From Tom Fitzgerald’s breakup day press conference, there were several truths and a few ridiculous statements.
As players, coaches, and executives have undergone exit interviews over the past week, meeting privately among themselves as well as with the media, I want to center in on Tom Fitzgerald’s breakup conference today. I am frustrated with Fitzgerald, but I am not yet at the point of saying he is at “hot seat” level. I think ownership trusts him, and I can appreciate not wanting to make too many panic moves when doing so might only serve to offer a scapegoat rather than addressing the roots of issues. That said, let’s look at some excuses and concerns Fitzgerald raised during his press conference.
Excuse Number 1: The Weight Room
As one of the reputably smaller teams in the league, the New Jersey Devils often have to deal with opponents who try to take advantage of them physically. One of the very first things Tom Fitzgerald mentioned in his end-of-season press conference was a need to do the right things off the ice: becoming stronger is a concern for him. He argued that becoming faster and stronger allows players to slow the game down on a mental level and to perform at a high level at the end of long shifts.
“I’m looking for guys who want to drag people onto the ice, and I’m looking for guys who want to drag people into the weight room.” – Tom Fitzgerald on what he’s looking for from his players.#NJDevils
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) April 18, 2024
I largely agree with Tom Fitzgerald here. But if the work ethic or fitness of any of our players are being questioned, I think Fitzgerald needs to be careful about making a hasty trade for a guy who might otherwise take this as a lesson in maturity. Just take Brendan Smith, for example, was dinged by the New York Post and others nearly six years ago for showing up to the Rangers’ training camp out of shape. This is a player who, these days, looks like he is one of the bigger gym guys on the team. And whether or not fans feel the benefit of it, the team looks up to Smith as a leader.
I am not going to guess who Fitzgerald believes was either out of shape or not strong enough to compete this year. I do know that there are some players, such as the Hughes brothers, Dawson Mercer, Kevin Bahl, Alexander Holtz, Simon Nemec, Akira Schmid, Nico Daws, and others, who are probably too young to have optimized their weight training and conditioning. So, I would be averse to moving them for more physically mature players. For those guys I just mentioned, time and continued work is the best medicine, and I do not personally see any work ethic issues in that group. So I may be answering this excuse with another excuse, but I won’t give a pass to older players who cannot hold up on the ice. That said, I think there was enough talent left on the roster after Dougie’s injury to make the playoffs despite their physical immaturity.
Excuse Number 2: The Dress Code
Fans are understandably upset with management for the way this season has gone. When asked about what needs to change from the top down, though, Fitzgerald’s answer became a bit…odd.
Perfect opportunity to admit fault for not delivering on your team’s needs in a year they were surefire contenders.
Fitz: https://t.co/TDFkNso9VT pic.twitter.com/dKH0mm3i4e
— K1LABUSH (@K1LABUSH) April 18, 2024
As some (perhaps slightly younger than me) might say: “what is bro yapping about?” In all seriousness, though, I think this was a confusing, rambling answer. It was especially confusing because I am not sure who he is saying is the problem here. Are executives walking around in Tommy Bahama shirts, cargo shorts, and boat slides? Is he saying that the players are taking a page from their book and coming to the arena underdressed? Because I have not even noticed that issue, especially considering that one of the team’s best games of the year came when they showed up at MetLife Stadium dressed in track suits for a Sopranos theme. This one was certainly funny to hear. Job performance matters above all, and I have not noticed exceedingly casual dress at The Rock — whether its a player, coach, executive, or supporting team staff.
Excuse Number 3: Replacing Michael McLeod
When Lindy Ruff was Head Coach of the New Jersey Devils, fans saw him confusingly start to give Michael McLeod a more offensive role than Nico Hischier for a decent stretch of time. McLeod’s rise in ice time was not necessarily unwarranted, as he was one of the few forwards to have positive goal and chance differentials. However, when the Hockey Canada investigation moved forward, and Michael McLeod left the team due to his leave of absence and eventual indictment, the team had to move on and work without him.
