With Hynes fired, Devils next Head Coach MUST have previous NHL Head Coaching Experience with One Exception

The New Jersey Devils finally fired Head Coach John Hynes after a 9-13-4 start to the season and a 7-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night. Assistant Coach Alain Nasreddine was promoted to Interim Head Coach just hours before the game against the Vegas Golden Knights, which they lost 4-3 to fall to 9-14-4. Yes, the change was made in between a back-to-back situation. Peter Horachek, a pro scout for the Devils and two time Interim Coach himself of the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs will assume Nasraddine's old duties as his Assistant. General Manager Ray Shero implied that the Rangers game and the Sabres debacle were the last straws to fall for Hynes.

So, with the change made, my simple opinion is that Shero must hire previous NHL coach to the full-time role with one exception. And, he must stay away from Dan Bylsma despite previous success. I will get to the exception later. Obviously, this is Nasraddine's first Head Coaching job, being it is Interim, so he will be given every opportunity to earn the full-time gig should the Devils find a way to go on a run, which for now seems very bleak at the moment. Here is my list:

Guy Boucher: He reached the conference finals in each of his first seasons in Tampa and Ottawa, but things went downhill after that. But, he is known as a very fiery guy, which the Devils need and maybe with their culture, he can find much longer success than the previous two stops.

Bob Hartley: He is currently enjoying life in the KHL with Omsk, but we know his pedigree in the NHL, won a Stanley Cup in 2001 with Colorado over NJ. Hartley might rub off the wrong way on teams but he deserves another shot in the league and he can create a structure in New Jersey.

Tony Granato: Currently the coach at the University of Wisconsin, he worked with Ray Shero in Pittsburgh under Bylsma. He also coached Team USA at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. I think he definitely has earned the right to be an NHL Head Coach again. His last job was in Colorado.

Jeff Blashill: Assuming he gets fired in Detroit, he might be a very intriguing option.

Mike Babcock: I think you would be stupid not to give him a call. But, given his recent fall-out with some former players and previous connections to Bill Peters, I think it is best to stay away from him at least until the Summer.

Darryl Sutter: Yes, he retired from coaching, but maybe you could consider giving him a call. His teams play very good defense and the Devils need to get some MOJO back there.

Mike Yeo: Currently a Flyers Assistant, he did work with Ray Shero in Pittsburgh and coached in Minnesota and St. Louis. Assuming, he learned from his past mistakes, the 3rd time could be a charm for Yeo.

Joe Sacco: A former Head Coach in Colorado, he is now the lead Assistant in Boston and with the way they are playing and being an upper echelon team for years as well as their player development programs, Sacco could be a serious candidate. In my opinion, he should be in Shero's top 5.

And here is the exception:

Rikard Gronborg: He is the Swedish Men's National Team Head Coach and currently the coach of the ZSC Lions in Switzerland. The problem is, he is under contract with them until Summer 2021 with no NHL out clause. However, thru some legal channels, he could find his way to the NHL sooner. He is widely viewed as the best coach outside the NHL.