After parting ways with Lindy Ruff, the New Jersey Devils have found their next head coach. The Devils have reportedly agreed on a four-year deal to make Sheldon Keefe their new team leader, per TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger. Keefe looks to help elevate New Jersey after a subpar 2023-24 season.

Sheldon Keefe is coming off a five-year coaching stint with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A former wing for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Keef showed his expertise and coaching ability through several winning seasons with the Maple Leafs.

He joined Toronto in November of 2019 and helped the team accumulate 81 points, which earned them an NHL Playoff Qualifying Round opportunity. The Leafs lost their matchup to the Columbus Blue Jackets in five games. However, Keefe put them in a good spot to improve the following season.

Toronto went 34-14-17 and massed 77 points during the 2020-21 season. They finished as the top team in the former NHL North division. Unfortunately, Toronto saw an early exit again with a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Keefe led Toronto to three more winning seasons. Yet, his 2023-24 stint with the team did not end as hoped. The Maple Leafs went 82-46-26 and totaled 102 points. They finished third-best in the Atlantic  Division and went on to face the Boston Bruins in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Maple Leafs fell 4-3, marking the end of Keefe's tenure. Keefe is now set to provide support to the Devils, who are in desperate need of momentum.

New Devils coach Sheldon Keefe looks to take New Jersey to the next level

The Devils are coming off an 81-point season, which saw them rank second-t0-last in the Metropolitan Division. Their tough season saw them part ways with Lindy Ruff, who had been with the team for four years. Ruff did a respectable job establishing a foundation for New Jersey.

In 2023, the Devils made the NHL Playoffs for the first time since 2018. In addition, Ruff became the fifth league coach to amass 800 career wins. Furthermore, he was named a finalist for the 2023 Jack Adams Award.

Nevertheless, the Devils took a step back in 2023-24, and Ruff took accountability for the team's woes in late February shortly before his firing.

“I take full responsibility,” Ruff said, per NHL.com. “You want to win, and we've dealt with a lot. Players want to win. I'm responsible for the wins and losses, who gets on the ice and who doesn't get on the ice. I said this before, we got a passionate fan base. They want to see wins, and if you look at our home record, that part hurts. So, I feel fully responsible.”

Sheldon Keefe will take over Ruff's responsibilities and looks to help the team regain success. Outside of a revamped coaching core, the Devils should have stout contributors returning for 2024-25. If they mesh with Keefe and continue to build chemistry with each other, they should be able to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It will be interesting to see what other moves New Jersey makes during the 2024 offseason.