It's been a tough season for the New Jersey Devils. After firing head coach John Hynes in early December, the team has since parted ways with general manager Ray Shero, who had been at the helm of the team for more than four years. No one could have predicted that the Devils would have such a rocky start this year. In fact, many pegged them to be the most improved team over the offseason after drafting centre Jack Hughes and adding one-time Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban, as well as Wayne Simmonds and Nikita Gusev. So what went wrong? Insiders Elliott Friedman and Darren Dreger are saying a new analytics department may have had something to do with it.
Friedman wrote the following in his latest 31 Thoughts:
All GMs have their “people,” a group of confidants who really know what's going on. Some circles are tighter than others, a few notoriously so. Shero's is very tight. That was his way in Pittsburgh, that was his way in New Jersey.When the analytics job was posted last year, it created the impression that the analytics department would have an open line to ownership and not necessarily report to the GM. The Devils liked two of the finalists, and decided to hire both (Tyler Dellow and Matt Cane).
I'm not saying that anyone submarined anyone else, but I don't believe Shero was ever comfortable with all of this. The Subban trade was one where he felt pulled in a lot of directions, but ultimately made the decision.
Dreger recently echoed similar sentiments during a recent edition of TSN's Insider Trading.
Perhaps the most interesting part regarding Shero in the latest 31 Thoughts was that the team had been looking to sign him to an extension in the offseason. Obviously, that never came to fruition and Shero is now looking for work elsewhere. Friedman also addressed this:
I've got no interest in kicking anyone while they are down, and Shero is yet to speak, but, from what I can piece together, the relationship between him and the rest of the organization withered as the stress of this season intensified. One particular bone of contention was decision making over the last year or two in goal — including insurance policies for 2019-20. MacKenzie Blackwood looks legit, but he was thrown into something he wasn't ready for.
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Source: 31 Thoughts
