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Reports continue to emerge that the Devils are expected to retain general manager/president of hockey operations Tom Fitzgerald after this season, though in a lesser role.
ESPN insider Emily Kaplan first reported it last week. Sportsnet insider Nick Kypreos echoed it on Monday.
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“In New Jersey, Tom Fitzgerald holds the president of hockey operations and GM titles together, but some are wondering if the Devils’ ownership will look to break up those two jobs,” wrote Kypreos, who also noted that Fitzgerald is “preparing for the worst, knowing he’s on the hot seat.”
Fitzgerald built this team that sits at 38-34-2 and near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, but for the purposes of this story, let’s assume the Devils are going to keep him and split his roles.
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So, who might they consider for the president of hockey operations gig (since Fitzgerald would surely get the lesser of the two roles)? Let’s look at three intriguing candidates.
Sunny Mehta, Florida Panthers
Let’s start with the man we think should outright replace Fitzgerald — and hey, he’s a Jersey boy.
Mehta, a Wyckoff native, is currently the assistant GM of the Florida Panthers, where he won two Stanley Cups. His resume is unique. The 47-year-old is a data scientist, former professional poker player, musician, two-time bestselling author and an options trader.
He’s arguably the most interesting man in hockey. He also has Devils ties, having served as director of hockey analytics from 2014 to 2017.
Despite having less front-office experience than Fitzgerald, he could step in above him.
Mike Gillis
One reason the Devils need to act quickly on their GM search is to avoid losing top candidates to other teams.
Sixty-seven-year-old Mike Gillis is one of those hot names — with experts connecting him to both the Maple Leafs and Predators GM openings.
Gillis surged Vancouver to success in the late 2000s, leading it to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2011. In six seasons under him, Vancouver had the fifth most wins in the league and won the Presidents’ Trophy two times.
Gillis last worked in an NHL front office in 2014, when he was fired by Vancouver. But he’s highly respected in the NHL analytics community and has a close relationship with the players, serving in a business development role with the NHLPA from 2021-23.
Doug Armstrong
This is a longshot, but it would be a home run.
Blues president and GM Doug Armstrong is relinquishing his duties as general manager with the Blues at the end of the season, though he is still under contract as president.
That doesn’t mean New Jersey can’t try to poach the two-time Stanley Cup winner, though…
Given his ties to Martin Brodeur (and, yes, goalie coach Dave Rogalski), perhaps the Devils can convince him to help fix their promising young core.
Read the original article on NJ.com. Add NJ.com as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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