Devils 2021-22 team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part XII

[My3Sons]

In a normal year definitely but the top 8 is sooooooo strong this year we’d still have no chance. Washington’s 8th in pt% and on pace for 107 lol

and yet NJ has beaten both the Caps and Canes in solid fashion. If NJ sorts out its consistency they will be a good team.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

and yet NJ has beaten both the Caps and Canes in solid fashion. If NJ sorts out its consistency they will be a good team.

Yeah, other than a few games while NJ was severely short handed, no complaints with how the 18 skaters dressed of played as a whole.

 

[NJ DevLolz]

In a normal year definitely but the top 8 is sooooooo strong this year we’d still have no chance. Washington’s 8th in pt% and on pace for 107 lol

Yup. But there are Lots of positives. Jack playing like a 1C, Nico playing like a low-end 1C, Mercer playing like a 2-3C at 20, Bratt playing like a star, Johnsson rebounding, Dougie being a Devil, Siegs playing like a defensive animal, Severson generally playing well. Unfortunately, goaltending changes the narrative, but the skaters who need to play well (other than Ty) are

 

[NJ DevLolz]

I'd say our goal tending is likely only a short term issue and in the long term this won't effect our trajectory, but we've seen good teams struggle for years trying to figure out their goal tending.

It depends. Daws and Schmid look good as young goalies in the AHL. The thing that kinda sucks is that we kind of have to bring back the same tandem unless Bernier goes on LTIR/retires. I guess they could always buy him out if he’s healthy enough, but not sure I want to do that

 

[SKNJD9]

David Gunnarsson on Instagram: “#DaveArtNewMaskAlert I am very excited to unleash the new Devils mask for my friend Jon Gillies️. A scary creation built on the awesome…”

 

[Camille the Eel]

Im just not seeing it with them at wing. To me they play like a defensive line and Tatar is miscast in that role. I have a feeling they will revamp the forwards this offseason so it won’t be a long term issue.

well it’s a default solution for sure, he’s playing with them by default as it looks like the way to get more out of Mercer and Zacha and others elsewhere. Yes. And we do need to upgrade overall at wing badly; to add scoring threats at wing whom other teams have to respect.

 

[Devils Army]

Vesey and Nico didn't mesh well last game in my opinion

 

[Hisch13r]

Vesey and Nico didn't mesh well last game in my opinion

Vesey just isn't good. I'd rather give Bastian shot up there with Nico and Tatar instead. Kuokkanen also hasn't been good but I'd give him a try and see if he can recapture last years play instead of going with Vesey

 

[devilsblood]

It depends. Daws and Schmid look good as young goalies in the AHL. The thing that kinda sucks is that we kind of have to bring back the same tandem unless Bernier goes on LTIR/retires. I guess they could always buy him out if he’s healthy enough, but not sure I want to do that

I think Dev's have to bring in another 1a-1b type goalie, and then if Bernier is healthy try to sneak him to the AHL. Worst case scenario is someone claims Bernier.

But I don't think we can go into next season with Blackwood and Bernier as the tandem.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Yeah they have to bring in a 1A/1B to spilt the net and challenge Blackwood as the starter.

You can't rely on Bernier's hip next season

 

[Billdo]

oof

 

[Buck Dancer]

Just finished watching yesterdays game and man, I’m happy we scored 7 goals but that display of goaltending on both sides of the rink was absolutely horrendous.

@Bleedred must’ve worked overtime to choose his softie of the night because he had about 6 options in our game alone lol

 

[devilsblood]

Vesey on Nico's wing is not optimal, but Vesey has played well this year. Playing a defensive role he's had very good defensive #'s 5v5. He's over 50% cf. He's been very good on the PK.

Done a decent job getting shots on net, but he's only shooting 6% 5v5. And the team on ice shooting percent is 4.5% which is the lowest on the team.

 

[Buck Dancer]

I feel for Nico. He has a never die mentality and I love that about him but we have to help the guy out because we can’t keep giving him 4th liners to work with on his wings, it’s getting borderline ridiculous now.

 

[Bleedred]

Just finished watching yesterdays game and man, I’m happy we scored 7 goals but that display of goaltending on both sides of the rink was absolutely horrendous.

@Bleedred must’be worked overtime to choose his softie of the night because he had about 6 options in our game alone lol

It was the Svechnikov goal on Gillies, which was the first of the game.

I nailed Gillies for goals 1, 2 and 4. I can't even remember which ones exactly I got LaFontaine for, but I know it was 4 and I seem to remember most of them coming towards the last part of the game.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Just finished watching yesterdays game and man, I’m happy we scored 7 goals but that display of goaltending on both sides of the rink was absolutely horrendous.

@Bleedred must’be worked overtime to choose his softie of the night because he had about 6 options in our game alone lol

It was eye opening, Gillies and LaFontaine are probably 95 percentile goalies in the world, and to be in the NHL you need to be 99 percentile, and it's incredibly hard to know who is that caliber. Seems like all NHL teams basically just draft a bunch of guys, have them play for 5-7 years and then throw them into the fire and see who survives. There has to be a better process but I can't think of one.

 

[Hisch13r]

It was eye opening, Gillies and LaFontaine are probably 95 percentile goalies in the world, and to be in the NHL you need to be 99 percentile, and it's incredibly hard to know who is that caliber. Seems like all NHL teams basically just draft a bunch of guys, have them play for 5-7 years and then throw them into the fire and see who survives. There has to be a better process but I can't think of one.

Nah they're both definitely in the 99th.

 

[TrufleShufle]

I've asked this before and never got an answer, but purely out of curiosity of how the rules work, when if ever can we trade Bastian? I know not this season, but next? When his contract is up and negotiating next contract with RFA rights?

I don't want to trade him or even start that topic, this is 100% just trying to understand how waivers work.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Nah they're both definitely in the 99th.

Chose those numbers pretty arbitrarily to convey meaning. Point being it's very hard to find who lies on the edge of the distribution, the top 60 G in the world, and project how long they will be there with any sort of certainty. That one game seemed to make it clear neither of them are there, but a guy like Michael Houser can put up a great game in Buffalo and look like an NHL caliber goalie along with a few great games last year. Karel Vejmelka looks like an NHL caliber goalie, no one would guess that before training camp started. Just collect bodies who show well in lower leagues I guess and throw them to the wolves.

 

[njdevils1982]

Jost was the guy everyone wanted when we got to the podium in 2016

im confused…..jost was already picked by the avs 2 spots before the devils had their choice

 

[Hisch13r]

im confused…..jost was already picked by the avs 2 spots before the devils had their choice

Well one spot considering we traded back a spot but yeah

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

I've asked this before and never got an answer, but purely out of curiosity of how the rules work, when if ever can we trade Bastian? I know not this season, but next? When his contract is up and negotiating next contract with RFA rights?

I don't want to trade him or even start that topic, this is 100% just trying to understand how waivers work.

That's a good question for @mouser or @uncleben.

If no other team put in a claim, or if all other claiming teams pass on an offer to claim Bastian, he can be traded. But I don't know if that expires at the end of the season or if it carries over until next season.

Technically, "waivers expiration" is 30 days/10 games played, but I agree. I don't think that applies to trading claimed players.

 

[Buck Dancer]

Went in the deep end (aka the main board) and a couple of Edmonton fans were saying that there would be a couple of teams that can honestly come up with a package they’d consider moving McDavid for and we were one of those teams. The offer was Jack and Luke Hughes plus Blackwood.

I’m fully aware that it will never happen but if Holland called Fitz and proposed that very same deal, I don’t see how we wouldn’t say yes.

 

[NjDevsRR]

https://www.nj.com/sports/2022/01/brother-of-devils-defenseman-pk-subban-says-he-was-target-of-racist-gesture-during-minor-league-hockey-game.html

 

[Devils Army]

Went in the deep end (aka the main board) and a couple of Edmonton fans were saying that there would be a couple of teams that can honestly come up with a package they’d consider moving McDavid for and we were one of those teams. The offer was Jack and Luke Hughes plus Blackwood.

I’m fully aware that it will never happen but if Holland called Fitz and proposed that very same deal, I don’t see how we wouldn’t say yes.

I f***ing love Jack, and think Luke could be excellent as well but i think i take that without hesitation honestly