Confirmed with Link: Devils to retain Fitz as GM, hire Ruff as coach

[glenwo2]

Ruff is not what I was hoping for,..but I am much more interested in what Fitzgerald is going to do than who the coach is right now.

Did Fitzgerald hire Ruff? It sounds like it was a *team" hiring more than a GM hiring.

So you think this was more an ANALYTICS DEPARTMENT hiring then?

 

[JimEIV]

It's like comparing Dolan (Knicks and pre-lockout Rangers version) to Charles Wang though...just different kinds of bad. One guy who has a boatload of money but is aloof and can't manage his way out of a paper bag, and another guy who has lint in his pocket but actually cares about the team.

I like this analogy but in all fairness to Vanderbeek who I blame for a lot, we never heard from him most of the time is a part of ownership...it wasn't until money got tight that he seemed to be involved.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

Specifically Gallant, people were shitting on the idea of Lav when it appeared he was the front runner and then warmed up to the idea...slightly.

I also think Gallant has been overrated on this board (which isnt surprising. We do the same thing with the top free agents. Its a natural thing sports fans do)

I was fine with the Devils hiring Gallant, but I never got the fascination with a coach that never lasted more than 2.5 years at any job. Also, Vegas caught fire when he left. They were 15-5-2 under DeBoer.

 

[Pitaya]

I wonder how much autonomy he has in selecting his staff.

I do hope Stevens comes in as an assistant.

Were talking John Stevens right?

 

[JimEIV]

So you think this was more an ANALYTICS DEPARTMENT hiring then?

I have no idea. My guess would be that they hired a consultant to help make decisions...I heard they did that with Shero,

 

[Billdo]

I was fine with the Devils hiring Gallant, but I never got the fascination with a coach that never lasted more than 2.5 years at any job. Also, Vegas caught fire when he left. They were 15-5-2 under DeBoer.

I questioned that at first too. Why did he get canned if he's THAT good from two different places with little to no public reason why? That might be me just justifying it at this point in my head and trying to justify Ruff's hiring.

 

[NJDevs26]

Imagine that Vanderbeek had the money then that Blitzer and Harris currently have.

He would have been a terrific owner of the Devils.

But I don't like dwelling in the past too much.

Of course if you combined VBK's empty pockets with the current owners being meddling yet aloof you'd get Jeff Wilpon.

Funny thing is we still spent more on payroll VBK's last five years than these owners' first few.

 

[sabremike]

old thread was locked so asking again in this one

@sabremike

what your take on this?

I'd rather have him as coach than Wretched Ralph the garbage motivational speaker pretending to be an NHL coach (and failing miserably because he's got the tactical acumen of a bag of rocks and ought to go back to the European leagues that are to hockey what MLS is to soccer because he can't cut it in the NHL). An underplayed aspect of Ruff's tenure was how he kept things together after the team literally came close to dying in the wake of the Rigas criminals and Adelphia going bust and shortly thereafter we were one of the best teams in the league. If half our goddamned team wasn't injured for that game 7 in Carolina he would have a Stanley Cup on his resume.

 

[The Devil In I]

From Fitzgerald's comments, this is just the start of a line of terrible moves. We are absolutely taking Sanderson at 7 and they're going to go after overpriced defensive defenseman and physical forwards in free agency. Fitzgerald thinks we're too soft and they're going to try to play Lou Lamoriello style hockey again. Really unfortunate because Shero was on the right track and the team just wasn't ready to blossom yet. First time in a long time that I don't like the direction of the organization.

What comments? Was there some official comment on this decision yet?

 

[Better Call Sal]

I don’t have a problem with this like many seem to be running with.

He’s certainly not the most exciting or splashy hire, but if he’s capable of getting the team in line and playing the right way to be successful, I’m not going to complain.

As always, it takes two to tango and even if guys that the consensus here wanted took an interview with us it doesn’t mean they necessarily were going to jump for the job were it offered to them.

