Value of: Dawson Mercer

[dgibb10]

You don't put your best two PKers out on the same shift because then your second unit sucks. Hischier is your PK1 center, your PK2 center is Erik Haula who needs a lot more help than Hischier does. C1 goes with W2 and W1 goes with C2 to balance out the units otherwise PK2 is going to get blown up.

Siegenthaler is 4th on the Devils defense in PK TOI/game and I'd argue he's probably the 2nd best PK guy after Pesce. Both Pesce and Siegnthaler are below Kovacevic in PK TOI, and Siegenthaler is also behind Dillon. This argument doesn't hold any water.

You cannot be good at the PK if you chase as much as Mercer does, he gets caught going down low and ignoring the open man way too often. I understand that it looks like he's trying really hard out there when he skates but that doesn't make him a good penalty killer. People thought Zach Parise was an elite PKer too and he he had the same issues, he was a dog chasing cars and was largely a product of getting carried by Zajac.

Mercer PK opposition

Bratt PK opposition

You can look through and clearly see if you sort by team.

Against WSH, Van, Utah, Tor (less prevalent here), Tampa, STL, Seattle, Ott, etc etc all the way through.

Mercer against elite PP1 guys, bratt against a lot more PP2s.

To highlight the difference, I'd point out our PP1 produces at more than DOUBLE the rate of our PP2, and that's a PP2 that includes BOTH Luke Hughes and Timo Meier, something not a lot of PP2s can match

 

[bernmeister]

Mercer is a quality get but Rs, who can offer elite level upgrade in Panarin for this season and next, while retaining max half, are flexible about who is added for cap balance. Howev, prime core of the deal has to be Nemec and Silvayev.

Granted that's a lot, but then again, bread is elite

 

[My3Sons]

Mercer is a quality get but Rs, who can offer elite level upgrade in Panarin for this season and next, while retaining max half, are flexible about who is added for cap balance. Howev, prime core of the deal has to be Nemec and Silvayev.

Granted that's a lot, but then again, bread is elite

What are you ranting on about here? Nemec and Silayev for Panarin? Put down the bong.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Laughable if you think that because of numbers that Bratt is better on the PK than Mercer. I'll ask you this, on the PK, who are the first two forwards over the boards? It's almost always Nico and Mercer. This means they are getting PP1 at full energy. Bratt shows up in either the 2nd or 3rd wave, this means he's getting either PP1 on the back end of their shift or PP2 on the regular.

As for Mercer not being tradeable, I don't think that's what anyone is attempting to say. He certainly is tradeable, but he doesn't have the value to bring back a true top 6 player that can replicate what he does on the PK.

I don’t believe there’s a single thing on the ice that Mercer does better than Bratt in any zone.

 

[Oneiro]

At this point, Bratt is even more physical than Mercer, which I never would have bet on in a thousand years.

Mercer's stagnation is one of the few things preventing this team from becoming as lights out as they can be.

I still want to hold on to him because I think he can work through this - he was good to start the year - but the clock really should be ticking. But I was really hoping he'd turn into a Lekhonen / Danault-type and he's not even in the building right now.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I don’t believe there’s a single thing on the ice that Mercer does better than Bratt in any zone.

Yeah I have to agree. But that's true about Bratt and the majority of the league, so it's hard to hold that against Mercer.

Bratt is just an incredible player.

Mercer's stagnation is one of the few things preventing this team from becoming as lights out as they can be.

Yeah, but it also allowed us to resign him at a doable number. Silver linings.

 

[Oneiro]

Yeah, but it also allowed us to resign him at a doable number. Silver linings.

In pretty much any endeavor in life, I'd rather get better performance, compensate it fairly and figure out and work around the issues elsewhere.

This is a cap that will rise even faster than 04-13. Even Luke's next deal will probably look cheap halfway in. There was always going to be a short term squeeze - Palat and/or Hamilton will have to be figured out at some point.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

In pretty much any endeavor in life, I'd rather get better performance, compensate it fairly and figure out and work around the issues elsewhere.

