Speculation on reason for no coaching change yet

[Rock]

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/tampa_goalie_proves_real_class_clown_PgJKftCz833UCsYMMAUEPK

Maybe Lamoriello hasn't fired John MacLean because the GM truly believes the coach has done as well as

possible under extreme adverse conditions.

But maybe Lamoriello hasn't fired MacLean because owner Jeff Vanderbeek won't allow it less than six months after being told by the GM that Johnny Mac was the right man for the job.

Just as then-Garden CEO Dave Checketts wouldn't allow Neil Smith to fire John Muckler when the GM wanted to do so

early in the 1999-2000 season just months after giving the coach a contract extension.

If New Jersey can get Jason Arnott to waive his no-trade clause at the deadline, maybe Lamoriello can get the second-rounder back he sacrificed to in the first place to get the center -- first a Devil when acquired for Guerin midway through 1997-98 -- for the second time.

[CRASHER]

Maybe it's because NO ONE would want to come in and take a job from a GM so well-known for having a short fuse with coaches

[skeeter]

Yeah I'm sure Vanderbeek is trying to prove a point and is willing to accept losing thousands of season ticket holders to get his message across to Lou.

[jagknife]

find any coach out there with a proven history, then offer him a heavily incentive leaden contract with huge bonuses for getting this team to actually play as a unit and win games. the more wins, the bigger the payout. i can dream, can't i?

[vadvlfan]

Maybe it's because NO ONE would want to come in and take a job from a GM so well-known for having a short fuse with coaches

I think any of the usual suspects (hitch/Keenan/hartley etc) would come in in a heartbeat. you have no where to go but up. if someone came in and went 5-3-2 in first 10 games, he would be considered a success. maybe theses guys need an a$$hole to run this. jmac was groomed by lou for this job. I don't think he's going anywhere.

I think this current funk started in the playoffs last year with lemaire. maybe lemaire saw something?, and quit because of it.

[coldply123]

Maybe it's because Vanderbeek is telling Lou he's not going to get the chance to make any more coaching decisions and the time has come for Lou to go.

[maxpower]

maybe it's because they're not panicked lunatics on an internet message board, and don't want to fix a mistake with another mistake. there's like 4 guys on the market, they're all brutal.

[Allthegoodnamesweretaken]

How could those 4 guys be any worse than MacLean right now? We have the second worst record in the league. Unless of course.... they're former Islanders coaches...

[maxpower]

How could those 4 guys be any worse than MacLean right now? We have the second worst record in the league. Unless of course.... they're former Islanders coaches...

because they're not going to work for 6 months and go away? they're going to want long-term contracts. I don't want Hitch, I don't want Therrien and I sure as fvck don't want Keenan. Hartley I'm meh about. I would rather wait until the other 96% of coaching candidates are available.

but, by all means, screw things up for even longer.

[Sickman]

because they're not going to work for 6 months and go away? they're going to want long-term contracts. I don't want Hitch, I don't want Therrien and I sure as fvck don't want Keenan. Hartley I'm meh about. I would rather wait until the other 96% of coaching candidates are available.

but, by all means, screw things up for even longer.

Yeah pretty much. Assuming that the Devils don't botch the draft, letting the season just ride out as is really is best course of action at this point, coach and all. There is no recovering from the damage that has been caused to this season. But in saying that, the fans just want to have a bone thrown their way and unfortunately Mac is the easiest one to get rid of. I think most followers of the team understand that we just have some awful contracts on the books that are not going anywhere for the time being. I think it's also pretty clear that Mac hasn't made the best of decisions on many occasions. This is not a good gig for a rookie.

It's a difficult situation because the team doesn't even appear as if they can compete right now and there is a lot of season to be played. Unless they're playing a mediocre team like Ottawa, they're going to be hard pressed to beat anyone. They should be better and you would think that they would eventually get better, but it just seems like they reach a lower point every single game. Last night's game was lost before half the building got into their seats. It's just difficult to continue on like this even if it may be the best thing in the long run. I think most people just want a sign of hope that something is being done to get the team back on track asap.

[maxpower]

maybe you can throw Bruce Boudreau into that heap. it's only a matter of time. he's like the opposite of a dinosaur. still way too far in one direction, but not regressive

[jagknife]

maybe you can throw Bruce Boudreau into that heap. it's only a matter of time. he's like the opposite of a dinosaur. still way too far in one direction, but not regressive

if he gets fired, he'd better be #1 on Lou's list.

he made Washington respectable with Ovie/Semin's help, Kovy and Zach can fill that role

[SS-SS]

if he gets fired, he'd better be #1 on Lou's list.he made Washington respectable with Ovie/Semin's help, Kovy and Zach can fill that role

IMO this guy is far from what we need.This guy maybe proved that he had no hockey sense during last playoffs.

