Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - offseason part III

[Moist ReadOnly]

There are a lot of extremely incompetent men in hockey who keep getting jobs solely because they have the right friends. Every team has a couple of these guys.

Sucks to see that name in the organization but this is nothing more than Fitz giving his unemployed friend a paycheck.

Most senior advisors to hockey operations become general managers (either internally Or elsewhere) within 2-3 years

Normally that isnt an issue.. when you have a GM separate from your President

This is almost certainly a tryout - the team wants a face to do GM work with the press and communication with other teams, while Fitz does the detailed work behind the scenes like hes best at

Everyone here knows Fitz has a loud mouth for rumors and is a poor interviewer - they wont have him as acting GM much longer and this points to that

One can only hope they decide to go with Kate Madegan and Chuck Fletcher is simply another person in the room to help spearhead that home

 

[MartyOwns]

wasn’t fletcher the one using an app for trades or something?

 

[Bleedred]

I noticed about a month ago that Manny Legace was listed as head of goaltending scouting on the team website, but had never heard of it being publicly announced. I posted it on here at the time.

I guess they’re just now finally announcing all of this. Maybe it’s a first of the month thing.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1819058878736199746

Happy to see Greene back in the fold. Seems like a good guy who really understands hockey.

Edit: also added a dedicated skating coach, which seems like a good idea.

Why the hell did they bring Fletcher here????

 

[Sombastate]

Sorry guys. This is news i wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

For those wondering, since connections are always something.

Fletcher was assistant GM with the Panthers, who Fitz was chosen by in the expansion draft. They also worked together in Pittsburgh when Fletcher was assistant GM under Shero. During that time, Fitz was director of player development. He was eventually promoted to assistant GM when Fletcher got hired by the Wild as the GM.

I don't see it as a big deal.

I see it as a big deal. It's just hiring incompetent people because of connections. I hate that shit

 

[Mr Bojanglez]

Chuck: I advise you to do X
Fitz: Thank you very much Chuck, we'll take that under consideration. Talk to you soon.

1 minute goes by

Fitz: Ok team you heard him - we're going to need to do Y instead.

 

[Hisch13r]

Morons

 

[Better Call Sal]

Most senior advisors to hockey operations become general managers (either internally Or elsewhere) within 2-3 years

Normally that isnt an issue.. when you have a GM separate from your President

This is almost certainly a tryout - the team wants a face to do GM work with the press and communication with other teams, while Fitz does the detailed work behind the scenes like hes best at

Everyone here knows Fitz has a loud mouth for rumors and is a poor interviewer - they wont have him as acting GM much longer and this points to that

One can only hope they decide to go with Kate Madegan and Chuck Fletcher is simply another person in the room to help spearhead that home

Kate Madigan is the assistant GM. The way Fitz has spoken about her in the past, I fully envision him and Harris/Blitzer doing the eventual move of him solely being president and her taking on the GM responsibilities. It would actually shock me if that didn't end up being the case sooner than later.

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

Kate Madigan is the assistant GM. The way Fitz has spoken about her in the past, I fully envision him and Harris/Blitzer doing the eventual move of him solely being president and her taking on the GM responsibilities. It would actually shock me if that didn't end up being the case sooner than later.

Ive been preaching this to my friends for a year and a half now - though this hiring makes me nervous they are looking elsewhere

Odds are this is just a spot for him to reset and then take a GM role elsewhere but.. letting Chuck Fletcher even be in the room is criminal IMO

Especially since Fletcher's biggest asset is his ability to connect with the other gentleman's club GMs - which he wont be doing as senior advisor id imagine

 

[Richer's Ghost]

For those wondering, since connections are always something.

Fletcher was assistant GM with the Panthers, who Fitz was chosen by in the expansion draft. They also worked together in Pittsburgh when Fletcher was assistant GM under Shero. During that time, Fitz was director of player development. He was eventually promoted to assistant GM when Fletcher got hired by the Wild as the GM.

I don't see it as a big deal.

Good ol' boy network still functioning.

Hopefully its a big nothingburger until he can find a steady job in greener pastures far away from us.

 

[NJDevs26]

I thought Fletcher already was an unofficial advisor for the last year or so. Old boys network gonna old boy, nothing new here

 

[Better Call Sal]

Ive been preaching this to my friends for a year and a half now - though this hiring makes me nervous they are looking elsewhere

Odds are this is just a spot for him to reset and then take a GM role elsewhere but.. letting Chuck Fletcher even be in the room is criminal IMO

Especially since Fletcher's biggest asset is his ability to connect with the other gentleman's club GMs - which he wont be doing as senior advisor id imagine

Keep in mind that Dan Mackinnon is still around as well as assistant GM/EVP too, so there are two internal candidates that are likely more in line to take the reins when Fitz is ready to hand them off.

