[Gambatese] It does feel fairly obvious that Keefe is being directed by Fitz to play a certain way. He’s not coaching the same system with the #NJDevils that he was in Toronto (I’ll have a piece coming out on that soon), who was a top-5 rush team in 2022-23 and an average one in 2023-24:

14 comments

  1. This is why I keep saying Keefe is a good coach, but he’s playing a bad system. If it’s true that he’s being forced to play this hyper defensive scheme then that would point to a lot of problems being alleviated by firing Tom Fitzgerald. It would also explain a lot of the complaining Keefe has been doing through the media.

    Literally everything about Fitzys vision for the devils is just wrong.

  6. Could this possibly be the reason why we looked like a completely different team after the holiday break last year?

  7. This is starting to trend towards conspiracy theory territory. I don’t think this is true. Otherwise we’d have seen *any* form of adjustment in the past half year to the scheme if the coach is willing to push back and it hasn’t happened. My impression from the numerous postgame interviews over the years is that Keefe is the architect of the system he employs. Why that is different from the system he had in Toronto is another question in itself.

  8. Listen if it is Fitz…then it’s 100% right! Fitz knows best. How to draft. How to make trades. How to give out fair contracts that don’t put the team in cap hell. Want the proof…just take a look at the current standings. Ooops…sorry.

  9. I don’t like Fitz. Haven’t for a few years. Too slow to make moves, too short sighted, yadda yadda yadda, but I really can’t imagine him telling Keefe how to coach. It’s not like he’s Barry Trotz with some coaching pedigree. I can’t imagine him making the coach play a certain system. Now he might be signing players that don’t fit the system but that’s another conversation.

  12. It makes sense when you think about those Leafs teams. They weren’t some goal starved outfit grinding out 2-1 wins. Now the argument is there that the talent on those rosters is better than what the Devils are putting out there but still, they were exciting to watch and created great attacking opportunities.

    Maybe it is Fitz telling him what to do, maybe it is him realizing he doesn’t have the players to play the way he coached those Toronto teams; Keefe has been a bit salty in the media lately, some of the statements could be seen as shots at Fitz.

  13. Keefe always reverted to playing hyper defensive hockey in the playoffs after his offense failed early in the first round. He probably is just trying to play that style year round.

  14. I’m not questioning if this is true or not, but it doesn’t make sense. The moves Fitz made to tighten up the defense were made last year after hiring Keefe. He knew what kind of system Keefe would be deploying. Fitz also LOVES Lindy and was damn near crying at the presser immediately following his firing (hyperbole obviously). Lindy and Keefe have two wildly different systems, but he wasn’t trying to force Lindy into tightening up if this is true. At least it certainly didn’t show that any effort was being given to defense in 23-24 even if Fitz was trying to thumb the scale

    So is the theory that Fitz changed his mind about how the team should play after seeing Florida win? Because no moves he’s made indicate that was his philosophy the whole time. Bringing in guys to balance the team and tighten up the defense, sure. That’s to make sure the team is well rounded. But nothing he’s done to this point has been “he’s trying to make us Panthers North”

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