Devils assistant GM joins coaching staff
New Jersey Devils assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald will join John Hynes' coaching staff and serve as an assistant coach, the team announced Wednesday.
There is no timeline for Fitzgerald's duties behind the bench. He will serve as a sounding board for coaches and players until the club "gets on track," the team's public relations department said, per NHL.com's Mike Morreale.
Hynes suggested having Fitzgerald on the coaching staff, according to Devils reporter Amanda Stein.
On Oct. 8, Hynes was listed at +900 to be the first coach fired this season. This trailed only Jim Montgomery (+400), Peter DeBoer (+500), Rick Tocchet (+600), and Bruce Boudreau (+700), and tied him with Paul Maurice.
Hynes is in his fifth season as New Jersey's head coach and has just one postseason appearance to his name.
On Tuesday, TSN's Bob McKenzie reported Devils GM Ray Shero is not considering a coaching change at this time.
Shero made a number of splashes this offseason, trading for P.K. Subban and Nikita Gusev, signing Wayne Simmonds in free agency, and drafting Jack Hughes first overall. The overhaul came with high expectations, but the club is off to an 0-4-2 start.