2025-26 NHL Miscellaneous Thread
- Thread starter andyt
- Start date
SlapShots
Well-known member
Yes, I said it
Fayettenamcanesfan
Well-known member
Per the Devils too.
New Jersey Devils and Tom Fitzgerald Part Ways | STATEMENT | New Jersey Devils
NEWARK — APRIL 6, 2026 — New Jersey Devils Managing Partner David Blitzer announced today that Tom Fitzgerald will depart the organization. Fitzgerald was named interim General Manager on January 12, 2020, and was promoted to the full-time role of Executive Vice President/General Manager on July...
www.nhl.com
Aww … poor Fitzie. How will he ever reunite the Hughes brothers from the unemployment line?
Honestly, I think Fitzgerald did a pretty good job building out that roster considering where he started, but he took too many free agent short cuts in service of his owners’ impatience. For a club that talked a lot about logical data-driven decisions, they’ve made a lot of the other kind of decisions when it came to player acquisition. Their ownership is a little too into using the roster as a marketing tool, but I don’t think they see themselves as the problem.
Honestly, I think Fitzgerald did a pretty good job building out that roster considering where he started, but he took too many free agent short cuts in service of his owners’ impatience. For a club that talked a lot about logical data-driven decisions, they’ve made a lot of the other kind of decisions when it came to player acquisition. Their ownership is a little too into using the roster as a marketing tool, but I don’t think they see themselves as the problem.
Only 4 of his 42 draft picks have played 100 NHL games…Nemec, L. Hughes, Alexander Holtz, now playing for Vegas and Dawson Mercer. To be fair, only 2 Canes drafted from the same time frame have played more than 100 games, Jarvis and Blake. But the Canes drafting strategy is probably different, with all the Russians and other internationals that haven’t even played in North America yet,
perfectstormhits
Well-known member
He was was demoted up to President of Hockey Operations when they promoted Botterill from AGM to GM. At the time, Francis said Botterill had the final say on personnel decisions.
perfectstormhits
Well-known member
I'm sure there is a good reason why there were 14 NHL games last night, but none tonight. 
Yeah, but what I’m saying is that he wasn’t meant to be President for the long haul. When they made that change, there were rumblings that it would only be for a year or two. Turned out to be a year. Kind of like being fired in exceptionally slow motion. Keep your check, get a better office, and WAY less responsibilities and eventually somebody taps you on the shoulder and tells you to go home.
Playoff picture got some clarity last night.
In the East, the only intrigue left is Metro 3, because Ottawa and Boston are all but locked into the WC spots. For Metro 3, Philly has pole position (by one skinny point) over Detroit and Columbus … and more importantly is the only one of the three contenders with a winning record in their last 10. That one feels like a matter of time at this point, but the odds sites figure that NYI still has a decent shot. Detroit seems cooked. Maybe over-cooked. Pittsburgh clinched last night and Boston is close behind. Carolina is closing in on the first seed, only needing to hold off Buffalo since Tampa seems to have decided that they’d rather cause juvenile chaos in every game than collect points. No idea what that’s about.
The West still has some position jockeying to do, but the mystery boils down to WC2. The Kings are holding the spot and the odds site think they’re the mostly likely (60+ percent pretty much everywhere), but they’re not exactly convincing. The Kings HAVE managed a 3 game win streak, which is rocket fuel in this snail race. Nashville and Winnipeg are still in with a shout, but … whatever. Colorado has clinched the dreaded President’s Trophy but since they’re media darlings I guess you can drop the dreaded part. There’s still a race to see who wins the Pacific, but nobody outside of those three teams could possibly care. That division is a disgrace.
In the East, the only intrigue left is Metro 3, because Ottawa and Boston are all but locked into the WC spots. For Metro 3, Philly has pole position (by one skinny point) over Detroit and Columbus … and more importantly is the only one of the three contenders with a winning record in their last 10. That one feels like a matter of time at this point, but the odds sites figure that NYI still has a decent shot. Detroit seems cooked. Maybe over-cooked. Pittsburgh clinched last night and Boston is close behind. Carolina is closing in on the first seed, only needing to hold off Buffalo since Tampa seems to have decided that they’d rather cause juvenile chaos in every game than collect points. No idea what that’s about.
The West still has some position jockeying to do, but the mystery boils down to WC2. The Kings are holding the spot and the odds site think they’re the mostly likely (60+ percent pretty much everywhere), but they’re not exactly convincing. The Kings HAVE managed a 3 game win streak, which is rocket fuel in this snail race. Nashville and Winnipeg are still in with a shout, but … whatever. Colorado has clinched the dreaded President’s Trophy but since they’re media darlings I guess you can drop the dreaded part. There’s still a race to see who wins the Pacific, but nobody outside of those three teams could possibly care. That division is a disgrace.
perfectstormhits
Well-known member
Detroit isn't in the Metro.
perfectstormhits
Well-known member
Ottawa and Boston trade places in the Wild Card race after regulation wins by Tampa over Boston and Ottawa over the Islanders.
perfectstormhits
Well-known member
Detroit loses to the Devils 5-3 and are eliminated from the playoffs.
