Some people might not be surprised that the New Jersey Devils, a primarily defensive team, are having problems winning this season but I am. They have been a force to be reckoned with since before the lockout, even if they do play a defensive style. So why is it this season the Devils seem destined for the basement?
Not to pin the blame on the Devils' new coach, but it isn't necessarily wise to have a former player- All-Star status or not- coach. Obviously MacLean has proven himself in the past, but he's now a rookie coach in the NHL and his team is not performing well. Could this be down to inexperience? Possibly, but there are other factors, as there always are, to be taken into consideration.
Salary cap problems have plagued and will continue to plague teams. You cold solve this by abolishing the salary cap, but I think that's a terrible idea because hockey would then become like the vicious worlds of professional soccer and basketball where as long as a team has the money they can stock their rosters with the glittering stars that the sport has to offer. Five Devils are earning $5 million or more, six Devils are earning $3-4.5 million, four players earn $1-2.9 million and the rest of the roster fall bellow the million dollar mark. The Devils' are not the most plagued but its clear that they have their issues. Combine this with the drama surrounding Kovalchuck both on and off the ice and you have a recipe for disaster.
The under performance of the big stars is another major concern, with Kovalchuck being benched for his lack of offence, Brodeur posting just 2 wins in 9 games and other players, like Volchenkov out due to injury.
There are many problems surrounding the Devils', and many want to see MacLean fired. I disagree. It's not just down to him. They need to get their act together, and soon, because otherwise MacLean will lose his job, and we may just see the Devil's getting the number one pick in the 2011 draft.
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