Devils need more consistency, leadership from veteran players, GM says
Fitzgerald believes commitment has slipped after strong start this season
"I need to see the experience gained over the years they've played and parlay that into consistency," Fitzgerald said. "They're the leaders. The young guys follow the older guys. We don't have a very loud room, and I respect that, but saying the right things and then doing the right things are what tight teams do."
Devils veterans include forwards Jesper Bratt (eight goals, 24 points), Pavel Zacha (nine goals, 16 points), Tomas Tatar (six goals, 14 points) and captain
Nico Hischier
(three goals, 16 points), and defensemen Dougie Hamilton (six goals, 17 points), Damon Severson (three goals, nine points) and
P.K. Subban
(two goals, 11 points).
Hamilton, who signed a seven-year, $63 million contract ($9 million average annual value) on July 28, averages 22:11 in ice time and is minus-9 in 27 games.
"I don't know what was said during training camp or said the first 15 games of the regular season (when the Devils started 7-5-3) but we need to find those words and say them again," Fitzgerald said. "I think once we're back in a rhythm as a group, I believe we'll find the group that started the year the way we did. That was a fun team to watch."
The Devils (10-15-5) have lost six straight and 15 of their past 18 (3-12-3). They aren't scheduled to play until Dec. 27 at the St. Louis Blues after games this week against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday and Montreal Canadiens on Thursday were postponed because of COVID-19 concerns.
New Jersey has four players in NHL COVID-19 protocol: defensemen Ryan Graves, Christian Jaros and Subban, and Hischier.
Fitzgerald said he won't use the virus or other recent non-COVID-related illnesses as an excuse.
"Coming out of training camp, we were rewarded for our structure, our commitment to structure, commitment to details, commitment to each other," Fitzgerald said. "I think that's slipped. I absolutely believe that we don't defend like we were defending earlier in the year. We don't come through the neutral zone like we did, and we're asking two inexperienced goaltenders to help us through this."
Jon Gillies, who made 19 saves in a 3-2 loss to the Penguins on Sunday, played his first game since he was acquired in a trade with the Blues on Dec. 15. He's the sixth goalie to start for the Devils this season (Mackenzie Blackwood, Jonathan Bernier, Nico Daws, Akira Schmid, Scott Wedgewood), which is a New Jersey record. Blackwood and Bernier, the top two goalies on the roster, are injured.
"We've got enough experience to know how to play the right way," Fitzgerald said. "We can be the youngest team in the league, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't play the right way, play with good habits. We just need to find that team that was playing the right way and doing a lot of good things."
Jack Hughes, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, has scored eight points (five goals, three assists) in 13 games, including five points (three goals, two assists) in his past 10 after missing 17 games because of a dislocated shoulder. The 20-year-old center signed an eight-year, $64 million contract Nov. 30 ($8 million AAV).
Devils center Dawson Mercer has been a pleasant surprise; he is sixth among NHL rookies with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) averaging 16:25 in 30 games.
Fitzgerald defended the leadership of coach Lindy Ruff, who was hired July 9, 2020.
"The communication from Lindy to his players is second to none," Fitzgerald said. "But I'll speak right now as an ex-player, not as the general manager ... the reality is, players need to play the right way game in and game out and want to win games 1-0 or 2-1. They need to keep each other accountable, be committed to one another and lay it all out there.
"The results usually come from teams that are consistently doing the right things and playing the structure they're supposed to play. We did that the first 15-16 games. We all liked the team we had then; I want my team to keep each other accountable in that locker room."
