The New Jersey Devils are preparing for a transformative offseason. The Tom Fitzgerald era is over. The Devils parted ways with their long-time GM and President of Hockey Operations, and they introduced his replacement, Sunny Mehta, on Tuesday. The philosophy is going to change in terms of roster construction, but what about on the ice?
At this point, that doesn’t appear like it’s going to change. Sheldon Keefe just finished his second year as Devils head coach. The results have been disappointing. In two years behind the bench, Keefe has one playoff win.Â
There were times this season where the team appeared listless. He wasn’t getting this team motivated to overcome adversity. It took one Jacob Markstrom goal against to change the way the team reacted to everything on the ice.
They also couldn’t overcome the Jack Hughes injury. They faced other injuries, like Luke Hughes, Brett Pesce, and Arseny Gritsyuk, among others, but Jack Hughes’ injury and ensuing issues when he returned basically ended the Devils’ season.
Since Hughes’s injury appears to be a yearly occurance now, they need a coach who can get this team to play well when he’s not on the ice. Apparently, the Devils believe that Fitzgerald was the issue.
Sheldon Keefe appears to be safe under a Sunny Mehta regime in New Jersey
Keefe was reportedly in the audience when the Devils introduced Mehta. During the conference, Mehta referenced planned collaboration with Keefe during the offseason. He did go on to say that all coaches and players would be evaluated, but it’s clear he has plans to work with Keefe.Â
The big question with Keefe for the Devils is if there’s someone better out there. Bruce Cassidy is the only clear upgrade, but he seems to have long-term issues staying in seat. Maybe Keefe will have better longevity with Mehta.
There were rumors that Keefe was trying to coach the team in Fitzgerald’s shadow, but that has never been confirmed. We will say that when Keefe was hired, we expected a much better coach. His Maple Leafs’ team had overcome adversity multiple times, bringing huge win totals year in and year out. With the Devils, his system seemed ot change despite a similar talent pool between the two teams.Â
Under Mehta, we do expect a better Keefe. Will he be one of the best coaches in the league like we once predicted? It’s way too early to tell, but we’re optimistic this is the right move, for now.Â
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