The New Jersey Devils return from the Olympic break with an uneventful loss to the Buffalo Sabres. This team picked up where it left off. The hope was that the Olympic high from Jack Hughes, Simon Nemec, and the Swiss skaters would work. It didn’t, and the team lost 2-1.
Taking a step back, it’s easy to look at the Sabres as a team to compare the Devils to. Yes, the Sabres took a longer time to contend, and after 14 years are finally seeing it pay off. Only now are they playing well after a mess that came earlier in the season. That said, they are ironically showing the Devils how patience and urgency at the same time, as crazy as that sounds, can pay off.
Sabres Kept Ruff & It Paid Off
Devils fans know all too well about the downsides of Ruff. The long-time coach has his way of doing things and has his system. Both are outdated, and Ruff won’t change. It’s why his teams implode, and many believe the only reason the Sabres hired him is that other coaches were going to Buffalo (they are the opposite of a destination.
Yet, the Sabres, who probably shouldn’t have hired him in the first place, stuck with him. If Ruff a good coach? No. Has he changed since the start of the season? Also no. Is the team playing well under him? Yes. Sometimes, it’s about staying with the system and playing under the same head coach, and eventually, things fall into place.
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The Devils, certainly the fanbase, are frustrated with Sheldon Keefe. The coach, once seen as a great mind of the game, is now viewed as a fraud, someone who can’t lead a competitive team. The fans want him gone. Yet, patience might be the Devils best path, at least behind the bench.
Devils Must Note That Change Goes a Long Way
The Sabres, for the most part, have remained the same team all season. Yet, the big change was firing general manager (GM) Kevyn Adams. The team that’s playing well was built by Adams, yet only now that he’s gone are the wins following. For the GM, it’s like having a fixer-upper and being relocated just as paint is applied.
It’s not a secret that the looming decision to keep or fire Adams weighed on the team. The players felt the tension in the building, knowing their GM could get fired any day. Once the change happened, the weight was lifted from them.
The alternative is that the GM change lit a fire under the players. Like a head coach firing, the message sent is that the GM is replaced because the roster can’t be and the players respond accordingly.
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The Devils moving on from GM Tom Fitzgerald would presumably have the same effect. It’s a change that can light a fire under the team, one that has the talent but is playing out the string. The Devils never made a change, and now, they are seeing the effects. More importantly, this time of the season is a bit late to make this move, so if the Devils make a change of some sort, it would be minor.
Can a Good Trade Deadline Help?
It’s also possible that the Devils don’t need a massive shakeup. If they make a few minor trades, they can turn around and look better next season. A retool might be the best path for the Devils but a change, even a minimal one, can go a long way.
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It’s oddly the one thing that can save Fitzgerald. He must make a move because, to quote Shakesphere, “Nothing will come of nothing” (I’m sure that will drive up the pageviews).