Expect Fitzgerald to Wind Up With Predators, Hint Insiders

Tom Fitzgerald is no longer the GM of the New Jersey Devils. Both sides decided to part ways and go in different directions. That has immediately raised questions about the timing of the split, with many insiders wondering whether it is related to the vacancy in Nashville.

Emily Kaplan of ESPN writes, “It’s been stressed to me that NJ parting with Tom Fitzgerald was as amicable as it could be. No interim. Devils search for a new GM begins immediately. Timing of it happening now definitely puts Fitzgerald in the mix for Nashville opening. We’ll see what develops.”

Frank Seravalli seems to think Fitzgerald could be headed to Nashville, or at least the timing is no coincidence. He also noted that the Predators have gone everywhere in their search. Names like Scott White, Brett Peterson, Bill Scott, Al MacIsaac, Ryan Getzlaf, Chris Pronger, Marc Bergevin, Rob Blake, Peter Chiarelli, have all been linked.

Marco D’Amico writes, “Being told to keep an eye on Fitsy when it comes to the GM search in Nashville. Was the franchise’s first captain.”

Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast: “I have wondered about Tom Fitzgerald for this job and the only reason I wondered about it is the combination of there seems to be uncertainty in New Jersey and he was there first captain.” This was before he parted ways with the Devils on Monday.

Pierre LeBrun writes in a recent column for The Athletic, “Fitzgerald, who was the first captain in Predators history during his playing days, is considered a candidate for the opening in Nashville.”

Author’s Take:

There is far too much smoke here to ignore the fact that it seems like an ideal fit. Fitzgerald has ties to the franchise, and the Predators are in desperate need of a GM. With Barry Trotz looking to go and the timing of Fitzgerald’s release, no one should be shocked if this announcement isn’t made in the next 36-48 hours.

Next: Western Wild Card Team Looked at DeBoer Before Joining Islanders