This is a cap that will rise even faster than 04-13. Even Luke's next deal will probably look cheap halfway in.

Yeah, but this isn't like normal life - it's a zero sum game because of the cap,

 

[MakeCgyGreatAgain]

Kadri

 

[wintersej]

Bruins should definitely be interested but they don't real fit the bill for what NJ is looking for. Frederic could potentially make sense as he brings a different element to the lineup that could be of interest to NJ -- but Frederic being a UFA probably kills any chance of a deal.

I’d be annoyed if they let DeBrusk walk and traded big assets for Mercer. Inconsistent winger for inconsistent winger.

 

[bernmeister]

What are you ranting on about here? Nemec and Silayev for Panarin? Put down the bong.

dissent all you want that is yr right
BUT
like I said season and a half of elite bread max retained COMMANDS that, esp since Nemec is not crushing it and is in the A and we are going on projected value from 2OA in the draft

 

[My3Sons]

dissent all you want that is yr right
BUT
like I said season and a half of elite bread max retained COMMANDS that, esp since Nemec is not crushing it and is in the A and we are going on projected value from 2OA in the draft

NJ doesn’t want Panarin. NJ won’t make a trade of that nature with the Rangers. You know this

 

[SensontheRush]

No, not even close.

Think a late 1st+minor asset like every other deadline rental ever

Also, for future reference, slapping the word "extended" on a rental doesn't magically triple what teams will pay for them.

?

Nik Ehlers for a worse winger and a prospect that is closer to outright busting than being a top 4D is a W for NJD.

I don't think Ehlers is a good target for NJD though. You guys need someone with a bit more jam, along with the skill.

 

[dgibb10]

?

Nik Ehlers for a worse winger and a prospect that is closer to outright busting than being a top 4D is a W for NJD.

I don't think Ehlers is a good target for NJD though. You guys need someone with a bit more jam, along with the skill.

Nemec was a top 4 dman literally last year as a teenager, but sure.

No, trading Mercer+Nemec for a rental winger, let alone one at 6 mill with no retention involved is not even close to reasonable.

Ottawa is welcome to trade Yakemchuk and Pinto for Ehlers if they're convinced it's a steal tho

 

[bernmeister]

23 year old winger, 2 more years after this one at $4 million then still RFA. Can play center in a pinch, but has not been good at it at the NHL level.

Couple of notes:
- only would trade him in a package for an upgrade at forward.
- wouldn't trade him for a rental
- would not trade him simply for a draft pick(s)
- the Devils are tight against the cap

Just seeing what opposing fans peg his value at.

In my ideal scenario, I would love to package him with one of Seamus Casey or even Simon Nemec to get a young impact winger to play with Hughes and Bratt, but not sure how realistic that would be.

OP said the highlighted...

NJ doesn’t want Panarin. NJ won’t make a trade of that nature with the Rangers. You know this

which factually qualifies as meeting OP criteria
but YOU arbitrarily refuse to admit

now, you still prefer to keep yr def prospects, that's fine, as a matter of preference and discussion
but let's not bs w/false narratives

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

?

Nik Ehlers for a worse winger and a prospect that is closer to outright busting than being a top 4D is a W for NJD.

I don't think Ehlers is a good target for NJD though. You guys need someone with a bit more jam, along with the skill.

lol what

 

[Juxtaposer]

So to recap, OP wants to trade Mercer, who hasn't been very good for the last 18 months, for a player who is better, cheaper, signed long-term, and in his prime?

Good luck!

 

[McDuffz88]

Mercer isn't getting traded unless he's an add in for a package for an elite winger like a Tkachuk. We are stacked on D so swapping him for a d man is pointless and trading him 1 for 1 for another winger is also pointless. He's on a good deal right now. He's the perfect player you package in with a 1st if you really want to add an elite talent. I would say NJs only needs rn are elite winger or a top 6 center/who also plays wing.