Ruff on the other hand is getting one of potentially his last shots at being a head coach. Here’s hoping he makes the most of it.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

If the rumors are true, Lavy apparently wanted 5 million a year and the owners didn’t want to pay him that. So we get stuck with this f***ing drug fart

I saw that on twitter. Take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Normal Devil]

It's an underwhelming hire, but I'm glad we went for a veteran coach over some untested type. There's a pretty good chance Ruff will be a point A to point B guy and then the next guy will take us to the Promised Land. Wishful thinking probably .. it's hard to have a lot of faith in a team that's only made the playoffs once in the past seven or eight years.

 

[JimEIV]

3rd choice egh? I assume Nas was never in the running based on that tweet?

 

[Forge]

Low key admission that the team wanted gronborg. Now just playing 4d chess to get him after two more years. Get ruff to babysit for a couple of years, it was never going to be the next coach reaping the rewards anyway.

I'm kidding, of course, but sort of a meh hire. I don't love it, but I don't think he was my last favorite choice

 

[Pitaya]

Im just glad they didnt wait until October to make a decision

Ruff will start working with these guys early enough I imagine and so Im excited to see what Jack, Nico, Bratt and crew can do offensively next year with a coach who actually plays to our strengths

 

[Auto Pilot]

stars offensive advanced stats under ruff.

also, Briere, Vanek, seguin and Benn have had career years under him offensively.

And I can’t recall any of his teams ever having household names defensively.

some how got a stars team to 50 wins that didn’t exactly have great goaltending like he did in Buffalo.

hopefully they get a good coach to run the defense and he sticks to the offense.

 

[njdevils1982]

I'd rather have him as coach than Wretched Ralph the garbage motivational speaker pretending to be an NHL coach (and failing miserably because he's got the tactical acumen of a bag of rocks and ought to go back to the European leagues that are to hockey what MLS is to soccer because he can't cut it in the NHL). An underplayed aspect of Ruff's tenure was how he kept things together after the team literally came close to dying in the wake of the Rigas criminals and Adelphia going bust and shortly thereafter we were one of the best teams in the league. If half our goddamned team wasn't injured for that game 7 in Carolina he would have a Stanley Cup on his resume.

any opinion on how might do with this devs roster?

 

[Auto Pilot]

Low key admission that the team wanted gronborg. Now just playing 4d chess to get him after two more years. Get ruff to babysit for a couple of years, it was never going to be the next coach reaping the rewards anyway.

I'm kidding, of course, but sort of a meh hire. I don't love it, but I don't think he was my last favorite choice

Gronbirgs deal ends in 2023 as well. So let Ruff have the job, see how he does, if he shits the bed fire him try for Gronborg again, if he doesn’t, well, you stick with him.

 

[tr83]

Fitz could have done a ton worse.

I'm ok with the Ruff hire. They needed a veteran coach. And he's not Bruce Bourdreu or some really awful retread. If he can create a system that allows us to get the f***ing puck out of the zone in an orderly and uneventful fashion, I'll be ecstatic

 

[Cheddabombs]

I don't have a problem with Ruff at all to be honest. I wanted Gallant of course but it's hard to get hung up on only wanting one option. Ruff got a lot out of a good offense in Dallas and we have some good pieces on forward that he can hopefully get a lot out of as well.

And I love Fitz staying on. He's great.

 

[Normal Devil]

The Hockey Guy likes the hire .. said Ruff is a good coach and a solid hire for NJ. Was glad that he was getting another crack at a head gig and really didn't find fault with his coaching in Dallas.

 

[VoidCreature]

People treating this like we brought in the head coach of f***ing Brampton.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Fitz could have done a ton worse.

I'm ok with the Ruff hire. They needed a veteran coach. And he's not Bruce Bourdreu or some really awful retread. If he can create a system that allows us to get the f***ing puck out of the zone in an orderly and uneventful fashion, I'll be ecstatic

I can't see anyone who was ok with getting Bruce also being upset about Ruff.

Bleed is at least consistent in not wanting either guy.

 

[Devils731]

I like all the rumor sources now having deep inside knowledge while crapping the bed on Devils coaching rumors the whole time.

The guys who turned out to have some real info on this for sure? Friedman and Weekes; not NHLExpertFmrPlyr Scoops, etc...

 

[Csonked Out]

I saw that on twitter. Take it with a grain of salt.

This is so important. He may not have been our first choice with this crap roster.