<p>On Monday evening, the New Jersey Devils, languishing outside the Eastern Conference playoff picture, fired head coach Lindy Ruff, installing Travis Green as interim head coach. On Tuesday morning, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald <a href="https://x.com/NJDevils/status/1765029637208396015?s=20">addressed the media</a> and explained his decision.</p>



<p>“I started to see certain things I value as a team that [weren’t] changing, “Fitzgerald told reporters. “But then you saw a change. You saw the good games, you saw the details in some of the way we played, and then you wouldn’t see it in the next game. The inconsistency started to creep up and this was the final straw that broke the camel’s back for me, where I felt I needed to make the change.”</p>



<p>The Devils finished with the NHL’s third-best record last season at 52-22-8, setting franchise records for points and wins in a season. This season, weathering a storm of injuries to key players (Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Timo Meier, Jonas Siegenthaler) and terrible goaltending from Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid, they’ve tumbled to a 30-27-4 record. They sit eight points out of a playoff spot and <a href="https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm">have 16.5 percent chance to get in</a>, per moneypuck.com.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="193"></div>



<p>The Devils, then, are more likely setting up to be sellers than buyers by Friday’s trade deadline. With leading goal scorer Tyler Toffoli set to become a UFA this summer, his future will be a hot topic over the next 72 hours, and Fitzgerald addressed it head-on Tuesday.</p>



<p>“I’m not shopping Tyler Toffoli,” he told reporters. “Tyler and I sat together in L.A. [during the Devils’ road trip last week], we had a great talk. Tyler knows how much I’d like to bring him back. But unfortunately right now there’s a possible term difference [in negotiation]. That doesn’t mean we can’t revisit this past the deadline if he’s still there, or in the offseason.</p>



<p>“But the reality is, teams have called on him. And what a return looks like, I wouldn’t be giving away a player, my leading scorer, just to gain future assets. But the reality is, those future assets could help us down the road. I’ll know more in the next three days where we’re at.”</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="168"></div>



<p>The Devils host the Florida Panthers at home Tuesday night and the St. Louis Blues Thursday. If the Devils don’t win both those contests, a seller posture on Friday is likely.</p>



<p>Toffoli currently sits sixth on <a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/new-jerseys-tyler-toffoli-rockets-up-daily-faceoffs-latest-top-50-trade-targets-board/">Daily Faceoff’s Trade Targets board</a>.</p>



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<p>Get ready for the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@dailyfaceoff2563" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Daily Faceoff Live Trade Deadline Show</a>, coming to you on March 8th LIVE from 11 AM to 3 PM EST!! Join Tyler Yaremchuk, Frank Seravalli and friends for 4 hours of non-stop action as they dive deep into the heart of the trade deadline. They will be breaking down every trade, discussing the impact on teams, predicting the playoff picture, and giving you the inside scoop on all the wheeling and dealing happening around the league. Tune in live on March 8th from 11 AM to 3 PM EST for the The Daily Faceoff Live Trade Deadline special you won’t want to miss!</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="149"></div>
