[Ryan Novozinsky] Friedman says the “working goal” is to have Lindy Ruff return as head coach of the #NJDevils .
Friedman says the "working goal" is to have Lindy Ruff return as head coach of the #NJDevils. https://t.co/VFNfuq4Hi7
— Ryan Novozinsky (@ryannovo62) May 15, 2023
by xxfatpigxx
33 Comments
For those unaware Ruff is also a free agent.
W
I’m happy if AB stays. Won’t be happy if he ends up with the Rangers. Too much inside scoop that I want our number one rival have.
I’d prefer if Brunette or someone else takes over. It’s hard to argue against bringing back a coach that oversaw the best single-season turnaround ever, but I just didn’t like a lot of his decisions, and I don’t think he’s maximizing this team.
“Thank you Lindy” chants at the home opener?
I think this is BS. As much as I love Lindy and the great yead he had I think a lot of the success came from bringing in Brunette. I also think we convinced Brunette into coming here by offering him the HC job going into next season.
Some fans might flip their lid.
But one thing I’ve noticed is how much the players respect him. A few years ago no one wanted to be in Jersey. Now we have players taking pay cuts and opening stating they want to be part of the future.
Maybe it’s not 100% related to coaching but you can look at the issues the flames have with Sutter or the leafs with Babcock to know it’s at least part of the reason.
Ruff truly was the unsung hero versus the Rangers in round one. He coached circles around gallant.
This is probably the wrong call. AB might leave, as he was supposed to have the job… i dont like that we are not sticking to the plan
I don’t really get the widespread support for Brunette as head coach. Florida crashed and burned out of the playoffs way worse than we did during his one run as head coach, and his main area of responsibility this year — the power play — was a huge mess.
I think he’d be an OK hire, but I don’t see him as a can’t-miss coach who we should kick Ruff to the curb for, considering how successful he was this season and how popular he seems to be with the players (especially Hughes, which matters.)
Ruff has gotten career years out of Nico, Hughes, Bratt, and Dougie.
I get that they were always going to develop to some degree, but we could very much be in a situation where our top players regressed or plateaued under a different coach. Lindy is clicking with this group and deserves to be back.
I have a suspicion that next year will require a bit of a learning curve since well have some new blood entering the league. I do think Ruff is very good with young players and has given lots of trust to let them play. I would say he’d be leaving on a high note now and any perceived step back would obviously fall on him next season. I think he could still get more done here as head coach but I think hiring him in some player development role would also be a great thing for the organization w/ AB as head coach.
All i really care about is more consistency and a better power play
would love if Ruff bumped up to the front office and the team runs with Brunette. Keeps Lindy’s influence and expertise while opening up for some positive changes
I do believe he has something of value working with this team. His moves might not always be net positives, but I truly do appreciate what the mentality and vibes he introduced to this team.
I think it can only get better next year
I’ve gone back and forth on what I would like to happen. Think the biggest thing in Lindy’s favor is just how many players have thrived under him. In his exit interview he said that he is certain every player gave everything they had.
I’m not happy about dropping the first two games to the Rangers but we could credit that to nerves, but dropping the first two games to the hurricanes is less excusable. I can believe that they were tired and got off on the wrong foot but it still happened.
I don’t know if Brunette was exclusively in charge of the power play but that is one area that desperately needs a complete overhaul and voice in the room. There were key moments especially during the hurricanes series where a PP goal mattered.
Even if Brunette did bring some of his ideas from Florida over here those things are all in the Playbook now and can be built off of.
I’m fine with Lindy or Brunette as HC. But don’t want to lose both. Akira needs to be the 1A next year and given all the resources to be the best he can.
I want Jacques Lemaire back 🙁
Sad trombone
I have embraced that we are the team that gets Lindy a cup.
He was very successful this year and the players – the stars – support him. Not sure what there is to discuss. Hope they work it out.
At this point it is what it is….one thing you can say about the team under Ruff, they didn’t quit.
Captan obvious.
Hmm…I am of two minds about this.
1) The bulk of our players will remain the same, at least the core, and they’ve all adopted Lindy’s system and they’ve found clear success within Lindy’s system. If we switch to a new coach now, then would everyone be back to zero in terms of learning a new coach’s system? Or would it be better to rip the band aid off now, and get them accustomed to a new system as soon as possible? Or would a new coach try to build on Lindy’s system…
2) I can’t make up my mind of whether the boys excelled because of Lindy or in spite of Lindy. Like were they gonna be these stars regardless of what Lindy was doing anyway or did Lindy tap into said potential and really make it grow exponentially. If its the latter, I want him around to develop Luke and Nemec and Holtz properly. If its the former, then bye!