He basically kept throwing in the same game plan during all the series.He didn't adjust his team.

Jacques Martin just crushed him.Yes Halak was great but Montreal was blocking a bunch of shots per game and a lot of the shots that WAS took we just dead shots from too far away.

[maxpower]

yeah, that really wasn't a ringing endorsement. he's like the anti-Julien. if it does happen now, I'm almost amazed it took this long. that team is a walking, skating, living bad habit.

now, THEY could use one of the regressive dinosaurs.

[Triumph]

Maybe it's because NO ONE would want to come in and take a job from a GM so well-known for having a short fuse with coaches

coaching jobs are extremely limited, most guys cannot be choosers if they want to coach in the NHL.

[Devil Fan]

because he is doing a good job at netting a first overall pick.

[sundstrom]

there's really no reason to can mac even though he's so clearly over his head.

you have players all but screaming that it's not on him. now you could say that's because he's too easy on them but he's practiced them hard and i don't think he's got an issue w/ motivating them.

add on top of this that you'll just be adding another coach on the payroll that's not working and the fact that you've got a lost season as it is, i'd almost take the opportunity to let mac learn a bit on the job. there aren't really much better choices out there at this time.

i'd let him ride out the year, especially if it furthers the cause that is #operation1stoverall.

now next year, if they're not good immediately (assuming the roster says they should be), then he's got the quickest of quick hooks.

but this year - there's just no reason unless he does something unfathomable.

[Vic Rattlehead18]

Here's a thought...are there any goalies projected to place top 5 pick in the draft?

[sundstrom]

Here's a thought...are there any goalies projected to place top 5 pick in the draft?

i'm hoping that you're being sarcastic. i would start a riot if they wasted what is sure to be a top 5 pick on what is easily the most replaceable position in hockey.

[elias2600]

Thankfully no goalies near the top of the draft. Agreed that a top 5 pick on a goalie is not a good idea.

[Kovy Island]

I personally would not expect anyone to come in here mid-year and do little more than add a bump to this teams record. The names on the market right now make Lemaire seem like a progressive in regards to coaching style. Unfortunately, one can't expect anything worthwhile to arrive on the market until after the season and though I, like most of us, are loath to give up on the season there are few if any quick fixes out there.

Though I joined recently (thanks threecups), I'd have to say I was never in line for the MacLean hiring. Watching from a distance, there are coaches with an identity and coaches who push the old assessment that a little hard work and responsibility are the robitussin for any problem. Most years, the latter would be just the prescription for the problem, but this year the team is going through a transformation. The identity of the Devils is stuck somewhere between a defensive push the counter attack system and a fore-checking aggressive style, and please do enjoy my lack of hockey terminology. What I'm trying to say is that MacLean is the continuation of that which came before him, he has no identity of his own, no system. At a time where everything on this team seems to be going through a transition of some sort, it seems silly and almost foolish to have a coach who can provide no answers past "work hard" or "finish your checks."

There's talent on this team, it just needs an idea to rally behind.

[BlueSkirt]

there's really no reason to can mac even though he's so clearly over his head.

you have players all but screaming that it's not on him. now you could say that's because he's too easy on them but he's practiced them hard and i don't think he's got an issue w/ motivating them.

add on top of this that you'll just be adding another coach on the payroll that's not working and the fact that you've got a lost season as it is, i'd almost take the opportunity to let mac learn a bit on the job. there aren't really much better choices out there at this time.

i'd let him ride out the year, especially if it furthers the cause that is #operation1stoverall.

now next year, if they're not good immediately (assuming the roster says they should be), then he's got the quickest of quick hooks.

but this year - there's just no reason unless he does something unfathomable.

but why not replace Oates ? Our team is terrible on offense and this is his job. Let's get some fresh blood behind the bench & see if it makes a difference

[ThreeCups]

The season is lost. We will see what happens next year. I do not blame this entirely on Oates. He can't play for these guys out there....

[The 29th Pick]

Lets not forget.....The NJ Devils do not have endless money to spend on nothing........here's what I mean, Lemaire is still under contract being PAID his coaches salary, Salvador is nowhere to be found being PAID his players salary, if Lou fires J Mac and Oates, they will still be paid their coaching salary.............This adds up to MILLIONS of dollars, add to that the crazy contracts our non-producing players are making and this equals throwing MILLIONS of dollars out the window. I think Lou realizes this and is thinking, enough is enough, this year is what it is. We'll get back to sanity during this off season.

We have Kovi for another 14 years....we'll built another winning team soon enough.

[njdevil26]

I am going to write a blog now... but I was one of the people on the PLEASE DON'T FIRE JMAC train. Now I want him gone.

He admitted last week that the team "wasn't ready" for a certain game. And it has now shown at home against Montreal and Detroit. If the team is not ready to play a game, I put that on the coach. JMac should have been fired at 11pm Saturday.