The Pittsburgh Penguins extended their winning streak to six games with their 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. A comeback that can barely be done justice through words, the Penguins have recovered themselves after being pushed into oblivion following a particularly rough mid-December campaign.
The Devils, on the other hand, are struggling with a three-game losing streak. The team has lost by significant margins, further necessitating the need to ponder the Devils’ overall health. Moreover, the team stood mute as Quinn Hughes joined the ranks of the Minnesota Wild.
Brian Burke Weighs in On the New Jersey Devils’ Failed Quinn Hughes Pursuit
If there is one team that was most ferociously linked with Hughes, it was the Devils. The defenseman had expressed his desire to play with his brothers, Jack and Luke. One would think that the Devils would waste no time in pursuing the blueliner and making it happen, but Hughes ended up joining the ranks of Kirill Kaprizov’s Wild.
Of course, there was speculation about how the former Vancouver Canucks Captain’s addition would have adverse repercussions for his brother Luke, but that does not paint the complete picture for the audience.
“When you have one of the players in the game, who is pretty much indicating that he is ready to come to your team, and you can’t make it happen, you have a problem,” Jeff Marek commented on his podcast, “The Sheet.” Marek’s comment verbalizes an inevitable thought that they may have occurred to many in the wake of the Devils’ failed participation in the Hughes sweepstakes.
Penguins’ former President of Hockey Operations, Brian Burke, emphasized that a failed Hughes move is not necessarily an absolute statement about Tom Fitzgerald’s capability as the Devils GM. “…so to me, the fact that Fitzy couldn’t pull that off, that alone is not enough to sink him for me,” Burke noted on the podcast.Â
However, Fitzgerald’s failed Hughes move is just one of the many reasons that could intensify scrutiny around the Devils’ GM. “It’s a cumulative thing. He has gone through a couple of coaches, so at some point, you run out of coaching changes. At some point, you have to look in the mirror. At some point, the ownership is going to look at Fitzy and say, ‘You have one chance to fix this. Try and make something happen.”
If Fitzgerald wakes up one day to find himself at the receiving end of incessant questioning, it won’t be solely due to his failure to acquire Hughes. Perhaps it’s time for the Devils’ GM to assume responsibility and take up the pressing questions that have surrounded the team.