The New Jersey Devils shocked the world last offseason when they hired Lindy Ruff. They were reportedly talking to current New York Rangers coach Gerard Gallant and current Washington Capitals coach Peter Laviolette, but they went with the guy who came with a cheaper price tag with a similar experience set (although with less success in the playoffs). The Devils hired a 60-year-old man to coach one of the youngest teams in the league.
Many weren’t happy with the hire, but he hasn’t been too bad. Stan Bowman himself couldn’t get much more out of the team last year between the injuries, the COVID outbreak, and the veterans being traded.