Peter DeBoer: A Seemingly Good Head Coach Hire for the New Jersey Devils
by John Fischer on Jul 19, 2011 7:06 PM EDT
in Devils Issues, Views & Analysis
Email
Print
As reported earlier today and confirmed by the team in a press conference this afternoon, Peter DeBoer has been hired as the head coach for the New Jersey Devils. The Devils can scratch this crucial position from their offseason to-do list; leaving the efforts to try and re-sign Zach Parise and/or Mark Fraser before their arbitration hearings.
Now, that the coaching decision has finally happened, it's natural and understandable to ask a lot of questions and give a lot of first impressions. Is Peter DeBoer the right choice? What can we expect from him? Does he have a shot at staying long term? What, if anything, should we worry about him? Will he want new assistant coaches? What will he do with the captaincy? Will he be a disciplinarian, or will he be more of a player's coach. These are all fair ones to ask. At the same time, it's way too early to ask since we won't actually get any answers until he's behind the bench in a meaningful hockey game.
To that end, I say that hiring DeBoer is a seemingly good hire for the Devils. I'll explain my rationale further after the jump. Yet, as we saw with John MacLean last summer - a hire that most of the readership liked at the time - what we may initially think and feel, no matter how reasonable it may be, doesn't necessarily mean he'll do a good job like we hope. Basically, I would take the following with some grains of salt. What you shouldn't take with salt is an embedded video of DeBoer speaking to the media for the first time as Devils head coach after the jump as well.
First, the video from the Devils' website. Turn up your volume because the audio's a bit low.
Back in late June, I attempted some kind of head coaching speculation post and mentioned DeBoer briefly. He wasn't exactly a name that was being touted highly for the position, but I didn't think he should be overlooked. Here's what I wrote then:
I don't think Peter DeBoer really got a fair shake in Florida, and he underwent three different GMs and owners in his time as head coach of the Panthers. While they didn't go anywhere, they weren't doormats when they easily could have been. I feel that he was essentially fired for not being Dale Tallon's guy (the current GM) and not being able to make chicken salad out of chicken fecal matter. Not many coaches can keep teams in playoff contention when their some of their best players are traded away season after season and the GM didn't provide decent depth. I'd rather take the risk with DeBoer over Crawford, but maybe that's just me.
Now, the Devils took that risk and now they have him. This should be seen as a welcome change in DeBoer's perspective. He goes from an unstable management (ownership, GM) situation in Florida to a very stable management situation in New Jersey - where Lou's the boss when it comes to hockey matters (and the players know this - which is why I'm not concerned about whether DeBoer will be initially respected or not). He goes from a team that traded off their top players before they went UFA to a team that's got top quality players who will remain Devils for some time. He goes from a team whose depth could be best described as questionable to a team with a glut of depth players, who can be quite serviceable. I think it's fair to say that this hire is as much of an upgrade for DeBoer as it is needed hire for New Jersey.
One of the benefits of DeBoer's hire is that he's relatively young and has NHL experience. This is ideal for those fans who want to see a head coach possibly last beyond two seasons with this franchise. He's 43 and this will be his fourth season in the league as a head coach. Most of the experiences and day-to-day responsibilities are going to be familiar with him. He'll have to adjust to the Devils organization, sure, but it's not like he's brand new to the league. Both are reasons to like the hire.
Another benefit is that I always got a sense that DeBoer's Panthers teams were competitive even when it was clear they had nothing to play for and their roster was short on quality. That could be nothing more than confirmation bias and a sample size issue, since the Devils only played these Panthers 12 times in the last 3 seasons. At the same time, it suggests that DeBoer isn't a passive coach. He got his players to listen to him and put in a full effort even when it seemed pointless. That's got to count for something. If this means he's a disciplinarian, then I really like this hire even more because last season showed to me that this team needs a coach who will crack the whip.
A major benefit is that DeBoer seems to grasp what the Devils organization has been about for the better part of the past two decades. Here's the important quote from from today's press conference, as reported by Rich Chere.
"I think every coach has his own identity and his own characteristics. We want to pursue the puck, dictate the pace of play. But the foundation of that is still good, solid defensive hockey and playing the right way. And I think that meshes with what they do here."
