The wayward New Jersey Devils took major steps to chart a clearer course on Thursday — for better or worse. Tom Fitzgerald saw the “interim” tag lifted, making Fitzgerald their established GM. In tandem with that decision, the Devils hired veteran bench boss Lindy Ruff as their head coach.
Ultimately, we only know so much about Fitzgerald’s vision. He’s certainly put in his reps, especially as an assistant GM (first with the Penguins starting in 2009, then the Devils in 2015). Beyond that, we can only speculate regarding how Fitzgerald wants to rebuild New Jersey. Aside from what we can occasionally parse through buzzwordy quotes.
But is Lindy Ruff really the best fit for Devils head coach? Considering Ruff’s decades of experience at head coach and assistant coach levels, we have a lot of evidence to sort through.
Let’s tackle the Ruff – Devils fit question by looking at it three ways: the good (experience), the bad (recent results), and the neutral (some underlying stats and arguments).
The Good: If nothing else, the Devils gain experience with Lindy Ruff as head coach
Ruff served as an NHL head coach for 19 seasons, with his 1,493 games coached ranking seventh all-time. Ruff’s 736 wins place him sixth in league history, which will be a sexier talking point than a middling .561 career points percentage.
You can debate how well Ruff changed with the times, but he’s absolutely been employed as the style and pace of the NHL game twisted and turned over decades.
It’s worth noting that Ruff coached some very different teams. His early Sabres tenure revolved around forming a defensive shell around Dominik Hasek, without a lot of offensive support around him (sorry, Miroslav Satan, etc.). Yet, in that same market, Ruff presided over the “Buffaslug” era of the Sabres, when a run-and-gun team starring the likes of Daniel Briere and Chris Drury contended and even topped the NHL in scoring with 308 goals in 2006-07.
That wasn’t the only Ruff team that led the NHL in scoring. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn helped his Dallas Stars accomplish that feat with 267 goals in 2015-16.
So, for myself and others, the most reasonable best-case scenario with Ruff is for the Devils to emulate some of those high-flying teams. It’s not totally outrageous to imagine Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Kyle Palmieri, and others getting rejuvenated by throwing caution to the wind.
The Neutral: How much did any of it hinge on Ruff?
Sure, when you zoom out, it’s easy to see how experienced Ruff is. That might make the Devils feel like hiring Ruff is the “safe” decision.
But it gets harder to hammer the upside when you look at recent results, or even his larger resume. Ruff comes out looking a lot like an older Paul Maurice: a lot of volume, yet about as many lows and “mehs” as highs.
(And the highs were limited. That one 1999 Stanley Cup Final appearance, a handful of deeper runs, and three division titles over 19 seasons. Ruff doesn’t look awful, yet it’s hard to understand why the Devils wouldn’t be more excited about, say, Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette, or Bruce Boudreau. Maybe Ruff’s a lot cheaper?)
Averaging out between the brightest and bleakest scenarios, what if Ruff ends up being merely neutral — not good or bad, mainly replacement level? Is that really what the Devils need right now?
Lindy Ruff may as well not be there. It could be worse. "Being there" is bad for some coaches. pic.twitter.com/wZSAGhpT4L
— CJ Turtoro (@CJTDevil) June 23, 2020
Ruff gives off the impression of being pliable, maybe versatile, if nothing else. There could be value in a pragmatic coach who will zig and zag depending upon the makeup of upcoming Devils teams. Considering how much turnover could happen with the Devils, that could be a useful attribute.
The Bad: Ugly recent results for Ruff with Rangers don’t scare off Devils
Don’t expect Ruff to wave a magic wand and make the Devils a top-10 defense, though. Not based on recent results.
The Rangers brought Ruff in ostensibly to help run the defense and their penalty kill units. Ruff … didn’t exactly solve their problems.
Lindy Ruff, in a chart. pic.twitter.com/2jxEEQO6DW
— Adam Herman (@AdamZHerman) June 23, 2020
Yikes!
That’s not to say those issues were all Ruff’s fault. For one thing, Ruff merely served as an assistant. He didn’t necessarily get a full say in certain strategic decisions.
Even considering those caveats, the underlying numbers generally look somewhere between neutral to flat-out bad for Ruff. Devils management doesn’t have much of an argument for Ruff beyond bleating out “experience!”
Really, this duo of Devils decisions makes me feel dubious about the direction of the franchise.
For years, the Devils made progress on the analytics front. Hiring bright minds like Matt Cane seemed quite promising.
With these recent decisions in mind, I can’t help but wonder what Cane and his cohorts think. It’s possible they’re on board with this decision, but it doesn’t really seem as innovative as they’d likely prefer.
Congratulations to one of our editors, @Cane_Matt, for getting hired by @NJDevils as Director of Hockey Analytics! pic.twitter.com/tzPTiRoTqp
— Hockey Graphs (@HockeyGraphs) May 10, 2019
When the Rangers hired Ruff as an assistant in 2017, Adam Herman wrote about hockey’s “cronyism” problem. It’s difficult to shake the feeling that the Devils are merely leaning on “200 hockey men” and other antiquated ideas. A rebuilding situation gives teams opportunities to innovate, and set the foundation for future glories.
