They are not in a traditional rebuild, but they are also not yet a finished contender. What they are navigating instead is a retool, a transitional phase that sits between accumulation and optimization. This distinction matters because it reframes how success should be measured in the short term and how the organization should approach both the standings and the draft.
A retool acknowledges reality. The Devils possess elite young talent and a core that should not be dismantled. At the same time, roster imbalance, health volatility, and inconsistent results have made it clear that the current group is not yet ready to sustain a deep playoff run. The solution is not to burn everything down, nor is it to blindly push all the chips in. It is to improve selectively while allowing the draft to remain a meaningful lever.
This is where the concept of a high draft pick becomes relevant. Positioning for a strong selection does not require intentionally losing. It often emerges naturally when a team prioritizes development, internal evaluation, and long-term fit over short-term patchwork solutions. By resisting the urge to chase marginal upgrades, the Devils can remain competitive night to night while allowing the standings to reflect where the roster truly sits.
Retooling teams often live in this space. They play meaningful games, but they also accept that growth comes with volatility. Young players are given responsibility. Lineups are experimented with. Goaltending workloads are managed with an eye toward health rather than optics. These decisions may cost a few points over the course of a season, but they pay dividends in clarity and development. In the aggregate, that approach can naturally lead to a higher draft position without the cultural damage associated with tanking.
Importantly, drafting high only matters if the organization is prepared to draft well. A retool should coincide with a renewed emphasis on process. The Devils have an opportunity to sharpen their draft philosophy by focusing on skills that translate, development timelines that align with the core, and upside that complements existing strengths. A high pick in this context is not a reset button. It is an accelerant.
There is also strategic value in flexibility. A retool allows management to preserve draft capital while keeping options open. If opportunities arise to move veterans for futures, they can be explored without urgency. If young players take unexpected steps forward, the timeline can shift organically. This adaptability is a feature, not a weakness. It allows the organization to respond to information rather than forcing outcomes.
The New Jersey Devils must avoid blowing it up with a full rebuild
However, retooling without structure risks drifting off course. This is why the Devils would benefit from a clearly defined President of Hockey Operations role, and why it stands out as a logical fit.
Shanahan’s value would not lie in day-to-day transactions. It would lie in oversight, accountability, and standard setting. His experience leading a modern NHL organization provides exactly the type of macro-level perspective a retool requires. The President of Hockey Operations ensures that drafting, development, pro scouting, coaching, and cap management are aligned under a single strategic vision rather than operating in parallel.
In New Jersey, that alignment matters. The Devils already have talent. What they need now is coherence. Shanahan would be positioned to evaluate processes rather than just results, ensuring that short-term decisions support long-term goals. That includes protecting draft capital, defining risk tolerance, and ensuring development timelines match competitive expectations.
There is also symbolic and practical value in Shanahan’s connection to the Devils’ organizational history. This is not nostalgia-driven. It is about credibility. A President of Hockey Operations with deep league respect can hold all departments accountable without creating instability. Standards rise when leadership is unquestioned.
From a draft perspective, Shanahan’s presence would reinforce discipline. A retooling team must draft with intention, not desperation. High draft picks should be treated as accelerants, not lifelines. Under a strong hockey ops structure, those selections are supported by development investment, clear usage plans, and patience. That is how premium picks actually pay off.
Importantly, this approach does not preclude improvement in the standings. Raising the team’s baseline performance through better structure, healthier deployments, and clearer roles can still increase playoff odds. Competing and drafting well are not mutually exclusive. In fact, competitive environments often produce better development outcomes, which then translate into stronger drafting confidence.
A President of Hockey Operations also provides insulation. It allows the general manager to operate without the pressure to solve everything at once. That matters during a retool. Not every weakness needs to be addressed immediately. Some are better solved through the draft. Others resolve themselves as young players mature. Shanahan’s role would be to ensure patience is strategic rather than passive.
The Devils are at a point where direction matters more than urgency. A retool done correctly positions the team to add a high-impact player through the draft just as the roster stabilizes and expectations rise. Done poorly, it becomes a holding pattern. Leadership is the difference.
The league has already shown that the strongest organizations are those that can compete, draft well, and evolve simultaneously. The Devils have the pieces to join that group. Adding a President of Hockey Operations like Brendan Shanahan would not be about change for its own sake. It would be about giving the retool structure, clarity, and a higher ceiling.
From a competitive standpoint, the Devils can still improve their playoff odds even within a retool. Raising the team’s baseline performance does not require sacrificing draft position entirely. Better structure, clearer roles, and healthier lineups can make the team harder to play against while still leaving room for developmental growing pains. The difference between a bubble team and a lottery team is often thinner than it appears.
A retool also creates a healthier evaluation environment. Management learns which players can handle pressure, which combinations hold up against top competition, and where the true weaknesses lie. Those insights are far more valuable than theoretical projections made in a losing environment. They directly inform draft strategy, free-agent planning, and future trade decisions.
Crucially, this approach aligns with the long-term identity the Devils should be building. Sustainable contenders do not chase single seasons. They stack good decisions. They accept short-term discomfort to avoid long-term fragility. They view the draft as a continuous pipeline, not a one-year event.
The idea that a team must either tank or contend is outdated. A retool offers a third path. It allows the Devils to remain competitive, protect their core, and still position themselves to add a premium asset in the draft. Done correctly, that asset arrives just as the roster stabilizes and expectations rise.
The Devils are at a moment where patience and ambition must coexist. They can acknowledge that they are not there yet without conceding the future. They can aim for a high draft pick without eroding standards. They can retool with purpose rather than drift.
That is not indecision. It is strategy.