I will admit Florida didn't do a great job in this last season. They allowed 30.8 shots against per 60 at evens, and their possession was hovering around 50%. Then again, that may be as more of a function of the talent he had as opposed to anything he could do about it. Still, this is as good of a pithy explanation of what the Devils have pushed for regardless of who has coached the team for the last 18 or so years. That DeBoer gets that right from Day #1 is a positive, and it can only help his acclimation to this organization. If Lou's comfortable with that (and his work as a head coach), then why not us?
Lastly, DeBoer will benefit from something that I really, really, really think (and hope) will bounce back in 11-12: the team's shooting percentage. The Devils were by far the worst shooting team in the league last season, and the 10-11 Devils were the worst in the league over the past four seasons at even strength at 6.7%. Given that luck drives these percentages - not luck alone, but a big part of it is - I have hope it won't be as bad next season. That will mean more goals, which should hopefully to some more wins that DeBoer can reap the benefits from. This doesn't mean DeBoer won't have to do anything. It'll be on him to build his roster appropriately so the forwards can be utilized correctly to generate shots and get possession in his favor. I'm just saying he hopefully won't suffer from awful percentages that he can't control.
That all said, there are reasons to be concerned as well. Given that I prefer a strong possession game, I'm not exactly thrilled with how Florida did in terms of Corsi or Fenwick last season. As acasser pointed out in this comment in the first DeBoer post, DeBoer's records in Florida aren't as impressive as they may seem due to the significant number of OT/SO losses they've racked up. As Tom also noted in those same comments that the Florida power play was terrible under DeBoer, consistently among the worst in the league. Though, Donny Rivette noted that may have had more to do with Jim Hulton. All of this can at least be partially explained away by the team DeBoer had. After all, NHL head coaches don't get to decide who's on their roster - they may have some input, but ultimately, he'll has to make do with whoever the GM decides to get.
Other fans were concerned about something Chris Roberts at Litterbox Cats wrote about DeBoer that Kevin included in the first DeBoer post:
After his initial success, DeBoer began to show some of the qualities that Panthers fans cringed at during the next two seasons, including his willingness to bench young players and call-ups after making mistakes, shorting players on minutes and a general passiveness when decisions needed to be made. DeBoer's coaching style seemed to switch to a more skill-oriented, fancy-smancy passing scheme (ala Detroit Red Wings) that simply didn't fit with the team he was given. Like most coaches who get canned, he tried to unsuccessfully force his playing style on a team that didn't work that way. This resulted in few goals, a horrendous powerplay, a lack of physicality and a lot of dump-and-chase.
I can see how many Devils fans will read this and immediately think the worst of DeBoer and start to dislike the hire (or justify their dislike of the hire). I'm not as concerned about this because I can think of a few reasons why this could have happened. Perhaps DeBoer got word from his new bosses to change things up regardless of what effect it'll have. Perhaps DeBoer felt serious tactical changes were needed to stem the losses, which only made things worse for the Panthers. Perhaps this was true in some cases, but not entirely for the whole season, and these moves just stick out from history more than others. I'm not doubting what Chris said - just that this is a reason to think this will immediately repeat in New Jersey.
The biggest concern that I have is that he'll struggle right out of the gate, leading to immediate comparisons to MacLean and undercut While the bar is set rather low for DeBoer; he'll have to try really hard to do worse than 10 wins in the first three months of the season. At the same time, the expectations are high for DeBoer because the team he'll get will be more talented, he won't have to worry about a new GM or owner next season that will dramatically effect what team he'll have, and so he has to prove he can manage them well enough for success - that he is a talented coach and can succeed with a better roster.
It's a tall challenge, but I wish Mr. DeBoer nothing but the best of luck in his time behind New Jersey's bench. I think the benefits outweigh the concerns, since many of them have a big asterisk that reads "but he had some awful rosters, too." Therefore, I think this is a good hire. Rather, I think it's a seemingly good hire, until some actual hockey is played. Then we'll know whether it's truly good or not.
While many of you have expressed your feelings about this hire already, feel free to share them here. Maybe there are other benefits I've missed; maybe there are other concerns I've missed; and maybe there's something else about this hire that should be discussed. Please do all of that in the comments, and thank you for reading. Lastly, here's a poll:
93 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I’m pumped. This guy is what Brent Sutter was supposed to be. Questions will abound about whether he and Kovalchuk can get along, but I don’t have any doubts about he and Parise getting along. That’s important going forward.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
Also, DeBoer and Clarkson are bum chums. So for the next 24 hours they’ll say glowing things about each other—then Clarkson will be traded.
by TheTrapezoidConspiracy on Jul 19, 2011 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not really sure why it’s a question whether he gets along with Kovalchuk (and why it’s assumed he won’t with Parise) outside of the media trying to create a story that isn’t there? It’s not like Kovalchuk is this coach-killing primadonna or your stereotypical enigmatic European forward. If anyone’s a concern to be a coach-killer, I’d look at the veterans on this team who have lived through it with Julien and MacLean.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jul 19, 2011 10:37 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah I don’t understand where this coach killer tag on Kovalchuk has suddenly sprung up from today in all of the storylines? I don’t remember him ever driving anyone out in Atlanta and I hardly think he drove MacLean out.
