Here's a recap of the latest Devils news and notes from this week.
NEWARK, N.J. -- It's been a quiet couple of weeks for the New Jersey Devils since their season ended on May 11. Plenty of difficult decisions will need to be made over the next couple of months with regard to the team's restricted and unrestricted agents, but for right now, all is quiet.
Here's a wrap-up of all the latest Devils' news and notes as the team prepares for the NHL Scouting Combine and NHL Entry Draft.
New Jersey Devils Headlines
- Andrew Brunette was officially introduced as the head coach of the Nashville Predators. In addition to his introductory media availability, he met with fans at a Predators select-a-seat event. He cited his relationship with Barry Trotz and David Poile as a factor in his decision.
"You can't put a price tag on people that care about you, people that are there for you and support you through all the different stages of your life," Brunette said. "And they've been there the whole time. So when an opportunity [arose] to come to Nashville and to work for those who brought me here, it was hard to say no… There were a lot of really good offers and teams, but this was the place that my heart was at and with the people I want to be with."
What Have Your Favorite Devils Players Been Up To?
- Jesper Bratt and his girlfriend spent time in Los Cabos, Mexico, according to his public Instagram account. The 24-year-old is coming off another impressive season where he matched his career-high 73 points (32 goals, 41 assists).
- Another player who enjoyed some well-deserved R&R is Dawson Mercer, who posted photos from his getaway in Maui, Hawaii. The Bay Roberts native had an excellent sophomore season with 56 points and broke Scott Gomez's record for the most consecutive games to start an NHL career in franchise history.
Around the Metropolitan Division
- The New York Rangers were granted permission to speak with John Hynes for their head coach vacancy. As my colleague Jonny Lazarus reported, the former Devils' head coach has a history with Rangers general manager Chris Drury as they were teammates together at Boston University.
- As Ryan Quigley shared, the Flyers elevated three members of their staff to new roles, promoting Alyn McCauley to assistant general manager, Riley Armstrong to director of player development, and Nick Schultz to assistant director of player development.
- Spencer Carbery was hired as the new head coach of the Washington Capitals. He previously served as an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs. My colleague, Sammi Silber, has more on the story.
- The changes keep coming in Pittsburgh. On June 1, Kyle Dubas was hired as president of hockey operations, and as Nick Horwat shared, the director of hockey strategy Alec Schall, senior vice president of sports science, Teena Murray, and director of pro scouting, Kerry Huffman, were all fired, as first reported by Frank Seravalli.