While speaking with reporters on May 8, New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe had a powerful message for the team. The Devils' bench boss made it abundantly clear that he expects the team to hit another level after taking a step forward during the 2024-25 campaign.
"We took steps this season, without question," Keefe said. "My message to a lot of the guys is, there's a foundation here now, but when I look at it, to me, we finished 16 out of 32 teams in the regular season. That’s average, and we’re not here to be average. We wanna be better."
After missing the playoffs in 2023-24, the Devils finished this campaign third in the Metropolitan Division with a 42-33-7 record. Overall, it was a nice step in the right direction, but they also finished 16th in the NHL standings and got knocked out in the first round in just five games by the Carolina Hurricanes. Thus, it is understandable that Keefe has higher expectations for the club moving forward.
The Devils undoubtedly have the potential to blossom into legitimate contenders, especially when noting that they have a great core consisting of Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Luke Hughes, Jacob Markstrom, and Timo Meier. However, management has some work to do to improve the team's depth, and Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has confirmed that the team will sport a different roster next season because of it.
Nevertheless, it is going to be very intriguing to see if Keefe can lead the Devils to new heights next season. Clearly, he is very motivated and has high expectations for the team.
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