Advertisement

Will Ray Shero hire Dan Bylsma to coach NJ Devils?

Will Ray Shero hire Dan Bylsma to coach NJ Devils?

When Lou Lamoriello shocked the world by handing his New Jersey Devils general manager gig to Ray Shero on Monday, one of the first things Shero mentioned on his to-do list was finding the team’s next head coach.

Please recall that after Pete DeBoer was fired last season, Lamoriello joined Adam Oates and Scott Stevens in convoluted coaching hydra that managed to inch the Devils closer to mediocrity and farther away from Connor McDavid.

Is it possible that one of them will remain as the Devils’ head coach? Tom Gulitti has an exclusive chat with Shero and pressed him on it:

“From my experiences in 14 years as an assistant GM and walking into the situation in Pittsburgh for eight years, there was a coach in place when I went. That was Michel Therrien. I really didn't know Mike or have any preconceived notions and stayed with him and within a couple years went to the finals and Mike and I worked very well together. Then, like with anything, there's change and Dan (Bylsma) and I worked well together, but it's one of those things that it's a little dangerous to have certain preconceived notions or ideas on people or players because you're going to be surprised both ways is what I've found.

“So, you take the time that you have and try to make some decisions based on what you find out and go from there.”

Anyone else hear a record scratch and/or a car screeching to a halt when he mentioned Dan Bylsma?

He was Shero’s hire in Pittsburgh, and they departed together during the grand managerial cleansing last summer. (Keep in mind that Shero was actually first to go, and Bylsma was briefly in limbo.)

The idea that Shero would get the Stanley Cup winning band back together in Jersey was immediately floated and debated amongst fans on Monday. But how feasible is it? For example: Bylsma has one more year left on his Penguins contract.

Gulitti asked, noting that Shero might not be at liberty to discuss him candidly:

“I'm sure people will ask that based upon our working together in the past and having some success or winning the Cup together. That's nothing that I have any preconceived notion on at all. I believe Dan is a really good coach. He'll be a head coach again in the National Hockey League, but I've got to do what's best for the Devils and Dan's got to do what's best for him and if that leads us a certain way, so be it. But, as I speak to you now, there's certainly no preconceived notion on any persons or player or staff member.

“I'm on the job for what? Two, three hours now. We'll have plenty of time for that and, hopefully, make the right decision.”

So it sounds like the door is open for their “paths to lead a certain way.” It would be an interesting challenge for both, as their careers in Pittsburgh were similar: Inheriting a good situation, making it great and then struggling to reach that level of greatness in a way that was satisfactory for management and the fans.

The Devils are different deal: a few young studs on defense, a franchise goalie, and then a complete hash of good young players, hired guns and veterans in their last campaigns up front. No Sid, no Geno, no Fleury, no Letang.

Which makes you wonder whether it would make more sense for Bylsma to head some place a little more fully formed, like the St. Louis Blues, where he has a relationship with the GM, several players and with be the antidote to Ken Hitchcock’s bluster. If, in fact, they make a change there.

MORE FROM YAHOO HOCKEY