5 New Jersey Devils Head Coaching Options Available Right Now

Gerard Gallant
Most Recent Stop: New York Rangers

This one will be controversial, but New Jersey Devils fans would have killed to hire Gallant back in 2020. After his stint in Las Vegas, Gallant became incredibly desired as a coach. While we know he was interviewed for the job, along with current Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette, the Devils instead decided to hire Ruff (who was ironically then a Rangers assistant coach). 

Obviously, a lot has happened since the Devils went with another option. Gallant’s star has fizzled. The Devils have put together a much better roster. Jack Hughes is legitimately one of the league’s biggest stars. The holes are clear, and if the Devils fill them correctly, they will once again be a Stanley Cup contender. This is a very intriguing place for a head coach to land.

While Devils fans would have loved Gallant in 2020, they hate the idea in 2024. Gallant did not bring the best out of the New York Rangers. He actually lost in seven games to the Devils last season. The Rangers fired him after just two seasons. It was a strange move since he took them to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first year, but something just didn’t fit there. For whatever reason, Gallant lost his touch.

Can he find that touch he had in Vegas again? Is there a reason this is now the third time he’s been surprisingly fired? Does he not play well with others? It just seems like the Devils are going to go in a different direction, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Gallant gets an interview.