When the New Jersey Devils' 2025 Training Camp opens in September, Brad Shaw will get his first look at his new "D" core, which is a mixture of youngsters in Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey and veterans that include Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce.
Shaw joined Sheldon Keefe's staff in late May as an assistant. He will replace Ryan McGill, focusing on the Devils' defense and penalty kill. Keefe's coaching staff for the 2025-26 season also includes assistant coaches Jeremy Colliton and Sergei Brylin and goaltending coach Dave Rogalski.
"(Shaw) has got tremendous experience in the NHL," Keefe told The Hockey News on Wednesday. "He had some stints as a head coach in the league on an interim basis in the past. He has a tremendous amount of respect around the league, and players who have played for him have nothing but great things to say."
Keefe and Shaw have a history that dates back to the 2000-01 season. Shaw served as the head coach of the Detroit Vipers (IHL), where he coached the Devils' head coach.
"Having worked with him as a player, I had tremendous respect for him," Keefe said. "His ability to relate to players, and just his overall personality. As a young player myself coming in, I found it very easy to talk to him and felt that he really cared about me and my development."
The Devils' blue line was one of its strengths last season, with the additions of Brenden Dillon, Johnathan Kovacevic, and Pesce making an immediate impact. During the regular season, New Jersey had a penalty kill percentage of 82.7%, the second-best in the league, behind only the Carolina Hurricanes.
Kovacevic underwent knee surgery in May and will not be available for training camp. Nemec and Casey are expected to compete for that spot and join Hamilton, Dillon, Pesce, and Jonas Siegenthaler on the opening night roster. Luke Hughes, 21, remains an unsigned restricted free agent as his agent and general manager, Tom Fitzgerald, continue to work towards a new deal.
There will be a blend of old and young on New Jersey's blue line, and Shaw is the ideal coach for the Devils' "D" core.
"He has worked with everything from high-end young players who are new to the league and adjusting and adapting, and veteran players," Keefe said. "I think that is a really good balance that he has, that I think he can bring to our group, because it is kind of where our "D" core sits, in terms of having some great veteran players, but also young players who are very important to our team that we need to bring along very quickly."
Shaw's resume and pedigree should positively influence a "D" core that some believe is one of the best in the NHL entering the 2025-26 season. With Keefe's seal of approval, fans should be excited to see what the next step looks like for New Jersey's blue line.
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