Editing New Jersey Devils (section)

===Style of play===
{{Update section|date=July 2024}}
The Devils have been known as a defense-first team since head coach Jacques Lemaire's first tenure,<ref>{{cite news|last=Chere|first=Rich|title=Reputation as 'trapping coach' bothers NJ Devils' Jacques Lemaire|work=The Star-Ledger|date=September 18, 2009|url=http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2009/09/reputation_as_trapping_coach_b.html|access-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref> although the Devils have twice led the Eastern Conference in goals scored, once leading the NHL in goals scored (295 goals for in 2000–01).<ref>{{cite web|title=1999–00 NHL Season Summary|publisher=Hockey-Reference|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2000.html|access-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=2000–01 NHL Season Summary|publisher=Hockey-Reference|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_2001.html|access-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref> Lemaire gave the Devils their defensive mantra when he implemented a system commonly called the "[[neutral zone trap]]".<ref>{{cite web|last=Mazzeo|first=Mike|title=Jacques Lemaire one win away from 600|publisher=ESPN|date=February 11, 2011|url=https://www.espn.com/new-york/nhl/news/story?id=6109482|access-date=May 16, 2013}}</ref> This system is designed to force teams to turn over the puck in the neutral zone leading to a counterattack.<ref>{{cite news|title = Caught in a trap: almost every team in the NHL has implemented a "system", but what exactly does that mean?|date =January–February 2004|last = Kreiser|first = John|publisher = Hockey Digest}}</ref> This style of play led the team to be chastised by the media and hockey purists for "making the NHL boring."<ref>{{cite news|title = Boring is beautiful: the Devils' defense-first style may be hell to watch, but it's hard to argue with the results|date =January 2001|last = Anderson|first = Chris|publisher = Hockey Digest}}</ref> Nevertheless, the Devils were successful using this style of play, and Devils head coach Larry Robinson asserted that the Montreal Canadiens teams he played on in the 1970s (who also won the Cup many times) used a form of the trap, though it did not have a name.<ref>{{cite news|title = Scrap the trap—please|date =September 20, 2004|last = Yorio|first = Kara|work = [[The Sporting News]]|volume = 228|issue = 38|page = 56}}</ref>

Under head coach [[Brent Sutter]], the team adopted less of a trap and more of a transitional, aggressive forechecking style of play which also emphasized puck possession and instilled the cycle to start the 2007–08 season.<ref name="pressure">{{cite news|url=http://www.sny.tv/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060930&content_id=1410377&oid=36218&vkey=15|title=Devils trying to love pressure|date=September 2006|publisher=SNY.tv|access-date=November 14, 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927012151/http://www.sny.tv/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060930&content_id=1410377&oid=36218&vkey=15|archive-date=September 27, 2007}}</ref> This led to many high scoring games early in the season for New Jersey. The Devils went on to score 244 goals in the 2008–09 season, the most the team had scored in eight seasons.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2009/04/in_playoff_run_new_jersey_devi.html|title=In playoff run, New Jersey Devils seeing stars emerge in Zach Parise and Travis Zajac|access-date=February 25, 2012|date=April 20, 2009|work=[[The Star-Ledger]]|author=Brendan Prunty}}</ref> However, with the return of Lemaire as head coach, the Devils resumed a more defense-oriented playing style, scoring just 222 goals and allowing only 191, an NHL best in the 2009–10 season, earning [[Martin Brodeur]] his fifth [[William M. Jennings Trophy]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SilverwareTrophyWinner.jsp?tro=WJT&year=2009-10|title=Silverware – 2009–10&nbsp;William M. Jennings Trophy Winner – Brodeur, Martin|publisher=Legends of Hockey|access-date=March 26, 2015}}</ref>

Lemaire has since re-entered retirement, and was replaced by former Florida head coach Peter DeBoer on July 19, 2011. The team showed greater offensive prowess during the 2011–12 season, employing a more aggressive forecheck centered on Ilya Kovalchuk.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/gametracker/preview/NHL_20120224_VAN@NJ/canucksdevils-preview|title=Vancouver at New Jersey|access-date=February 25, 2012|work=CBS Sports|quote=New Jersey is boasting some impressive offensive depth of its own, scoring 39 goals in the last 11 games – 14 during its four-game winning streak.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=555411|title=Kovalchuk carrying Devils with timely goal-scoring|date=March 8, 2011|access-date=February 25, 2012|publisher=[[National Hockey League]]}}</ref> Under DeBoer's system, according to Lamoriello, the Devils' defenseman were often sent into the offensive zone to apply pressure on the opposing team's defense.<ref>{{cite news|last=Klein|first=Jeff|title=Devils Follow Example of Their Coaches' Success|work=The New York Times|date=June 2, 2012|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/sports/hockey/devils-follow-example-of-deboer-and-other-coaches.html|access-date=March 8, 2015}}</ref> After DeBoer's dismissal, [[Adam Oates]] had a similar approach improving the Devils' offense, investing on the versatility of the forwards.<ref name=oates/> Oates left the organization in 2015, and the head coaching position was filled by [[John Hynes (ice hockey)|John Hynes]], who shifted the focus to a more "fast, attacking, supportive" style of play in an effort to score more goals.<ref name="hynesyh">{{cite web |last1=Cooper |first1=Josh |title=John Hynes Devils to be 'fast, attacking, supportive' |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/john-hynes-devils-to-be--fast--attacking--supportive-172404857.html |access-date=May 1, 2025 |website=Yahoo Sports |date=June 2, 2015}}</ref> Hynes remained as head coach until he was dismissed in 2020, replaced by long-term assistant [[Alain Nasreddine]], who kept the same general strategy intact with a slight increase to offensive execution.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mastracco |first1=Abbey |title=How interim coach Alain Nasreddine has changed the NJ Devils |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/nhl/devils/2020/01/10/nj-devils-coaching-search-alain-nasreddine-changes-made/2833813001/ |website=northjersey.com |access-date=May 1, 2025 |date=January 10, 2020}}</ref> In 2021, Nasreddine was replaced by [[Lindy Ruff]]. Under Ruff, the Devils were known to play with an up-tempo style that highlighted the speed of their young talent.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wyshynski |first1=Greg |title=Devils sign coach Lindy Ruff to multiyear extension |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/38631937/devils-sign-coach-lindy-ruff-multiyear-extension |website=ESPN.com |access-date=May 1, 2025 |date=October 11, 2023}}</ref> Ruff remained as head coach until he was replaced by his assistant [[Travis Green]] during the 2023–24 season, who maintained a similar style of play as interim, but with a focus on encouraging the players to adopt a stronger mentality.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Slompo |first1=Jordan |title=Is Travis Green the Long-Term Solution for the Devils? |url=https://thehockeywriters.com/is-green-long-term-solution-for-devils/ |website=The Hockey Writers |access-date=May 1, 2025 |date=March 8, 2024}}</ref>