General manager Tom Fitzgerald revealed during his end-of-season media availability he would like to have the position filled by the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, which is scheduled for June 28.
On the May 1st episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet 's Elliotte Friedman shared what he is currently hearing about the Devils and their search.
"The word on New Jersey is they want to take a big swing," Friedman said. "They want to see if there is a big swing they can take out there. Obviously, John Cooper ( Tampa Bay Lightning ) and/or Mike Sullivan ( Pittsburgh Penguins ) would be as big of a swing as you can take, and Craig Berube is obviously right there, as I previously mentioned."
Let's break down some of the names that have been in the spotlight over the past few days.
Travis Green
During his end-of-season media availability, interim head coach Travis Green confidently said he would 100 percent like to be the head coach of the Devils. Fitzgerald noted that Green is a candidate for the job but will do a league-wide search to find the right person for the job.
"I owe it to the organization that I scour the coaching world for who I believe would be the perfect coach for this group moving forward for what's available out there," Fitzgerald said. "(Green) checks a lot of boxes. I think he's a no-nonsense head coach. I think he's very open. Players know where he stands and his thoughts. And that's important. But it's my responsibility to make sure no stone is left unturned."
On April 30, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported Green interviewed with the Ottawa Senators for their coaching vacancy.
Friedman confirmed Seravalli's report.
"New Jersey is now allowing Travis Green to interview for other jobs, just in case he is not kept as the head coach. They realize they can't be unfair to him."
Craig Berube
It is believed that Berube is at the top of multiple lists for teams looking for a head coach, including the Devils and Senators. There seems to be more smoke around Ottawa than New Jersey.
Berube led the St. Louis Blues to their 2019 Stanley Cup championship. He became the second interim head coach in NHL history to guide his team to a Stanley Cup title, joining Larry Robinson, who had accomplished the feat 19 years earlier with the Devils.
On May 3rd, Friedman said a decision on Berube may come sooner rather than later.
Mike Sullivan
After rumors swirled, Rob Rossi of The Athletic posted an article confirming, "There have been no requests and no permissions granted" regarding the Devils speaking with Sullivan (from 'Penguins GM: 'No permissions granted' for Devils to speak with Mike Sullivan' The Athletic , 4/30/24).
As Rossi reported, Sullivan's three-year extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins begins with the start of the new NHL season on July 1.
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"I was under the impression that it was pretty much a slam dunk that Sullivan was coming back to Pittsburgh," he said. "That they were more than comfortable with Sullivan as the person to lead them through the next phase of whatever this is, even though there was a general manager change, I had heard the working relationship was set to continue into next year. Now all this is coming out."
"I think there are teams who are looking for coaches that are like, 'What happens if Mike Sullivan is avaliable? Is he available? Is there any chance he does not want to stay in Pittsburgh?' If the answer is yes, there are teams that would want Sullivan," Friedman continued.
UPDATE : On May 3rd, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas announced the organization parted ways with associate coach Todd Reirden. He ran the Penguins power play, which finished 30 th in the NHL (15.27%).
"Someone told me he interviewed with four teams," he said. "My guess on that list is New Jersey, Ottawa, St. Louis, and Seattle. That is my guess. He is obviously making the rounds."
McLellan began the 2023-24 season as the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. He was relieved of his duties on Feb. 2 after his team lost 14 of 17 games leading up to his firing.
This article will be updated as information is released over the next few days. Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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