NJ Devils Tom Fitzgerald End Of Season Interview: Reaction & Thoughts

New Jersey Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald spoke with Bryce Salvador and Erika Wachter before the last game of the season, 4/15/24 vs. New York Islanders.
Tom spoke about a variety of topics from this disappointing season, as well as looked forward to next season.
What a sad season it was for the 2023-2024 NJ Devils.
I discuss and critique what Tom Fitzgerald said in this video.
You can watch the Tom Fitzgerald Interview below:
• NJ Devils Tom Fitzgera...
Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
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[@Dirks_NUMA_Files]

"Playoffs or Bust!" Playoff or bust my ass, if that was the case then why didn't he make any moves to fix the issue, mid season? Why did he wait to the deadline to do anything at all? That is all on HIM! He screwed the pooch on that. Teams are built from the Goalie out. The goalie is not a second thought position. I want Ullmark. "I'm the leader of the pack and I have to do a better job..." Thank you Captain Obvious"

[@runninwiththedevils]

@Dirks_NUMA_Files I am glad you are outraged at this as well. I was steaming watching this live

[@jayviation7879]

What a depressing end to the season, we really should have been at the complete opposite end of this not everything goes our way. This CANNOT happen again

[@runninwiththedevils]

@jayviation7879 NEVER AGAIN

[@johnsumner8487]

It was so refreshing to here your take on Fitzy comments! I agree 1000% with ALL your points! Love it.Keep it coming

[@runninwiththedevils]

@johnsumner8487 I know people don't want to hear the constant praise you get on the home telecast...

[@natalymikhail8806]

The thing about the way other teams play when there is a big guy on the team is soo TRUE. Main example the rangers w repme. And if we get another guy like macdermid and with good goal tending I think the core group will become more confident and tough even the younger defensemen will play a stronger more physical game to get the puck out of our zone .Plus hopefully keep holtz even tho his trade value is high he fits so well with the team and would be sad to see him go. 10/10 video waiting for the next

[@runninwiththedevils]

@natalymikhail8806 It is amazing the positive effect having a guy like that can have on the entire team. I hope he returns. It seems he will be. Holtz is an interesting case. I am very curious to see if he remains part of the group for the longterm future, or if he is dealt. I like him and hope he sticks around.

[@steverobinson8771]

Toughness is 80% mental... 20% physical. Look at Wayne Simmons, he's like 183lbs, he smashed guys up! Totally agree on MacDermid, we NEED him! #1 wish for me is Brady Tkachuk, #2 is a top goalie, which realistically means Markstrom, #3 'BEEF UP' the 3rd and 4th line D

[@runninwiththedevils]

@steverobinson8771 Mac must be brought back! My #1 want is Brady as well. He is EXACTLY what the Devils need, along with a goalie and some physical defensemen, and a couple physical forwards

[@nymike8]

Hey pal....from a true Ranger fan I just wanted to compliment you on great job you do....Got me coming back all year even though we had some fun with each other. I tell you brother...I may have to thank you and Your Devils for beating us last year...we were not ready and remembering the stories coming from the Ranger locker room after that loss and making sure something like this was never felt again..I really feel with this team...30 yr anniversary.... Thanks again pal !!

[@runninwiththedevils]

@nymike8 Thank you for that. Sometimes teams need a wakeup call to get it together. The Devils series may have served as that for your Rangers. Hopefully this entire disaster of a season will be the wakeup call for this New Jersey Devils group.

[@sigwom]

Great review of the season! I agree with you 100 %. From Devils fan in Norway !

[@runninwiththedevils]

@sigwom Thanks for watching. Much more to come in the next week or so, and throughout the summer.

[@chriswilson4980]

I also loved the Big Mac comment Totally agree with your thoughts and loved hearing Fitz say that!

[@runninwiththedevils]

@chriswilson4980 For sure. Kurtis must be brought back.

[@chriswilson4980]

Amen to that. In fact I want another brawling bull to create a modern day crash line. Nosek is fine for the center on that line. Everyone thinks this is a joke but it’s not. Go back and watch Big Mac smash into the Toronto netminder and NO ONE on Toronto even spoke to him let alone gave him crap. This team needs it. He’ll move smith to wing with him !

[@MrSnowford]

Awesome recap, even though the season is over my notifications are set for your off-season vids. Really glad I found your channel, has made this crappy season more enjoyable. 😆 Signing Big Mac is a MUST.....you need an enforcer to go deep in the season, hell I feel better with him on the team, as a player I'd be so much more jazzed to know he's got my back. I'm still very worried about Fitz not getting a number 1 goalie, I hope I'm wrong. The fact they did nothing with the Dougie IR money is criminal and exactly what you'd expect an organization like HGSE to do. It's all about the $ for them. If I were a season ticket holder I wouldn't be shelling out for next season until some serious moves are made to secure what we need for a redemption season.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@MrSnowford They will be coming in heavy soon. Locker Cleanout day video up now. Thank you for watching! I am hoping MacDermid returns. For Fitz to say that in the interview makes me believe he will be back. Players like him are a MUST in the league. I am worried about the goalie situation as well. The non-usage of the Dougie LTIR money is a crime. Absolute crime. HBSE wants to sweep every dime into the corporate coffers. Horrible. The Devils are experiencing a record dropoff for Season Ticket Holders for sure. They did it to themselves.

