New Jersey Devils News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Brad Shaw, seen here wtih the Philadelphia Flyers (Eric Hartline-Imagn Images)

Devils’ Assistant Brad Shaw Making Immediate Positive Impact

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Daniel Amoia | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 11:45 AM ET

Everything the New Jersey Devils have touched has turned to gold over this recent stretch. While it’s certainly way too early to draw any long-term conclusions, there have been a plethora of positive signs, including but not limited to: new assistant coach Brad Shaw’s positive impact on the defense and penalty kill.

Shaw’s Immediate Impact

Devils’ defenseman Brett Pesce told The Hockey Writers that him and Shaw talked over the phone a few times leading up to camp. He already had high expectations: “I had heard a bunch of things, you know, guys playing for him, buddies who played for him, and hadn’t heard a bad thing. We’re so lucky to have him,” said Pesce.

His first in-person meeting, and subsequent practices/consultations, matched everything he’d heard. “It’s just a lot of confidence instilled,” added Pesce. “He’s so detailed, I think I’m learning every day from him. And I think everyone else is. It’s huge to have a guy like that in your corner.”

Over this four-game surge, the Devils’ nine goals allowed (2.25 per game) ties the Detroit Red Wings for the fourth-best mark in the league. The penalty kill, which was already second in the league last season (82.7%), has taken an even bigger step forward: they’re 19-for-20 (95%) and actually outscoring their opponents 2-1. They’ve been noticeably more aggressive without sacrificing structure or discipline…and it’s paid off.

Shaw’s work across many different teams has been phenomenal. When he was with the Columbus Blue Jackets, their defense propelled from 29th in the league to second (!!) in just one single season. After John Tortorella got fired, Shaw led a lackluster post-deadline Philadelphia Flyers roster to a 5-3-1 record to close out the season. Fans clamored for him to become the permanent head coach. That barely scratches the surface of the 61-year-old’s excellence in various coaching roles.

A large part of that success has been his authenticity and ability to relay critical information and feedback in an effective manner, so it doesn’t wear on a player. “He’s an open book,” Pesce exclaimed. “You know if anything’s happening or going wrong, just talk to him. It’s nice to have that relationship on a personal level with your coach.”

It’s been a small sample in New Jersey for sure, but his body of work doesn’t lie: nine of the 11 previous NHL coaching seasons for Shaw saw his teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“I mean, he’s been around a long time, so he must be doing something right,” said Devils’ defenseman Brenden Dillon with a chuckle. “I think for our back end, we’ve got a good blend of young players, veterans, offensive, defensive — kind of a smorgasbord, if you will, which is good. And I think for [Shaw]., the way that all six or seven of us communicate is different too (…) He’s a really good communicatoer that, first and foremost, loves the game. You can sit and talk to him about any situation, which there’s not a lot of situations he hasn’t been in. So it’s great for us to learn, and hopefully we can keep getting better.”

Tortorella picked the Devils to win the Stanley Cup in a recent ESPN article. Him doing so, despite literally getting replaced by Shaw a few months back, seems to be at least somewhat of an endorsement of what Shaw can bring to the table.

Devils’ head coach Sheldon Keefe went super in-depth on Shaw’s impact:

“He’s been great, you know, obviously the penalty kill hasn’t missed a beat, and that was important because that’s one of the areas that was really strong for us last season. So for the group to come together that way, even though we have some new players on it, it’s been really good. But it’s just, you know, we wanted a different voice on the back end with the defensive group that we have and the mix that we have — our veterans and young players. And Shaw’s got so much experience around the league working with just that: established veterans, but also high end young players that need to get better quickly. So to that end, I think he’s been good for the group, and then he’s good for me and our coaching staff, too. He’s a very smart guy with lots of great perspectives and he’s a great coach himself. He’s worked under very good coaches in this league, and he’s come from a different place (…) For me as a coach, I’ve been in a spot where we have lots of talent and high expectations, all those kinds of things that I’ve really only ever coached in that type of environment. Shaw’s had a little bit of everything. He’s been around the league enough that he’s had to find different ways to win. He’s had to maximize the group to coach a very solid, sound team game. All those kinds of things complement me and our staff very well.”

– Head coach Sheldon Keefe

Shaw’s authenticity extends beyond just the roster and coaching staff. When he was with the Vancouver Canucks, he famously took some time out to discuss the team’s slow start and philosophy with fans at a practice.

His ability to connect has helped propel the careers of many young defensemen who turned into major successes, including Zach Werenski, Seth Jones, Alex Pietrangelo and Colton Parayko.

During every practice, Shaw wears a bright yellow lanyard covered in smiley faces. A recent article from the Devils explained that “it’s his reminder of how lucky we are to be playing/coaching in the National Hockey League, how happy we should all be to know we’re here playing this/coaching this game we all love.”

Pretty cool stuff. While there will always be ups and downs during an 82-game season, Shaw’s influence is sure to provide a consistent and steady foundation.