The New Jersey Devils are one of the most disappointing teams in the NHL this season. At 30-27-4, they are far below the elite team that they were last season.
They don't have a high percent chance of making it back to the playoffs after winning a round one year ago. They have some very good players on the roster but things have taken a step back this year.
There are a lot of reasons for this bad season that the Devils had but coaching had been one of them at times. A lot of people in New Jersey believed that they needed to fire head coach Lindy Ruff.
Well, on Monday afternoon, we got word that was happening for the Devils. Lindy Ruff has been relieved of his coaching duties. Travis Green has been named to be the interim head coach.
The New Jersey Devils are finally moving on from head coach Lindy Ruff
This is a big move for the Devils but it might be too little too late. Lindy was doing a lot to try and save his job but it just wasn't working.
Some roster adjustments need to be made by Tom Fitzgerald and his staff but the coaching change needed to happen. There are a lot of things that can be done with this group from a coaching perspective that could get them going in the right direction again.
Alexander Holtz doesn't need to be on the fourth line. Timo Meier and Tyler Toffoli should be in the top six no matter what. Dawson Mercer is a weapon that should be used a lot. Nico Daws shouldn't be starting as much as he was after having hip surgery.
These are all things that Lindy Ruff failed to do and it cost him his job. With centerpieces like Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes in place, this team needs to be doing right by them.
Green will coach the team as the interim for the first time on Tuesday night at Prudential Center when the Devils take on the Florida Panthers. It is a big test right off the bat.
Not it is in the hands of the players to get this thing going in the right direction. We've seen what this team can do when Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt, and all of the others are playing at the top of their game with full effort.
It is a shame that the season went this way but it is time to regroup for next season. Hopefully, things get back to the way they were in 2022-23.