It’s an easy narrative for the media to push.
What have we read recently about the Devils coaching search?….1. Stability in the coaching is important to re-signing Parise. 2. The new coach will have to forge a relationship with Kovy because he will be here for a long time.
Those messages are drastically different.
Kovy is being treated like he is Terrell Owens.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
by Tom Stivali on Jul 20, 2011 10:47 AM EDT up reply actions
It’s not like Kovalchuk is this coach-killing primadonna or your stereotypical enigmatic European forward.
did you watch him last year or just listen to his quotes?
kovalchuk’s problem is that he doesn’t forecheck. in a big game he will go into the corner and dig out pucks, but he will not be doing this during the regular season. this is why he is suited to a lemaire like system that isn’t necessarily based on a heavy forecheck. i’ll be interested to see what happens with the new coach.
also you seem to be ignoring the whole ‘kovalchuk was benched for a full game and a third period of another, and had 8 goals in 32 games and was a -22 when maclean was fired’
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
It’s not like Kovalchuk didn’t score to get Maclean fired, isn’t that kinda silly to assume. Besides Kovalchuk playing really bad in the beginning of last season you also have to look at what Maclean did to him. No coach ever should put a superstar with two career AHLers. (Sestito,Gionta). That was one of the most embarrassing coaching decisions I have ever seen.
it wasn’t that kovalchuk wasn’t scoring, he was playing disinterested or when he was passionate, playing terribly.
No coach ever should put a superstar with two career AHLers. (Sestito,Gionta). That was one of the most embarrassing coaching decisions I have ever seen.
according to dobberhockey.com, this never happened. that’s because sestito and gionta did not play on the team together (they had the same number, remember). and lemaire double shifted kovalchuk with the 4th line not infrequently, either.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
it wasn’t that kovalchuk wasn’t scoring, he was playing disinterested or when he was passionate, playing terribly.
How does this not describe the entire team under MacLean? Why is Kovalchuk being isolated?
How does this not describe the entire team under MacLean? Why is Kovalchuk being isolated?
because the other players play their positions correctly when things are going well, and kovalchuk does not.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
Oh? Both MacLean and Lemaire saw Kovalchuk not play the wing position properly last season and did not one thing about it? Is that what you’re saying?
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jul 20, 2011 11:40 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
if you’re asking me whether kovalchuk improved on defense, i would say yes. he improved especially at transition defense. if you’re asking me whether kovalchuk’s defense was acceptable, i would say no. there’s still too much pilon action when kovalchuk gets into the defensive zone, and that has to change.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
Towards the end of the season, Kovalchuk was above average on defense. I don’t get this idea that he’s uninspired, and only wants to score goals. He’s a team player, gritty as hell and committed to winning. Why is he being pigeon-holed into a Gaborik type player?
Kovalchuk was above average on defense.
c’mon, let’s not get silly here.
He’s a team player, gritty as hell and committed to winning.
team player, sure. gritty as hell, no. committed to winning – yes, in that he does what he thinks is best for winning. we’ll see if we see him skating when his team doesn’t have the puck in the defensive zone, because that’s what he’s got to do to be even average on defense.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
How was he not above average on defense? His +/- numbers clearly went up. How often did you see him cherry picking in the way people like to stereotype him as doing?
Your opinion seems to be more based on hackneyed criticisms of him over his career than on actual experience of watching him in the second half of last season.
There’s a reason he respected and listened to Lemaire so much. You don’t develop that kind of admiration for a defensive minded coach like Lemaire without the willingness and capacity to play that kind of defensively minded system.
Where is this coming from?
How was he not above average on defense? His +/- numbers clearly went up. How often did you see him cherry picking in the way people like to stereotype him as doing?
the idea that kovalchuk hangs out at the redline waiting for breakaway passes is clearly wrong. yes, his +/- numbers went up – a lot of that came from better offense. yes, he got better at defense. yes, he was still bad.
