The New Jersey Devils are set to hire Lindy Ruff as their head coach, according to NHL Network's Kevin Weekes.

New Jersey is also expected to remove the interim tag from general manager Tom Fitzgerald's role, Weekes adds.

Ruff has worked as an assistant for the New York Rangers since 2017. He takes over for Alain Nasreddine, who was named interim head coach when John Hynes was fired in December.

The veteran head coach has manned the bench for nearly 1,500 games with the Buffalo Sabres and Dallas Stars. The 60-year-old is sixth on the all-time wins list with 736.

It was reported in June that the Devils narrowed down their coaching search to four candidates, with Gerard Gallant, Peter Laviolette, and John Stevens known to have interviewed for the vacancy.

The Devils entered the 2019-20 campaign with sky-high expectations after landing Jack Hughes with the No. 1 overall pick and acquiring P.K. Subban in a blockbuster trade. However, New Jersey was unable to capitalize and finished the season in 26th place.

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