Following a first-round exit at the hands of Carolina, the Devils are making some changes to their coaching staff. The team announced that the contracts of assistants Ryan McGill and Chris Taylor will not be renewed, nor will the deals of AHL Utica assistant coach David Cunniff and head video coach Jerry Dineen. A search for their replacements has now started.
McGill has been behind an NHL bench each year since the 2017-18 campaign, spending five of those with Vegas and the last three with the Devils. Additionally, he spent two years as an assistant in Calgary, making him one of the more experienced coaches to soon hit the open market. His main responsibilities were to work with the team’s defense and penalty killing units.
As for Taylor, he spent the last five years as an assistant in New Jersey, his first taste of NHL coaching action after being the head coach at AHL Rochester for the three previous seasons, the team he played for at the end of his career. His role was more of on the development side, working with their younger players.
Despite McGill and Taylor’s departures, there are still some holdovers on Sheldon Keefe’s staff. Assistants Sergei Brylin and Jeremy Colliton were not listed among the list of non-renewals, nor was goalie coach Dave Rogalski. With there already being two primary assistants on staff, it’s possible that the team opts to only fill one of the two positions and run with a leaner group moving forward.
And somehow rogalski survives…
I had a brief conversation with a Devils fan and he singled out Rogalski too. What’s the scoop on the guy?
In the immortal words of Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons “Worst Goalie Coach Ever”
Basically every goalie regressed under his eye. Kills prospects left right and centre. Jake Allen is prob the only exception.
The prevailing theory is he has nudes of the owners that shall be released at the time of his release/firing
Didn’t McGill run the PK? Wasn’t it 2nd in the league?
Letting McGill go is brutal. Fitzpatrick needs to follow his @$$ right out the door.
Fitzgerald*