Devils 2020-21 team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part XIV

[Emperoreddy]

Rags will be a big test for our D. If they do one thing well, it's score goals.

Flip side though their should be more room for our guys to generate offense compared to Boston. So you want to see our guys get better looks and some folks get on the score sheet

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

I have a hard time seeing them miss the playoffs. Even if Pitt has a good season and the Flyers have an excellent season, the Isles are mediocre enough that Boston can beat them out for a spot.

Pasta is going to come back and that will help their scoring issues. Their D is going to be an issue, but they have a really good goalie tandem that should see them to the playoffs.

Part of my prediction was due to the condensed schedule. IMO an older, top heavy team like Boston will struggle. They are going to be relying on lines centered by a 34 and 35 year old. My guess is this season will favor younger teams. I could be wrong.

 

[britdevil]

Doc, Chico and Larry.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

 

[Guttersniped]

I said before the season that I thought Boston could finish near the bottom of the division. I did not see anything in the first 2 games to change my mind.

Without any new injures I think that’s a kind of a kooky prediction. Boston had 100 points last year, they can regress and still make the playoffs at the same time. They’re a defensive machine that have a lot elite talent with superb special teams. I think Boston and Philly are the strongest teams in the division. Who can say what will happen with this weirdo schedule after such an enormous break, it’s a unique season.

Speaking of division predictions, thanks to strong start the Devils have risen from basement in Dom L.’s SC Playoff Chances & Projected Standing. Yep, we’re now ever so slightly predicted to come in 7th with 54 points and our playoff chances have kicked into the double digits baby! They’re 11%.

 

[britdevil]

Severson is really strange. The stats clearly show he's a good defenseman. But he just does not pass the eye test, his mistakes are usually so glaring and sometimes, spectacular.

Hopefully this is the season he really grows into the role and proves he is a solid #2.

 

[Blender]

He's the same as he has been for awhile. Overall a very good defenseman who usually plays well, but almost every game there are a few times where he switches off and makes some horrendous mistakes.

 

[The 29th Pick]

yeah no one is denying his offensive abilities, and maybe under Ruff he'll be a consistent defender as well, after all, all our D looked bad the last few years

 

[Nubmer6]

Severson is really strange. The stats clearly show he's a good defenseman. But he just does not pass the eye test, his mistakes are usually so glaring and sometimes, spectacular.

Hopefully this is the season he really grows into the role and proves he is a solid #2.

I've been saying since his rookie year that he's a decent defenseman but, for whatever reason, when he makes a mistake, it tends to be glaring.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Severson is really strange. The stats clearly show he's a good defenseman. But he just does not pass the eye test, his mistakes are usually so glaring and sometimes, spectacular.

Hopefully this is the season he really grows into the role and proves he is a solid #2.

I'd say it's that because his gaffes can often be pretty big that those are just more memorable, and it's easy to remember those rather than the rest of his game which is generally good. Severson is what he is, he's a great 2nd pairing defenseman that's often had to play above his role due to the rest of the defense core being shit.

 

[Blender]

yeah no one is denying his offensive abilities, and maybe under Ruff he'll be a consistent defender as well, after all, all our D looked bad the last few years

Both games he still made some really bad unforced errors though, so I'm not confident he will ever clean that up in his game, and it's what will hold him back from being an elite defender.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

My feeling is that he has the puck on his stick a lot, so it seems like he makes more mistakes than normal

 

[Blender]

My feeling is that he has the puck on his stick a lot, so it seems like he makes more mistakes than normal

I wouldn't say it's a quantity issue though, it's where he makes them and the type of mistakes he makes, and not just with the puck. The two worst things he's known for I'd say are giveaways at the bluelines causing an odd man rush against us, and puck watching in the defensive zone.

 

[Nubmer6]

I'd say it's that because his gaffes can often be pretty big that those are just more memorable, and it's easy to remember those rather than the rest of his game which is generally good. Severson is what he is, he's a great 2nd pairing defenseman that's often had to play above his role due to the rest of the defense core being shit.

Strangely, that was Wheeler's take on Mukhamadulin in the Athletic.

I think this is a common theme with defensemen who play like he does, is that those moments stick with you. And then when you’re at the end of the game, you remember the one or two plays that were really ugly and you think, “OK, this kid sucks. He looks terrible.”

If Shakir turns out to be another Severson, I'd be rather happy, I think.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Severson is really strange. The stats clearly show he's a good defenseman. But he just does not pass the eye test, his mistakes are usually so glaring and sometimes, spectacular.

Hopefully this is the season he really grows into the role and proves he is a solid #2.

