New Jersey Devils: 5 Candidates to Replace Andrew Brunette

It was announced Tuesday afternoon that New Jersey Devils associate coach Andrew Brunette would be heading to the Nashville Predators to become their next head coach, replacing incumbent John Hynes. With Brunette originally expected to succeed Lindy Ruff in the future, the latest news has thrown a wrench in those plans.

A lot of praise and hype was heaped upon Andrew Brunette’s shoulders in 2022. He was a Jack Adam’s finalist and came off a President’s Trophy-winning season with the Florida Panthers. After he wasn’t given the Panthers’ top job, he joined the Devils staff.

Brunette’s hiring paid off, as the Devils, led by Lindy Ruff, won 52 games on their path back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season. New Jersey also finished fourth in the league in goals and ninth in the league in goals against. Despite this, the team’s power-play unit finished ever-so-slightly above average, even with the plethora of talent available. Between that, the golf cart incident and Lindy Ruff returning as head coach, Brunette’s prospective long-term future with the team just felt off.

Sergei Brylin

Also joining the New Jersey Devils as a coach for the first time, like Andrew Brunette, was long-time Devil Sergei Brylin. Brylin was brought aboard as an assistant coach and rounded out a staff of Brunette, Ruff, Ryan McGill, Chris Taylor, and Dave Rogalski. Over the last decade, ‘Sarge’ has been an assistant coach for the Devils’ minor league affiliates – the Binghamton Devils and Utica Comets.

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During his time in Utica, Brylin helped run their power play and worked with Devils prospects like Alexander Holtz and Fabian Zetterlund. With Holtz expected to finally make a permanent jump to the NHL this year, having Brylin in his corner and experience in Brylin’s system would be extremely beneficial to him. Brylin also spent time on the penalty kill with the Devils this season, so having a coach who works with all of the special teams units is even better for this young Devils squad. For the sake of continuity, Brylin’s promotion is a slam dunk.

Patrik Elias

New Jersey Devils legend Patrik Elias happily retired in 2017 as a Devils legend and one of the best two-way forwards in NHL history. Despite that, Elias hasn’t said goodbye to the game of hockey for good.

Over the last few summers, Elias spent time working with Devils coaches and players during training camp. In the meantime, Elias has also spent time coaching with the Czech Republic U20 national team and semi-regularly offers comments on the Devils’ performances and opines on some prospects here and there. He once compared Dawson Mercer to himself. That is obviously a huge remark from one of the best players in Devils history.

Provided that former teammate Sergei Brylin takes the next step and moves up the food chain, Elias could find himself in an advantageous position to kickstart his coaching career as an assistant coach. However, much of this will come down to how willing Elias is to take a full-time job like this.

During his downtime, Elias has spent time at home with his wife and kids and frequently travels back to the Czech Republic. That being said, the Devils should leave it up to Elias to decide. Not putting an offer out there to make Elias consider coaching would be foolish.

Dan Bylsma

In the position that they’re in, the Devils likely want to add a coach with a track record of some success. GM Tom Fitzgerald might know a guy who could be interested in returning to the NHL – Dan Bylsma. Remember him?

Bylsma’s last appearance as an NHL coach was way back in the 2016-17 season with the Buffalo Sabres. At that time, Bylsma was coaching a Sabres team with a 19-year-old Jack Eichel, Ryan O’Reilly, Sam Reinhart, Rasmus Ristolainen, Robin Lehner, and Linus Ullmark. The team had a decent spine, but the rest of the bones were pretty bare. Ask the Philadelphia Flyers how having Rasmus Ristolainen as their number-one defenseman is going.

Dan Bylsma  joined the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, the same year Tom Fitzgerald was promoted. Bylsma’s hire yielded a Stanley Cup championship immediately. With the Penguins, Bylsma guided the team to the playoffs every season and only lost in the first round twice in six seasons. Obviously, things didn’t work out in Buffalo, especially with Jack Eichel. Bylsma has since bounced around with the Detroit Red Wings and Seattle Kraken as an assistant in their organizations. Last summer, the Kraken made Bylsma the head coach of their AHL affiliate Coachella Valley Firebirds. Bylsma is now coaching the likes of Shane Wright in the Western Conference Finals of the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs.

While there are risks involved, Bylsma and Lindy Ruff would at least provide experience and steadiness behind the Devils’ bench.

Marc Savard

Marc Savard qualifies as a potential New Jersey Devils assistant the same way Patrik Elias and Sergei Brylin do. After having his NHL career cut short by a series of unfortunate head injuries, former Boston Bruins star Marc Savard has spent some time coaching hockey. Savard was on the St. Louis Blues staff during the 2019-20 season and is currently the head coach of the Windsor Spitfires in the OHL.

In 2021-22, Savard’s first season as Spitfires coach, Windsor finished second in the OHL in points, and Dallas Stars rookie Wyatt Johnston led the league in scoring. Windsor would then go on to the Memorial Cup Finals, where they lost to the Hamilton Bulldogs, the best team in the league, in seven games.

While going from the OHL all the way to the NHL might seem like a big jump, it would be unwise to count out the resilient Savard. In his short time as a coach, Savard has already shown the ability to develop players and succeed, thanks to his work ethic and NHL pedigree.

If the Devils want to add NHL experience behind their bench that can relate to their younger players, Marc Savard is nothing short of a great option.