[@michaels7134]

For the record, I don't want Travis Green anywhere near this team next year. Also, the scariest part of the Fitz interview was Bryce suggesting that the Devils might go cheap on a #1 goalie and try to make it work with Allen and Kahkonen. NO! I can totally see the brain trust that went with Vitek and Schmid pushing this scenario.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@michaels7134 Green is a goner. That was some scary foreshadowing by Salvador for sure

[@chriswilson4980]

Hey good episode I realize you don’t like Fitz right now but I hope you come back after this off season. On your goalie comments I agree and hope that comes to pass. Info is that he will come cheap this summer and he and Allen in net I certainly will be very confident in. The plan has always been for Dawes to be the next great netminder here, and schmid growing into his solid counterpart. The team has a plan and the thing with plans are is that you build to follow them. I loved your thinking and hope it happens, accomplishes both short and long term potential. I too was dissapointed with not going crazy after dougie went on IR but I firmly believe Fitz is the guy to get the cup back here where it belongs LETS GO DEVILS

[@runninwiththedevils]

@chriswilson4980 I will never forget Fitz for flushing this season down the toilet. I still have faith that Daws and/or Schmid will oan out. LET'S GO DEVILS!!!

[@chriswilson4980]

He did blow it this year but it was not the clueless version we are feeling out of frustration. He needs a big summer and I’ll just say I pray he can capture that magic he found last year. LETS GO DEVILS. I love your museum btw. Great looking at stuff while you broadcast

[@danielbruegger9787]

One good thing about the Toffoli Trade is that Meier started cooking. Meier got to play his position and played in the first PP

[@runninwiththedevils]

@danielbruegger9787 For sure. But why couldn't Lindy figure that out when Toffoli was here?!?

[@reyrage15]

With Buffalo just cleaning house, I’m sure as per how the rest of the season has gone; Fitz will wait until the day before next season to hire/replace the coaches. I’m also optimistic that we have seen Green for the last time behind the bench here. I saw on a Wild rumor mill page that they were inquiring about trading for Siegenthaler for Gustavvson which I think you do in a heartbeat. Then use some of the other assets to bring in Chychrun or another real top four defenseman and one more bottom pairing guy. Other goalies who may not be insanely overpriced would be Logan Thompson (or maybe Adin Hill) because of vegas cap space, Binnington who we saw this season is still solid even with his attitude issues; and to some defeee Ullmark because of Bostons cap space. Getting Markstrom would be great if we had a guy in the minors we were convinced would become a great starter in two year. I don’t know that we have that so I’d rather get someone who we could have play for most of our active window

[@runninwiththedevils]

@reyrage15 I think Fitz has a new coach named by mid July at latest. After he hopefully has an active Free Agency. I will trade Siegenthaler for pretty much anything offered. I think it is time to upgrade his spot. I think as long as Fitz gets some other guys to address our problems, Markstrom can give us a great chance at a run for 2 or maybe even 3 years. We will see how this plays out...

[@judistzoinkiski3395]

No you do not go get gust he was awful this year.

[@in2anthr]

Any money not spent is money in ownership pockets. Hamiltons salary got covered, so its like money in the bank for them when they didnt spend to upgrade roster after his injury. All they had to do was spend to the cap and it would have been a different story.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@in2anthr THIS. THIS is the real root of the problem. An ownership group that doesn't care about winning, but a group that wants to sweep every last dime into the company coffers. It enrages me. There was no excuse not to go spend all that money. PERIOD.

[@BiggestIbukiKinnie]

🎶All I want for Christmas~ (the off-season) is you~ (a star goalie)🎶 (And defense, and a new coaching staff, and Dougie to recover ☹️, and no injuries, and Tyler Toffoli back I really like him, and a better bottom six tho all hail Curtis Lazar, and NJ Brady Tkachuk I wanna see that toddler in our state)

[@runninwiththedevils]

@BiggestIbukiKinnie I will settle for any adequate goalie. I do not think Toff comes back, but I would welcome it under the right deal. I think he will get paid big $ elsewhere, and possibly longer than we would want to sign him for.

[@BiggestIbukiKinnie]

@@runninwiththedevils ik ik But being delusional works sometimes

[@runninwiththedevils]

@BiggestIbukiKinnie It didn't work for Fitz this year!

[@manuelbrun6882]

Sorry to correct this, but in one thing Fitz is right. as swiss i can confirm that the last name of Akira is Schmid with a soft i > spelling like a long "ee" and a soft "d". how you spell it, it would be written in german like "Schmidt" or "Schmitt" and it is the more "Germany"-german version of it :)

[@runninwiththedevils]

@manuelbrun6882 I asked Akira on video last season...

[@manuelbrun6882]

@@runninwiththedevils ok strange. I can just tell you, what it is in our language. just checked also some video material on swiss-TV. it is exactly pronounced, as I said. but whatever. doesn't matter too much. there are many names in the NHL not pronounced "correctly" I think :)

[@runninwiththedevils]

@manuelbrun6882 I am going off of what AKIRA HIMSELF said. You can see below, at the 1:40 mark: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKHEhI16Z52sndE

[@manuelbrun6882]

@@runninwiththedevils oh, intresting. funny though because in swiss TV, even his parents pronounce it the other way around. but anyway. I am not an expert about english pronunciations. didn't wanna offend you or such. :)

[@larryschlievert871]

Well, no more Devils so I'm watching the Wings. Seider has 200 hits and 200 blocks on the season. And counting!

[@runninwiththedevils]

@larryschlievert871 That is quite the statline!

[@danielbruegger9787]

Hot take: I don‘t know but I still kinda believe in Schmid not for next year but in a couple of years

[@runninwiththedevils]

@danielbruegger9787 I'm right there with you. I can't see him going from the guy with a historically great series against the Rangers to a bust. That wasn't a fluke. I think he will be a legit NHL goalie in some capacity within a couple of years. Whether it is here or somewhere else remains to be seen.

[@jeffa.7618]

Question: Would you do 10th OA for Markstrom straight up?

[@runninwiththedevils]

@jeffa.7618 At this point, NO. I will have a wholllllllllle goaltending breakdown/scenario video coming soon.

[@jeffa.7618]

Sounds good, looking forward to that. I was just curious since we similarly did 9th OA for Schneider in '13. I think I might if I were Tom, but I know I'm in the minority. The goalie market is shallow, a lot of teams are looking rn, and I'm sure CGY would want to draft Iginla plus another top 10 prospect if they could. ​@@runninwiththedevils

[@runninwiththedevils]

@jeffa.7618 I have a few different ways I can look at this. Goaltending DEEP DIVE video coming soon...

