Latest News and Analysis from New Jersey Devils' Offseason of Transition

The New Jersey Devils opened the offseason in surprising and interesting fashion by hiring a new general manager, Ray Shero, on May 4. But, perhaps somewhat predictably, the news has slowed to an extent since then.

The Devils brought in Shero to help them complete a much-needed period of transition after they missed the playoffs each of the last three seasons, but there are limited options in terms of changes to make at this time of the year.

Once the playoffs end, trade discussions, both related to and separate from the 2015 NHL draft, will likely pick up. At the end of June, the draft will take place. Finally, free agency will open on July 1.

But, this is not to say that nothing of consequence has happened in recent weeks. To the contrary, the Devils have signed three players, had a former coach take a job elsewhere and had a possible head coaching candidate take a job.

This list will discuss and analyze the first moves the New Jersey Devils and Shero have made during this important offseason of change.

Devils Sign Prospects Ryan Kujawinski and Blake Pietila

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Ryan Kujawinski wins a faceoff while playing for the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL.

On Wednesday, the Devils announced they had signed Ryan Kujawinski and Blake Pietila to entry-level contracts. 

Kujawinski and Pietila are both forwards who were drafted in the 2013 NHL draft with the 73rd and 129th picks, respectively. According to Tom Gulitti of Fire and Ice, Kujawinski's contract is a three-year, two-way deal and Pietila's is a two-year, two-way deal.

Kujawinski, 20, spent most of his junior hockey days with the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL, though Kingston traded him to the North Bay Battalion in January, where he spent the final months of his OHL career. This season, he had 34 goals and 25 assists in 61 OHL games. Last season, he had 23 goals and 18 assists in 45 games.

Listed at 6'2" and 200 pounds, Kujawinski is a sizable center with decent offensive skills. Tallying one point per game is solid but not groundbreaking output at the OHL level, which indicates his game will need refining before he's ready for the NHL level.

Expect to see him in the AHL for 2015-16, but the Ontario native may be skilled enough to get a shot in the NHL after that.

Pietila, 22, just completed his collegiate career at Michigan Tech of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. A senior and co-captain, he put up 14 goals and 16 assists in 40 games this season, leading Michigan Tech to its first NCAA tournament berth since 1981. In all, he played 153 games, amassing 46 goals and 60 assists. 

Pietila also appeared on the 2013 United States World Juniors team, which won the gold medal. 

He is listed at 5'11" and 189 pounds, which suggest a short but solid build. The Devils list Pietila as a left wing, but according to HockeyFutures.com, he played center at Michigan Tech and is capable of playing either position. His offensive numbers are not particularly impressive given the opposition he faced in the WCHA, so his future may well be as a third- or fourth-line forward at best. Expect him to play in the AHL for at least 2015-16.

Former Devils Coach Peter DeBoer Hired by San Jose Sharks

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NEWARK, NJ - MAY 25: Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers and head coach Peter DeBoer of the New Jersey Devils shake hands after the Devils defeated the Rangers to win the Eastern Conference Championship in game six of the Eastern Conference Fina

On Thursday, the San Jose Sharks announced they had hired former Devils coach Peter DeBoer to fill their head coaching vacancy. 

The following comments from general manager Doug Wilson accompanied the team's announcement:

"

Peter is a well-respected leader who possesses all of the characteristics we were looking for in our next head coach. He’s an extremely intelligent and innovative individual who likes to play an aggressive system. Peter has a track record of extracting the most out of his players and is willing to make tough decisions that are based on achieving team success. We’re extremely excited to have him leading our group.

"

There is little doubt that DeBoer's time in New Jersey had run its course by the time he was fired at the end of December 2014, but to say he is an inadequate coach would be untrue. In reality, he faced the same problems in New Jersey as he did in Florida before being ousted as head coach of the Panthers.

In both Florida and New Jersey, DeBoer took over a team with reasonable talent, adopted an aggressive style of play that improved his team's possession stats (as alluded to in this post by Puck Daddy's Ryan Lambert) and led the team to some level of success. 

