The New Jersey Devils relieved Lindy Ruff of his duties as head coach, the team announced on Monday. In a related move, the team announced that Associate Coach Travis Green would take over for the rest of the season on an interim basis.
It comes as no surprise that the Devils opted to move on from Ruff, as it was a widely expected consequence of the Devils falling far short of their lofty expectations for the season.
It is a bit of a surprise that it happened in the middle of the season, as many ventured to guess that the inevitable change would take place when the season ended.
What Went Wrong For the Devils This Season?
In a word, everything. The team has been plagued all season by injuries, with star center Jack Hughes and top defender Dougie Hamilton missing extended time.
The Devils have gotten poor goaltending all season long, a predictable outcome after their run last year was fueled by an unsustainable run by rookie Akira Schmid.
Special teams have fallen short, and the 5-on-5 play has not been strong enough to overcome the litany of other issues.
After making it to the second round of the playoffs last season, the Devils are a virtual guarantee to miss the postseason altogether in a season in which they had Stanley Cup aspirations.
Maybe it's not Ruff's fault that the front office didn't provide a solution in goal or that his best players missed so much time, but he certainly didn't do enough to offset all of that, and the buck has to stop somewhere.
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Could the Devils Hire a Current Division Rival Coach in the Off-Season?
Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division, another team that started the year with playoff hopes is instead faced with an unmitigated disaster.
In the Steel City, the Pittsburgh Penguins are falling into worse and worse positioning in the standings with every game they play, and it looks like a good bet that the team could move on from current head coach Mike Sullivan.
While Sullivan's time might be up in Pittsburgh, he could be a fantastic option to take over for the Devils starting next year. Pittsburgh's aging roster and its own injury issues have tied his hands this year, and given his long tenure with the team, it might just be that his message is wearing thin with the Pens.
In New Jersey, Sullivan's philosophy that rewards skill and speed could breathe new life into this Devils core that is teeming with talent.
If the Penguins do fire Sullivan for his own underperformance, the Devils would be wise to make the two-time Stanley Cup champion their top priority.
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