Sweeping Changes Forecast for NHL New Jersey Devils in 2026–27 Season

The hockey brooms are out in Newark, as sweeping changes are in the New Jersey Devils immediate NHL future.

It’s been a disappointing season for the Devils. They have one more game to play—Tuesday in Boston—a meaningless challenge with the Bruins. With 87  points, and sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division and missing the Stanley Cup postseason for 12 of the past 16 seasons, the team and coaching staff are all subject to review come Wednesday. Sunday’s 4–3 overtime win at home against the Ottawa Senators is proof that the roster hasn’t quit on coach Sheldon Keefe. Devils’ captain Nico Hischier scored the game-winner at 3:18 in OT with a backhand shot past Ottawa’s goalie James Reimer.

Hischier scored the game’s first goal on the night at 5:21, his 27th of the season, and the game-winner is his ninth career OT goal.
New Jersey’s fans emptied Prudential Center with the hope that any changes coming to the organization between this week and before training camp opens in September could only set them up for a run for the Cup in 2027.

Only the lowly neighboring New York Rangers sit beneath the Devils in Metropolitan Division rankings. Potted in seventh place, New Jersey is 42–36–3. Season 43 in Devils history is not how organizational leaders saw the outcome of this year’s schedule. It’s been one week since Devils’ co-managing partners David Blitzer and Josh Harris gave general manager Tom Fitzgerald his walking papers. General manager since January 2020, all Fitzgerald’s hockey vision could muster up was two playoff appearances. The deepest the Devils played in was a second-round postseason appearance in 2023.

In speaking to The Athletic shortly after terminating Fitzgerald’s contract, Devils co-managing partner Blitzer put the best spin possible on his team’s disappointing season, and for the man who molded the roster.

“Tom and I had a thoughtful conversation today and agreed it was time to move in a different direction,” said Blitzer. “Tom changed the trajectory of our team here, including setting a franchise record for points in a season and helping make New Jersey a hockey destination. He is a well-respected leader across the Devils’ organization and NHL, and I’m grateful for our friendship. I wish Tom and his family all the best.”

Fitzgerald, who was first hired by the Devils in July 2015 as the assistant general manager, isn’t the only person being held accountable for the team’s failures. The players understand they, too, will have to answer to management at season’s end. Hischier expressed his feelings on Fitzgerald’s ouster to NHL.com one day after the announcement was made.

“Fitzy and myself, I can be very thankful for him, what he’s done for me and the development of my career. I was 18 years old. He was assistant GM with Ray [Shero] back in the day. It’s always disappointing. You feel part of it. You understand the business. We’re the guys on the ice. He trusted us. We weren’t performing the way we should have. In business, things like that happen. Yeah, I’m a bit disappointed but we understand the business side of it. Still, I’m very thankful for him and what he’s done for me.”

Will New Jersey’s coach Keefe be retained by whoever sits in the GM chair next? In all probability, Keefe, who is in his second season behind the Devils’ bench, will be job searching by the weekend. Traditionally, when new leadership comes in, be it the GM or president of hockey operations, a clean sweep of the coaching staff occurs. Keefe’s four assistants—Jeremy Colliton, Brad Shaw, Dave Rogalski, and Sergei Brylin, like their boss, will likely be sending out resumes, too.

Blitzer and Harris know how to fix failure. Along with the Devils, they own the NBA Philadelphia 76ers and NFL Washington Commanders. While Fitzgerald is rumored to be the leading candidate to replace retiring Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz after three seasons at the position, a familiar name to Devils’ fans has emerged as the leading candidate to be the new man in charge.

Brendan Shanahan, who began his illustrious NHL skating career in New Jersey when being drafted second overall by the Devils in 1987, appears to be the seasoned administrator being looked at to turn things around at Prudential Center.  For 11 seasons (2014–2025), Shanahan served as president of hockey operations with the Toronto Maple Leafs. As a player, Shanahan was on three Stanley Cup-winning Detroit Red Wings teams. During his 11 seasons running the Leafs from his office at  Scotiabank Arena in downtown Toronto, Shanahan’s plans to revive the team never advanced them past the postseason’s second round. But his experience in knowing how the league operates, the players, available coaches, and relationships built with other general managers are strong selling points for Blitzer and Harris to consider.

Brothers Jack and Luke Hughes, along with Hischier, core members of the Devils’ future, appear to be who Shanahan or whoever takes the point for the Devils next season will listen to for feedback on steering the ship in Newark. By week’s end, many of New Jersey’s questions for moving on to better days on the ice should be answered.