Your opinion seems to be more based on hackneyed criticisms of him over his career than on actual experience of watching him in the second half of last season.
many of those hackneyed criticisms are true – kovalchuk was an awful defensive player. his team didn’t help, but neither did he. it remains to be seen whether he will continue to be awful, or if he will continue to improve.
PS, kovalchuk was still basically an even player under lemaire, and he was not getting overly difficult line matchups.
http://drivingplay.blogspot.com - the blog with three first lines
Oh, be nice. He or she is providing some reasoning. I still don’t see how this makes him a primadonna or a concern for the coach any more than it would be for, say, Colin White.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jul 20, 2011 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions
Also, because I forgot about this until now
also you seem to be ignoring the whole ‘kovalchuk was benched for a full game and a third period of another, and had 8 goals in 32 games and was a -22 when maclean was fired
Oh, I’m not ignoring it. In fact, I wrote a recap of that game.
Kovalchuk being held out of the game was a late decision, of which we learned that he was late to a meeting and MacLean wanted to make a point. The rest of the Devils feigned ignorance or truly didn’t get why he was scratched, and regardless they played like junior players going up against men as Buffalo waxed them 6-1. Here’s a good section from what I observed from that horrible watching experience:
“Uninspired” is a polite one if you want to talk about the lack of leadership and emotion on the ice. It goes hand in hand with “flat;” but it would be a good one to describe the team’s performance tonight. As Buffalo piled up the goals, the more the Devils seemed less interested in trying to make it a game. That’s not just on the fault of team captain Jamie Langenbrunner, but also on other players who are supposed leaders. Where was the get-up-and-at-them mentality after a 2-0 first period by Buffalo? Why did Zach Parise disappear except for showing up at the doorstep for the team’s lone goal tonight? Did anyone in the locker room at either intermission say or do anything in terms of motivation?
Needless to say, if there was a message, the team didn’t get it – and the rest of the skaters didn’t seem to care either.
Anyway, that benching was one whole game and it took place in October, and unless something gets revealed, that was the extent of MacLean holding someone accountable in his tenure. With respect to the production, come on man, you know why that is.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jul 20, 2011 6:10 PM EDT up reply actions
Exactly. White, Elias, Brodeur, etc. And don’t forget Captain Crankpants last year.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
by Tom Stivali on Jul 20, 2011 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Not to mention Clarkson, which saw him bumped down to fourth line duty for several occassions, and Rolston, who got waived for it (and cleared them)
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jul 20, 2011 11:44 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Ah, you’re right. I misinterpreted the point of the reply. My bad.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jul 20, 2011 12:38 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
This is definitely a wait and see thing for me. I thought MacLean would be a good fit, considering he spent many years behind the bench as an assistant, followed by a solid year in the AHL. DeBoer seems like he’ll bring a similar style that Sutter brought, which I was definitely a fan of.
One of the first things that we’ll be able to judge DeBoer on is how he decides to juggle the plethora of (bottom 6) forwards and defensemen that the team has right now. One thing that really jumped out at me from a recent TG post:
Does that mean Lamoriello anticpates both Boulton and Janssen being on the NHL roster?
"Absolutely," he said. "Unless something changes."
The final say of who plays and who doesn’t play is up to DeBoer. I will absolutely be astounded if both guys get in the line up. With Zharkov, Pelley, Steckel, Clarkson, Boulton, Janssen all in line for a possible 4th line spot, something has got to give.
Interesting Comment from Panthers Blog
In a post on DeBoer’s departure in April:
However, DeBoer, who has one year left on his contract, just never seemed to be Tallon’s type of coach. Tallon likes grit and DeBoer likes to bench tough guys.
I don’t know how much to read into those comments, but perhaps this bodes well for Zharkov.
by TheTrapezoidConspiracy on Jul 19, 2011 8:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Look at Florida’s bottom-end depth last year.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I think DeBoer putting both on the roster on a consistent basis should be grounds for dismissal.
Unfortunately, the person who is in charge of dismissing head coaches is a proponent of this ridiculous idea. Why would anyone even think of that? In everything I have read over the last few days about Boulton and Janssen, the idea of them both veing on the NHL roster never even crossed my mind. It’s unthinkable.
by Dr. Witticism on Jul 19, 2011 8:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I really wouldn’t put much weight to Lou’s answer to the question other than “hey lets keep the two guys we just signed happy!” You don’t think when the had contract negotiations Lou told either of them “you probably won’t be playing in Newark much.” Hardly.
