Former Flyers assistant coach Brad Shaw was highly regarded for his work with the team's defensemen. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
According to a report Wednesday, former Philadelphia Flyers interim head coach Brad Shaw has picked his next coaching destination in the NHL. And he's not going very far.
Per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Shaw, 61, has latched on with big Metropolitan Division rivals, the New Jersey Devils, replacing the recently fired Ryan McGill as part of Sheldon Keefe's coaching staff.
Keefe, who played for fired former Flyers head coach John Tortorella during his time in Tampa Bay, also played for Shaw early in his playing career. Shaw was Keefe's head coach on the Detroit Vipers in the 2000-01 season, and later coached Keefe as an assistant on the AHL Springfield Falcons the following year in 2001-02.
As someone who has played for and coached against Shaw, Keefe knows exactly what he's getting and what he wants from Shaw, and now it will be the Flyers' loss.
Flyers GM Danny Briere had told reporters during Friday's Rick Tocchet press conference that Shaw was a finalist for the head coach position in Philadelphia and was considered until the final moments.
Shaw, however, pulled out of the running to be an assistant on Tocchet's coaching staff, citing a lack of investment in the interview process.
If and when Shaw's hiring is officially confirmed by the Devils, he'll join a New Jersey organization that already boasts defense talents with NHL seasoning like Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey.
Plus, 2024 first-round pick Anton Silayev will be next to make the leap from that pipeline.