I truly don't think there's anything more here than just the typical nature of the old boys' club.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Chuck: I advise you to do X
Fitz: Thank you very much Chuck, we'll take that under consideration. Talk to you soon.

1 minute goes by

Fitz: Ok team you heard him - we're going to need to do Y instead.

The George Costanza algorithm. I think what would I do and I do the opposite!

 

[AfroThunder396]

Most senior advisors to hockey operations become general managers (either internally Or elsewhere) within 2-3 years

Normally that isnt an issue.. when you have a GM separate from your President

This is almost certainly a tryout - the team wants a face to do GM work with the press and communication with other teams, while Fitz does the detailed work behind the scenes like hes best at

Everyone here knows Fitz has a loud mouth for rumors and is a poor interviewer - they wont have him as acting GM much longer and this points to that

One can only hope they decide to go with Kate Madegan and Chuck Fletcher is simply another person in the room to help spearhead that home

Kate Madigan and Marty are clearly #2 and #3 in the organization behind Fitz. This hiring means nothing.

 

[Bleedred]

Most of these joker clown GMs end up working with some other team in this same exact role or a similar one. Even Chiarelli.

I don't think there's any danger that Chuck Fletcher ever becomes the GM here. At least in nothing more than on an interim basis.

However, if Fletcher were still here in this role back in 2020 and never hired by the Flyers, then maybe he would have been Shero's replacement. But he's since had 4.5 years of a GM tenure, which was an absolute joke and disaster at that, much worse than his first GM job with the Wild.

And I constantly point out, it's rare a GM gets a shot with a third team. Obviously Lou is a major exception. Brian Burke was the GM and/or POHOPS for like 5 different teams. Rutherford was GM with two teams, then got a POHOPS job with Vancouver, which he still has.

And very recently Don Waddell got his third GM job, though from everything we learned, the GM job in Carolina since Dundon bought the team and named Waddell as GM is very a collaborative system. Much more than most of the teams in the league.

There would seem to not be a great chance that Chuck Fletcher joins the three team GM club. Ray Shero certainly never did.

 

[Better Call Sal]

How Chuck will be assessed after the season.

 

[Bleedred]

Sorry guys. This is news i wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.

Like I said, I don't think he'll have any real power here, and I think there's an extremely low chance that he ever becomes the GM here. Maybe a slightly higher chance he becomes an interim GM at some point, but I can't ever see it being permanent.

People laughed hysterically over the Blues hiring Pete Chiarelli for the same exact role months after he was fired by Edmonton. According to elite prospects, he was still with the Blues as of this past season. I'm assuming he's still in that role as we speak. And while they haven't had a GM change since he was hired, they've already publicly announced the exit plan they've put in place for Armstrong to step down in 2 years, and Chiarelli isn't the guy that's gonna succeed him.

Marc Bergevin has been in the same role with the Kings since a minute after he was fired by Montreal.

There was talk a month or two ago about Jarmo Kekalainen joining a team (forget who) in the same capacity.

This is nothing to be worried about, as I don't honestly believe he's any threat to become the GM here in the future.

 

[Devils731]

I agree with the people who think the Devils are grooming an internal GM promotion in the future.

That assumes success of this roster though. If this roster fails again then I think it’s mostly scorched earth and you won’t see most of the people around anymore.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Very happy to have Andy Greene in the organization. Don’t care about Fletcher, he won’t do shit.

 

[NJDevs26]

I agree with the people who think the Devils are grooming an internal GM promotion in the future.

That assumes success of this roster though. If this roster fails again then I think it’s mostly scorched earth and you won’t see most of the people around anymore.

Yeah Fletcher's basically the interim GM if the owners dump Fitz in January a la Shero

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Flyers fan here --

I'm so, so sorry Devils fans.

Fletcher is a complete and utter dolt.

 

[My3Sons]

The George Costanza algorithm. I think what would I do and I do the opposite!

My name is George, I'm unemployed and I live with my parents.

Possibly the high water mark of western civilization. It's either that or the marine biology speech.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Flyers fan here --

I'm so, so sorry Devils fans.

Fletcher is a complete and utter dolt.

Many of us don't expect him to really have much involvement. This seems like an old boys' club favor from him and Fitz's time together in Pittsburgh.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Sorry but i’m really gonna need to hear a tough question or two from a beat reporter about hiring Fletcher (though i’m not expecting any). Chuck was absolutely reamed for the dysfunctional culture he created in Minnesota. What happened in his tenure with Philly to make anyone think he figured out how to be a valuable executive? Sooner he’s gone, the better.