GDT: Senators @ Devils 7:00 PM MSGSN, MSGSN2, ESPN+

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I mean, I don't know if I have absolute faith in him, I'm just not as done with him as some. I also don't think anyone coming in would do a better job.

I don't necessarily have a lot of faith, I'm just willing to give him another summer.

He's just a mediocre to bad GM. If you believe in this core then there's no reason to think a good GM candidate wouldn't be attracted to the job in NJ, it's arguably the best job and situation you can ask for if Fitz is fired. Owners that spend, 2 cornerstones up front at center and the defense is very good. A good GM will also probably see Yegorov at BU and guys like Lenni, Grits. All the Devils have to do is draft moderately well up front again and this team is fine, Fitz has nosedived at that since Shero left.

 

[jkrdevil]

Bring back Lou next year

Lou ain’t getting fired after his teams passes us for the playoffs.

 

[Bleedred]

Guarantee there's calls for Fitz's firing by the crowd in the home finale if the team misses.

Unless they miss, but are waiting on another result that ends after that game.

The crowds will be rough if we have a bad road trip next week.

If this happens against the shitty Vancouver Canucks on Monday then I wouldn't be surprised if it starts to get bad that night.

 

[edevils]

He's just a mediocre to bad GM. If you believe in this core then there's no reason to think a good GM candidate wouldn't be attracted to the job in NJ, it's arguably the best job and situation you can ask for if Fitz is fired. Owners that spend, 2 cornerstones up front at center and the defense is very good. A good GM will also probably see Yegorov at BU and guys like Lenni, Grits. All the Devils have to do is draft moderately well up front again and this team is fine, Fitz has nosedived at that since Shero left.

Who would you hire as GM next year?

 

[devilsblood]

Cotter/Noesen have been meh outside of their shooting benders this year, Cotter blows defensively too

Noesen was more then a shooting bender. He was a legit net front PP force. Unfortuneately that went poof. I guess because teams adjusted? I dunno but he doesn't get the chances anymore.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

He destroyed the bottom 6?

Is that really a narrative we are pushing?

Considering his regime can't draft worth dick up front, who else did?

 

[Killing Joke]

They’re being caved in.

 

[Better Call Sal]

It sucks to feel this disheartened, but if we can’t play with structure, it’s going to be an uphill battle every game. That start to the 2nd period was abysmal. Our offense is only coming from a handful of players right now. 5-on-5 is a real struggle right now.

I want to believe. I’m going to try to believe. But not much confidence is being inspired.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

The same GM who took a year and a month to replace McLeod after the Team Canada is going to fix the same bottom 6 that he destroyed, lol yeah ok

We really just need one guy that fits with Jack and hopefully a C to bump Glass to the 4th line. Gritsyuk + that should be fine. Hopefully Haula and Palat shown the door, or at least one of them.

 

[Eggtimer]

Who would you hire as GM next year?

Don’t know . All I know is I don’t want it to be Fitz if we miss the playoffs .

 

[Unknown Caller]

The owners are never getting rid of Fitz, but please get him the f*** out of here along with his amateur scouts.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

LOL @ that schedule, if they're in a playoff spot when they come home versus the Wild in a week then god bless

 

[Bleedred]

Who would you hire as GM next year?

We don't know who the candidates are, but I definitely don't want Marty. That's for sure.

I'm not even gonna list Chuck, I don't think there's any chance he's the GM, unless it's on an interim basis. And we probably won't have an interim GM unless it's a midseason firing.

 

[devilsblood]

If he drafted properly and knew how to evaluate talent we wouldn’t have to worry about this.

If he used the available cap space to get someone like Cozens we wouldn’t be using the injuries as an excuse, because that’s all it is given how their bad play started back in Dec when they were healthy.

Cozens and his $7mil contract was never going to be a legit option for this team.

 

[Cheddabombs]

I think it can be done. Other than Cotter, Glass and Mercer (if he's even seen as bottom-6). You get rid of everyone.

Poor drafting has made it so we'd need to fill pretty much all those holes with either trades or free agents. Trades we have draft picks I guess but other than that not much terms of assets. Free agents, well as we all know it takes two tango there, so we'd need to have the right guys available and want to sign, and on contracts we can fit though with the cap rising maybe less of an issue.

