DeBoer's highlight came in his first season in New Jersey as the Devils reached the Stanley Cup Finals,where they lost to the Los Angeles Kings.
Things spiraled downward after the finals appearance as the Devils would miss the playoffs over the next two seasons and stumbled to the point of making another non-playoff appearance almost inevitable.
DeBoer was noted for his issues with fiddling with lines,having trouble developing young players and most notably his inconsistent manner of dealing with players.
I'm kinda of surprised the move came this late as the Devils (if they were going to make such a move) should have done it before the team reached the point of almost no return for the playoffs,but I am still pleased because in a lost season,the Devils need to play players with an eye for the future,not aging veterans for a playoff run that isn't going to happen.
I'm not saying DeBoer is the entire reason that the Devils are so miserable,but it is a bone towards an unhappy fan base and it isn't going to hurt things either.
The replacement will be announced tomorrow and I haven't heard a thing on who it is.
If it was me,I'd promote Rick Kowalsky from Albany for the rest of the season and see what happens.
Kowalsky knows the younger players and is willing to work with them and it keeps the full time job open for the off season if the Devils want to have a veteran for next year.
It may be too late,but good news is still good news!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment