Newly hired general manager Sunny Mehta announced changes to the New Jersey Devils coaching staff yesterday, but the team will stick with Sheldon Keefe as the head coach.
Sheldon Keefe will remain as head coach of the Devils https://t.co/JrWrIlHOtI
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— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 19, 2026
Keefe has been with the Devils for two seasons, and the team has an 84-70-10 record with him behind the bench. The team failed to make the playoffs this season in a relatively weak Metropolitan Division, finishing 21st in the league.
The Devils relieved goaltending coach Dave Rogalski of his duties, and assistant coach Sergei Brylin will assume a new role within the organization. The search for replacements in those roles has already begun.
Depth scoring was the Achilles heel for the Devils this season, with Timo Meier scoring only 44 points in 77 games. Starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom will need to bounce back next season, as the 36-year-old recorded an .883 save percentage and the 10th-worst goals saved above expected in the league.
Superstar Jack Hughes finished the season strong, registering 27 points in 16 games after the Olympic break, the third-most in the league over that span. Health will be a priority for Hughes, who played in 62 or fewer games over the past three seasons.
Mehta, who was hired in April, led the first full-time analytics department in the NHL in his previous role as the Devils’ director of hockey analytics, and won two Stanley Cups as assistant general manager of the Florida Panthers. The 48-year-old is taking on one of the best young cores in the league, but will undoubtedly have changes to make in the offseason.
Keefe will likely be on a short leash to start the season, as the Devils look to return to the postseason.