[@sst6601]

man, remove this question😂

[@Troyski155]

Check out the hockey writers' analysis of the season. Really bolsters up what you say. Good read, though.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@troytereck7707 I will check it out

[@joerazz91]

Brodeur left in 2014 and this franchise hasn’t recovered at that position since. Fritz has to fix this shit! We can’t waste the talent on this team anymore!

[@runninwiththedevils]

@joerazz91 Agreed. We had a small glimpse of a great Cory Schneider on an atrocious team. Outside of that small moment in time it has been a complete atrocity.

[@joerazz91]

@@runninwiththedevils 5 goalies played this year. 5! That’s not the recipe for success. I’m a jets fan and I can make the argument the devils season was more disappointing than the jets!

[@benjamindiangelo448]

Bottom line = Fitz decided to make this a development year, and not a playoff yr. Nobody should be surprised they didn't make the playoffs. Fitz rightfully started season w Vitek & Schmid (which was risky to begin with) but had absolutely no fall-back plan in net when it didn't work out. Daws as the fall-back plan was yet another risk that didn't work out. Second, you lost Severson and Graves, two very experienced dmen, and replaced them w a 19 y/o Luke and Brendan Smith. Not suggesting we should have signed either Sevo or Graves, but removing that level of experience from your d-core and failing to replace it is an epic failure on Fitz part, and during the season he did nothing to address this, instead Fitz went into development mode and played the AHL kids, which essentially was throwing in the towel on the season long ago.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@benjamindiangelo448 yup. Pathetic to waste a season like this. Unacceptable and people have been fired for much less.

[@michaelmiranda3023]

After that smack down last night at the rock that I attended which I didn’t expect us to like put up 8 goals or something but their was no heart on that ice , at least they could’ve finished strong , have some pride and as much as I got tired of Lindy , he reiterated puck battles all the time and compete which there was barely any last night and majority of the season

[@runninwiththedevils]

@michaelmiranda3023 I think the boys are dejected and shellshocked. Hopefully there is a big rebound next season across the board.

[@michaelmiranda3023]

@@runninwiththedevils i hope so 🤞 , have to be way more efficient on the power play as well watching them this season on power play has been brutal not only because they set up and just pass back to Luke and lose the zone and or give up shg / break away chance . I really feel like us losing Brunette hurt our team on PP big time Green was a dud on our schemes all year

[@runninwiththedevils]

@michaelmiranda3023 Brunette was a big loss for sure

[@DubbsIsLike]

I think we either trade for Markstrom or sign Brossoit as a UFA

[@runninwiththedevils]

@DubbsIsLike I think Brossoit could be a solid choice, especially given the cost. NO assets have to be given to get him, and his contract shouldn't be too crazy. I think Stolarz could be a good deal as well.

[@bted]

As frustrating and disappointing as this season was, I'm amazed by the out-of-proportion anger levels, given any kind of bigger picture. For example, I remember becoming a Devils fan in 1988 when Sean Burke carried them into the playoffs and through two rounds before they lost to Boston. They missed the playoffs the next year. Sound familiar? Huge disappointment? It really didn't get much better after 89. Burke was average and never became a big time goalie. After missing the playoffs in 89 they lost in the first round the next 3 years. That's 5 mediocre years if you're counting. And the GM for all of it was Lou Lamoriello. Same guy who won us three Cups. I wonder how many angry angry fans were calling for his head, starting midway through 1988-89.

[@bted]

​@JerseyGrove It shouldn't take that long, and I hope it doesn't but it could. If you look at some other teams who have won recently, it actually took them a while too. The Avs had McKinnon for about 8 years before they won. Oilers with McDavid have yet to win a Cup. Tampa made the finals in 2014 but had about five pretty disappointing years before they won those two cups. I think being a fan is MOSTLY disappointment, to be honest, whether it's a crappy regular season or getting bounced in the playoffs. If anything I feel kind of spoiled that I saw all of Brodeur's career and the 3 Cups we won.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@bted Please do not insult the legend of Lou Lamoriello by even comparing him to this bozo. Lou wants to win EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. He manages that way. The talent on those Devils teams cannot be compared to today's Devils. If we are mediocre for 5 years, that would be disastrous. Completely disastrous. I agree with @JerseyGrove If this isn't fixed ASAP, there is a major problem. MAJOR! We must contend NOW! NOW! We have too many good players in or near their prime. You never know when Nico, Jack, Timo etc will start to decline. *5* years from now is an eternity. We are indeed spoiled to witness Marty's career and the success it brought the Devils.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@JerseyGrove The Marty thing is a side note. This current team is in deep trouble. Fitzgerald must make moves.

[@bted]

@@runninwiththedevils I think I understand where you're coming from ... we have all this talent, especially with the forwards, and you don't want to waste this window by mismanaging the goaltenders, role players, defensemen, coaches, etc. To me, that these guys are so young is actually the good news. You can't talk about "decline" when Hughes is 22 and Hischier is 24. Seriously, pace yourself a little lol. The real misery was 2013 up till about 2020. That was hopeless and miserable. Even that one good year with Taylor Hall was an anomaly. This current group doesn't feel that way. Whether you hate him or not, we're definitely stuck with Fitz for at least another year. I want to see if he REALLY learns from this and what he does, starting with this summer.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@bted YES. Mismanagement of the supplement pieces are going to quickly age this core. Regardless of what Fitz has said, the time is ticking on our opportunity. The nucleus is here and in place. Nico is now 25, Bratt is 25 (will be 26 when the season starts), Timo is 27 (will turn 28 in the first week of the season), Hamilton is 30 (will be 31 when the season starts). These are the main pieces. For all intents and purposes their ages are 25, 26, 28, 31. Is it getting clearer?!? I think you have fallen under Fitz' spell.