Maybe Ruff and the Devils will prove such feelings wrong, but as of now, it sure looks like these decisions are rooted in the past.
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.
As with many teams trending toward youth, a head coach with experience would be at the top of the list for any general manager. That would explain why the Devils were interested in bringing Lindy Ruff on board.
The 60-year-old head coach has plenty of NHL coaching experience. Only six coaches in league history – Scotty Bowman, Joel Quenneville, Barry Trotz, Al Arbour, Paul Maurice, Ken Hitchcock — have coached more regular-season games than Ruff (1,493).
As GM Tom Fitzgerald went through the interview process he said that Ruff “continued to step to the forefront.” Ruff fit the criteria: NHL coaching experience, has a “presence,” a “personality,” and is “believable.”
“[T]he group needs a teacher, someone who’s going to come in and teach, and messages are going to be extremely clear, no break at all in the messaging,” Fitzgerald said.”
The Devils have a young core led by Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, and Mackenzie Blackwood. In the pipeline are prospects like Nolan Foote, Janne Kuokkanen, and Ty Smith, who could reach the NHL soon. In the team’s current state, Fitzgerald is banking on Ruff’s experience and educator-mindset to pay off down the line.
[MORE: Good, bad, and neutral: Breaking down Ruff’s hiring]
“As we kept going deeper into that process, the infectious personality that Lindy Ruff has is a big part of who he is,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s a light-hearted person. He’s played the game. He’s coached young talent, another criteria. Being able to coach young talent and watch them develop into budding stars like he did with the core young players in Buffalo and core performers right now in Dallas. … As the process continued, Lindy continued to grow and grow and grow to the point where I felt relationship-wise, which is a big thing for a manager, it was there already. So as far as teamwork, I felt Lindy Ruff was the best person for this job.”
How Ruff goes about coaching young players and getting the best out of them is simple: constant communication. You can’t develop players without proper, constructive feedback. He feels that will serve his players best for sustained improvement.
“I think a lot of times you can tell [young players] what you want to do, but most times they want to know why,” he said. “‘Why do I have to do it?’ I think that’s a question you’ve got to answer the most. … ‘Why do you need me to do this?’ And most times, the answer to that is, ‘For the team to be successful.'”
MORE: Devils hire Lindy Ruff as head coach, retain Fitzgerald as GM
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.
Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from the NHL and around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit for the PHT Morning Skate? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
• “The optimist may point out how Ruff’s coaching does not provide an adverse impact at 5-on-5. However, the Devils under Hynes were rather bad in 5-on-5 hockey and the visualization also shows that Ruff’s coaching does not provide a beneficial impact. This is ultimately my problem with this hire. I do not see the evidence that Ruff is going to make the team better at what I think they need to be better at to be competitive once again.” [All About the Jersey]
• “The Devils needed someone who could coach defense, and they picked someone who’s defenses were playing terribly right across the river. You know it’s bad when the Rangers fans are celebrating a New Jersey Devils hire.” [Pucks and Pitchforks]
• Emily Cave shares her story about her late husband, Colby Cave. [ESPN]
• How will all this time off affect NHL goaltenders when play resumes? [NBC Sports Chicago]
• Weeks after leaving the Canucks, the Wild have hired Judd Brackett as their new director of amateur scouting. [Pioneer Press]
• Zach Parise on the upcoming NHL Return to Play: “Right now hockey could really take advantage of the situation with everyone, at least everyone I’m talking to, just dying to see some sports on TV.” [Star Tribune]
• Aleksander Barkov and the Panthers are ready for their Stanley Cup Qualifier against the Islanders. [Florida Hockey Now]
• Examining Dougie Hamilton‘s status as one of the NHL’s top defensemen. [JFresh]
• David Rittich or Cam Talbot? Who should the Flames go with in net against the Jets? [Calgary Herald]
• Is Claude Giroux‘s playoff history telling of what’s to come for the captain? [NBC Sports Philadelphia]
• If it’s too tough for the Golden Knights to re-sign Robin Lehner, here are a few names they could pursue in net. [Sin Bin Vegas]
• How potential changes to the CBA could affect the Predators when it comes to the Shea Weber contract. [On the Forecheck]
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.
Lindy Ruff is back in charge of an NHL bench after he was hired as Devils head coach on Thursday. The team also announced that Tom Fitzgerald is taking over the executive vice president and general manager role.
“We are proud and excited to have Lindy Ruff join our organization as Head Coach,” said Fitzgerald in a statement. “He is one of the most successful and respected coaches in the NHL, not only today, but in League history. His personality, experience, knowledge, work-ethic and focus will provide a calm presence in our locker room. He is the right coach at the right time for our organization. Lindy has a proven track record of getting the absolute best out of his players across the board- stars, role players and everyone in between. His teaching ability, and communication skills will be well-suited for our team, especially our young, developing players. Throughout his career, his teams have been greater than the sum of their parts. I look forward to working together with Lindy as the organization moves forward.”
