The New Jersey Devils are looking at a very important offseason to get this franchise out of its rebuild phase. What massive surprises could come with that desperation?
Everyone is under evaluation. That was the message from New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald. It’s clear this season has put the team on notice that failure is no longer acceptable. The last time the Devils went “all in” like they did in the 2021 offseason, it was a similar type of failure. Ray Shero wanted to make one last run with Taylor Hall before his free agency decision, and it ended up getting him and his coach John Hynes fired.
This season, the Devils already parted ways with assistant coaches Alain Nasreddine and Mark Recchi. Those were the first two casualties of falling well below expectations for the season. The Devils finished the season with 27 wins, its worst output since the early 80s. It’s hard to come out of games on the losing end 55 times and not feel a certain type of way.
The New Jersey Devils could make some moves this offseason that would floor its fans.
For now, Lindy Ruff is still the head coach of the Devils. As of right now, there is no other option. The Devils allowed him to do exit interviews with all of his players, and the team seems okay if Ruff is the option to start next season. Some options might not be good enough for them to keep. And some might end up surprising you with how the Devils move on.