He’s just keeping his new signings happy.
Well, one of them received a two way contract, and the other a one way contract. It seems like it would have come up with Janssen at least partially.
I do agree, however, that the above statement may not mean much in the long term. It was still interesting that he would be so straight forward about it, though.
What I found more interesting is this quote:
"I don’t know if we were missing [a physical presence], but with the number of young players we have in this lineup, I don’t want to put the pressure on some of the size and strength forwards that we want to do other things," Lamoriello said. "I feel that Cam and Boulton will both bring that element."
To me, he’s speaking in no uncertain terms about David Clarkson there. The only other “size and strength forward” on the team is Dainius Zubrus and perhaps Nick Palmieri, but neither are fighters who might be distracted from their game by looking for fights.
I had though Clarkson might be on the move, but I doubt it now. Lou may be looking to make space on the third line for him, in fact.
I wouldn’t worry too much about it . Injuries will occur and eventually it will sort itself out. Having both guys is not a bad move depth wise.
by DiffuseTheBob on Jul 20, 2011 8:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Am I the only one scared to death that DeBoer will name Mark Fraser captain as he did with the Kitchener Rangers?
But seriously, I love that Lou went with a youngster. Not only does that signal Lou’s interest in stabilizing the head coaching position, but it’s an acknowledgment that this is a team in transition. Over the next few years, Brodeur, Hedberg, White, Salvador, Rolston, Zubrus, and maybe Elias and Tallinder will all be moving on. Many of them will be replaced young players from within the organization. Add to this Lou’s own possible retirement and it would be easy for him to go all in this season with an older coach like Hitchcock. Instead, he chose a younger coach who can grow with the team and has a ton of experience working with young players. Good stuff.
by TheTrapezoidConspiracy on Jul 19, 2011 8:32 PM EDT reply actions
where Lou’s the boss when it comes to hockey matters (and the players know this – which is why I’m not concerned about whether DeBoer will be initially respected or not).
I still don’t understand this sentiment. No GM can make individual players feel an individual way about a person. When people say we worry whether players will give him the respect he needs to succeed as a head coach, “respect” means that the players think highly enough of him that they will do everything he says, not question what he wants to do with systems and types of play. Ultimately, it comes down to one question: do I think this guy is good enough and do I respect him enough as a coach to believe in him and be willing to follow him? Each individual player answers that question in a different way because each individual person has their own views, perspectives, and evaluation process when making the decision of whether he deserves this “respect” or not.
Lou cannot make any player feel those things, so it is incumbent on the coach to instill that faith in the players. However, it is also incumbent on the ownership to choose a coach who is more likely than others available to command this respect.
Clearly having a stable ownership situation did not get MacLean any respect last season, despite him being a big part of the team as a player and, up until he made the jump to NHL coach, as a minor league coach in the organization for six years. He couldn’t have had any more history with or intimate knowledge of this organization than he already did, and I’m sure Lou cared even more about getting someone like him respect than he would with any other new coach.
I simply don’t see how the facts that players see Lou as the boss and that we have organizational stability actually alleviate worry about whether this guy can gain the respect of the locker room. I guess you could point to these things as possible reasons for players to respect him from the start, but I certainly don’t think they are enough to say, “I’m not concerned about whether DeBoer will be initially respected or not.” These things are not enough to change how any individual person will perceive any situation or react to someone else.
It’s not that complicated.
The boss says you’re working with X. You may not like X, but you’re going to have to work with X. So you’re going to put up with X, get your work done, or the boss says you won’t be working. Simple as, really.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Jul 19, 2011 10:33 PM EDT up reply actions
i do agree with you on a general level, but in the case of hockey or all sports take this example.
boss says to player that hes working with x. x says well im guaranteed 94 million over the next 14 years and i dont want to work with him. Im going to get paid regardless so i dont have to care about x at all.
obviously im taking an extreme example of the kovy contract just to give an example(and kovy has seemingly bought into the devils team philosophy), but i do agree with you in general.
by poopydoodie11 on Jul 19, 2011 10:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Then what you are saying is DeBoer is middle management. LL can’t say ‘respect him’ Deboer will have to earn it from the group. Clarkson being a big fan of his should help, but I don’t think Lou can issue that edict without actually hurting DeBoer in the process.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
by Tom Stivali on Jul 20, 2011 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions
When you've hit rock bottom, the only place you can go is up
Remember that While Lemaire might be the miracle worker that brought the team together and made a strong second half, he wasn’t a permanent addition. In comparison to Lemaire, DeBoer cannot hold a candle. However, DeBoer isn’t replacing Lemaire, he’s replacing MacLame, possibly the worst coach in NHL history. Regardless of what happens with DeBoer, the Devils will have a coach better than MacLame. At least DeBoer implements a system- he just didn’t have the talent to do it with.
Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Talking toilet, you may call me Jane.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jul 19, 2011 8:59 PM EDT reply actions
Plus DeBoer will have someone MacLean didn’t.
A 100% healthy, Zach Parise.
by DiffuseTheBob on Jul 20, 2011 8:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Great hire. He’s an excellent tactician and will line match until the final horn. He’s a possession guy and will fit in Jersey really well. Look for them to be a superior ES team as long as he’s there.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
by Derek Zona on Jul 19, 2011 10:12 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
I am just happy its not Ken Hitchcock. I really don’t like him for probably very little rational reason, but I was cringing any time his name was mentioned for the opening. Onto DeBoer, his teams seemed to play hard when I saw them, whether they played the Devils or one of the other local teams. They did seem exceptionally offensively challenged, but as John pointed out, the Devils have a lot more talent than the Panthers ever had under DeBoer. All in all, I am reasonably happy and looking forward to a successful 2011-12.
i like the hire, but i dont love it. i want to see how he does before i say i love it. Lou did hire someone who was younger which was what i was hoping for so as long as he does a good job, he could be here for a while which would provide some stability.
also it seems like they may be like they were under sutter which i loved. solid defensively and respectable on offense. ( im talking about 2008-2009 not 07-08). time will tell i guess but overall im excited by the hire.
also maybe he can talk scott clemensen into coming back here for a third time when hes a ufa next summer :)
One needs to only see what the Panthers have done with their roster this summer to see how little DeBoer had to work with. Fleischmann, Upshall, Versteeg, Kopecky, and Bergenheim all brought in to play top-9 forward roles – the only carryover forwards of significance are Weiss and Booth. Campbell and Jovanovski brought in the anchor the D.
I do feel DeBoer did a great job considering the lack of talent he was given in Florida. However, keeping a bad team afloat is a very different thing from making a good team great – only time will tell whether he can take the Devils to the promised land.
If he really is Sutter 2.0 then ill be happy. Sutter’s 08-09 team was the best team we had in my opinion since the lock out. Now it’s arguably just as good of a team with Kovalchuk and some defense men talent wise. So well see how DeBoer handles it.
totally agree. as a season ticket holder that was certainly the most enjoyable team to watch over the course of the whole season.
by poopydoodie11 on Jul 20, 2011 12:54 AM EDT up reply actions
But the ending...
It still gives me nightmares. I sat in stunned silence for a looong time after that game ended.
Status quo.
Why did this take so long?
He’s a perfectly good coach but it just feels like Lou didn’t get his first choice and ended up with the safety coach. I’m not saying he’ll do a bad job. I love that he did alright with a group that lacked talent but it bothers me that he has no playoff experience. I just can’t imagine this was Lou’s guy all along.
midde road
i agree with some previous posts that i doubt this was THE GUY for lou. but he seems a capable coach so lets se
Who was then?
You could say Lemaire was the obvious choice, but Lou never asked him to come back. Part of their agreement from last season was that Jacques could hang up his skates again come summer.
i also have a weird feeling about respect in the locker room. coaches like babcock, Lemaire, Hitchcock etc you know they demand respect, you can tell it by their personalties. some younger coaches this could be an issue with. hope he has got a pair when the doors are closed in the locker room
It's Lou's team
This is Lou’s team… not any of the coaches they have hired. If DeBoer wins alot, all will be well. If he doesn’t Sweet Lou and his deboering style will be back in short order. Good luck to DeBoer with prima donna Kovalchuk.
What will be most interesting to see is what kind of style the team will play. Will it be the sleepy defensive style or will he allow some free-wheeling? Kovalchuk for one will not like it if defence is demanded of him. Time will tell.
wow, really?
