"HockeyBuzz + New Jersey Devils Season Ticket Holder"
New Jersey, NJ • United States • 28 Years Old • Male
An Open Letter to the Future Coach of the New Jersey Devils
Posted 5:05 PM ET | Comments 14
An open letter to the future coach of the New Jersey Devils
Dear Future Coach,
First of all, welcome! You have just signed on for a job that requires seemingly no good reason to be fired. In fact, no Devils coach has lasted more than three years since Jacques Lemaire stepped down in 1998. Incidentally, if you happen to be Jacques Lemaire, welcome back—and please know that if you try to implement the trap again, I will be calling for your head on a platter shortly.
Now, one thing you'll need to learn rather quickly is that in many ways you are more a figurehead than anything else; Lou Lamoriello will coach the team vicariously through you. In fact, the only thing stopping the Devils' President/CEO/General Manager/Head Ticket Salesman/Janitor/Popcorn Vendor/Backup Goaltender/Usher/Zamboni Driver from doing your job anyway is that it just seems like so much more work!
But there's no going back now, you're the guy! (Unless you miss your "family," and by "family" you mean your brother who happens to be the GM of another team.) So before you begin your tenure behind the Devils bench, allow me to offer a few suggestions to help you make the most of your stay:
1. The system. Is down.
See, here at the New Jersey Devils, we feel like Brent was this guy we were seeing for a few years, and even though he had a lot of potential, he was afraid of commitment. But as far as what he did with the way the Devils play, we couldn't have asked for more. It doesn't matter what you think about defense winning championships, look at who we have on defense now compared to 2003...we don't have the horses required to play defense-first anymore. Besides, look at what we accomplished under our shiny new forechecking system. One of the highlights of this past season was beating the two best teams in the league—Boston and San Jose—on back-to-back nights. We have arguably the best group of forwards that we've had in years, and if we don't continue playing to our strengths, you'll quickly find yourself the new head coach of the unemployment line.
2. Who's Line Is It Anyway?
Congratulations, as the new head coach of the Devils, you've inherited the biggest waste of $3.5 million a year in NHL history. Any coach worth his salt can see Dainius Zubrus as a third liner at best. Zubrus may have been a second liner in Sutter's bizarro universe where Brian Rolston is a fourth liner, but here on Earth you and I both know Rolston belongs with Elias. Otherwise, don't be shocked when he doesn't put up the numbers you expect of him.
3. The Kids Are Alright
We've got some great young prospects here, and a few of them might be ready to hit the NHL for good. Should you find yourself with Nicklas Bergfors on your lineup card, the appropriate thing to do is either put him on the top two lines, or scratch him. Bergfors is an offensive player whose role is to produce on a team's top two lines. The last guy who had your job decided to play him on the fourth line, for around three minutes a night, and then scratched him because he "wasn’t producing." How could he be expected to do anything when he barely played, and had to rely on linemates like Mike Rupp and Bobby Holik to help him get on the scoresheet? ... Exactly.
Well, that about wraps it up. I hope that this helps you become adjusted to what you're about to undertake. So, to summarize, understand your position under Lou, keep the offensive system, put together realistic lines, and play the kids properly when you have them, and you should be just fine. Unless of course Lou wakes up one day on the wrong side of the bed.
Best of luck,
The Jersey Devil
Dear Future Coach,
First of all, welcome! You have just signed on for a job that requires seemingly no good reason to be fired. In fact, no Devils coach has lasted more than three years since Jacques Lemaire stepped down in 1998. Incidentally, if you happen to be Jacques Lemaire, welcome back—and please know that if you try to implement the trap again, I will be calling for your head on a platter shortly.
Now, one thing you'll need to learn rather quickly is that in many ways you are more a figurehead than anything else; Lou Lamoriello will coach the team vicariously through you. In fact, the only thing stopping the Devils' President/CEO/General Manager/Head Ticket Salesman/Janitor/Popcorn Vendor/Backup Goaltender/Usher/Zamboni Driver from doing your job anyway is that it just seems like so much more work!