[@JSnow-rv8ls]

Try everything to get tkachuk here we need a guy like him badly.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@JSnow-rv8ls I will continue to hold out hope for this!

[@davidgaritta9195]

@@runninwiththedevils Mercer would have to go the other way if this were to ever happen

[@runninwiththedevils]

@davidgaritta9195 Maybe, maybe not...depending on the other pieces involved. With that being said, I am not letting that get in the way of landing Brady. I would love to preserve everyone, but you have to give to get.

[@GoodMenstruationAttitude]

I picked up on Sal hedging his bets right away too. Scary but what GM wants to trade w Trotz? Screw it let's go Devs

[@runninwiththedevils]

@GoodMenstruationAttitude I think Saros is a pipedream. Get whatever goalie we can at decent value and get me Brady. LET'S GO DEVILS!!!

[@GoodMenstruationAttitude]

@@runninwiththedevils ahaha still with the Brady thing... that would be something, a total Hughes-extended family team takeover! I'll settle for Montour and Zadorov. 😸

[@runninwiththedevils]

@GoodMenstruationAttitude I will hold onto a sliver of hope for Brady for eternity. He is EXACTLY what we need. Have you seen how sensitive Sens fans have become over the chatter?!? It is hilarious. I would take Montour and Zadorov as well. There is a whole crop of guys for us to attempt to pick from. Lets see how active ol' Fitzy is in the Free Agency Market

[@halfnakedfrankenstein]

I agree with everything youre saying about the cap situation and the playoffs or bust comment. So confusing. He was playing wait and see way too much. I also worry he’s too personally invested in his coaching staff to hold on with Lindy for so long. I worry he would keep Green at this point. He needed to get a shotblocking defenseman and a different goaltender in January

[@runninwiththedevils]

@halfnakedfrankenstein It wasn't wait and see. He called it "hoping and wishing". LMAO. Unreal stuff. Lots of people think he may make Green the coach. I just cannot see it. I would feel differently if the team responded under Green. While they were competitive in most games during Green's time, the record was atrocious with tons of blown leads. I think naming Green would be a HUGE risk for Fitz, and I think he has used up all of his goodwill from the owners during this debacle of a season. The goaltender situation is just beyond comprehension. I can't wrap my head around how he didn't get someone in January. It is maddening.

[@judistzoinkiski3395]

Brenden Dillon is a FA so there is your shot blocking Dmen but Dev fans only care about speed and they are scared of getting players with size too.

[@kfree1966]

One thing that needs to change is get rid of the analytics group. The GM and Coach need to use their own gut hockey sense to get players, play players and having the confidence of the team that they have the players back. I miss the time when coaches coached with their minds and guts.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@kfree1966 Couldn't agree more. The Analytics Department has wayyyyyyyy too much power/influence. It seems as though the owners love the math nerds, they aren't going anywhere. I think there is a place for analytics, but when it is the driving force behind personnel decisions, ice times, etc...it has gone entirely too far. Human intuition is part of the game!

[@thenelson4108]

May be a bit crazy idea but what do you think of a trade with Boston involving Swayman and Hampus Lindholm or Carlo?

[@Mooseman327]

Yup, crazy. Why would the B's trade any of those players? They're going for it...right now. And the Devils have nothing big that helps them do that. The B's are not settling for draft choices or "might be good someday" players. Who puts them over the top right now?

[@thenelson4108]

@@Mooseman327 Yea your right

[@runninwiththedevils]

@thenelson4108 I do think Ullmark would be available at the right price though...

[@craigparise8619]

Only way to show the owners how fed up we are is hit them in their pockets . Us fans need to stop going to games !

[@runninwiththedevils]

@craigparise8619 I put a self imposed ban on myself from attending games in February after Fitz refused to get a goaltender. It was painfully obvious to the entire universe we needed one desperately, and he decided to do nothing...until Deadline day, when it was wayyyyyyyyy too late

[@lclca3545]

please turn the mic closer to you...audio is way low

[@runninwiththedevils]

Put your volume up!

[@runninwiththedevils]

POLL QUESTION: Is the volume too low?!? Please respond YES or NO ***ALSO, PLEASE POST WHAT DEVICE YOU ARE WATCHING ON!***

[@sst6601]

recent episodes - yes. old episodes -no

[@runninwiththedevils]

@sst6601 on THIS video

[@sst6601]

@@runninwiththedevils low

[@runninwiththedevils]

@sst6601 what are you watching on?

[@runninwiththedevils]

@cacky9661 what device are you watching on?

[@Heytherebuds]

I remember how angry and butthurt he sounded. When he was talking about letting go of Linda ruff. He blamed the players completely. Now I guarantee you he's not going to want to buy what we really need in the off-season. He's probably going to try to tiptoe around spending money because he's an idiot when it comes to spending the right money on the right player. The fact we only got a second and third for Tyler is a joke. They treated it like a salary dump

[@runninwiththedevils]

@Heytherebuds This whole season was one long nightmare. Painful. This is the summer of his life. Do or die time. Let's see what he does...

[@mr.devil9577]

They got good goaltending from Allen and Khakonen and still sucked. They fired the coach and still sucked. This year was more on the players than anything else. Fitz fumbled this year no question but I'm tired of the fans putting most the blame on the GM and coaching staff. Talent alone they should've made the playoffs. There was no heart or hustle that we saw from last year.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@mr.devil9577 Allen ended up giving OK goaltending overall, but great goaltending on some nights. I do blame the players alot, but that defense needed some help. We had teenagers logging 20+ minutes back there on some nights. I do blame Fitz more than anything else for this season. He has to take the majority of the blame. He did 0 to help us. No heart or hustle for sure. Need to get some guys with KILLER mentality. Bring some dogs in!

