The New Jersey Devils have parted ways with head coach Lindy Ruff amid a struggling season. Team president Tom Fitzgerald addressed the news in an official press release.

“I hold our entire organization to the highest levels of accountability to focus on being a competitive team that expects to be a perennial playoff contender,” Fitzgerald said, via the NHL. “Unfortunately, we are not currently at that level, and I needed to make this decision.”

As of the moment, associate coach Travis Green will be manning the helm for the Devils.

Under Ruff, New Jersey currently holds a record of 30-27-4 this season. The seasoned head coach went 128-125-28 throughout his tenure with the team.

During the 2022-23 season, Lindy Ruff officially became the fifth NHL coach to amass 800 career wins. Furthermore, he was named a finalist for the 2023 Jack Adams Award after steering the Devils to a 52-22-8 record.

Ruff's firing comes just four days ahead of the trade deadline. Last Friday, the team acquired defenseman Kurtis MacDermid in exchange for forward Zakhar Bardakov and a seventh-round pick. In addition, the Devils also obtained a part of Christopher Tanev's salary after being involved in a three-team trade with the Calgary Flames and the Dallas Stars late last month.

With a little more room before trades are closed, the Devils could be looking for a final transaction to boost the team's chances for a Wild Card spot. There are 21 games left in the season, and New Jersey is eight points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning, who hold the final Wild Card slot in the Eastern Conference.