Fired coach Peter DeBoer wasn’t the issue in New Jersey. (Ed Mulholland, USA TODAY Sports)

Peter DeBoer is such a quality coach that the New Jersey Devils need a platoon of hockey minds to replace him.

GM Lou Lamoriello announced this morning that starting with tonight’s game against the New York Rangers, the Devils will be coached by a committee. He will be there on a temporary basis to oversee this unique setup that has Adam Oates managing the forwards from the bench, while Scott Stevens controls the defense.

Tommy Albelin will be up in the press box helping with the defense, while Mike Foligno will be in the press box working  with the forwards. Chris Terreri remains as goaltending coach, but Dave Barr is out as an assistant.

All coach firings have an element of unfairness to them, but the removal of DeBoer seems particularly unfair.

Twenty-nine months ago, DeBoer guided the New Jersey Devils into the Stanley Cup Final with a no-name defense and a hard-working forward group that was slightly above average in its ability to put the puck in the net.

The general review of DeBoer’s work in the spring of 2012 was that he had done a remarkable job squeezing the best out of his Devils.

It’s not as if DeBoer suddenly forgot how to coach. He paid the price because the Devils group isn’t skilled enough, particularly up front where the Devils have lost Ilya Kovalchuk and Zach Parise since losing to Los Angeles in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final.

Lamoriello has been masterful in keeping the Devils competitive through the years, but this roster doesn’t represent his best work.

As we approach the halfway point of the season, the Devils have one 10-goal scorer. They rank 28th in goals per game. That’s a personnel problem, not a coaching issue.

This franchise does need a shake-up, but it was in the roster, not behind the bench.  This is a team that needs a significant rebuilding campaign. The sooner the Devils admit that,  the better off they will be. The 2015 draft is considered deep,  Now is the time to admit the problem.

Your games tonight

N.Y. Islanders at Buffalo, 7
Detroit at Ottawa, 7
Carolina at Tampa Bay, 7
New Jersey at N.Y. Rangers, 7
Boston at Columbus, 7
Winnipeg at Minnesota, 7
Washington at Pittsburgh, 7:30, NBC Sports Network
Dallas at St. Louis, 8
Philadelphia at Nashville, 8
Anaheim at Arizona, 8
Chicago at Colorado, 9
Edmonton at Calgary, 10
San Jose at Los Angeles, 10, NBC Sports Network

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