I am not too hopeful personally. The core is fine but there is basically zero supporting cast.

 

[Devs3cups]

Lazar, Haula, Bastian, Tatar and Downling have a combined 20 goals. 4 goals each average. That's horrible for bottom 6 guys that have combined about 260 games. Impossible to be a solid offensive team overall when 5 pieces of your bottom 6 for the vast majority of the year produce like that offensively.

 

[Eggtimer]

We really just need one guy that fits with Jack and hopefully a C to bump Glass to the 4th line. Gritsyuk + that should be fine. Hopefully Haula and Palat shown the door, or at least one of them.

If Haula is not gone after this season , I’m taking a break from watching for a season. I can’t handle another season of watching him do nothing.

 

[Bleedred]

The owners are never getting rid of Fitz, but please get him the f*** out of here along with his amateur scouts.

They will

If they don't then he's merely just a puppet

I think if the fans in that building are as pissed as a few of us in this forum they'll SCREAM it at the top of their lungs in the home finale.

It may start before that if the season is decided before that.

 

[R8Devs]

We can certainly critique Fitz, but losing players the quality and importance of Hughes, Hams and Siegs is going to ding any team.

it'd help if they looked like a Stanley cup contender with those guys but it'd be hard to say that they did. and he's had plenty of time and assets to fix it and didn't.

I don't think Washington is as good as their record but it's crazy to see how they went from a team that traded Fitz a guy like Siegenthaler for a 3rd to becoming the team that makes the value trades/pickups while still developing their youth on their NHL roster while also having a good farm team. idk it's hard to imagine there isn't a guy out there that could be a better GM for this team seeing how teams like Dallas and Washington's both long term and recent moves lol. Not even including drafting there but those two teams also seem to go for higher upside players in the draft so there has to be someone on those teams available or someone from another team with that kind of mindset

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Noesen was more then a shooting bender. He was a legit net front PP force. Unfortuneately that went poof. I guess because teams adjusted? I dunno but he doesn't get the chances anymore.

He's a good complimentary player but they're enamored in finding some power forward to play with this elite core that they just think anyone who has a good week or two with that build is better than he is and then they come crashing back down to earth. Same thing happened with Cotter

 

[Devs3cups]

Poor drafting has made it so we'd need to fill pretty much all those holes with either trades or free agents. Trades we have draft picks I guess but other than that not much terms of assets. Free agents, well as we all know it takes two tango there, so we'd need to have the right guys available and want to sign, and on contracts we can fit though with the cap rising maybe less of an issue.

I am not too hopeful personally. The core is fine but there is basically zero supporting cast.

It's still easier to fix that vs. the top end. 1 or 2 guys would help. The majority of our bottom 6 is 4th line players at best. That's awful.

 

[Signal]

What a shame. This team a few years ago looked prime to be a contender year in and year out. Somewhere along the way with some guys not panning out, some stagnating, some which helped play a role in the team's identity being moved away, things changed.

This is exactly what has happened. Very frustrating.

 

[Bleedred]

5 years and 1 playoff berth, he didn't start the rebuild here.

Shero got fired for 5 years and 1 playoff berth.

He's had PLENTY of time.

 

[Killing Joke]

Cozens and his $7mil contract was never going to be a legit option for this team.

We had the cap space for it. We held onto shit players instead of making that jump.

Also, this is another reason fitz sucks. Hes given out horrible contracts he can’t move.

 

[jkrdevil]

We can certainly critique Fitz, but losing players the quality and importance of Hughes, Hams and Siegs is going to ding any team.

I think the lack of organizational depth is on the GM and front office. The lack of depth hampered the team in January and a February and then the string of injuries finished it off.

That there was no one capable of stepping in being capable of filling a depth role is an indictment on the GM. Especially when you consider the team has bled out depth talent in recent years. And if you look at Fitz’s trade record it seems we have consistently slightly overpaid a bit compared to similar moves by other teams.

End of the day any team can have a year from hell. You can’t have 3 out of 4 years from hell.