{"id":556953,"date":"2026-04-20T23:28:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T23:28:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/556953\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T23:28:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T23:28:05","slug":"devils-should-not-be-opposed-to-giving-sheldon-keefe-another-shot-the-hockey-writers-new-jersey-devils","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/556953\/","title":{"rendered":"Devils Should Not Be Opposed to Giving Sheldon Keefe Another Shot – The Hockey Writers – New Jersey Devils"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Jersey Devils<\/a> fans are (rightfully) impatient. Their failure to reach the postseason means they still have just one single playoff series win in the past 14 seasons. <\/p>\n

Given that, there\u2019s no more grace period; they need to win as quickly as possible. The recent addition of general manager Sunny Mehta<\/a>, who was instrumental in the Florida Panthers\u2019 rebuild, is a great starting point.<\/p>\n

The next most important starting point is the direction the organization decides to go for the bench boss. Sheldon Keefe<\/a>, who has assumed the role for the past two seasons, is still under contract but the prospect of his return remains up in the air:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure there\u2019ll be a process here, a chance for discussion, and you know, we\u2019ll see where that goes,\u201d said Keefe. \u201cI don\u2019t have an expectation at this point. I\u2019ll just continue this job, which I\u2019ve been directed to do, which is to get through the season, to have these discussions with the players as you normally would have at the end of the season, approach it like any other, and we\u2019ll see where things go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

From what we\u2019ve seen so far, Mehta carries the conviction and resume for Devils fans to give him their full trust. If he decides to pivot to a different head coach, there\u2019s probably a good reason.<\/p>\n

The Case for Keefe<\/p>\n

But with that being said, Keefe has not been given the benefit of anything close that remotely resembles a championship-caliber roster in his tenure thus far. Sure, the criticism will always be his inabiity to lead a team past the first round of the playoffs. But the reality is: you have to get there first. <\/p>\n

Remarkably, this past season was the first time in 20 years of coaching across various levels that a Keefe-led team failed to reach the postseason. \u201cI\u2019ve never experienced this before,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s embarrassing.\u201d<\/p>\n

In his three final seasons as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs (2021-22 \u2013 2023-24), they went 150-67-28 (.669 PTS%). Their 592 5v5 goals in that span were the most in the entire NHL \u2014 24 more than the second-place Colorado Avalanche (568). (via Natural Stat Trick<\/a>)<\/p>\n

With the same coach but different players in the Garden State, two seasons of hockey yielded entirely different results. They had three more regulation losses despite one fewer season \u2014 84-70-10 (.543 PTS%) \u2014 and their 285 5v5 goals were 27th in the NHL. <\/p>\n

\"SheldonSheldon Keefe, Head Coach of the New Jersey Devils (Jess Starr<\/a>\/The Hockey Writers)<\/p>\n

That points to a roster that clearly pivoted away from what made them successful in their franchise record 52-win 2022-23 season. That team succeeded primarily off the rush, but the Devils\u2019 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in round two caused them to focus more on physicality and less on their speedy identity that helped them achieve a historic 49-point season-to-season turnaround.<\/p>\n

While Keefe can only work with what he has, he started to unlock the best of this Devils team post-Olympics. Since Feb. 28, the team finished the season with a 14-8-1 record (.630 PTS%), as their 3.48 goals per 60 minutes (GF\/60) was the fifth-best mark in the league. And that was despite still dealing with some key injuries throughout the lineup.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we had a good relationship together in terms of coaching, finding ways to get better, finding ways to score against different teams,\u201d said forward Jesper Bratt. \u201cI think he\u2019s been a good, demanding coach in terms of he expects a lot from his team (\u2026) I still think that the foundation of the team is in a good spot. I think that he as a coach will grow, and I think that we players will grow together with him as well.\u201d <\/p>\n

While some attributed the late-season turnaround to simply improved finishing, they actually finished six goals fewer than expected, signaling that the process and chance creation in of itself was much improved. Furthermore, while Jack Hughes was out or severely hindered by his non-hockey hand injury for a good chunk of the season, the Devils were 26-14-2 (.643 PTS%) with a fully-healthy Jack.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been good for me, good for my game,\u201d said Jack. \u201cYou know, obviously a lot of things are up in the air right now, but our relationship\u2019s pretty good. He\u2019s been a good coach for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jack, who trailed only Connor McDavid<\/a> in post-Olympic points, is irreplaceable. It\u2019s on the general manager \u2014 not the coach \u2014 to build a team better able to withstand that sort of absence, but look no further than the back-to-back champ Panthers for how vital a team\u2019s 1C is. <\/p>\n

Sans-Aleksander Barkov, the Panthers missed the postseason entirely<\/a>, finishing 25th in the NHL with three fewer standings points (84) than the Devils (87).<\/p>\n

None of this means Keefe is scot-free for the Devils\u2019 shortcomings; he admitted as much after general manager Tom Fitzgerald was fired<\/a>: \u201cFor myself specifically, fundamentally, I believe the coach\u2019s job is to deliver on the vision of the general manager, on people that put you in a position by showing belief in you. So, we\u2019ve fallen short of that, and I take responsibility for that. It\u2019s not a good feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n

At exit interviews, he expressed his willingness to return: \u201cI\u2019ve learned a lot about myself. I\u2019ve learned a lot about this team, more importantly, and the players within it and where it needs to go. I think I can be a great ally for whoever does come in here. I think I have a good sense of the team and where we need to improve upon (\u2026) I know I\u2019m in a far better position now than I was when I first came in here two seasons ago. To that end, I\u2019m hopeful we\u2019ll have an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, given Keefe\u2019s track record of regular season success and the fact that he started to unlock the best out of a limited roster, a potential return shouldn\u2019t be scoffed at.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me personally, [working with Keefe] has been great,\u201d said captain Nico Hischier. \u201cObviously he has taught me some new things, playing a lot under him, he gives me a lot of responsibiltiy. His door is always open to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sunny Mehta will speak to media in New Jersey tomorrow (Apr. 21) at 3:00 PM EDT. Stay tuned to The Hockey Writers for any relevant updates.<\/p>\n

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