The Prudential Center has a specific kind of energy when things are clicking, a mix of old-school Jersey grit and the high-octane speed that defined the team’s best years. But for a while there, the vibe was... off. After the Lindy Ruff era hit a wall and Travis Green stepped in as a placeholder, the big question wasn't just who would take the whistle, but who could actually handle the weight of a roster overflowing with elite, yet sometimes erratic, young talent. Enter Sheldon Keefe. When the coach of the New Jersey Devils was officially named in May 2024, it sent a ripple through the hockey world that was part shock and part "of course."
It makes sense.
Keefe didn't just stumble into Newark; he was a guy who had just been squeezed out of the Toronto pressure cooker. You’ve seen the headlines. He won a lot in the regular season up north, but the playoffs were a different, uglier story. Now, he’s tasked with taking Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and a rebuilt blue line to the place they couldn't reach under previous leadership.
The Strategy Behind the Bench
What people often get wrong about Keefe is that they think he’s purely a "player's coach" because he looks approachable. That's a myth. He’s a tactician who is obsessed with puck possession. If you watch the Devils now, you’ll see a distinct shift from the "track meet" style of 2022-2023 to something a bit more calculated. They still fly. You can't tell Jack Hughes to slow down—it’s just not in his DNA—but Keefe has implemented a structure that aims to prevent those back-breaking odd-man rushes that plagued the team for years.
He hates giving the puck away. Honestly, watching him on the bench after a sloppy neutral zone turnover tells you everything you need to know. His face goes beet red, and you know someone is getting an earful during the next TV timeout.
The challenge for any coach of the New Jersey Devils is balancing that offensive freedom with a defense that, frankly, has been a revolving door of injuries and "work in progress" prospects. Keefe brought over some of his Toronto philosophies, specifically regarding how the forwards support the defensemen in the defensive zone. It’s about layers. If the first guy misses, the second guy is there. It sounds simple, but when you have a roster this young, getting them to commit to the "boring" parts of the game is like pulling teeth.
Why Keefe and Not Someone Else?
Tom Fitzgerald, the Devils' GM, didn't want a "first-timer." He’s been there, done that. He wanted a guy who had felt the heat. Keefe’s tenure in Toronto was a marathon of high expectations and brutal media scolding. He’s hardened.
- He understands the modern star athlete.
- He has a history of making mid-game adjustments that actually work, rather than just shuffling lines and hoping for a spark.
- He’s proved he can manage a power play that features multiple "alpha" shooters.
Some fans wanted a drill sergeant. You know the type—the old-school guy who screams until his veins pop. But this roster wouldn’t respond to that. You can’t scream at Luke Hughes and expect him to become Scott Stevens. It doesn't work that way anymore. Keefe treats the players like partners in a process, which is why you see guys like Jesper Bratt taking even bigger leaps in their two-way game.
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The Ghost of New Jersey's Past
Let's be real: being the coach of the New Jersey Devils means living in the shadow of Jacques Lemaire and Pat Burns. Those guys built a culture of winning through suffocation. The "Trap" is a dirty word to most of the NHL, but in Newark, it’s a badge of honor. Keefe isn't bringing the trap back—nobody is—but he is trying to rediscover that "hard to play against" identity.
Last season, the Devils were soft.
They were easy to push around in front of the net. They let teams dictate the physical pace. Keefe and Fitzgerald addressed that by bringing in guys like Brenden Dillon and Stefan Noesen, but the coach is the one who has to integrate that grit into a finesse system. It’s a delicate balance. If you play too heavy, you lose your speed advantage. If you play too light, you get bullied out of the playoffs.
Under the Microscope: The Keefe System
If you dive into the analytics—and Keefe definitely does—you see where the "new" Devils are headed. They are focusing heavily on "Expected Goals Against" (xGA). Under previous regimes, the Devils were fine with trading chances. "You get a breakaway, we get a breakaway." It was fun to watch, but it was losing hockey.
- Controlled zone entries are up.
- Defensive zone exits are more methodical, focusing on short passes rather than "glass and out" desperation.
- The forecheck is more of a 2-1-2 pressure system rather than a passive 1-2-2.
It’s about suffocating the opponent before they even get to the red line. Keefe’s system relies on the wingers being extremely active. They can't just float. They have to be the ones disrupting the D-to-D passes.
Dealing with the Goaltending Elephant in the Room
No coach of the New Jersey Devils can succeed without a goalie. Period. Lindy Ruff's system was often blamed for the poor save percentages, but at a certain point, the puck just has to stop hitting the back of the net. With the acquisition of Jacob Markstrom, Keefe finally has a "get out of jail free" card.
Even the best systems break down.
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When a defenseman falls or a pass gets intercepted, you need a guy who can make the "ten-bell" save. Markstrom gives Keefe the confidence to let his defensemen pinch. If you know your goalie can bail you out, you play with more swagger. That swagger was missing for a long time in Jersey.
The Human Element
I've talked to people around the rink, and the consensus is that Keefe is much more intense than he appears on TV. He’s a hockey nerd in the best way. He’s the first one in the building and the last to leave. But he also knows when to back off. After a long road trip, he’s been known to cancel morning skates and tell the guys to go see their families.
That matters.
In an 82-game grind, the mental fatigue is real. Keefe’s experience in the Toronto fishbowl taught him that you can't keep the dial at 11 all year long. You’ll burn out by February.
What Success Actually Looks Like
Success for the coach of the New Jersey Devils isn't just making the playoffs. The fan base is past that. They want a run. They want to see the "Heater" Jack Hughes in May, not just November.
The pressure is on Keefe to prove he wasn't the problem in Toronto. If the Devils flame out early, the "can't win the big one" narrative will follow him like a dark cloud. But if he can get this group to buy into the defensive side of the puck? Man, they’re going to be a nightmare for the rest of the Metropolitan Division.
Basically, the era of "just being happy to be here" is over.
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Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you’re watching the Devils this season and want to see if Keefe’s influence is actually working, stop following the puck for a minute. Watch the weak-side winger.
- Check the Gap: See how close the Devils' defensemen are to the opposing forwards at the blue line. Under Keefe, that "gap" should be tight. If they are backing off too much, the system is breaking.
- The 5-Man Unit: Notice if the forwards are deep in their own zone helping out. If you see Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier below the circles in the defensive end, that’s Keefe’s influence.
- Power Play Movement: Keefe likes "bumper" plays. Watch for the guy in the high slot. He’s the key to the whole operation.
The transition won't be perfect. There will be nights where they look like the "old" Devils and give up six goals on 20 shots. But the trajectory is what matters. Keefe was brought in to provide the ceiling that this roster deserves.
Keep an eye on the post-game press conferences too. Keefe is usually pretty candid. He won't throw players under the bus by name, but he’ll be very specific about what went wrong. That level of accountability is exactly what a young team needs to hear to grow up.
The Devils are no longer a "future" contender. With Keefe at the helm, the future is essentially right now. Whether they can handle that reality is the story of the season.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Knowledge:
To truly understand the impact of the coach of the New Jersey Devils, you should track the team's "High-Danger Chances Against" (HDCA) over the first 20 games compared to last season. This metric is the most honest reflection of whether Keefe’s defensive structure is actually taking hold or if they are simply being bailed out by better goaltending. Additionally, follow beat reporters like Amanda Stein or James Nichols, who provide daily context on practice line adjustments that signal Keefe's evolving tactical priorities.