Bringing back Lemaire can work

Some of you had asked for my opinion on the Devils bringing back Jacques Lemaire today and I promised I'd get to it before the end of the day, so here it goes.

First of all, to be honest, if Lou Lamoriello had announced today that he had hired Toe Blake's zombie to coach the team, I would have been happy. The coaching search had dragged on forever and, with little news leaking out, it was getting pretty annoying that no one had been hired.

Only one person actually had been talking to the media and it turned out that he was the one who got the job. It's rare that something like that happens with the Devils.

Of course, bringing back someone who had been with the organization previously is nothing new for Lamoriello. He's done it many times with players, including Brian Rolston, Bobby Holik and Brendan Shananhan just last season.

Is bringing back Lemaire the right move?

My initial reaction to the idea more than a month ago was negative because of Lemaire's age -- he'll be 64 in less than two months -- and the idea that he'll probably be out of here in another two or three years. After so many coaching changes in the last decade, I believe this team needs a plan for continuity behind the bench and that was why I was favor in hiring someone younger.

I did say, however, that hiring Lemaire wouldn't be a bad idea if he also was brought in to groom his successor. That's not quite the case here, but there does appear to be a plan in place for the team's future behind the bench with John MacLean taking over as the head coach in Lowell.

MacLean was stuck in his role as an assistant with the Devils without any head coaching experience. He couldn't move up. Now, he can be his own man in Lowell and see if he has what it takes to run a bench by himself and maybe set himself up to be Lemaire's successor.

The increased role that Scott Stevens is willing to take on in 2009-10 will also be a plus for the organization and might be a significant step toward grooming him to be a full-time assistant.

Getting back to New Jersey, Lemaire can be the right choice for the Devils for several reasons.

First, he commands instant respect from a group that has been hard on its share of head coaches over the years. Lemaire's 11 Stanley Cup rings, his history with the Devils and the high regard that Lamoriello clearly has for him leaves no questions about who will be in charge in the locker room and behind the bench.

Second, although the Devils were fourth in the NHL in goals-against average in 2008-09, they do need to make some improvements defensively. One of their glaring weaknesses, which was exposed repeatedly by the Carolina Hurricanes, is protecting a lead late in the game. Whether they tried sitting back or being aggressive under Brent Sutter, it was a problem.

Lemaire's meticulous attention to defensive detail will help them in this area.

Another potential payoff with Lemaire would be getting more out of Brian Rolston. Rolston is to blame for his own struggles last season. His ankle injury contributed and the sometimes-limited role he played didn't help, but the player has to take responsibilty and I think Rolston has done that. At the same time, playing for a coach he clearly respects and knows how good he can be will help him. For some reason, Brent Sutter never gave Rolston a chance to kill penalties last season after he came back from his injury.

I get the feeling that Rolston will feed off getting more responsibilty from Lemaire, but I also think he needs to shift back to wing, where he was very effective in Minnesota. That means that the Devils will need to add a center. I believe one will come via trade eventually. Who ends up leaving will be another story. Some of the young players the Devils are talking about giving a chance this season will probably  be headed out. (Some of the talk might be aimed at building up their value while also trying not to look so needy).

And the young players who do get a chance to play in New Jersey will benefit from learning for one of the best teachers in the game. 

So, there are positives in bringing back Lemaire, but there is one negative he must avoid. This team cannot go backward.

Yes, they can be responsible defensively, but skilled forwards such as Zach Parise, Travis Zajac and Patrik Elias must be given the opportunity to use their skills and skating defensemen such as Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya must get the green light to join the play.

Defensemen must have the freedom to pinch from the point when the opportunity is right. Without help from their defensemen, three forwards rarely win battles for the puck and create chances against five defenders packed down low in their defensive zone.

This team can still be successful pressuring the puck in the offensive zone. They demonstrated that under Sutter.

Lemaire is a smart enough coach to recognize this. He will tinker with some things, but he recognizes the talent he has to work with -- much more than he ever had in Minnesota -- and he will go about making the most of it.

The man knows how to coach. He knows the game as thoroughly as anyone. That's why Steve Yzerman wanted him as an assistant on the Canadian Olympic team. He will prove invaluable to that squad.

Having him behind their bench can be even more beneficial for the Devils. As Sutter had to initially stress to the Devils that pressuring the puck doesn't mean forgetting about defense, Lemaire might have to remind his new players that playing defense doesn't have to mean giving up anything offensively.

There will be another transition period, but bringing back Lemaire can work.

Will it? We'll start finding out in October. 

Comments

[askdhhaskd]

TG, any idea who that center might be? I do agree with you Rolston should be shifted back to LW.

[JerryG]

Very good summation of what Lemaire brings to the Devils on his return. Like you and many others here, I was initially very against the idea a couple of weeks ago, but now think his return is a big plus for the Devils going forward.

And to you, TG, many many thanks for all your hard work today on behalf of us fans, keeping us informed and up-to-date.

Tell your editor you deserve an atta-boy for today!

