New Jersey Devils: 5 Players Lindy Ruff Can Impact Most

New New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff will have an impact on offense.

On Thursday afternoon, the New Jersey Devils introduced the hockey world to their new head coach Lindy Ruff. We’ve already made it clear it’s not our favorite move. We think it’s a mistake because of how it’s going to impact the team defense, which is by far the team’s weakness. However, there’s no denying what he can do for a team’s offense.

Ruff has helped some of the best names in the business take a step offensively over his three decades of coaching. Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, Tyler Seguin, and Jamie Benn are just a small mark on the game he has in terms of development. The rap sheet speaks for itself. Ruff is a man who can develop offensive talent whether it’s young or old.

There is where we have confidence in the future of the New Jersey Devils. Maybe there will be a lot more night that Mackenzie Blackwood is asked to go crazy in net. There will likely be some nights the Devils need five goals to win, if not more.

There is no doubt that some Devils players didn’t progress the way we hoped under John Hynes. There were some strange lineup decisions, some healthy scratches that seemed to come out of nowhere, and there was no chance to build chemistry amongst the lineup. Under Ruff, there will at least be some consistency. For some players, that’s all they will need to excel.

We looked at the Devils roster and the players that we expected more out of at this point. Ruff is going to give the Devils a new look, and now the fans are going to at least some fun offensive hockey. These players are going to see the biggest boost from this hiring.