NHL Rumors: Is New Devils Coach Peter DeBoer the Right Choice?

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After former New Jersey Devils coach Jacques Lemaire told the team he was retiring, the organization was thrown back into coaching turmoil again.

Over the past few years, several coaches have come and gone, and this latest process saw rumors flying about every defensive-minded coach in the land.

While former Florida Panthers head coach Peter DeBoer isn’t what the hockey community thought of as a defensive coach, he might be the perfect “Yes Man” for Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello.

Hockey Insider Eklund said on his blog:

According to TSN's Darren Dreger and NHL.com's E.J. Hradek, their sources are telling them that former Florida coach Peter DeBoer will be named the next coach of the New Jersey Devils at a press conference this afternoon.

The New Jersey Devils are not the team they were when they won Stanley Cups in the 90s and the early 2000s, and this hiring shows that the team will be more offensive minded than ever before.

With the hiring of DeBoer, there will far less expectations, and therefore, a much shorter leash for Lamoriello to hop in and take the reins himself. We all know how much he loves to play that game.

With the Devils obviously having no real franchise direction this is just a long shot move that the top dogs hope works. It will be inexpensive risk, and as soon as the bad moves Lou made start surfacing with a bad record he can play DeBoer and take the team over.

It’s these types of Good long-term choices that have made New Jersey a perennial contender. Or not.

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