(AHL Hartford assistant Gord Murphy will take Ruff’s spot on the Rangers’ bench for the Stanley Cup Qualifying round.)
Ruff, who’s been a Rangers assistant since 2017-18, has been involved in professional hockey since entering the NHL in 1979 as a player with the Sabres. After a 15-year career he entered the coaching ranks and later was named Buffalo’s head coach in 1997. He’d hold the head coach position for 15 seasons before moving on to the Stars for four years.
Those Stars teams played high-event hockey considering the personnel at Ruff’s disposal. Over his final three seasons in Dallas they were a top-10 team in possession, expected goals for, and led the NHL in expected goals/60, as per Natural Stat Trick). It helped have the likes of Tyler Seguin, John Klingberg, Jamie Benn, and Jason Spezza on the roster. The quality may not be at that level for the Devils, but it could head in that direction with Jack Hughes, Nikita Gusev, P.K. Subban, Nico Hischier, Will Butcher, plus those in the pipeline.
[MORE: Good, bad, and neutral: Breaking down Ruff’s hiring]
After David Quinn’s hiring, Ruff’s experience was something the young coach said he’s benefited from. Though Ruff has handled a Rangers defense and penalty kill that struggled this season.
It remains to been what will happen with Alain Nasreddine, who took over as interim head coach in December after John Hynes was fired. During the NHL pause, Nasreddine interviewed for the position along with Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette, and John Stevens.
Fitzgerald drops “interim” tag
Fitzgerald took over as interim general manager in January after Ray Shero’s dismissal. He’s been with the organization since 2015 as assistant GM after following Shero from the Penguins.
As with many hirings, there’s always a connection. The one here is that Ruff was a Panthers assistant during Fitzgerald’s first four seasons in Florida.
“When Tom took over the role of GM in January, we were committed to moving the organization in a new direction,” said Devils managing partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer. “Having gone through the process of interviewing various candidates, including Tom, and reviewing his work in the interim, we feel that he is the best fit for the New Jersey Devils moving forward. Our decision was solidified by his ability to stabilize the organization, get solid returns at the trade deadline, make impressive plans for player development and hire a new coach in Lindy Ruff. We are very optimistic about our future and know we have great deal of talent, both on and off the ice. Together, we are excited to start a new chapter and are committed to becoming a consistent contender, which our fans deserve.”
As the Devils went through the search process Fitzgerald worked as if he was keeping the job. He handled the trade deadline, last month’s draft lottery, and has continued preparing the draft and free agency in the fall.
MORE:
• A look at the Eastern Conference matchups
• Final standings for 2019-20 NHL season, NHL draft lottery results
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.
Welcome to the PHT Morning Skate, a collection of links from the NHL and around the hockey world. Have a link you want to submit for the PHT Morning Skate? Email us at phtblog@nbcsports.com.
Training camp battles, NHL playoff previews, and other return-to-play links
• Jackets Cannon looks at Columbus’ biggest strength: defense. In particular, Rachel Bules looks at how the pandemic pause will allow the Blue Jackets to have some serious training camp competition for spots. The Blue Jackets will need to be sharp, too, because the Maple Leafs’ firepower presents a real challenge for any defense corps. [Jackets Cannon]
• Speaking of the Maple Leafs — and training camp previews — Emily Sadler put together a thorough breakdown for Toronto. Can Frederik Andersen go the distance? Tyson Barrie ranks as a player to watch. Plus much more. [Sportsnet]
• George Richards takes a look at the Panthers’ “2.0” roster for training camp. If I had to single out a most interesting item, it’s that Anton Stralman has been involved. You may remember him airing some concerns about an NHL return. [Florida Hockey Now]
• What various analytics say about how the Wild’s lines match up with the Canucks. [Zone Coverage]
• It’s one thing for the Coyotes to say that they want to “get a little more juice” out of their offense. It’s another thing to actually lay out how it might work. Craig Morgan rolls out a detailed approach of how that might happen, including activating weakside defensemen. [AZ Coyotes Insider]
• The pandemic pause ranks as the biggest curveball Carter Hart‘s seen in the NHL so far. That said, it’s far from the only one. If he keeps passing these tests, it might all be to the benefit of Hart’s career. [NBC Sports Philadelphia]
Other hockey links
• As a pending UFA on a team that could face a salary cap crunch, Christopher Tanev knows he might not be back with the Canucks. Tanev said he hopes that he can return, and in particular, he’d love to remain Quinn Hughes‘ defensive partner for a long time. [NHL.com]
• It’s easy to look at the NHL’s return to Olympic participation as a good thing for everyone involved. As Ryan Kennedy points out, it depends on the outlook for different countries’ national teams. Kennedy presents the winners and losers for the NHL return to the Olympics, with Germany landing in an interesting spot. [The Hockey News]
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.
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Good, bad, and neutral: Breaking down Devils hiring Lindy Ruff as head coach - NBCSports.com
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