Elliotte Friedman noted on Saturday’s Headlines report that there is news coming out of New Jersey as it pertains to their potential general manager search.
Friedman started by saying he and many others were wondering if the New Jersey Devils would see the good work interim GM Tom Fitzgerald did at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline and promote him to the permanent GM position. Friedman figured he might be because, from those he’d talked to, Fitzgerald’s work was “highly praised” by many executives.
He was able to move a number of pieces, got great returns on players like Blake Coleman and loaded the Devils cupboard with draft picks while not being tempted to give away players like Kyle Palmieri.
All that done and with a good series of moves to add to his resume, surprisingly, Friedman said the immediate answer about Fitzgerald’s future was that he wasn’t going to be given the GM position. The organization will heavily consider him for the job and he may even be the leading candidate, but the Devils will also continue their search and have already interviewed one candidate.
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Mike Gillis on Devils Radar
That candidate is an interesting one. Friedman notes, one of the first people the Devils spoke to was former GM and player agent, Mike Gillis.
This could be because he has no current ties to an NHL team, thus interviewing him was easy to do without asking anyone for permission. Or, it could be because the Devils think he’s a strong candidate.
This certainly won’t be the only interview they conduct, but it’s intriguing that Gillis was the first person interviewed and potentially one of the least likely names expected to get the gig.
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