[@Yoseman1]

Sharongovich scored 30 goals this year - Taffoli is gone. Zetterlund scored 23 goals this year to Meier's 28. Both trades were HORRENDOUS, which I said from the moment they were made. You fools called for Lindy's head and goaltending. You got both when we still had a winning record. How did what you wanted work out?

[@matthewwarnke170]

@@Yoseman1 Zetterlund 23 goals 23-24

[@Yoseman1]

@matthewwarnke170 I knew that, so not sure why I said 30. Good catch though. Zetterlund is also years younger.

[@chriswilson4980]

No volume is perfect here at least

[@runninwiththedevils]

@chriswilson4980 Thanks for letting me know

[@beammeup1930]

I'm think the goalie too expensive comment was meant for others watching..meaning he's saying he won't overpay cuz he has a backup plan..I mean I hope that what he was doing

[@runninwiththedevils]

@beammeup1930 He always thinks he's the smartest guy in the room. And he isn't. I believe we get Markstrom, or someone from the next tier down of available goalies.

[@JSnow-rv8ls]

Im not the biggest fan of fitz i do think we could have made the playoffs for sure.. i wasnt the. Biggest fan of toffoli so i guess its better to get something than lose him for nothing. Also making a run with jack injured would have been super tough

[@runninwiththedevils]

@JSnow-rv8ls Making the playoffs > not making the playoffs. Toffoli was a veteran who could score. We ended up losing him for any sort of duration because of how bad Fitz dropped the ball this season. The truth is, had Fitz gotten a goalie in January, Lindy and Toffoli would both be here while we rode into the playoffs.

[@DubbsIsLike]

If it was playoffs or bust, he would have gotten Zadorov soon after Dougie went down instead of playing with 2 rookies on the backend. Playoffs or bust? How about you use the 9 mil in LTIR!

[@runninwiththedevils]

@DubbsIsLike EXACTLY. I can't sit idly while he says that NOW, but did NOTHING when he had all that available money. He did nothing. EXCUSE ME, I forgot! He helped facilitate getting Tanev ( A GUY WE COULD HAVE DESPERATELY USED) to Dallas, in exchange for a late round pick. Unbelievable!

[@DubbsIsLike]

@@runninwiththedevils that was the biggest indictment on the season for him, was that LTIR space and he hung the rookies out to dry with that. There was no need to just throw them into the deep end, but that's exactly what he did!

[@runninwiththedevils]

@DubbsIsLike Maddening stuff. I will never forget this pathetic performance

[@captainmofongo584]

How is Holtz supposed to be used as a trade chip when our GM has made him so appealing to the league? Why would anyone want Holtz after he said the quiet part out loud in a press conference? He should have been doing the exact opposite if his intent is to move him. Fitz is special, and I don't mean in that Cracker Jack prize sort of way. All of his goodwill has been eroded in 1 season. What a Goof.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@captainmofongo584 The whole Holtz treatment has been interesting. Especially the press conference you mention. I ripped him bigtime for that. Holtz was a main piece being talked about in ongoing deals for a goalie, and this guy has a presser where he bashes the kid to the world. Genius stuff. What a year

[@Njcolo27]

I worry truly about their mental toughness

[@runninwiththedevils]

@Njcolo27 Mental AND physical toughness were issues all year

[@jeffa.7618]

Tom "Patient to a Fault" Fitzgerald. On the 16th day, of the 4th month, in the 24th year of our 2nd millennium - I hereby chirsten thee, from this day forth, "Faultzgerald".

[@runninwiththedevils]

@jeffa.7618 hahahahahahaha. I LOVE IT!

[@jeffa.7618]

​@@runninwiththedevils Yeah, congrats to Tom on graduating clown school. This is the decree straight from his diploma 😅 seems fitting. Thanks, Faultzgerald. Let's pray he doesn't cripple this team with a critical off-season upon us.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@jeffa.7618 FAULTZGERALD!

[@sst6601]

Carolina have Kochetkov and Andersen, Washington - Kuemper and Lindgren, Detroit - Lyon and Reimer, Edmonton - Pickard and Skinner, Colorado- Georgiev and some other kid, Los Angeles - Talbot, Toronto - Samsonov and Woll. And so on.. All Vezina winners 😂. And all playoff teams and likely one of those teams will end up with the Cup. And the Devils need 35 yo 6M Markstrom.Ok😅

[@runninwiththedevils]

@sst6601 There are some other guys I may roll the dice on assuming we bolster the blueline. Stolarz and Brossoit come to mind....

[@sst6601]

​@@runninwiththedevilsI would take them both over Markstrom who just came crushing down in the second half of the season. Why? Because Calgary traded half of their defense. And you want Markstrom perform 0.910 on these Devils. What a sweet summer child))

[@runninwiththedevils]

@sst6601 I would rather those guys IF I knew 100% that Fitz was fixing the blue line. Lots of question marks going into the summer.

[@RyanDaMan24]

I hope you are right that it’s just GM speak when Fitz said that Travis Green will get the chance to be interviewed. I really hope he doesn’t actually consider making Green the full time head coach next season. Green needs to be shown the door.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@RyanDaMan24 Green will get the courtesy interview. But he ain't getting handed a courtesy job behind our bench.

[@craigparise8619]

Everyone who knows hockey knows you build a team goalie out…

[@runninwiththedevils]

@craigparise8619 Fitzy adopted the "hope and wish" approach....turns out that doesn't end well

[@Ted-NJ]

dude, the mic audio quality is low. I can hardly hear you with it cranked up.

[@runninwiththedevils]

There’s no pleasing everyone. If I put it close it’s too loud. Now it’s too low. 🤷🏻‍♂️I checked on my phone and on a PC and didn’t have issues. What are you watching on?

[@Ted-NJ]

@@runninwiththedevils I am home now and watching it on my laptop computer. Whatever mic gear you have you have a good microphone. I am noticing it now. 99% of the time your channel audio quality is good. Huge fan of your channel and coverage.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@Ted-NJ I put the poll up at the top. I am curious to see if this is a genuine problem, or for a select few on devices. I had no issue on my desktop PC or iPhone. Time will tell!

[@anson.meadows]

This was interesting… UFC fighters reacting to NJ/NYR line brawl: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3apmXx4rbGbfLssi=ACMUWFb6y1pH8ioa

[@runninwiththedevils]

@anson.meadows That was awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@madsn1057]

This video is playing on my iPad while I was putting away some pizza. You KNOW I DASHED over and am now typing furiously. ……. SCHMEED?! You have GOT to be kidding me. I wasn’t watching the game because I was at my best friend’s house and I didn’t really care all that much but SURPRISE SURPRISE, SCHMEED is my biggest pet peeve in all of hockey. I cite YOUR video when I correct people on it because it makes me so mad. I was mad at Fitz before because the masses were (I’m a new fan trying to learn the ins and outs), but OH MY GOD, BYE BYE!!! Go to the REAL pits of hell Fitz. You spend so much time throwing Akira around like a piece of garbage and don’t even have the courtesy to say his name right. Unbelievable. Honestly, I’m glad I didn’t hear it because I would have had an absolute conniption.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@madsn1057 I appreciate you by the only other one so far to be completely incensed by this. When I heard it, it was the 3rd time I wanted to smash my TV into his first 3 minutes of talking. The whole interview served as anger fuel unfortunately. When you reference my video on this matter; do you mean when I actually asked Akira?!? It is insane how Fitzgerald can't even pronounce the players' names correctly. The ultimate sign of laziness in my opinion.

[@madsn1057]

@runninwiththedevils Yeah, that's the one! I mean AT LEAST Akira also said the mispronunciation didn't bother him, but STILL! It's a courtesy! And yeah, leave it to Akira's #1 Fan to have the strongest feelings about this. I literally like sprinted across my kitchen to express my rage. On a more positive note, his birthday is coming up! May 12th 😅

[@runninwiththedevils]

@madsn1057 I needed to get to the bottom of the mystery myself once and for all. I want to say it properly. Apparently Fitz didn't see my video, lmao.

[@madsn1057]

@@runninwiththedevils Apparently not. >:[

[@bted]

My friend, I think you're doing a great job and this has become my go-to channel for a lot of Devils stuff. However, this is a lot simpler than you're making it. To say Fitzgerald didn't really mean it when he said "playoffs or bust" is silly. He meant it. He just didn't get it done. There's a difference. To question his decisions is fine, and warranted. But "reading between the lines" as to his unspoken intentions or motives or some kind of deeper nefarious reason as to WHY he didn't get it done ... I don't get it. If you're not going to take him at his word, why listen to anything he says at all? Picks are not useless. If you want to trade for a goalie, or trade with Ottawa for Tkachuk ... teams might want those picks. You said yourself we weren't winning with Toffoli. I'm guessing he didn't trade for Jake Allen mid-season possibly because he was trying to get Markstrom, and that fell through. Jake Allen was hardly at the top of my list on goalies to trade for. And he can't be the number one guy next year. No way. There's a reason he was a third-stringer in Montreal. Sorry to be critical and for the novel-length post. I am very curious to see who the coach will be and I agree it won't be Green.

[@sst6601]

yeap. Ageed on Tkachuk. Or Saros.. 3rd and 4th picks will get it done

[@runninwiththedevils]

@bted Playoffs or bust, MEANS playoffs or bust. What did he do to try to get us into the postseason?!? Under his own quote, he BUSTED. So what are the consequences of his actions?!? I will always listen to what he has to say. It doesn't mean that I can't think he is full of sh!t. The 2nd and 3rd round picks we got for Toffoli aren't of significant value. They just aren't. Sure they could be "throw in" pieces of a much larger deal; but you aren't getting anything substantial with that. Any deal involving Tkachuk is going to be a 1st(s) +++++. Once the Markstrom deal fell apart, he shoud have gotten Allen immediately. Why wait until deadline day?!? It makes 0 sense.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@sst6601 lmao, a 2nd, a 3rd and Schmid for Saros is easy! or Brady for that matter

[@bted]

@@runninwiththedevils So much hyperbole. Completely devaluing a 2nd round pick because it isn't a 1st round pick is like saying a hundred dollars is completely worthless because it isn't five hundred dollars. If those two picks are part of a "much larger deal" then you're probably getting something substantial, aren't you? No one said those two picks will get us Brady or Saros by themselves.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@bted I am not completely devaluing the pick, but be realistic about what is truly is. It is not worth much. I can't celebrate getting those in a trade for Toffoli.

[@brandonthomas8787]

my most worries in the off season. -New signed coaches will realize the team is ran by the new jersey analytics team and they will not want any part of signing with the team -because of that were stuck with Travis green -the devils organization don't have the balls to get a coach like john Tortorella they want a soft coach. -Fits signing markstrom in NHL standards needs to be in a retirement home. and he will not sign anybody on the blue line.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@brandonthomas8787 I do fear that some potential coaching candidates would view this organization as a complete debacle and want nothing to do with it. Namely the way Fitzgerald maneuvers, and the owner's reliance on the Analytics Department. I think this can be a REAL deterrent so some coaches. If Fitz goes into next season with Travis Green behind the bench, he is a dead man walking. That would be even RISKIER than not getting a goalie until deadline day. I would LOVE Torts. I have liked him for years. He is exactly what I think the Devils need. A swift kick in the a$$. Lindy was running a country club. These guys need a military type disciplinarian. I think Markstrom could be good for us for the 2 years he has left on his deal. We will see what this lonnggggg summer brings us.

[@sst6601]

Fitzgerald was a tough solid player at his time. And a Captain. What a complete opposite he has become as GM. ​@@runninwiththedevils

[@runninwiththedevils]

@sst6601 Can he really be as clueless as we think he is?!? Is it possible that the Analytics Department is beating him down?!?

[@michaelcentalonza593]

I love fighters and what they do for a team. I even love MacDermid but I think they can do better. BRANDON DUHAIME is a UFA and can actually play hockey whereas MacDermid is a one trick pony. I’m fine with signing MacDermid but I would also sign DUHAIME as the 4LW. He’s only 26 making 1.1 mil this year. I think a 3 yr 4.5 mil contract should get that deal done. Acquire Tkachuk, sign DUHAIME and find a two way center for the 3rd line. Timo Nico Bratt Brady Jack Mercer Palat ? Lazar DUHAIME Haula Bastian MacDermid Tierney

[@sst6601]

Macdermid is a panic signing.Thats all. There are better players of Macdermid type who can actually play hockey

[@michaelcentalonza593]

That’s my entire point. They can find big tough fighter for the same amount of money thst can actually play a little hockey. MacDermid can’t really do much, I would rather have Geersten.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@sst6601 @michaelcentalonza593 hey hey, Kurtis almost scored a couple goals the other night!

[@sst6601]

​@@runninwiththedevilswe almost got into the postseason

[@michaelcentalonza593]

My bad.. I should know better.

[@JSnow-rv8ls]

Jake allen hasnt looked that good as of late

[@runninwiththedevils]

@JSnow-rv8ls Started off hot and then came crashing back to Earth

[@Mooseman327]

Problems for Devils, in this order. 1) Ownership 2) Tom Fitzgerald 3) Coaching 4) Core players are all soft 5) Goaltending

[@runninwiththedevils]

@Mooseman327 I almost agree entirely. I think I would just switch 3 and 4

[@bted]

You listed literally every aspect of the team except the actual biggest problem, which was the team defense.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@bted Defense is near the top for sure, but I associate that with part coaching and part "players being soft". But the defense was clearly an atrocity. I can only hope that Hughes and Nemec look much better in our own end next season.

[@prophet1020]

There's always next season.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@prophet1020 That goes right next to "The future is bright" and "the window is just opening"

[@cbonez2909]

Fitz has to go!! bottom line!! We have seen this before!! Fitz hasn't made the best moves!!

[@runninwiththedevils]

@cbonez2909 We are stuck with him until next season at some point. He needs to have the summer of his life to fix the issues

[@rjconnor688]

Just my opinion but I think you place way to much blame on V and schmido. Defense this year was atrocious. Marino was a ghost. Bahl plays like the tooth fairy. Losing severson and graves were huge in combination with douggie. I’ll give Luke and nemec a rookie pass. Even the forwards are soft. Not expecting much from Jack but the only forward who even showed any fight was bratter. Nico can whine all he wants but for 6’2 buddy had a soft season Easy to blame goalies when the team has infrastructural issues.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@rjconnor688 Unfortunately V and Schmid took the brunt of my aggravation earlier in the year. In hindsight, I do not blame that as much now as I did then. The reality is though, they weren't playing good enough. Even behind the disastrous defense. I have been critical of that all year as well. The D was downright bad. But we needed a higher level of goaltending to be competitive in most of the games. A league average goalie would have gotten us some wins this season that resulted in losses. I have complained about the lack of toughness as a team for years. Fitz MUST address this in the summer by obtaining 2 nasty dmen and a couple of tenacious power forwards. Hopefully Bahl can develop a mean streak. He is wayyyy too big to play the way he does. The team has infrastructural issues for sure. LET'S GO DEVILS!!!

[@sst6601]

​@@runninwiththedevilsV is smiling somewhere in California

[@JaYPeeDee1025]

Back to the rebuild you go one hit wonders .Sincerely The President’s trophy champion New York Rangers.PS Thank for the motivation see ya next year 👋🏼

[@runninwiththedevils]

@JaYPeeDee1025 3 banners since your last pigeon

[@sst6601]

As for Holtz. You dont spend 7th pick on a player only to turn him into a two-way player. Holtz lacks a little bit of size for that. As for MacDermid. He is the player who needs to be signed last. If at all. He doesn't provide anything to this team. He didn't boost the results. You sign bigger players and MacDermid is the least of your worries. However, if after all signings you've got some money left , sign Dermid. No problem

[@runninwiththedevils]

@sst6601 Mac will make around $1M. Signing him doesn't "cost" us getting other guys. You think Fitz finds a way to move Palat with some retention?!?

[@sst6601]

@@runninwiththedevils it doesn't. But 1M of free cap space at the deadline is a lot. Colorado moved him without any thought to free up some room for trades. No, Palat is going to stay for this year 100%

[@celluloidtherapy5003]

Remember: Patience, is the key. Sorry, but how can anyone not look at Fitzgerald, as a complete clown, who has zero business in the GM position? The “everyone is being evaluated” line, is getting old, and I’m sick of hearing him say it. All the signs were there, MONTHS ago with goaltending, was plainly obvious. These moves should have been made in December, maybe January.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@celluloidtherapy5003 AGREED! The not getting a goalie is the cardinal sin I will NEVER forgive him for. It was obvious to anyone with who knows anything about hockey. Every away or national broadcast would talk about "when is New Jersey gonna get a goalie?" because it was painfully clear ALL SEASON long that we were drowning with Vitek and Schmid, and later Daws. This is straight up not doing your job.

[@sst6601]

​​@@runninwiththedevilsI feel underappreciated here😭 Why non of my comments have ever been pinned? I said Fitzgerald has no business being GM last summer. Fire Fitzgerald!😅

[@runninwiththedevils]

@@sst6601your time will come soon 😂

[@jimgoodyear6756]

Bro would literally trade the farm and all future picks for 1 goalie. Kakko/Allen is worlds better than Vitek/Akira. Won't matter if Seigs and Marino are still on the team.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@jimgoodyear6756 I wouldn't trade the farm for a goalie, but would be willing to pay a fair price. If that fails, trade the farm for Brady Tkachuk. I do believe either Siegs or Marino are moved.

