3 coaches not currently in the NHL the Devils can pursue following Lindy Ruff release

Marco Sturm, Ontario Reign

A former assistant of the Los Angeles Kings, Marco Sturm has since become the head coach of the Ontario Reign, whom he coached since 2022-23. Earlier in the season, there was speculation that Sturm could succeed former Kings coach Todd McLellan, but Jim Hiller got the nod, and LA has since found itself back on track. 

While Sturm’s first season with the Reign was an up-and-down experience, he has since improved upon that mark with a 28-19-3-3 record as of March 5th. Given his time as an assistant with the Kings, Sturm also knows how to coach current NHL talent, and it would be interesting to see what the 45-year-old can do with a young, upstart hockey team like the Devils.

The only real drawback here is whether Sturm would be willing to leave the Kings organization, especially if they don’t remove the interim label from Hiller at any point. Overall, Sturm has been a hot name for a while now, and he has proven to be more than ready to take the next step in his career. 

If that next step comes for the Devils, the fan base should be excited to see what could be a dynamic pairing between a young coach and a young hockey team.