Fitz on Mcleod part deux pic.twitter.com/Hr5WpY9sdh
— K1LABUSH (@K1LABUSH) April 18, 2024
Deflecting here was a bad move for Tom Fitzgerald. It was well within his power to replace Michael McLeod in terms of being a player contributing to the New Jersey Devils, and he should have been more thoughtful in his answer. It was also apparently known to teams that the guys on that World Juniors team could be investigated and indicted. On a team level, he was not prepared, and that falls on him. On a broader level, he needs to be a lot more careful about what he says regarding a sensitive issue. Especially as this was the last question Fitzgerald answered in his conference, it was a sour note to leave on. And besides, he has to replace him, whether he likes it or not.
Excuse Number 4: How Easy is it to Make a Trade?
One of the questions Fitzgerald was tasked with answering was whether he could have made a move for Kaapo Kahkonen or Jake Allen earlier. Fitzgerald finally agreed that it would have been better had he acquired a goalie earlier, but he pointed to the Trade Deadline as an issue preventing them from making that sort of trade earlier in the season, as teams want to maximize their returns when playoff hopefuls are their most desperate. He also mentioned that Jake Allen had hesitation on coming to New Jersey — and Fitz might have had to do a bit of selling on coming here to make it happen. I like the Allen trade for what it is, but I don’t see such a great return for Kahkonen going to San Jose that indicates that trade needed to happen at the deadline and not in December.
Concern Number 1: Will Tom Shake Up the Core?
Based on Tom Fitzgerald’s answers during his press conference, I do not think that he is at all inclined to move the core members of the Devils. That means, for those concerned about whether Jack Hughes is strong enough, if Nico Hischier is a vocal enough leader, of if Jesper Bratt is more than a perimeter player, you can probably tuck any trade wishes away. For that, I am thankful. Yet again, Fitzgerald affirmed his support for and belief in the core of players that he has. It is the supporting cast that needs work, and I agree with him on that.
Concern Number 2: Can They Overcome Injuries?
When asked about the impact of injuries, Tom Fitzgerald mentioned that, at one point of the season, around $30 million of salary was out of the lineup. While this could have gone in the excuse section, I consider it an issue moving forward. I am not going to argue that Dougie Hamilton’s injury was not incredibly impactful. Rather, it needs to serve as a lesson for future years. The best teams in the league can suffer through a top contributor and leader going down with an injury, allowing them to return in the playoffs. Even Jack Hughes said at the start of the year that this team’s talent should allow them to not rush back from injuries and heal properly — but that did not work out. This team just is not there yet, but they need to be prepared for an odd year that is largely spent without a guy like Hamilton, or Hughes, or Hischier, or Bratt — or even Luke and Nemec down the line. Whether that comes down to coaches and systems or personnel on the ice, Fitzgerald needs to figure out how to build his team to get through tough years where high-minute players spend a lot of time on LTIR.
Concern Number 3: Accountability and Connectedness
When asked about what he wants in a coach, Tom Fitzgerald stated that he wants someone that can hold each and every player accountable, rather than just a few select guys that are destined for the doghouse. Fitzgerald also connected this to his issue with Devils players not spending enough time in the weight room, arguing that a coach needs to push players to the ice or weight room depending on what they need as an individual to get better. There’s nothing to dislike here. I strongly believe that conditioning is one of the biggest issues on the team.
Fitzgerald later argued, when asked if the defense can make the goalie better, that the forwards can make the defense better. He said this group was not connected, and it showed on the ice. Again, there’s nothing for me to argue with here. But is this a personality issue in the locker room, or is it a coaching issue, or both? Fitzgerald has a lot of work ahead of him, and hopefully he already feels like he has a plan of action.
If you want to watch the full video of Fitzgerald’s questions and answers, please see it below.
Your Thoughts
What did you think of Fitz’s conference? Did you watch it? What did you think of what I mentioned in the article? Leave your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading.