As we draw closer to the end of the NHL season, we approach the start of the coaching carousel. One team at the front of the queue will be the New Jersey Devils. Former head coach Lindy Ruff was relieved of his duties on March 4, three and a half years into his tenure. Despite signing an extension before the season, the Devils were greatly underachieving. Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald subsequently promoted assistant coach Travis Green to the interim job. However, results and on-ice performances have continued to look below average.
That leads us to Fitzgerald’s biggest decision as GM. His choice for the next head coach will define his tenure as the man in charge. If the next head coach of the Devils can’t get them over the hump then it might be Fitzgerald who joins the unemployment line next. Even before the process of hiring a coach has started there have been plenty of names attached to the job. Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan, former St. Louis Blues head coach Craig Berube, and former Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft have all been mentioned. While those names will continue to be linked, there’s also the chance of an outside candidate getting the job. We saw it with Lindy Ruff back in 2020, and we may see it again in 2024.
New Jersey Devils Outside the Box Head Coaching Candidates
Rikard Gronborg
If Gronborg sounds like a familiar name to Devils fans it’s because it should. Prior to Lindy Ruff’s hiring in 2020, it was reported that Fitzgerald had reached out to Gronborg about the job. He didn’t take it but has continued to have success coaching in Europe. Grongborg is one of the most well-respected coaches in Europe. He has coached team Sweden at the U-20 World Junior Championship, and the World Championships, as well as in the Olympics.
At the club level, Gronborg coached the top team in the Swiss League, ZSC Lions, for three and a half years before moving over the the Finnish League where he currently coaches Tappara. He has three World Championship gold medals, a U-20 WJC gold medal, as well as multiple silver and bronze medals over the years. It would be a bold hire for Fitzgerald, but he’s shown interest in the past. However, he would bring a bevy of experience and a championship pedigree that the Devils haven’t had.
Jon Cooper
What a wild story this would be. Every few years there is always that one shock firing. Recently, it was Bruce Cassidy in Boston and Barry Trotz in New York. This certainly would qualify as a shocker, but there are reasons behind this possibly happening. The Tampa Bay Lightning have shown their warts over the last two seasons. An early playoff exit followed up by an underwhelming season this year could cause management to look in another direction. Also, Cooper, similar to Sullivan, has been a constant in that locker room for over a decade. No matter how excellent of a coach you are, the message will eventually go stale.
In a crazy world where Cooper does get fired, he would have no shortage of suitors. Fitzgerald and ownership should hand him a blank check to become the Devil’s next head coach. Cooper is a two-time Stanley Cup champion and will have led the Lightning to the playoffs in 10 of his 12 years in charge. Talking about championship pedigree, there may be no other coach on the planet who would command a young locker room like he would. It would be one of the most shocking head coaching firings in recent memory, but one the Devils should be all over if it happens.
Scott Stevens
There may be no coach out there that could command a room because of his sheer presence more than the former Devils captain. Stevens knows this organization from top to bottom and what it takes to win in New Jersey. Outside of his 13-year stint as the Devil’s leader from the backend, Stevens also spent six years as a coach in New Jersey. After starting as a development coach, Stevens was promoted to assistant coach and was tasked with plugging a leaky defence. After his three years behind the bench he spent the 2016-17 season as an assistant with the Minnesota Wild. Since then has yet to return to coaching.
It would be interesting to see if he could be drawn back in if Fitzgerald called. He was an assistant on some terrible Devils teams, a far cry from today’s team. However, the prospect of coaching a group on the precipice of big things could be exciting enough for him to come back. Ideally as an assistant, but he has the leadership ability to be a head coach. It would be a fascinating hire, but he would be someone the players would be forced to listen to. If Fitzgerald wanted to swing for the fences, Stevens could be the guy.
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