4 Things We Learned From New Jersey Devils Exit Interviews

Most of the New Jersey Devils players spoke on Sunday to say goodbye to the 2021-22 season. Good riddance, too. Most of the players showed their disappointment in the season, and they made comments about themselves mostly. We learned what they expected of themselves, what was wrong with their play specifically, and some of the injuries that some of the players were dealing with.

However, what were some of the most important things we learned? Let’s start with the obvious.

4 things we learned in New Jersey Devils’ exit interviews.

1. Two Different Perspectives On Lindy Ruff

The fanbase is still split on the future of Lindy Ruff. While there is a large, loud contingent who wants the Devils’ current head coach to leave the organization this season. There’s another side of things; a section of the fanbase who want to see if he can turn this thing around himself. That part at least makes sense on paper. He’s been able to turn some of these forwards into superstars. There are stretches where the defensemen make major strides. He has had the worst goalie luck in history, and he at least proved he can turn around a special teams unit after having one of the worst penalty kill units in history. It seems Jack Hughes has the same thoughts on his head coach.

Hughes with a major endorsement of his head coach has to mean a lot. Hughes went from a 21-point player in a 61-game season under John Hynes to a point-per-game player this season. Hughes’ word has to have a lot of weight. He just signed an eight-year deal, and he’s already on his third head coach in three years. He probably wants consistency in his career. However, the words from Nico Hischier, the team’s captain, hit a little different.

It’s about as political of an answer to still send a message. We’re forced to read between the lines, and it tells us that he’s at least not giving him a ringing endorsement. Is he calling for his head? No, but he’s not going public with his push to bring back Ruff.

All of this might be a major overreaction. It seems like a lot of the players like the direction of the team even if the results don’t follow. Ruff’s fate will come sometime on Monday. We’ll likely learn what’s next soon.

2. Dougie Hamilton played with more injuries than we even knew

The New Jersey Devils expected a lot out of Dougie Hamilton this season. For the first half of the season, he looked like he was going to be worth every penny of that $9 million salary. Then, he got hit in the face with a puck. That knocked him out of action for six weeks, and he eventually returned with a cage around his face. He was clearly not as good as he was before the injury, and he never really recovered. He told the media on Sunday that he actually suffered nerve damage in his face. Ever try to work with a toothache? This sounds 10x worse. He also revealed he was playing with a broken toe, which is another ailment that should heal fully in the offseason.

Jonathan Bernier spoke, saying he hopes his hip is going to fully heal by the time training camp rolls around. To be honest, that sounds like hope more than realism. However, if it’s a goal he’s putting out there publically, that means it’s at least a possibility. That will make the Devils goalie decision much harder, but it’s something they will deal with when they absolutely have to.

Miles Wood talked about why he had to shut it down at the end of the season. Apparently, the hip wasn’t healing properly after games. That’s not what the Devils want to hear, especially in a contract year. Giving him a long-term deal might not be a risk worth taking for the Devils, and they might give Wood a one-year deal and risk unrestricted free agency.

4. Don’t Discount A P.K. Subban Return

The New Jersey Devils showed at the end of the season that they have a few defenders who can at least hold their own in the NHL. Nikita Okhotyuk and Kevin Bahl did quite well in their time in the NHL. Reilly Walsh was here for too short a time to make an assumption about his future. However, he’s the one right-handed defenseman that has a chance to push for a lineup spot next season. The Devils already have Dougie Hamilton and Damon Severson on the roster, so they only need one more at that position. However, it’s hard to say that Walsh is 100% going to be ready to jump into the NHL next season.

That makes P.K. Subban’s comments during his exit interviews interesting.

It’s hard to say anything about Subban other than what he brings to a locker room at all times. Subban was always having fun with the younger players, he was at every party, he made himself available at all times for the younger players. He was on lines with young, mistake-prone players. It’s not that these specific players made mistakes, but all young players make mistakes.

He spent a majority of his time with Ty Smith, who was having a disaster of a season. Subban did his best to overcome, but he’s not that type of player anymore. However, he still had some decent offensive numbers at times, and his shot hasn’t lost its speed (although we could do with a little more accuracy).

Subban might be a good bet at about a quarter of his current salary. Would anybody really be that upset if he comes back on a one-year deal worth $2 million? The Devils shouldn’t as some of their defenders still need some time to develop.