Confirmed with Link: Dawson Mercer agrees to terms on his three-year entry-level contract
- Thread starter Lou is God
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Darkauron
Registered User
Zajacs Bowl Cut
Lets Go Baby
I guess that’s why he was an extra in those Team Canada practices. Wanting to avoid injury until he knew he was going to be signing.
Billdo
Registered User
I think it's bc there's no guarantee his junior league is going to play this year.
Darkauron
Registered User
Im guessing we are going to be seeing a lot of stuff like this, as it looks like canadian junior hockey may not be happening. And the AHL might be flooded with junior players
Mercer is a huge talent, but he's also the rare forward who has the ability to thrive in a checking role while rounding out his talents to become a future top-line forward. Though I would rather see him dominate in juniors this season, I think he has the ability to be effective in the AHL.
Would this move and the Clarke transfer be a sign the team does not think OHL will happen this year?
Guadana
Registered User
The most important thing is that he should have some practice at all. So far, the practice of restrictions is not going anywhere, I wonder how it will affect young players who are now choosing leagues where to play. Perhaps in the near future, fewer Europeans will go to North America.
- Dec 1, 2019
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Excuse the ignorance, but can he play in the AHL this season? Or are the rules put aside if the junior leagues don’t play?
Darkauron
Registered User
Yeah they will be making an exception for this year. He will be able to play in the AHL, which is the most likely league he'd play in.
- Dec 1, 2019
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Thanks! I like this kid a lot. Just seems like that forward that’ll help NJD get back into serious Cup contention to complement the hopefully dynamic top two Cs and the sniper in Holtz.
glenwo2
JESPER BRATWURST
It sucks that there probably won't be a CHL season but I am really excited to see Mercer in Binghamton. With a few promotions expected, he could get a nice opportunity on a scoring line.
Im skeptical that there will be an AHL season. The vaccine rollout is going slowly. I’m not sure the AHL will play without fannies in the seats?
yeah, I’m hopeful that signings like these are a signal that teams think there will be a season. The owners are gonna lose money either way, so maybe they can figure something out.
Brooklyndevil
Registered User
Good luck to the kid. Hope we see him next season, at the most in two. Same with Holtz. They both seem to need some more time to get bigger and stronger. It pains me, but we shouldn’t be rushing our top picks anymore. That should have included Zacha and Hughes in my opinion, unless we ever draft a Crosby or McDavid type of player.
TeeVeeDinner
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- Dec 24, 2020
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Yeah especially because every toted prospect has been rushed in the recent past. Says a lot that Blake Coleman is the best forward this org has developed since Henrique...
Eggtimer
Registered User
Devils were forced to rush players when Lou was the GM. Zacha was drafted due to need . They had zero C with Zajac getting hurt in the offseason . Lou reached to take Zacha as he had nhl size and was the most nhl ready . Ended up rushing him plus passing on Rantanen Barzal etc
I am still pissed about it as that set the franchise back years.
Few head scratching moves made by Lou set them back a couple years. Drafting #30 instead of forfeiting that years pick was a huge bone head move . That and essentially drafting like shit for a decade doesn’t help either.
I know this has been said over and over already but I am pissed off that this year will still even be more of the same .Team has slightly improved but I was hoping for a top 6 stud winger and legit top 2 Dman in the offseason . We have lots of prospects but they all seem to be mediocre . We do not have a sure fire blue chip stud outside of Holtz (hopefully , maybe ....)
I thought we would get that by taking advantage of teams over the cap. The Schmidt “trade” was exactly what I was hoping we would be in on.Nope....
Another season of being a lottery pick team again.
I am still pissed about it as that set the franchise back years.
Few head scratching moves made by Lou set them back a couple years. Drafting #30 instead of forfeiting that years pick was a huge bone head move . That and essentially drafting like shit for a decade doesn’t help either.
I know this has been said over and over already but I am pissed off that this year will still even be more of the same .Team has slightly improved but I was hoping for a top 6 stud winger and legit top 2 Dman in the offseason . We have lots of prospects but they all seem to be mediocre . We do not have a sure fire blue chip stud outside of Holtz (hopefully , maybe ....)
I thought we would get that by taking advantage of teams over the cap. The Schmidt “trade” was exactly what I was hoping we would be in on.Nope....
Another season of being a lottery pick team again.
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youryeah
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- Jun 21, 2019
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ty smith and dawson mercer say hello. devils are also loaded with talent aside from these two. not sure where you're getting that they have a bunch of "mediocre" prospects
I'd have to suggest you watch the WJCs if you think the Devils prospects "all seem to be mediocre". Or at least read about them. Dawson Mercer has been one of the top forwards in the entire tournament, while Shakir Mukhamadullin in clearly the #1 defender on the Russian blueline and has made several highlight reel plays. Though he was injured for their last game, Jaromir Pytlik has been nothing short of phenomenal as the Czech Republic's top two-way center and has shown upside as a legit, middle-6 NHL center prospect. Alexander Holtz has only played one WJC game, but he has been phenomenal all year in the Swedish Elite League.
The Devils have a top-5 prospect pool in the NHL. Though they might not have as many high-end guys as a team like the LA Kings, they have more prospect depth than any team in the league. When you add this to the fact that, on the opening night roster, Nico Hischier will have just turned 22 while Ty Smith will be 20 and Jack Hughes 19, I don't see how you can be so upset about the team's future.
MartyOwns
thank you shero
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legend has it if you say that into a mirror wearing wading boots, jim will appear behind you to complain about mcleod
- Dec 20, 2018
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Schmidt had a no trade list which NJ could easily have been on. He also seems happy about Vancouver’s close proximity to the girlfriend he just proposed to so Vegas may have done him a favor there. I doubt Lou is trading Toews within the division and Colorado can easily spare those picks.
And if you want a villain for our problems at defense it’s definitely Shero. You build a defense through the draft, particularly in the 2nd round and 3rd round, and he very much did not do that. His early drafts were ridiculously forward heavy and he traded a lot of early picks away while we picked in the late rounds. You need to pick more than Reilly Walsh in those early rounds or end up where we are. Ray didn’t even try and that’s why we have our memories of Mirco Mueller and San Jose has Mario Ferraro in their lineup.
Getting a top two defenseman in a trade is a big ask, particularly if you aren’t giving up a 1st or a valuable forward. Schmidt’s 29 and signed five more years so he’s be closer to a UFA signing but a good value one. Vancouver got him and I get being disappointed but who knows what teams had a shot at getting him.
The same with Toews, which was a unique opportunity for Colorado because his arbitration hearing plus having the most expensive RFA contracts to deal led Lou to move him.
After that, you’re basically angry that Fitz didn’t pry untraded players away but teams typically don’t have spare top two defensemen to move. And when they have cap issues that’s not typically who gets moved. Vegas was a unique situation in part because they were moving a contract after spending 8.8m on a dman.
Getting a winger is a different, I guess we could have offered UFAs forwards more money then they got and potentially grabbed them but that would come with sacrificing our own future UFAs or cap flexibility. I was not enthusiastic about myself but I get why people wanted them.
I think Mercer could definitely be our long-term RW next to Nico (or Jack). Seems like a good fit given his two way ability and the kid has skating ability and skill as well.
