Fitzgerald is a puck-moving defenseman who routinely makes the right pass, showing that he is a smart player. As a skater, he uses his feet well to move laterally and open up passing lanes for himself. He seems to be most comfortable when he picks the puck up in his own zone, and is able to make a quick pass up the ice to a waiting forward, rather than stickhandling it through the zones himself. In the offensive zone, he possesses a decent shot and skilled hands to control the puck, and is able to get into position easily to either shoot or snap quick passes to create scoring chances. Defensively, his game needs some work before he makes the jump to the NHL level. Fitzgerald is effective using his positioning and quick stick to keep opponents at bay. But even though he shows he is willing to get his nose dirty, laying down and blocking a shot or pass, and engaging in battles along the wall, he is too weak physically to compete against many NCAA forwards. In the corners and along the wall this past season, he routinely lost puck battles. He is not a physical player either and rarely attempts to make a check. However, strength is an area that can be worked on and he is doing so. He is an extremely smart player. Being in his second season as a draft-eligible player and after contributing as a decent puck-mover in his freshman season, there should be plenty of interest this time.   (May 2016)