I haven't heard of Eaves, but the more I do, he does sound like he might be the right man for the job.
I'm still stubborn and hope for Mike Haviland, though. He's won on every level of hockey he's traversed - yes, he even has a Stanley Cup on his resume as an assistant coach for the Chicago Blackhawks - so it only seems probable that the head coach is the next step for him. And he has the Jersey roots.