`The search for a new head coach is finally over, and it may come as no surprise to some when John Hynes, former coach of the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins under GM Ray Shero, was given the position. Hynes, who will become the youngest head coach in the NHL at the age of 40, is set to be officially named head coach of the New Jersey Devils during a press conference on Tuesday afternoon. It is believed that Hynes signed a three year contract with New Jersey, according to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet. As a result of the hiring, the Devils will have to give up a third round draft pick in one of the next three years as compensation to the Penguins. The Devils currently have three third round picks in 2016 (New Jersey’s original third round pick, Florida’s pick from the Jaromir Jagr trade, and Detroit’s pick from the Marek Zidlicky trade), so that is likely when the pick will be given up.So what most Devils’ fans will be asking themselves, why Hynes?

As a graduate from Boston University, Hynes participated in four straight Frozen Four Tournaments, including bringing home the championship in 1995. Hynes then went on to begin his coaching career at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where he landed the assistant coaching job for the 2001-2002 season. He then moved on to become the assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin during the next season before landing a job as head coach for USA Hockey’s National Development team. Working as the coach of the program, Hynes also was able to help develop some of the best young up and comers in the game including the likes of Patrick Kane, James Van Riemsdyk, Phil Kessel and Corey Schneider, just to name a few.

Coach Hynes then moved on to the Pittsburgh Penguins organization in 2009 when he was named an assistant to Todd Reirden, one of the current assistant coaches with the Washington Capitals who was also a finalist for the Devils coaching vacancy. In 2010, Hynes was promoted to head coach of the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins and remained at that position until the end of this season. In his tenure as coach, Hynes posted an overall record of 231-126-8-13 while leading the Penguins to at least the second round of the playoffs in each of his 5 seasons, including 2 trips to the conference semifinals.

So why should we feel comfortable giving a young coach his first opportunity in the NHL? Well first off, having previously worked under Ray Shero, the two of them obviously are going to be very familiar with them and Shero is bringing him in for a reason. While his age may come as a red flag to some, bringing in a young and passionate coach can certainly help change some of the environment in the locker room. In an interview with Rich Chere of NJ.com, Stephen Gionta noted that he liked bringing in a young coach because “the younger coaches in the league, like Jon Cooper in Tampa, are bringing new ideas and having success.”

Hynes will bring about some fresh ideas for a New Jersey team that has not seen new ideas since arguably the late 90’s or early 2000’s. The Rhode Island native uses a system that has a solid mix of offense, but is mostly known for its defensive prowess. For four of the last five seasons in the AHL, the Baby Penguins allowed the fewest goals against in the league, including allowing just 163 goals against last season. Despite those amazing statistics over the years, the system Hynes implemented also promoted strong offense, scoring 212 goals in the 2014-15 campaign. The fact that the WBS Penguins were able to hold opponents to such a small amount of goals and were also able to net nearly 50 more goals than the opposition throughout the season must be music to Devils GM Ray Shero’s ears. Shero wanted to be sure the Devils kept their defensive identity but also added some abilities on offense, and Hynes is just the guy that can do that.

Also given his previous experience in working with and developing some great young talent, it will only be beneficial with him to be around some of New Jersey’s up and coming prospects, as well as some of the youth they already have on their active roster. Hynes’ dedicated work ethic and ability to push young talent and get the most out of them is just what this roster needs, and many of the guys are looking forward to having him come in to take the reins. Only time will tell if this was a good hire or not, but to allow a young coach to take over a team that is rebuilding and has some very talented young players on the defensive in, the sky may be the limit for this team down the road.

There is still a lot of work to be done this summer as the Devils’ need for a roster overhaul continues to linger. The team has an abundance of aging veterans at forward and an alarming lack of prospects in the system, however they seem to be set on the defensive end with a solid, young group of defensemen and a great goaltending pair in Corey Schneider and Keith Kinkaid. This was a good first step for Shero, who can now turn his full attention to the upcoming NHL Entry Draft later this month.

There is no indication yet which members of the former Devils coaching staff will stay, or what may happen to the Albany Devils coaching staff.

It will take time for the Devils players to adjust to the new system, all the while introducing new prospects and players into the lineup and phasing out some of the veterans associated with the club. It will take time to see the effects of Hynes’ work, especially throughout the rebuild, so Devils fans must remain patient and prepare to hunker down for the next couple of years while the team straightens out. With Hynes at the helm though, fans and players alike can rest confidently that the team has a coach in place, and one that will bring about new philosophies and a better system.