The New Jersey Devils are not supposed to be in a five-game tailspin. They are built around Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and a defense that should move the puck faster than most teams in the league. Yet recent play has raised a real question across the fan base.
Where is the extra push? Where was the urgency when the forward group clearly needed another gear?
General Manager Tom Fitzgerald has done many things right, but the lack of a decisive move at key trade deadlines has returned to the spotlight. The Devils are a young contender, not an old team clinging to a window, and that is exactly why their season feels stuck between intention and execution.