The New Jersey Devils are looking to close out the sorrowful ending to their 2024-25 NHL season and embrace for changes during the offseason. On that note, general manager and president of hockey operations Tom Fitzgerald didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts with a blunt message aimed at Jack Hughes and the rest of the locker room. Fitzgerald subtly hinted at a potential trade for Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes.
The Devils already feature two-thirds of the Hughes brothers, with Jack and Luke on the roster. However, much buzz has arisen lately as Quinn may become available through a trade as the Canucks continue to wander without a north in the turbulent waters crashing along British Columbia’s coast.
If New Jersey manages to reunite the trio of siblings, they’d essentially complete a dream scenario for any NHL franchise. However, it’s much easier said than done as Vancouver has little to no intent of parting ways with their first-round selection in the 2018 draft, who has blossomed into their best player and team captain.
The Devils must make changes to their roster, nevertheless. Whether they trade for the oldest Hughes brother, or not, one thing has been made certain by Fitzgerald during his end-of-season press conference: Game 5 of the First Round was the last the league has seen of the current lineup, changes are coming.
Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils looks on before the game against the New York Rangers at Prudential Center on December 23, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey.
“We’ve got a lot of decisions to make on certain players whether we bring guys back, trade players— we won’t be coming back with the same group,” Fitzgerald bluntly said during his media availability. “I can tell you that because it wasn’t good enough. I like our group [but] my job is to continue to better the group.”
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The moment the prospect of reuniting the Hughes brothers in Newark became even a remote possibility, fans couldn’t shift their focus to any other potential trade. And after Fitzgerald’s statement, that dream isn’t going anywhere, either.
Harsh end-of-season statement
The Devils were largely affected by an injury bug that sidelined crucial players like Dougie Hamilton and Jack Hughes, who were unable to play in the playoffs. However, the front office in New Jersey knows better than to blame it entirely on the injuries and move on. Fitzgerald didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts on Sheldon Keefe’s first year on the job.
New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe prepares to tend to the bench prior to the game against the Boston Bruins at Prudential Center on January 22, 2025 in Newark, New Jersey.
“Was it a great year? No, it was disappointing,” Fitzgerald said. “We got knocked out in five games, but the fun part is to start to build around what we’ve created here.”
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“There’s a foundation here now but we finished 16 out of 32 teams in the regular season. That’s average and we’re not here to be average,” Sheldon Keefe stated. “We have to continue to improve that level of sustainability that’s required.”
