Devils Hire Sheldon Keefe & Analyzing Trade Possibilities for the Draft
Plus, are the Devils shifting their focus to combat being "soft?"
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Devils Hire Sheldon Keefe to Be Next Head Coach
May 22, 2024 by Justin Giampietro
The New Jersey Devils have moved on to their third head coach since the 2023-24 season began, but this change seems to be for good. The former bench boss for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe, was hired by the Devils and reportedly given a four-year deal per Darren Dreger. Finally, they have their guy.
Devils Re-Signing Kurtis MacDermid Sends Strong Message
May 22, 2024 by Daniel Amoia
On March 1, 2024, the New Jersey Devils traded forward prospect Zakhar Bardakov and a 2024 7th round pick in exchange for Kurtis MacDermid, a hybrid forward/defenseman who is known primarily for being an “enforcer.” The 6-foot-5, 233-pound skater found himself right in the center of drama in the Hudson River Rivalry with the New York Rangers, when his aversion towards Matt Rempe eventually led to an ultra-rare line brawl.
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3 Players the Devils Should Not Trade 10th Overall For
May 22, 2024 by JP Gambatese
2023-24 was a rough year for the New Jersey Devils — they entered the season with Stanley Cup aspirations after a franchise-record 52-win campaign the season before and fell well short of even making the playoffs. With that, though, they have obtained the 10th overall selection in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, one in which there is deep talent of high-ceiling prospects for the first half of the first round. Because they have some pressing needs heading into 2024-25, like a bona fide starting goaltender and an additional top-six winger to play alongside one of Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier, it’s entirely within the realm of possibility that they end up trading the 10th overall pick for a win-now piece. With that in mind, they should exclude a few names from their short list of trade targets with that pick.
Devils’ Offseason Checklist Needs to Keep the Playoffs in Mind
May 22, 2024 by Erica Rosenbaum
As the 2024 postseason takes place, the New Jersey Devils are absorbed in coaching rumors galore. The moment that Lindy Ruff was fired, it was obvious that New Jersey would need to begin their offseason checklist by hiring a new coach to lead the team. However, that is only the first step to an offseason that could be detrimental to Tom Fitzgerald’s tenure as the general manager (GM) of the team.
5 Bargain Free Agents the Devils Must Target
May 21, 2024 by Josh Reinitz
Heading into the offseason, the New Jersey Devils have multiple issues. The most pressing is finding a new head coach. With the search narrowed to, at most, four potential candidates and with a decision expected before the holiday weekend, the next focus should be planning for free agency. The Devils will head into the offseason with almost $19 million in available cap space (Per CapFriendly). They will be 16th in the NHL in available cap space. However, those numbers may change drastically should the team enter into an extension with pending restricted free agent (RFA) Dawson Mercer and/or acquire a top-level goaltender without offsetting salary.
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