3) There’s some fundies that have been an issue since December of this season when we were bad and when we were good: not being able to clear the puck or do clean zone exits or to handle the puck well in our zone AND not having a shooting first mentality or being able to finish our chances AND the power play. I feel like those fundamentals are on the coaching staff first and foremost. When it happens once or twice thats a player mistake, but when it happens every damn game for the majority of a season, thats on the coaching staff. If Lindy does the honest work required to fix this, then yay Lindy, if he can’t do what needs to be done then we’re gonna stay pretty stagnant so boo Lindy!
4) Lindy’s line up decisions irritate me so fucking much. So fucking much. His decisions on ice time and his decisions on match ups are so bad sometimes its so infuriating. Who he decides to bench and who he doesn’t bench. Who he decides to start and who he doesn’t start. Its something I absolutely can’t get behind. You have lines with insane chemistry that he breaks apart much too soon and then lines that aren’t doing anything that he keeps together for much too long. His goalie decisions are a whole other bag of worms. He clearly has favorites and he has styles of play that he prefers and so players get different treatment and I think its just not the best for the team success as a whole.
In conclusion, I have no answer to this… I think given everything, I guess you keep Lindy, but I reserve the right to be annoyed a lot by him and his things.
I don’t consider Ruff so indispensable to the Devils’ success that I’m ignoring his role in how the season ended. A second-round elimination isn’t necessarily an underachievement, but how badly they played in their losses to both teams was jarring. There’s blame on Ruff for that.
But I also don’t consider that blame so severe as to negate the reality of how successful this team was. As I said, I think they *look* better losing to Carolina under the perfect coach, but still don’t beat a team that matches up to their game the way the Hurricanes do.
Where that leaves me: opportunity cost. Who *won’t* be New Jersey’s next coach by keeping Ruff another year? Plainly, there’s no one available today who I think is such a good candidate as to warrant the risk of parting with Ruff. We know this team can be in the mix with him. I’m not convinced anyone the Devils could hire today is a high-probability upgrade.
Really, if Ruff is willing to hang out until the clear future head coach emerges, that’s one heck of a deal for the Devils. What a good problem to have…
But reddit coaches tell me he shouldn’t be and he makes bad decisions. I don’t want another record breaking year along with them
With Brunette under contract does he have to get permission from the team to interview for other gigs?
Let’s face it, he was the heir apparent if things went south this year and Lindy was shown the door. I’m sure he wants to be a HC in the future but will he wait for Lindy and ride with the devils or get opportunities elsewhere?
I’m sure his little all star break mario kart experience plays some what a roll with front offices deciding their futures.
i’m surprised at some of the takes here. all team sports are players leagues now. even guys like belichek are wearing thin. if some subset of jack nico timo and dawson say lindy is the guy it’s done (leaving out bratt and luke) and there’s no reason to think that they want a change considering this year their collective value went up significantly—whether to the devils or anyone else. give him a two year deal and if this year does t work out year two is a parting gift
We’re going to potentially have 2 (3, if Bahl still counts) rookie defensemen next year, and a rookie goalie splitting time with VV. Changing the system is asking for trouble.
I’ve criticized lindy a fair amount myself, but why anyone wants him gone right now is kind of wild.
In the beginning of the season I was on the “Fire Lindy” train, but to turn in the season they did, including making the adjustments to win a playoff series, I don’t mind bringing him back at all. It will be pretty difficult to follow up the “best season in franchise history” so either there will be plenty of reasons to move on, or he somehow improves further and we get as good or better of a team
Its good to see the change of tone, seemed like the majority take after game 2 vs the rangers was that anyone doubting the firing of Lindy was an idiot and a problem. But what else is new?
I’m with the players on this. We know what the devils are capable of when they’re motivated and dialled in, and we know Lindy can get that performance out of them. They will gain consistency. They have all the success of the nyr series and regular season to build on. I’m happy if Lindy stays.
I think Ruff has more than earned the right to stay, however the Devils need work on certain aspects of their game (PP) that absolutely need to be addressed in the off-season. I’m not sure how coaching dynamics exactly affect how, where and when that gets done.
If anyone is going to replace Ruff for next season, it better be someone with a proven track record and not something experimental. I would hate for the Devils to take a step back next year.
If Boston doesn’t have the insane year they had, Ruff wins the Jack Adams award.
I’m perfectly fine with him back for another year
Ruff should have been re-signed mid year. He shouldn’t have been on a lame duck contract going into the playoffs.
Get it done, bring him back.