The Devils are hoping to have their coaching search wrapped up in the near future now that Travis Green is now in Ottawa. Craig Berube and Jay Woodcroft have been linked to the position already but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in a recent NHL Network appearance (video link) that Todd McLellan has also interviewed for the position and could be in the mix for a second interview as well. McLellan is one of the most experienced coaches available with 1,144 career regular season games under his belt, good for 24th all-time. His teams have played to a .581 points percentage over that time but he was let go midseason by Los Angeles with the Kings underachieving at the time.
Devils Rumors
Poll: Who Will Be The Devils Next Head Coach?
The New Jersey Devils are once again searching for a new head coach, poised to hire their fifth bench manager in as many years after turning over both Lindy Ruff and Travis Green this season. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman described New Jersey’s vacancy as the role with the highest ceiling amidst a long list of teams searching for new hires – and it’s clear to see why. The Devils have one of the most exciting lineups in the league, with the one-two punch of Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier flanked by elite wingers and top defense prospects.
The next head coach will assume a young and talented lineup that should only get better this off-season, with the Devils boasting the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft following Monday’s draft lottery. The team is reportedly open to trading the pick in exchange for impactful lineup pieces, which could only strengthen their ability to make a strong run next season. That certainly seems to be the priority of general manager Tom Fitzgerald, who’s now faced with his toughest decision yet in who to name head coach.
Luckily, the coaching carousel is in full gear, and there is no shortage of strong options available to the Devils. They seem to be assessing every fit they can, even being linked to Sheldon Keefe, the NHL’s most recent free-agent coach after being fired by Toronto on Thursday. Keefe offers the coveted experience of coaching superstar talent before, coming off five years overseeing Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. Finding a way to balance so much skill isn’t always easy, but Keefe made the most of it, with all three stars rivaling 100 points at some point over the last few seasons. Keefe would be greeted by a much stronger defense in New Jersey, giving him a well-rounded roster much more akin to his time with the Toronto Marlies rather than the Maple Leafs. But the Devils have Stanley Cup aspirations, and Keefe’s postseason track record is certainly flawed. That could be the deciding factor in a coaching market with Cup-winning talents available.
Craig Berube, who led the 2019 Cup-winning St. Louis Blues, is reportedly the most popular coach on the market, being linked to nearly every coaching job available, including New Jersey, Toronto, and Ottawa. The popularity could leave the choice up to Berube on where he wants to go next – and the coveted Devils seat could look enticing for a man who had to endure 1,054 career games as a player, and 182 as an NHL head coach, before finally lifting the Stanley Cup. Berube’s chemistry with St. Louis’ younger talent certainly came into question during his time in Missouri, especially near the end of his tenure, but his commandeering style could be exactly what the Devils need after a year of disarray.
Long-term Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan could also offer Cup-winning precedent, should he hit the open market. Sullivan still remains under contract with the Pittsburgh, but could soon be searching for a new home amidst a list of coaching changes in the Penguins organization. Sullivan kicked off his first years in Pittsburgh, and some of his first years as a head coach, with a bang when he won back-to-back Cups in 2016 and 2017. He led Pittsburgh to playoff berths in the subsequent five seasons, though postseason absences in the last two years has his job on the fritz. Sullivan has only served two seasons as a head coach outside of Pittsburgh, making his next steps a bit unprecedented. And while it’s hard to leave a lineup of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang behind, the trio of Hughes, Hischier, and Dougie Hamilton could be a fine replacement.
There are plenty of other options earning coaching interviews around the league, including Gerard Gallant, Todd McLellan, and Jay Woodcroft. But New Jersey will need to be diligent in making their decision. The shift from Ruff to Green showed just how impactful coaching was to this Devils lineup – made most evident by Timo Meier’s 24 points in 21 games under Green after scoring at a 0.62 points-per-game pace under Ruff. He was one of many Devils to find a new groove under Green, and will be among the most important players for a new coach to prioritize. There is plenty of potential throughout the Devils lineup, but after a year of injuries and inconsistency, they’re still searching for their groove. Finding a new head coach will set the bar for just how much a young, ambitious Devils lineup can achieve next year.
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Fitzgerald: Tenth Pick Could Be Trade Chip
At the beginning of the season, the Devils weren’t expected to be picking in the top ten but that’s where they find themselves after the lottery earlier this week. Speaking after the lottery, GM Tom Fitzgerald indicated to reporters including team reporter Amanda Stein that it’s not a guarantee he’ll use the tenth pick next month, suggesting it’s an option to be moved if the right trade presents itself. It’s not very often that top-ten picks are dealt but with New Jersey being a team in win-now mode, they could be inclined to try to use that selection for someone who is more established and can contribute right away.
Devils Linked To Sheldon Keefe
It took until Thursday morning, but the Maple Leafs did decide to move on from head coach Sheldon Keefe after losing in the first round for the fourth time in his five-year tenure. His sparkling regular-season record over that time still immediately catapults him to being one of the top candidates on the open market, though.
To that end, the Devils are one of the teams expected to interview Keefe for their vacancy, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports. They’ve also been linked to former Blues bench boss Craig Berube – widely viewed as the most desirable candidate on the market – and ex-Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft.
New Jersey also has some documented interest in Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan should he hit the open market, but it seems more likely he’ll remain in Pittsburgh. The Devils are one of six teams with an active vacancy after firing Lindy Ruff in March and opting not to promote interim head coach Travis Green, who has since signed a four-year deal to become the next head coach of the Senators.
Keefe’s 212-97-40 record over 349 games with the Leafs is good for a .665 points percentage, the highest all-time among head coaches with at least 300 games of service. While there are others out there with far worse postseason winning percentages/records than his 16-21 mark, the failure to win more than one series despite consistently boasting an above-average team did him in. As did an all-too-familiar lack of scoring – the Leafs’ offense, led by some of the premier scoring and playmaking talents in the world in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, went 14 games without scoring more than three goals.
In New Jersey, he would take over a team with a very similar level of uncertainty between the pipes – at least for now. Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll were both high-ceiling yet inconsistent options last year, although, as a whole, they were preferable to the rotating cast of Devils netminders that conceded 19 goals above average. They’re expected to be on the hunt for a top-tier name on the trade market, though, and are likely to see a name like Jacob Markström, Linus Ullmark or Juuse Saros as their opening-night starter.
He’d also be assuming a defense core that, with a healthy Dougie Hamilton, is one of the most tantalizing yet well-rounded groups in the league. Hamilton, along with rising sophomores Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, gives Keefe the option to ice a premier puck-moving threat on all three pairings, balanced with a defensively responsible other half in Kevin Bahl, John Marino and Jonas Siegenthaler.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Coaching Notes: Devils, Blues, Kings
The New Jersey Devils plan to solidify a new head coach within the next 7-to-10 days, per The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (Twitter link). New Jersey just lost interim head coach Travis Green to a four-year contract with the Ottawa Senators, leaving their commanding spot vacant for the first time since firing Lindy Ruff in March. Green led the Devils to a 38-39-5 record, in his two months behind the helm, performing well enough to earn his first full-time head coaching role since leaving the Vancouver Canucks in the 2021-22 season. Ruff has also found a new home, returning to the Buffalo Sabres, where he’s already spent 10 years as a player and 16 years as a coach.
The coaching carousel has circled around the Devils and it’s now their chance to name a new boss. Jay Woodcroft and Craig Berube are seemingly leading the way, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on The Jeff Marek Show. Friedman added that many around the league view New Jersey as the job with the highest ceiling. That’s certainly no surprise, as their next head coach will assume a roster with stars Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, and Dougie Hamilton. And New Jersey is only getting better, with rookie defenders Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec earning full-time roles last season and the Devils recently signing top defense prospect Seamus Casey. New Jersey had a shockingly poor season, missing the playoffs by 10 points after bearing with injuries, a lack of chemistry, and poor goaltending all year. There is star power throughout their lineup, but with very little cap space this summer the Devils will need to hope that a new head coach will be enough to bring out their full potential.
Other notes from the coaching circuit:
- The St. Louis Blues will be retaining the entire staff behind head coach Drew Bannister, shares The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford (Twitter link). The Blues removed Bannister’s interim title earlier today, with Rutherford adding that the hiring process also featured interviews with the team’s advisors Peter Chiarelli, Alexander Steen, and Scott Mellanby. Bannister made it through each stage, and will now return to a team that he led to a 30-19-5 record last season. Bannister brought the best out of some of St. Louis’ youngest players, and manned a red-hot goaltending duo of Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer. While Bannister’s staff won’t lose any faces, the Blues haven’t ruled out the possibility of adding more coaching supports, as they look to get back into the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
- The Los Angeles Kings are taking their time with their own coaching search, and plan to interview interim head coach Jim Hiller next week, shares LeBrun (Twitter link). LeBrun adds that the Kings liked what they saw out of Hiller but aren’t committed to him just yet. Hiller led the Kings to a 21-12-1 record after taking over for Todd McLellan on February 10th. It was the first head coaching opportunity of Hiller’s career, after 10 years of serving as an assistant coach across the NHL. He previously spent eight years as a head coach in the WHL, making the playoffs seven times.
Devils Re-Sign Maxwell Willman, Nathan Légaré
The Devils announced Tuesday that they’ve re-signed forwards Maxwell Willman and Nathan Légaré to one-year, two-way deals with matching $775K cap hits and NHL salaries. Per the team, Willman will earn a $275K AHL salary with $300K guaranteed, while Légaré will earn an AHL salary of $85K.
Willman, 29, returns for his second season in New Jersey. He played in 18 games last season in fourth-line call-up duties, scoring three goals and adding an assist while averaging a minuscule 8:20 per game. It was his first extended NHL action since appearing in 41 games for the Flyers in 2021-22.
He spent a solid chunk of the season on assignment to AHL Utica, where he had arguably his best offensive season as a professional. The former Brown and Boston University forward had 12 goals and 22 points in 32 contests with Utica, reaching a career-high 0.67 points per game in the AHL. The Massachusetts native was only used as injury insurance this season, though, and likely isn’t in consideration for a spot in next season’s opening night lineup. It’s still a nice bit of financial insurance for the veteran, who lands his highest guaranteed salary to date.
Like Willman, Légaré is almost definitely headed for Utica next season. The 23-year-old was a third-round pick of the Penguins back in 2019 but is already on his third NHL organization, heading to the Canadiens in last summer’s Erik Karlsson three-way trade before landing with New Jersey in a minor-league swap in March. The Montreal native was wrapping up his entry-level contract and received just a $15K bump in his minors salary. In 57 games with AHL Laval and Utica this season, the right winger struggled to produce, limited to eight goals and 12 points with a -10 rating.
Willman will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025, while the Devils will retain control over Légaré as a restricted free agent. Both will need to clear waivers to head to Utica if cut from the roster during training camp.
Hockey Canada Releases 2024 World Championship Roster
May 7: Celebrini and Fantilli have returned home from Czechia, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports. The former will participate in tonight’s 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, while Fantilli’s reasons for departing are undisclosed. It’s unclear whether they’ve been removed from the roster entirely. In a corresponding transaction, the team added Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois and Lightning forwards Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul to the roster.
May 3: Hockey Canada has released its roster of 22 players who will wear the maple leaf at the 2024 World Championship, which begins next week in Ostrava and Prague, Czechia. There are three open spots left to be filled throughout the tournament as more teams are eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Much like the initial World Championship roster that USA Hockey released weeks back, it’s almost completely made up of NHL talent – a rarity for the top-level countries at this tournament recently. The return and promise of future best-on-best international tournaments in the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off and the 2026 Winter Olympics has players and front offices looking at this year’s Worlds as a tune-up and initial evaluation for those events.
In fact, the only non-NHL player on Canada’s tournament-opening roster will be in the league next season. That’s presumptive 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who continues his 2023-24 campaign after taking home the Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player in his freshman season with Boston University. Their offense is highlighted and led by Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard and Kraken sniper Jared McCann, while Sabres defenders Bowen Byram and Owen Power highlight the back end. Blues netminder Jordan Binnington is expected to serve as the team’s starter.
The full roster is as follows:
F Connor Bedard (Blackhawks)
F Michael Bunting (Penguins)
F Macklin Celebrini (2024 draft-eligible)
F Dylan Cozens (Sabres)
F Adam Fantilli (Blue Jackets)
F Ridly Greig (Senators)
F Dylan Guenther (NHL Utah)
F Andrew Mangiapane (Flames)
F Jack McBain (NHL Utah)
F Jared McCann (Kraken)
F Dawson Mercer (Devils)
F Brandon Tanev (Kraken)
D Bowen Byram (Sabres)
D Kaiden Guhle (Canadiens)
D Jamie Oleksiak (Kraken)
D Colton Parayko (Blues)
D Owen Power (Sabres)
D Damon Severson (Blue Jackets)
D Olen Zellweger (Ducks)
G Jordan Binnington (Blues)
G Nico Daws (Devils)
G Joel Hofer (Blues)
Devils Had Talks With Craig Berube
- Jonathan Bailey of New Jersey Hockey Now is reporting that the New Jersey Devils had detailed talks with former Stanley Cup champion head coach Craig Berube regarding the Devil’s head coaching vacancy. The 58-year-old Berube won the Stanley Cup with the Blues during his first season behind the bench in 2019 and was fired this past December after a 13-14-1 to start the season. He previously coached the Philadelphia Flyers for two seasons before an extended run in the AHL. The Devils also reportedly engaged in conversations with former Kings bench boss Todd McLellan.
Devils Sign Jakub Malek To Entry-Level Deal
1:03 p.m.: New Jersey plans to loan Málek back to Ilves for the 2024-25 season, reports the Daily Sentinel’s Ben Birnell.
12:29 p.m.: The Devils have signed goaltender Jakub Málek to a two-year, entry-level deal, per a club announcement Monday.
Málek, 22, was the Devils’ lone fourth-round selection in the 2021 draft, going off the board at 100th overall. The 6’4″, 190-lb netminder just wrapped up his fourth season spent primarily in the professional ranks, the last two of which have come in Finland with the Liiga’s Ilves.
In 27 appearances last season, Málek was strong with a 2.32 GAA, .915 SV%, two shutouts and a 16-4-5 record. He started three playoff contests for Ilves as well, posting a 1.87 GAA and .910 SV% as they were upset in five games in the quarterfinals by seventh-place KalPa after finishing with a 33-13-7-7 record in the regular season, second in the Liiga.
In his rookie campaign with Ilves last season, Málek posted a 9-7-4 record in 22 appearances with a .903 SV%, 2.15 GAA and two shutouts. The Czech netminder had spent his entire career in his home country up to that point, getting nearly all of his professional experience with VHK Vsetín in the 1. liga, Czechia’s second-tier pro league behind the Extraliga.
He made his debut there as a 16-year-old all the way back in 2018-19, accumulating a 2.13 GAA, .923 SV%, four shutouts and a 30-16-0 record in 47 appearances across four seasons. In 2021-22, his final season with Vsetín before making the jump to tougher competition in Finland, he was named to the 1. liga’s year-end All-Star Team, as well as taking home Best Goaltender and Best Junior Player honors.
Málek has flown under the radar when discussing Devils prospects, but his overall showing overseas against professional competition has been promising. He outperformed 32-year-old Jonas Gunnarsson in the Ilves crease this season and worked his way into a 1A role, suggesting he should be ready to face AHL action in Utica immediately upon arriving in North America.
