4. What do expect out of the first season from Sheldon Keefe?
Villano: As simply as we can put it, we expect big things from Sheldon Keefe. It will start slow, but he'll pick up in a big way around Thanksgiving.
Parise: I expect the New Jersey Devils to be a faster, smarter team under Sheldon Keefe. He has taken offensive stars to the next level before and he can do it again. Now, he has good defensemen and a goalie to work with as well which is something he hasn’t necessarily been used to. This year should be a good one in Newark.
DeLuca: It is no secret that Sheldon Keefe has been handed high expectations for this season. But he has proven to have immense success in the regular season so one can only wonder what a new roster may do in the playoffs under his leadership.
Borges: In his first season with the Devils, Sheldon Keefe will either be a Jack Adams finalist or fans will want him gone by Christmas and there is no inbetween. In his first job where he was not hired by Kyle Dubas, it will be interesting to see Keefe carve his own path.
Chauvancy: Playoffs at a minimum, given his track record, but I expect him to hold players accountable better than Lindy Ruff.
Matthews: Playoffs or bust.
Patrick: I expect he will continue to be an outstanding communicator who will get the most out of his players. A playoff run seems likely, but whether he can break the curse of his teams choking in Game 7s remains to be seen. If he leads the Devils to the Metropolitan Division win, he will be a deserving Jack Adams finalist.
Stanislau: I expect Sheldon Keefe to add more to the hits, blocked shots, and stronger forechecking. Having elite-level defensemen and forwards who can be very lethal on the PP, I expect the Devils to dominate the Hits, Blocks, and shock teams in playing fast and heavy hockey.
Holliday: High scoring offensive hockey. He played a very fast paced system in Toronto and the Devils are built to go with that system so that is what I expect out of him in the regular season. Come playoff time it is the real test however and all fans know how bad the Leafs are at that time of year and the Devils do not want that to be our new thing.
Barrett: I expect a team that dominates in scoring chances in a majority of games. They'll be a much better team in transition, much closer to the 2022 team than the 2023 team.
Schiller: I expect a different system of hockey under Sheldon Keefe with more pressure in both the defensive and neutral zone. I expect a fair amount of anticipation and excitement from the fan base. I expect to see a team ready to compete and battle through the many ups and downs of a very demanding 82+ game campaign.
Garrison: Sheldon Keefe will make sure everyone plays at their natural position, which was a problem with Lindy Ruff. I also expect him to try to find his next Auston Matthews in Jack Hughes and work with the roster to find the best outcome for goals in every game.
Rubin: I expect Keefe to recreate his regular season success and get to the playoffs with the Devils, then change the playoff narrative that he had in Toronto and get past the first round.
Annaluru: I hope that he gets them to be a consistent side on most nights.
Villapiano: I expect this team to be more playoff-ready and find different ways to win games. I also expect his system to work very well offensively with Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and Dawson Mercer in particular.