[@JSnow-rv8ls]

I like a kurtis mcdermaid but id rather a guy with a little more skill..

[@runninwiththedevils]

@JSnow-rv8ls I want Kurtis. He puts the fear of god into people. Not too many guys can do that. Fitz can assemble an absolutely punishing 4th line

[@judistzoinkiski3395]

he just yaps and nothing smart comes out. He rips Holtz apart but Luke has been awful in his ownend all year, Fitzy needs to keep that same energy towards everyone not pick and chose. He needs to be gone from GM.But ownership is soft just the whole devils org, hope they realize speed is not everything and they gotta get size. I hope we dont get another ole Head like Gallant or Berbue. Berbue system doesnt fit the devils build IMO.. Woodcroft,Jay Leach,Warsofsky etc Sullivan isnt getting fired. McGill& Brylin stay. McGill turn the PK around after it was bad. But a name to look at for PK/Dmen coach is Gronberg from Euro. They should stay away from NCAA coach to be HC, Pandolfo,Carle or whoever would be great AC.

[@runninwiththedevils]

@judistzoinkiski3395 The double standard has gone on for far too long. It is crazy. Size and grit MATTERS. Hopefully the Analytics Department can get that through their heads. The roster as constructed today is because of a crippling reliance on Analytics. Look where it got us. The coaching situation will be very interesting...

[@TheOchocincoboi]

hey, not going to bother watching the interview but i've been wanting to vent on this. I'm happy the fanbase is starting to wake up and realize how horrible of a GM fitzgerald is and has been. First just consider the fact that Hughes and Heiscer were acquired by winning the draft lottery, so that means no decision had to be made realistically. Then look at the Meier trade and contract which has set us back generations. I could ramble on an on about this AHL roster but what i really care about is New Jersey and this poor hoodwinked lead astray fan base. Ive been a fan for 20 years and for the first time this season i refused to go to a game in boycott. I mean over the years this team never plays well for the home fans, and the tickets are ridiculously expensive for a horrible product on ice. And the food and concessions at the Prudential Center suck ass. 100$ for a ticket, 20$ for chicken nuggets and 15$ per beer just to lose 1-3 to the Lightning or whoever. Poor Ken Danekyo has had to commentate on this horrible team for 15 years it's shameful. If we don't make major changes we will lose Jack Hughes and rightfully so

[@runninwiththedevils]

@TheOchocincoboi Watch the interview so your blood can boil too! He lucked into a good situation, and then dropped the ball when it mattered most. I do think Meier will be a great piece for us going forward. He was injured earlier in the year, and was forced to play out of his natural position, and was not given powerplay time. As soon as he was put at RW and got PP1 time, he became a monster. We will see this going forward from him. It surely is expensive for a lackluster experience overall at a game...

[@TheOchocincoboi]

@@runninwiththedevils yea i will admit Meier is finally playing good, i didn't like him even before the trade and continued to hate on him all season. Overrated media darling on the Sharks who just tallied a bunch of empty stats while the Sharks sat at the bottom of the league.

[@sst6601]

@@TheOchocincoboi are you my twin brother?😅

[@runninwiththedevils]

@TheOchocincoboi He showed what he can do when healthy. March on he was a complete animal. We should see a big season out of his next year.

[@ninjafoot1104]

You can’t have consistent playoff appearances when you’re team has inconsistent production from inconsistent players - Jesper Bratt, Ondre Palat Horrendous defense was never attempted to be addressed, instead it was over expressed - The Enture D Core Injuries were a huge part of inconsistent play and production. But to be honest, the team is waaaay to soft - Jack Hughes, Timo Meier, Nico Hischier Goaltending wins championships, and dicking around with the goalie situation was malfeasance and malpractice. Jack Allen really isn’t that great, nor is he that bad, and he’s good for pulling out miraculous saves while letting a softy here and there. Which is exactly what Vanicek was for us. But you can only perform so long like this before it takes it’s mental toll, which left Vanicek looking shell shocked and broken like a little girl who has one of “those” uncles. Schmid only had so much autism in his game, and this year it was no match for a league who figured out the Devil’s game. Overall - the team experienced adversity, but Fitzgerald was a part of adding to that adversity in a negative way. He let a broken nose turn into 4 stage cancer.

[@sst6601]

Lol. Bratter has been the best and most consistent player on the Devils the last couple of years. He is the best player the Devils have

[@runninwiththedevils]

@ninjafoot1104 You can't compare Bratt and Palat. Bratt has been our best forward, averaging nearly a PPG over the past 3 seasons. The defense was a complete mess for sure. Timo is not soft. Most of the team is, sadly. I couldn't agree more on the goaltender situation. It was a complete abomination, no excuses. "Let a broken nose turn into stage 4 cancer" lmao. It is true

[@runninwiththedevils]

@sst6601 Agreed. Jesper has been a monster. One of the most underrated players in the entire league.

[@ninjafoot1104]

@@runninwiththedevilslove the show. But we’ll never agree on the Bratt assessment. Bar down he has to be the streakiest player in the league. And the scary thing is, imagine if he wasn’t. I would love to see Bratt packaged with that contract for Brady. Bratt was invisible in the playoffs ly

[@runninwiththedevils]

@ninjafoot1104 Thanks! He can be streaky, but in the end, a PPG is a PPG. Nobody else on the team accomplished that. I would love to keep Bratter longterm. But if he must go for us to get Brady I am going for it

[@Yoseman1]

Tom Fitzgerald failed. Lindy should still be the coach. Period.

[@user-xz9yb2iu9y]

Fitzy is a clown

[@runninwiththedevils]

@user-xz9yb2iu9y Unfortunately