John Hynes to Devils: Latest Contract Details, Analysis and Reaction

The New Jersey Devils are currently without a coach, but they may have found their man in the AHL. According to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, the Devils agreed to a three-year deal making John Hynes their next head coach.

Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review was among the first to break the news.

Hynes' current role is coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Pittsburgh Penguins' AHL affiliate. In his five years with the Penguins, Hynes has a 231-126-17 record, per HockeyDB.com.

Hynes said he was "very excited and honored to be head coach of the New Jersey Devils," according to the team. 

"To be on the same page as ownership group, Ray Shero and Lou Lamoriello was important," Hynes said, per Rich Chere of NJ Advanced Media.

Devils GM Shero also laid out his vision for the team, saying he wanted "Fast, attacking, supportive" hockey, per the team. "There are no shortcuts," he continued, per Chere. 

"Fast hockey is practice fast, think fast, execute fast, move the puck quickly. That’s fast hockey," Shero said, per the team. 

Should the deal go through, he would become the youngest head coach in the NHL, per Sportsnet:

Rich Chere of NJ Advance Media made the case earlier in the night that Hynes would be the right choice to lead the Devils. He argued that Hynes' relative youth would help him build strong bonds with his players. In addition, his record in AHL speaks for itself, while his defensive approach on the ice would work for New Jersey.

Steve Politi of the Star-Ledger is also a fan of the potential hiring:

Plucking an AHL coach is always a bit of a gamble since you're taking on somebody unproven in the NHL, but guys like Jon Cooper, Claude Julien and Dan Bylsma have all successfully made the jump.

Plus, thinking outside the box a bit might be the best thing for a franchise that hasn't made the playoffs in three seasons.