ELMONT, NY — One hundred and ten days ago, Tom Fitzgerald sat in front of the small contingent of Devils reporters on the first day of training camp.

Expectations were high. Spirits were positive. He was confident. So confident, in fact, that the general manager scoffed at a question about the team he built, the roster he assembled and the holes that existed there.

“‘Holes?’ That’s a pretty deep word there, ‘holes,’” Fitzgerald said with a shrug. “I don’t know that we have that big of a hole.”

A season that began with so much promise — the Devils were among the best teams in the NHL in the opening weeks of the season — has plummeted to levels of embarrassment even Fitzgerald (and, more importantly, the Devils’ ownership group) can no longer ignore.

A 9-0 drubbing at the hands of the Islanders on Tuesday at UBS Arena, just days after Luke Hughes was booed off the ice in a home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, is the latest shred of evidence that this team is broken, lost and in a complete freefall.

Fitzgerald, of course, hasn’t met the media since that September day.

Thanks to a mix of injuries, lack of finishing, terrible goaltending, a flawed system and a GM who can’t make a move because of the no-move clauses he handed to players, the Devils have been nothing short of a disaster since late October. They’re 15-18-2 since winning eight straight games early in the season and are three points shy of being last place in the Eastern Conference. The standings are tight, no doubt, but does anything inspire confidence that this Devils team can reignite that October magic and go on another run?

Just look at Tuesday’s pathetic performance.

They generated chances, but couldn’t finish (New Jersey had a 9-3 scoring chance edge in the first period, according to Natural Stat Trick). Goaltender Jacob Markstrom — who signed a two-year, $12 million contract in October — gave up three goals on the first four shots he faced. Coach Sheldon Keefe ripped the team in animated fashion on the bench mere minutes after puck drop.

Ownership must consider every possibility if they want to see playoff games in their building this April.

Should they fire Fitzgerald, who was clearly wrong to scoff at his team’s “holes?” He turned a high-flying, skilled team that won the most games in franchise history into a stagnant two-way mess that might miss the playoffs (again) in Jack Hughes’ prime.

It’s also well-documented that, under Fitzgerald, the Devils have handed out a staggering 15 players no-move/no-trade clauses, which is tied with the Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers for the most in the NHL. Fitzgerald is constantly “working the phones,” according to national insiders, but he’s hamstrung his roster to the point where he might not be able to make any trade.

Fitzgerald has also dodged three interview requests by NJ Advance Media since Oct. 1, while peacocking to national outlets when his club sat atop the standings. Three general managers — Montreal’s Kent Hughes, Winnipeg’s Kevin Cheveldayoff and Ottawa’s Steve Staios — have spoken with their local outlets this week.

Or should the finger be pointed at Keefe, who kept Markstrom in despite coughing up nine goals on 24 shots? Keefe’s emphasis on a two-way style hasn’t seemed to mesh well with the Devils, who used to be analytical darlings, but now sit 25th in expected goals for percentage (47.99%) and 14th in Corsi percentage (50.35%), according to Money Puck.

Regardless of who ownership identifies as the problem, it’s clear something major needs to happen. New Jersey’s core is far too talented to spiral this dramatically.

If they don’t change something — and fast — it will be another wasted year.

If it does wind up being Fitzgerald, remember the Sabres just rattled off 10 straight wins after making a GM change. Perhaps the Devils can go on a similar run.