New Jersey’s goaltending depth will be in flux this summer as the team looks to find an above-average starter on the trade market, but Málek’s signing indicates that their two pending UFAs at the minor-league level, Erik Källgren and Keith Kinkaid, won’t be back. Even so, it will be a crowded crease in Utica and in ECHL Adirondack. The Devils are expected to retain trade deadline pickup Jake Allen as a backup to their new addition, which still leaves Tyler Brennan, Nico Daws, Isaac Poulter and Akira Schmid under NHL contract at the minor-league levels. Daws or Schmid will likely be moved out in an eventual trade for a starter, though, likely leaving Málek and either Brennan or Poulter manning Utica’s crease with one odd man out starting games for Adirondack.
Málek will be a restricted free agent upon expiry in 2026. He’ll remain waiver-exempt for the life of his ELC unless he plays more than 60 NHL games. He was under contract with Ilves next season, one which the Devils have evidently bought him out of.
Devils Sign Seamus Casey To Entry-Level Deal
10:52 a.m.: Casey’s ELC carries a cap hit of $950K, NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky reports.
9:03 a.m.: The Devils have signed 2022 second-round pick Seamus Casey to his three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday. The University of Michigan defender was their top unsigned defense prospect.
New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald said last month that Casey was undecided about returning to the Wolverines for his junior season. Now, after his seven goals and 45 points in 40 games helped lead Michigan to the semifinals of the NCAA national championship, he’ll look to compete for a spot on the Devils’ blue line in 2024-25.
Casey, 20, was picked up by the Devils with the 46th overall pick in his draft year, just before the midpoint of the second round. It was a tad earlier than TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s polling of NHL scouts expected him to go (51st overall), but multiple public scouting services suggested he should’ve been off the board by then as a late first or very early second-round pick. So far, it looks like most teams’ scouting departments undervalued the right-shot defender. The Devils weren’t one of those teams – chief scout Mark Dennehy told NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky that they were surprised he was still available with their pick.
Now listed at 5’10” and 180 lbs, the Florida-born Casey has put on an inch and about 20 pounds of muscle in the last few years. It’s helped quell concerns about his size – easily the biggest reason why NHL scouts were cautious about selecting him – to some degree.
Drafted out of the U.S. National Team Development Program, Casey immediately made the jump to Michigan after being picked by the Devils and hasn’t at all looked out of place. He took home Big 10 All-Rookie Team honors last year, potting eight goals and 29 points with a +16 rating in 37 games to finish second behind future New Jersey teammate Luke Hughes in scoring among Michigan defensemen. He became the Wolverines’ top puck-moving option this season after Hughes left for the Devils and proved he was up to the task by finishing fifth on the team in scoring and third among all NCAA defensemen. Casey also suited up for the United States at the 2024 World Juniors, posting six assists in six games to lead the tournament in assists by defensemen en route to a gold medal.
Casey’s departure leaves a crater-sized gap on the Michigan blue line next season, although the addition of the offensively-minded Tim Lovell out of the transfer portal from Arizona State should help somewhat. An expert passer and shifty skater in transition, Casey is incredibly effective at helping his team exit one zone and gain the other but will likely struggle to box out opposing forwards and win puck battles in the early stages of his NHL career.
With the return of top defenseman Dougie Hamilton from a pectoral injury that cost him most of 2023-24, as well as 2022 second-overall pick Simon Nemec establishing himself as a full-time NHLer, it’ll be tough for Casey to land an everyday role on New Jersey’s blue line next season. Without a clear need for Casey in the NHL lineup immediately, it’s a tad confusing to see him opt to forego a third year of school. However, he’s a solid bet to rotate in and get a few games at the beginning of the season before logging big minutes with AHL Utica to adjust to the professional ranks. His ELC isn’t eligible to slide to next season, even if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games, and will make him a restricted free agent in 2027.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.