However, both teams lost important players to free agency during his tenure, and DeBoer simply did not get the necessary support from the front office to keep his roster afloat. Devils fans may remember him for his lack of willingness to give young players a chance, but giving Adam Larsson and Eric Gelinas more playing time was not going to change New Jersey's fate over the last two years.

The lasting legacy of DeBoer's time in New Jersey ought to be the 2011-12 run to the Stanley Cup Final, for which fans should always be grateful.

Devils Sign Russian Forward Sergey Kalinin

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Sergey Kalinin celebrates a goal with his Russian teammates during the 2014 IIHF World Championship.

On Friday, the Devils announced they had signed Russian forward Sergey Kalinin. 

Kalinin, 24, put up 12 goals and 13 assists in 58 games with Omsk Avangard of the KHL this season. He has been with Avangard since the 2009-10 season and has 31 goals and 38 assists in 213 career KHL games. 

He also played with the gold medal-winning Russian team at the 2014 IIHF World Championship, putting up two goals and an assist.

With those numbers, and at 6'3" and 190 pounds, it is clear that Kalinin is a power forward rather than a pure goal scorer. According to Gulitti, multiple NHL teams were interested in acquiring his services, so this is not to say he cannot be a useful contributor. It is just important to keep in mind what kind of player the Devils have signed in Kalinin.

It is noteworthy that new general manager Ray Shero has signed another player who will most likely compete for a spot in the Devils' bottom-six forwards, a group that is already crowded with players such as Dainius Zubrus, Tuomo Ruutu, Jacob Josefson, Stephen Gionta and Jordin Tootoo. Whether or not this signing gives any clues as to how Shero feels about those players is yet to be seen.

Nothing to Report on New Jersey's Pending Free Agents

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Scott Gomez waits for the puck to be dropped.

Perhaps somewhat related to Kalinin joining the growing mass of bottom-six forwards is the fact that there has been no development in negotiations with any of New Jersey's pending free agents.

Of course, this in no way means that the Devils will not bring back pending unrestricted free agents Steve Bernier and Scott Gomez. But, with Kalinin coming in and presumably more forwards on the way, there is a possibility that Bernier and Gomez could find themselves on the outside looking in.

There is still plenty of time before the free-agent market opens on July 1, but this remains an area of interest for Devils fans.

Additionally, there is nothing new on pending unrestricted free-agent defensemen Peter Harrold and Mark Fraser or pending restricted free agents Adam Larsson and Eric Gelinas. The latter two will almost certainly be back in New Jersey, but the former two are major question marks.

As is the case with the above forwards, the lack of news on these players does not mean they will be gone, especially given that a new general manager has taken over. But, it does raise a few more questions.

Dan Bylsma Hired in Buffalo; Devils' Coaching Search Continues

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Dan Bylsma is introduced as the new head coach of the Buffalo Sabres.

On Thursday, the Buffalo Sabres announced they had hired Dan Bylsma as their new head coach.

Bylsma, who spent six years in Pittsburgh under Shero, was one of the candidates publicly considered an option for the Devils' head coaching vacancy. 

With Bylsma out of the picture and only one other NHL team left without a head coach (the Detroit Red Wings reportedly have only one candidate in mind—Jeff Blashill, the coach of their AHL affiliate—according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press), no other outside factors are set to alter the Devils' search.

According to Gulitti, New Jersey's candidates include John Hynes, the coach of Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate; Todd Reirden, an assistant coach in Washington; former Ottawa Senators coach Paul MacLean and former Tampa Bay Lightning coach Guy Boucher. Adam Oates and Scott Stevens, who split coaching duties during the second half of this season, both could be in the running as well.

Rich Chere of NJ.com reported on May 30 that Nashville assistant coach and former NHL defenseman Phil Housley is atop Shero's list of candidates. Housley's resume also includes having played 22 games with New Jersey in the 1995-96 season, nearly 1,500 NHL games as a player and a gold medal as head coach of the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship in 2013.

For now though, the Devils and their fans are in the midst of a waiting game, largely standing by until the playoffs end, the draft rolls around and free agency begins.