Kovalchuk isn’t a prima. He took responsibility for his crappy play last season, blamed no one but himself, and worked on his game to get it back on track. He learned to play defense last year under arguably the greatest defensive mind in the sport when he had the opportunity, whether it was demanded of him or not is irrelevant. He was far less the liability defensively the second half of last year as a result of it, and he was vocal about his desire to learn and become a complete player. Last season was like an 80’s coming of age movie for Kovy. He’s not the same player he was in Atlanta, and that’s good for him and good for the next 15 years in NJ.
I think Uncle Pete has already said what his style is, and we’ve heard it from him, Lou, guys he’s coached and fans from his last gig. He’s a disciplinatrian, soft spoken guy who demands the most from his players, instills confidence and wants his team to work harder than the other team every single shift. I doubt that is going to change. This team is going to look a lot like the Sutter Devils with a bit of leftover residue from the Lemaire years. There’s no way a team comes off a comeback like they experienced last year without a little bit of “Holy hell, that works, I’m going to do that for the rest of my career.” The only thing that is going to change is his record now that he’s got a team of full time NHLers and management that gives a damn.
The question is not how far. The question is, do you possess the constitution, the depth of faith, to go as far as is needed? - Il Duce
good luck to DeBoer with prima donna Kovalchuk.
somneone’s been sipping on the narrative kool-aid
Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Talking toilet, you may call me Jane.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jul 20, 2011 8:17 AM EDT up reply actions
The only prima donna move by Kovalchuk was being late to that meeting which is inexcusable. Beside that who knows where its coming from.
fake reports from hacks who hate the Devils like Brooks and Burnside
Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Talking toilet, you may call me Jane.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jul 20, 2011 8:38 AM EDT up reply actions
Kevin have you actually read Brooks for the past decade? He has a rather large soft spot for the organization that is no secret, even though he’s a Rangers beat writer. Because he wrote an article about exploring trading Brodeur? So? He was the Devils VP of communications for 10 years before taking his position for the Post for christsakkes!
Much Like the Kovalchuk primadonna, where is this coming from?
I take what I said about Brooks back somewhat. I hadn’t read a few of his more recent articles (I just did) and there is noticeably a snark in them that was once not present. But you know what i don’t really think much of what he’s saying is really off base. Just snarky.
snarky is a great word for his last article
I do feel like he also makes some pretty unsubstantiated claims, such as it seeming “more and more likely Zach Parise wants to test free agent waters next summer”
Some of his recent articles do seem like they’re trolling the organization at times, that’s all.
Hell on Ice/In Lou We Trust/Twitter
Talking toilet, you may call me Jane.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Jul 20, 2011 10:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Ha he made a pun, how clever.
"Its the letter D"
by Rory B. Bellows on Jul 20, 2011 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I love the hire.
He’s tough, without the BS screaming act that players will tune out. He wants honest effort and minimal mistakes. If they fail to play that way, they will ride the pine. The Panther fan quoted in John’s post complained about that, but I love it.
He also maximizes results by getting his players to play with effort and minimal mistakes. On paper, there’s no reason the Panthers should have been as difficult to play against as they have been the past three seasons. They played hard and didn’t often beat themselves. Not unlike J. Lemaire’s teams. I’m not saying DeBoer is the second coming of Jacques, but they do have that philosophy in common.
I also like his background coaching in Juniors. Aside from Zach, Travis, and Kovy in the 26-28yr age range, the top talent in the organization is really young; Merrill, Burlon, Tedenby, Josefson, Palmieri, Urbom, Henrique, Larsson, Taormina, etc. He should be good at prepping those guys to play at the highest level.
I’m not worried about the respect issue. The whole league knows that his teams overachieved down in FL. He also has a history with Zajac, Clarkson, and Fraser. Those are respected players who should have his back in the room long enough for everyone else to get to know him.
This team has nothing to be cocky about coming into the season. I honestly can’t see there being respect issues. When Maclean was fired and Jaques was brought in, interviews in the locker room came out with every player saying “We have nothing to lose, we are in a bad place and will do everything Jaques says.” These same players know they accomplished NOTHING last year, as nothing counts but the playoffs. I think they’ll definitely do as they are asked.
thank god for Burnside
any time I need a shot of anger fueled adrenaline, I just read one of his stupid articles
I am on the fence about this hiring but he is walking to a similar situation as JMAC did last year ? The issues with the cap are still with us and Lou still has to move out some salaries and give the team & the coach some flexibility during the early part of the season ! Signing Parise is still the main issue NOW for this team as we enter the new season.
