Devils' Deadline Speculation Heats up & Lindy Ruff is Let Go
Plus, playoff chances after 60 games and a trade is made.
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In today’s edition, we feature new pieces on the Ruff firing and MacDermid trade as well as articles on trade destinations for Tyler Toffoli, their struggles in net, and their playoff chances with just a quarter of the season remaining. Please share this free substack with your hockey and Devils fan friends and family so they can subscribe and enjoy all the latest.
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Now on to the good stuff….
Devils Fire Head Coach Lindy Ruff
March 4, 2024 by JP Gambatese
On Monday afternoon, the New Jersey Devils announced they had relieved head coach Lindy Ruff of his duties, replacing him with Travis Green in the interim. This comes after the Devils lost two of three in what should have been an easy California road trip against the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and Los Angeles Kings. It comes as no surprise, as the team has struggled all season after being cited as a Stanley Cup favorite entering the 2023-24 campaign. No other coaching announcements were made, so it would seem as though the staff otherwise remains the same.
3 Trade Destinations for Devils’ Tyler Toffoli
March 3, 2024 by JP Gambatese
This past off-season, GM Tom Fitzgerald and the New Jersey Devils acquired stud winger Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames in exchange for a third-round pick and forward Yegor Sharangovich. Fast forward about nine months, and the Devils might be looking to move Toffoli as their playoff hopes dwindle with each coming day. Toffoli, 31, leads the team in goals (26) and power-play goals (eight) and sits third in total points (44). Should the Devils pack it in for the season and decide to sell Toffoli rather than extend him, he should be an incredibly enticing option for contending teams in the market for a winger, especially at a reasonable $4.25 million cap hit that could be retained.
Devils Paying the Price for Not Improving in Net
March 2, 2024 by Josh Reinitz
On Tuesday, May 9, 2023, goaltender Vitek Vanecek led the New Jersey Devils onto the ice. The team was coming off a wild 8-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in game three of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That win brought the series to 2-1 in Carolina’s favor, with each team winning their home games. Vanecek, who was a revelation in the regular season, becoming the first Devils goaltender to win 30 games in a season since Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur’s retirement, had been abysmal in the playoffs. In the three games, he started to that point, the team was 1-2, and he had allowed 13 goals, posting a save percentage (SV%) of .841, far below the career-high .911 SV% he played in over 52 regular season games.
New Jersey Devils’ Playoff Chances After 60 Games
March 2, 2024 by Jordan Slompo
The New Jersey Devils reached the 60-game mark of the 2023-24 regular season yesterday when they fell 4-3 to the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center. With the final stretch approaching and only a week until the trade deadline, teams at the top of the standings may ease off the gas pedal, secure a good position, and begin organizing their roster for the playoffs, making minor adjustments to contend for the Stanley Cup.
Devils Acquire MacDermid from Avalanche for Bardakov, Pick
March 1, 2024 by Jacob Billington
The New Jersey Devils announced they have acquired defenseman Kurtis MacDermid from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Zakhar Bardakov and a 2024 seventh-round draft pick.
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