The New Jersey Devils have started to get back on track, winning two straight after a really rough stretch that led to some public calls for the jobs of general manager Tom Fitzgerald and head coach Sheldon Keefe.
Related: Devils’ Colton White Turning Heads With Impressive NHL Stint
In this edition of Devils News & Rumors, we look at some noise surrounding Ondrej Palat, more clarity on Fitzgerald and Keefe’s job security, and the status of defenseman Colton White, who was recently placed on waivers.
Devils Looking to Move Ondrej Palat
There’s no question that Palat has mightily struggled this season, to the tune of 10 points in 47 games. Considering his long-term struggles and his $6 million cap hit, the NHL rumor sphere has been strangely devoid of any Palat mentions.
Until now. On a recent episode of Insider Trading, insider Pierre LeBrun mentioned that the Devils are actively trying to move Palat. It should come as no surprise since Fitzgerald recently mentioned that he’s looking to improve the forward group.
Unlike Dougie Hamilton, who could still potentially fetch an asset, it’s more likely that the Devils would have to attach prospects and/or picks to get Palat’s contract off the books.
Fitzgerald & Keefe’s Jobs Appear Safe
While many fans have clamored for Fitzgerald’s job since their 9-0 loss to the New York Islanders, Fitzgerald’s job appears safe — at least for now. On a recent edition of Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, insider Elliotte Friedman explained that the plan is for Fitzgerald to be evaluated after the season.
Of course, that can always change very quickly if the team continues to underperform. Since Jan. 1, 2025, their 42-41-6 record is 27th in the league.
As for Keefe, Fitzgerald claimed he and Keefe “are in lockstep”, meaning they’re on the same page and working well together. However, Fitzgerald was asked if Keefe was implementing a different system than from when he was in Toronto. Here was his response: “I’m not really sure if it’s exact, because a lot of teams now are switching to man-on-man after lost face-offs. I would have to go back and check actually to see exactly what changed. If I had to guess, he’s continuing to evolve his system and where it can get better to make these small, subtle adjustments, but overall, I would guess it’s very similar.”
That should be something the general manager knows if he and the coach are “in lockstep”. Either way, there are no indications that either’s job is in jeopardy. Again, all it takes are a few losses strung together to potentially change that.
Colton White (& Juho Lammikko) Clear Waivers
Devils’ defenseman Colton White has been a pleasant surprise for the Devils. After going 940 days between NHL games, his story of perseverance has been truly inspiring. However, after getting Johnathan Kovacevic and Simon Nemec back from injury, the Devils were left with the tough decision to place White on waivers, alongside forward Juho Lammikko.
At Saturday’s 2PM EST deadline, Friedman announced via X that both White and Lammikko had cleared waivers. Devils fans were thrilled with this, as White has given them some much-needed steadiness whenever his services have been needed.
I’m honestly shocked Colton White cleared waivers. There are a handful of teams that could have used his services this year.
— JP Gambatese (@jp_gambatese) January 17, 2026
I’ll gladly take it!#NJDevils
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