New Jersey Devils Head Coach Candidate: Scott Stevens

The New Jersey Devils have entered the off-season with needs both on and off the ice. One of the tasks GM Lou Lamoriello has to accomplish this summer will be finding the next New Jersey Devils head coach. While I’ve already covered the potential for Todd McLellan to be brought in as the next head coach, Lamoriello may choose someone already in the organization. Scott Stevens was added to the coaching staff as an Assistant Coach along side Adam Oates when Lamoriello decided to fire Peter DeBoer. While the season did not turn around after his arrival, Stevens did have a positive impact on certain players on the New Jersey Devils roster.

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Perhaps the player who benefited the most from the addition of Scott Stevens to the coaching staff was defenseman

. Larsson came into the season still trying to find his stride and prove he was worth 4th overall pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He struggled early this season, recording just one goal and three assists before the departure of DeBoer.

He found himself has a healthy scratch some nights and was really struggling to produce for the Devils on a consistent basis. However, once Stevens and Oates were brought on to the coaching staff Larsson played more confidently and produced on a consistent basis adding two goals and 18 assists in 46 games.

Dec 29, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils co-head coach Scott Stevens during the first period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

While you have to give credit to Oates for helping Larsson improve offensively, you must also give credit to Stevens for taking the time to help him become more confident on the blue line. While the stats may not necessarily stand out, Larsson shined under the watch of Scott Stevens and can continue to get even better if he was to be named the next head coach. Stevens experience in the New Jersey Devils defensive system as both a player and now a coach gives him a direct advantage over Oates.

With the New Jersey Devils having a lot of young defensemen loaded with potential, having Stevens as the head coach would serve as yet another resource to help the players grow. While he wasn’t allowed to speak to the media as an assistant coach this season, Stevens is well-known for being vocal and passionate. Having a passionate and vocal Scott Stevens behind the Devils bench could help keep the team in line through the “transition” period and prove to be priceless towards a push to the playoffs.

While Scott Stevens is a notable ex-Devil who many fans would like to see behind the bench next season, there are some reasons to be cautious about promoting him. Not too long ago the Devils made ex-Devil John MacLean the head coach after serving as a coach in the organization for a few years. He was fired after only winning 9 games at the beginning of December and that experience could make Lamoriello weary of giving the job to Stevens.

What direction Lamoriello is leaning towards heading will likely be a mystery for a majority of the off-season, but if he were to hire Stevens I don’t believe it would be a bad decision. Lamoriello knows he would be able to control Stevens and have him continue under the New Jersey Devils “defense first” philosophy.

He has the most possible experience with the system and already knows the players well so he’d have a head start on all other candidates that could be brought in. However, with the organization in desperate need of improving their scoring and trying to get back to the playoffs a.s.a.p. Scott Stevens may ultimately not be the right fit for the Devils needs at this time.

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