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3 NHL teams who should hire Bruce Boudreau right now

By Dave Stevenson

ST PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 15: Head coach Bruce Boudreau of the Minnesota Wild looks on during the game against Winnipeg Jets on October 15, 2016 at Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
ST PAUL, MN - OCTOBER 15: Head coach Bruce Boudreau of the Minnesota Wild looks on during the game against Winnipeg Jets on October 15, 2016 at Xcel Energy Center in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils, much like the Sabres, have been stuck in a circle of mediocrity. Other than a postseason appearance in 2018 (a first-round exit), they haven’t been a playoff fixture since they lost to the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Final back in 2012. The Devils desperately need stability and credibility. Boudreau would provide both.

As I said earlier, teams are probably going to have to offer Boudreau something unique to get him to come back. The Devils might not be a good team right now, but they have some exciting young players in Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. There’s also top defensive prospect Ty Smith and young goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood.

The Devils are stuck in a tri-state area with the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers all quickly improving. While the Rangers aren’t postseason contenders quite yet, they aren’t far away. The Devils have to fight for relevancy and Boudreau could help them in that war.

Much like the Sabres, hiring Boudreau would be atypical for the Devils. But they need him. Boudreau has had a lot of success with teams that are deep down the middle. If the Devils want to be taken seriously, they’ve got to hire a real head coach. Boudreau checks off all the boxes for them.

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