[brian]

great summary especially about the d jumping into the play. i would like to point that in minny brent burns had some pretty good years jumping into the play and in pp situations and was poised for breakout year and invitation to canadas olympic camp before injuries hurt him so in lemaire's system there is room for offensive defensemen.

[Bill]

i know who it will be.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/players/3005

[Tapiolevo09]

Very well said TG! Another glaring reason for another center is Lemaire, not unlike most successful hockey coaches is a big believer in puck possession. That starts in the faceoff circle. I'm sure his teaching will help some of the Devils in that area, though they still need an upgrade.
I'm curious how Elias and Langenbrunner feel about the new coach. Also, wonder if there are any remaining UFA's who Lemaire thinks highly of...Maybe that Wild Defenseman that's out there.

[murph]

Plekanec would work..but well see what lou does...hes a very strange yet smart man

[Put it THIS way]

so I was out of the house from 3:30pm-11:45 pm.

Come bac, and theirs about 8 new topics that TG has created. What a job that man does!

[murph]

yea i missed from about 5 oclock until about an hour ago and there was a lot to read..great work TG..looking forward to those pics tomorrow

[NJD4ever]

Yea i would agree Rollie should go back to Lw. I think he will be good and score at least 30. TG any rumors who that center may be? And is Zubov still a possibility ?

[nnjrules]

TG,
Side note but what ever happened with Bobby Carpenter. I know he left to care for his father who was ill. Always liked him and he seemed to be a good assistant coach. He knew both sides of the puck as a player. Seemed to drop of the face of earth.
if rollie is gonna play wing, well that spells bad news for bergfors. it would appear that he would be the center of any trade we make for a center. I don't see him playing on the 3rd line as lou said he needs top 6 ice time. We shall see

[Unknown]

Blackhawks Fire GM Dale Tallon...

http://csnchicago.com/pages/new_landing?Mora-Blackhawks-Fire-GM-Dale-Tallon=1&blockID=63735&feedID=661

[nnjrules]

Good move by the hawks, for us that is. I guess the owner wasn't happy he had to over pay for his RFA due to a mailing error. Now lou scoop in and get sharp as I assume they will want to move cap space.

[brickwall30]

you know one of the things im really excited about with this new coach is not having to hear mumbles saying "compete level" any more. WOW that was getting old.

Sutter: mummble mummble not enough compete level mummble mummble bike ride! mummble mummble

[Pearl Jammed]

Great wrap up TG, and once again(as always) Excellent work today, honestly before this blog all i would have had was the write up in the Record tommorow, so all this extra stuff is just plain awesome!

I too think this could work, and i think Lemaire is going to have a little more work to do than he thinks but his system WILL work here, and it will be great for the kids

[Speedz]

lmao ok my NHL 09 Be a pro mode is voodoo. In my game, clemmer is on the panthers, Pleckanec is on a line centering Elias, Gionta is on the canadiens and Bobby Holik retired. Thats really wierd.

[Jim B]

I would love to see Plekanec, but why would Montreal want to get rid of the guy? He does not have a large salary for them to dump, he puts up good statistics for a guy making 1.8 mil a year. He is a great player and would be great for the Devils, but I don't see why Montreal would want to get rid of him unless they get a trade they cannot refuse.

[Chris]

I pretty much went through the same though process...when I first heard his name mentioned a few months ago, I wasn't too thrilled. Stability with our bench is something I'd like to see, something we haven't had since, well oddly enough, Lemaire was the coach last time around.

My line of thinking was he wasn't going to be here long, especially since he publicly stated he was thinking seriously about retiring. However his comments to you guys today was pretty relieving - stating that he wants to be here for a few years and just as importantly, he's changed his ways and is more open to letting our players do what they do best. If he stays by his word in that regards, it'll be a great fit.

I'm sure it hasn't been released yet, but do you have any word of contract details yet TG? I don't care about the how much, just about the how long (although in this situation does that really matter?)

[JPL]

This was a classic Lou move to bring Lemaire back. He went out and got the best caoch available that he felt would make the team better.

[Futureman]

Lemaire will be great for the team. I personally don't think Mac will ever coach this team.

[DiscordantLight]

Will this affect Langenbrunner as capitan at all?

[Brodeur30]

Great work as always TG. Can't wait to see some pics (there are pics of Josefson and Taydenbooo on the Devils HF board).

Going to be an interesting camp this year considering Lemaire's track record with youngsters..

[Alex]

Yeah, I too was wondering if Langenbrunner will still be the captain... What do you guys think?

[Per]

Excellent post, wow. Please have more of your personal opinions in the posts, they are awesome to read!

[Tapiolevo09]

I mentioned the Langenbrunner to TG earlier and he said he left him a message but had not heard back yet. He also said since it's summer time he could be vacationing or something. I'm interested in Elias's thoughts as well. Elias played for Lemaire early in his career and I don't think Jacques trusted Patty with much ice time. However, it was also early in Patty's career.

[kstatik]

I'll be interested to see if Lou signs Clarkie's brother...

If he's any good. The interview I read about him was that he's bigger than David and more finesse.

Interesting!