But there's no going back now, you're the guy! (Unless you miss your "family," and by "family" you mean your brother who happens to be the GM of another team.) So before you begin your tenure behind the Devils bench, allow me to offer a few suggestions to help you make the most of your stay:
1. The system. Is down.
See, here at the New Jersey Devils, we feel like Brent was this guy we were seeing for a few years, and even though he had a lot of potential, he was afraid of commitment. But as far as what he did with the way the Devils play, we couldn't have asked for more. It doesn't matter what you think about defense winning championships, look at who we have on defense now compared to 2003...we don't have the horses required to play defense-first anymore. Besides, look at what we accomplished under our shiny new forechecking system. One of the highlights of this past season was beating the two best teams in the league—Boston and San Jose—on back-to-back nights. We have arguably the best group of forwards that we've had in years, and if we don't continue playing to our strengths, you'll quickly find yourself the new head coach of the unemployment line.
2. Who's Line Is It Anyway?
Congratulations, as the new head coach of the Devils, you've inherited the biggest waste of $3.5 million a year in NHL history. Any coach worth his salt can see Dainius Zubrus as a third liner at best. Zubrus may have been a second liner in Sutter's bizarro universe where Brian Rolston is a fourth liner, but here on Earth you and I both know Rolston belongs with Elias. Otherwise, don't be shocked when he doesn't put up the numbers you expect of him.
3. The Kids Are Alright
We've got some great young prospects here, and a few of them might be ready to hit the NHL for good. Should you find yourself with Nicklas Bergfors on your lineup card, the appropriate thing to do is either put him on the top two lines, or scratch him. Bergfors is an offensive player whose role is to produce on a team's top two lines. The last guy who had your job decided to play him on the fourth line, for around three minutes a night, and then scratched him because he "wasn’t producing." How could he be expected to do anything when he barely played, and had to rely on linemates like Mike Rupp and Bobby Holik to help him get on the scoresheet? ... Exactly.
Well, that about wraps it up. I hope that this helps you become adjusted to what you're about to undertake. So, to summarize, understand your position under Lou, keep the offensive system, put together realistic lines, and play the kids properly when you have them, and you should be just fine. Unless of course Lou wakes up one day on the wrong side of the bed.
Best of luck,
The Jersey Devil
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05 Why Hockey Is The Best Sport
15 2008-09 Predictions
21 Captaining the Captainless
27 All-Time Greatest
30 Glory Days
15 2008-09 Predictions
21 Captaining the Captainless
27 All-Time Greatest
30 Glory Days
01 Offseason 09: How to Fix the Devils
09 Brylin? We're Talking About BRYLIN??
09 Good Riddance
11 Remember This Name
15 NJD Top Five Potential Draft Selections
24 An Open Letter to the Future Coach of the New Jersey Devils
28 Reviewing the Devils Draft
09 Brylin? We're Talking About BRYLIN??
09 Good Riddance
11 Remember This Name
15 NJD Top Five Potential Draft Selections
24 An Open Letter to the Future Coach of the New Jersey Devils
28 Reviewing the Devils Draft
that blog was so on par its amazing... everything u said totally hit the nail on the head. u seriously took the words strait from my brain... also it was a very funny blog an i enjoyed readin it.
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Good stuff. Don't forget to mention he should stay away from line shuffling.
Awesome blog! Agree 100% with everything you said there.
Phenomenal write-up. Although I am an Islanders fan, I do watch a large number of Devils games per year, and you summed up many of the thoughts I had in this very humorous letter. Great, great job!
Nice job!
Amazing that this kind of well-thought-out, thought provoking writing doesn't warrant its own Devils blog here. Instead we get: watch me in my goalie gear, and stay tuned for future projects by me, and guess what - the rumors aren't true -I'll be here blogging for years to come, from you know who.
Good read. Keep 'em coming.
I agree, he writes some good stuff. Give Woo a break though, he's written some solid content as of late. This blog was probably better than anything Woo or Mussa have written in some time, no offense to them.
Woo's blog regarding analysis of coaching canidates was well-done, I'll give credit where credit is do. It just seems lately that these "fan blogs" are getting both better and more consistent than the Devils blog.
Sorry, "credit where credit is DUE..."
Agreed. This is probably the best anyone will get regarding the Devils though. Ek's coverage is obviously more apathetic on the Devils than other teams and he shows a bias against them when he gets the chance.
great write up...you forgot to mention that Bergfors scored in his 3 game stint up here (the night marty got hurt) but obviously that didnt warrant a spot on one of the top lines....awesome blog though and very funny.....
Good point on Bergfors, even I forgot he scored because you wouldn't think so the way he was treated.And thank you everyone! It's really humbling to be put above official bloggers, regardless of their writing. I do feel that we are rather underrepresented on this site, so I'm just doing my part like the rest of you.