New Jersey Devils: 4 Coaching Situations Team Should Pay Attention To
By Nick Villano
The New Jersey Devils coaching situation is untenable. It seems hard to believe Lindy Ruff is the head coach next season. With rumors swirling that there are many coaching situations that could change, the Devils should pay attention to many situations around the league.
What a terrible week it’s been for the New Jersey Devils. We don’t have to go through it again. Hopefully, one day this won’t even be a weekend we remember. The Jack Hughes injury is unfortunate. Losing these three games officially knocked them out of the playoffs. Andrew Hammond’s first performance in a Devils uniform was memorable for all the wrong reasons. However, there is only one thing that will really come out of this weekend, and it made it impossible for the Devils to move forward with Lindy Ruff as head coach.
There were murmurs that the Devils could make a case to keep Ruff for another season. It’s hard to put all of the blame for this season on his shoulders. He didn’t want to play seven different goalies this season, all somehow worse than the previous one. However, there is a lot that can fall on his shoulders. The inability of this power play comes down to the scheme.
The Devils are likely moving in a different direction after the season. Ruff just wasn’t the right fit. Honestly, when they hired him, it seems like the right fit wasn’t out there. To be fair, most coaches wouldn’t be able to make a winning tandem out of Andrew Hammond and Jon Gillies.
Which coaching situations could give New Jersey Devils clues to who could be our next coach?
Ruff is hardly the only coach on the hot seat. There are several situations where teams could be looking for a change. There are too many situations where teams recycle coaches, but with where the Devils are as a team, it might make sense for the team to recycle a coach this year. They still need a veteran voice to help this team take another step. They need to make the playoffs in the worst possible way. They need someone who can take them there, and that person might be behind a bench right now, but won’t be once the season ends.