The more I think about it, the more I think we’re back to Salvador being the guy who will have to be the cap casualty before the season. At first I figured this wouldn’t make a difference for Clarkson’s fate and that he was on his way out via trade even with his connections to DeBoer. After a day of consideration, I think he may be sticking around.
It seems that Clarky is well liked in the Devils locker room, and he was heaping praise on DeBoer yesterday and saying he likely owes his career to Uncle Pete (I’m a fan of this moniker, though I’m not sure it makes any sense). I think this already established relationship could be a big benefit in a locker room that, let’s face it, seems a little fickle at times.
Status quo.
I’ve been thinking it would be Salvadore as well. Just eat the final year, one way or another.
I’m optimistic that Clarkson will have a bounce back year.
But I’m begining to wonder if there will even be a ‘salary cap casualty’. If Parise’s cap hit turns out to be $5.5M we really don’t have to cut someone because of salary cap.
Well DeBoer was one of my first choices when we were talking about replacing Lemaire. I did stray towards Eaves when I heard the good things about him but I liked the way DeBoer gets the effort out of his team. He really impressed me when he beat us when Sutter was the coach. I think he can out think other coaches and I feel thats what we’ve been missing aside from Jaques.
The more I read about this guy, the more I like him, good feelings…
We’ll see soon enough what’s made of anyway.
"It's magic, it's tragic, it's a loss, it's a win"
by Elektrostal_Kid on Jul 20, 2011 6:47 PM EDT reply actions
Panther Fan on Deboer
Good evening. I’d like to pass along congratulations to the Devils on making a great run at the end of last season, the Larssen pick at the draft and on the hiring of Pete DeBoer.
First of all, let me state the obvious. The New Jersey Devils and the Florida Panthers are worlds apart in history, culture and name status in this league. You guys have forgotten more about the game than we’ll ever know, but perhaps my imput might be of value to you. That out of the way, let me put in a good word for your new coach.
I think DeBoer will fit perfectly with your club. He’s seasoned enough with heartbreak to finally make his mark. He’s disciplined. He’s not excitable without cause. He’s a defensive-minded coach, which is the Devils’ forte’ and surely a reason that played into Lamoriello’s decision. Defense is very important to him, espcially coaching a team like the Panthers where goal-scoring is considered a perk. DeBoer, in 3 short years, solidified our defensive core and brought out an enthusiasm for chasing the puck that we hadn’t seen in a long time. He’s good with youngsters. D-men Kulikov, Garrison and Ellerby are stand-out kids on effort thanks to him. When he left here, the players had nothing but great things to say about him, save Vokoun and his mid-life crisis.
DeBoer did what he could with what he was given. In my opinion, the Panthers let him go for purely cosmetic reasons. A great deal of the fan base was shocked when he was let go and there’s resentment that DeBoer didn’t get a shot at working with this recent overhaul in talent. He left with class, never once disparaging our lousy CEO, which is my only regret with him.
As an anecdote on his character, I went to a Panthers pre-season practice last season. To my surprise, DeBoer and his then assistant Mike Kitchen were standing there watching practice. I stood about 20 feet away, watching the action. DeBoer approached me. A cordial man. Simple. Plain-spoken. We talked for about 3 minutes.
He’s never worked with the caliber of talent you have there in Jersey, so in many respects, he should be as impressed with your roster as you should be impressed with him. It was a good move.
My Panthers are overhauled, things are looking up for the first time in 10 years and we hope to be worthier opponents to the Devils for many years to come. Good luck.
by kenny4 on Jul 21, 2011 10:04 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on In Lou We Trust
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- NHL Playoff Beard Watch: Blood, Sweat and Beards of unsung unshaven heroes
- Devils guarantee they’ll downplay 1994 conference finals for Game 6 vs. Rangers
- Dodger Stadium Winter Classic; 10 worst NHL fans; ‘While The Men Watch’ debate (Puck Headlines)
- Lightning GM Yzerman suggests he won’t be trading for Luongo, strengthens position for Luongo trade
- Marek Vs. Wyshynski Radio: Ron Hextall, Luke Richardson and Rangers/Devils
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- Shawinigan wins, advances to Memorial Cup semifinal
- Cataractes romp to 6-1 win, eliminate Oil Kings from Memorial Cup
- Despite loss, Phoenix Coyotes build solid foundation in the desert with run to West finals
- Coyotes finish off best season ever
- Maple Leafs sign defensive prospect Petter Granberg to entry level deal
