantly to pry a player loose from a team that hasn’t fully committed to selling.
The Verdict: Expect a trade before a firing. Fitzgerald is aggressive, and usually, where there is smoke in the trade market with this GM, fire follows quickly. The Devils need a spark, and they are betting on a new winger, not a new bench boss, to provide it.
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