With the dust settling on Devils president Lou Lamoriello’s surprising departure, New Jersey announced another front office move.
Tom Fitzgerald has left his post as the Pittsburgh Penguins assistant general manager to join the Devils, where he will have the same job title. That might raise some eyebrows, but there are some probable reasons for this move.
The first might be a simply a matter of familiarity. Fitzgerald has spent most of his post-playing career working for former Penguins and current Devils GM Ray Shero. He’s similarly familiar with new Devils head coach John Hynes, who previously served as the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins’ bench boss.
It’s also worth noting that Fitzgerald interviewed for the general manager job in Pittsburgh, but ultimately lost it to Jim Rutherford. Additionally, Pittsburgh has two other assistant general managers in Jason Botterill and Bill Guerin while Fitzgerald is currently the only member of the Devils’ organization with that job title.
The Devils will not have to compensate the Pittsburgh Penguins for this move with a draft pick. That’s because the new system only covers GMs, team presidents, and head coaches, per The Record.
Related: Lamoriello’s departure removes any doubt: Devils are Shero’s team