The New Jersey Devils have finally zeroed in on a candidate to be the team's next head coach, and it's not a name we've heard before.
John Hynes and Guy Boucher, among others, have been mentioned numerous times over the last few weeks, but it appears the Devils plan on going off the board.
Former Devils defenseman, albeit for 22 games, Phil Housley is reportedly Ray Shero's top choice for the vacant head coaching position.
Via NJ.com: Shero has done an extensive search to find the right coach for the Devils, considering Guy Boucher of SC Bern in Switzerland, Washington Capitals assistant coach Todd Reirden and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton AHL coach John Hynes, but Housley has emerged as the leading choice.
Housley has done a great job of bringing their young defensemen along - notably Roman Josi and Seth Jones, though there are others - and would fit like a glove in New Jersey with all the young blue liners they're trying to develop.
It will be interesting to see if anything comes to fruition - and if the Devils have to cough up a pick if/when they hire Housley - but I think he'd be a great fit for where the Devils are at and the personnel they have.
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Devils defense prospect Josh Jacobs has de-registered from Michigan State University and will be playing hockey for the OHL's Sarnia Sting this fall.
He will presumably form a top pairing with Jakob Chychrun, who is projected to be a top-3 pick in the 2016 draft.
The Sting have a good core in place that features Pavel Zacha, Nikita Korostelev, Jordan Kyrou and Chychrun, among others, so Jacobs isn't joining a lost cause.
In the OHL he'll get more games and more minutes than he'd get at MSU which likely factored into the decision. He could also sign a pro contract right now and still play in the OHL whereas if he signed a pro contract he'd have to leave MSU immediately.
Jacobs follows in the footsteps of fellow Devils prospect Reid Boucher who did the same thing a few years back.
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