That hasn't been the case in my eyes these first two games.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I think Ruff's system also caters to Severson's strengths more then Hynes did.

 

[britdevil]

That hasn't been the case in my eyes these first two games.

He was out of position and puck watching on the Boston no goal right?

But I agree, he was very solid in both games. I meant to say "in the past, he hasn't passed the eye test"...

 

[NJDevils17]

Severson has been very good thus far and gets way too much crap for what he brings every year. Clear top 4 guy, who is arguably a solid #2.

He makes errors and vividness bias kills him but he’s really a far more productive player than the masses realize

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

Without any new injures I think that’s a kind of a kooky prediction. Boston had 100 points last year, they can regress and still make the playoffs at the same time. They’re a defensive machine that have a lot elite talent with superb special teams. I think Boston and Philly are the strongest teams in the division. Who can say what will happen with this weirdo schedule after such an enormous break, it’s a unique season.

Speaking of division predictions, thanks to strong start the Devils have risen from basement in Dom L.’s SC Playoff Chances & Projected Standing. Yep, we’re now ever so slightly predicted to come in 7th with 54 points and our playoff chances have kicked into the double digits baby! They’re 11%.

In a short season, with a condensed schedule, IMO there are no "kooky" prediction. It is easy to just keep predicting what just happend in the immediate past will continue to happen. I make my living investing in the markets - 95% of the people fail. I like being "kooky".

 

[Devils Army]

Holy crap that Kovy highlight package was nuts. I've never seen someone be able to beat a goalie so clean other than maybe Ovi or Laine. Unreal release.

 

[Guttersniped]

Severson is really strange. The stats clearly show he's a good defenseman. But he just does not pass the eye test, his mistakes are usually so glaring and sometimes, spectacular.

Hopefully this is the season he really grows into the role and proves he is a solid #2.

Severson’s stats through the years tell a story, let’s just say it’s been a journey. He had a promising start but then he had a very rough season in 2016-17. Then he develops as player but it’s not been a smooth upward progression.

His advanced stats in 2017-18 show big numbers in ES offense but it’s real ugly in terms of ES defense. In 2018-19, his ES offensive goes down as his ES defense started to look almost respectable. And then, in 2019-20 his numbers flipped and he put up shocking excellent ES defense but ES offense drooped further into average at best.

So it’s not like Severson has secretly been putting up boffo advanced stats in ES defense for years and you just happen to miss it.

Players do focus different aspects of the game at times. When Severson came onto the scene we had several solid defensive-minded guys and no one really other than Moore was providing offense. Damon was a puck-moving defensemen and he was aggressive in order to create offense, for better or for worse.

By last season there were just about no defensive-minded defenders left when Greene wasn’t here. Mueller was no longer effective (and, yes, he had been somewhat effective defensively before), Subban is an ES offensive guy and no other replacements were really brought in. Maybe Severson needed to mature as a player. Maybe he actually works better with more defensive responsibilities with an occasional pinch. Hard to say but he improved.

I do think some critics here beat up the present day Severson for the more mistake-prone player he was years ago. It’s like holding what a young adult did years earlier as teen against him. He got better, LEAVE DAMON ALONE.

 

[dinosaur33]

I think Severson takes heat cause his mistakes are usually soft - like a stick check that fails or a pass in the skates. People forgive more physical D more even though it usually doesn't matter. And this is from someone who hopes to never see Severson on the PK again.

 

[Guttersniped]

In a short season, with a condensed schedule, IMO there are no "kooky" prediction. It is easy to just keep predicting what just happend in the immediate past will continue to happen. I make my living investing in the markets - 95% of the people fail. I like being "kooky".

That’s cool, I’m confident without major new injuries they’ll make the playoffs but we’ll see how your prediction of Boston in the basement of the division goes then.

 

[Nocashstyle]

My feeling is that he has the puck on his stick a lot, so it seems like he makes more mistakes than normal

A majority of his mistakes are blown coverages. Doesn’t matter if he has the puck on his stick or not.

 

[The 29th Pick]

I do think some critics here beat up the present day Severson for the more mistake-prone player he was years ago. It’s like holding what a young adult did years earlier as teen against him. He got better, LEAVE DAMON ALONE.
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He made some gaffs last year and the year before (as well as his earlier seasons)
but its not the end of the world pointing out players weaknesses, Miles Wood takes too many penalties, it's just a fact, Palms doesnt backcheck 100% of the time, with todays game there's a lot of parity in the league, so the teams that make the most mistakes usually lose. Part of our success in the 90's was hanging back and waiting for the other teams to make mistakes. People shouldnt take it personally