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

[JimEIV]

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Thank you.

 

[Devils731]

Jack and Nico aren’t good enough for their draft slots is a ripe conversation that has never been mined before. Thank goodness someone has finally dragged this into the light of day.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

Jack has been better than Kakko and Nico has been better than Patrick. Those were our options and comparing them to other #1 picks makes no sense.

Yeah we could have had Makar/Heiskanen/Petersson but I don't see that decision being made at the time.

Nico needs to step up but I don't see how you can blame him for taking a Subban slapshot to the face. Just bad luck.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Hard to step up when you are hurt. He was starting to play well before his nose was shattered into a million pieces.

 

[JimEIV]

7 points in his first 5 games and 7 points in his last 21 games... that's just disgusting.

7 points in his last 21 games is .33 points per game or 27 point pace over 82 while averaging 19:10 a game.

This is not progress. That is a disgrace.

 

[Blackjack]

7 points in his first 5 games and 7 points in his last 21 games... that's just disgusting.

7 points in his last 21 games is .33 points per game or 27 point pace over 82 while averaging 19:10 a game.

This is not progress. That is a disgrace.

Wow, a physically immature 19 year old had coronavirus and then was expected to shoulder the offense of a terrible team (the rest of which was also suffering the effects of the infection) all while playing 4 games a week for a full month and he faltered.

Something is disgusting, that's for sure.

 

[Guttersniped]

Did someone else post this I just miss it? Well either way, NHL Public Relations Fun Fact!

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

Did someone else post this I just miss it? Well either way, NHL Public Relations Fun Fact!

Thanks I cannot wait to see how this will be spun to be a negative stat to some posters

 

[glenwo2]

Did someone else post this I just miss it? Well either way, NHL Public Relations Fun Fact!

Hmmm...notice something else in that picture?

Every player wears a visor. (hi, @Zachas Final Third )

 

[Woncka]

Andy Greene was the Devils captain last year

did that make him more untouchable than Jack Hughes?

Think about what you're saying.

... youre comparing a 37yo captain being moved in his last contract year to a 22 year old 1st overall whos signed for seven more

What other players who were named captain before 24-25 were moved?

 

[Whaddagoal]

Kuokkanen and Sharangovich have really separated themselves from the rest of the rookie forwards.

Bastian hasn't really been actively bad but he has a very limited ceiling to the point where he would be easily replaceable. I wouldn't cry if we lost McLeod either, he's been fine but hasn't stood out in any way.

Absolutely, those two are clearly head above the rest, as the season goes on, both of them have started to stand out in a really positive way (relative to their roles and expectations), but also in their overall impact.

I was at the game the other day where the OT goal was overturned, and i had a really nice view of that Sharangovich goal. He picked his spot, and pretty much had a mirror one the next game, same spot. He is controlling the play more confidently.

Kuokkanen has this shifty style which is unique, and somehow he's able to get himself in/out of plays. He has some skating/shiftiness style that is unique, and his pretty cerebral in the hockey IQ (it seems). Although his game is very different from Bratt's, somehow he seems like Bratt in the sense that his skillset is somewhat unique (hard to pinpoint to any other player for comparison.)

When I say like Bratt, I mean Bratt is hard to pinpoint to a specific replica player... just unique and shifty as hell, high IQ. (Bratt has elements of some other superstars of old, the way he protects the puck and is shifty as hell.. i hope one day Bratt can evolve into something much greater)

On Bastian, I think I've actually flipped around my stance on him as this season has gone on. I feel he has more potential as I see more. In beginning i was not so high on him. With McLeod, fine for now, but not a lot has changed in his game, and we really haven't seen any flashes where he is going to start piling on the points/goals. He's fast, a little bit shifty, and hard on the boards. Most noticably buzzing around, but he can't seem to produce anything from it, which is strange. He has speed, and some size, and his hands aren't exactly awful....you figure he'd get something from that.

 

[ninetyeight]

This is not progress. That is a disgrace.

I mean what are you suggesting we do? Trade Jack Hughes? Time travel back to the draft and pick someone else? Do you think we should have picked someone else and now you want everyone to say you were right all along? Or are you suggesting he should be benched or moved to AHL?

No matter how unimpressive his stats may look, he’s still 2nd in scoring, which kinda tells me there’s a bigger problem going on (covid, busy schedule, lack of training).

This constant bitching about it however doesn’t change anything and is just unnecessary negative energy.

 

[Incharge1976]

7 points in his first 5 games and 7 points in his last 21 games... that's just disgusting.

7 points in his last 21 games is .33 points per game or 27 point pace over 82 while averaging 19:10 a game.

This is not progress. That is a disgrace.

How many points would he have with better wingers? That's not even including if Nico were around to take the tougher match-ups for Jack.

 

[Call Me Al]

we seriously doing this again?

 

[glenwo2]

Absolutely, those two are clearly head above the rest, as the season goes on, both of them have started to stand out in a really positive way (relative to their roles and expectations), but also in their overall impact. I was at the game the other day where the OT goal was overturned, and i had a really nice view of that Sharangovich goal. He picked his spot, and pretty much had a mirror one the next game, same spot. He is controlling the play more confidently.

On Bastian, I think I've actually flipped around my stance on him as this season has gone on. I feel he has more potential as I see more. In beginning i was not so high on him. With McLeod, fine for now, but not a lot has changed in his game, and we really haven't seen any flashes where he is going to start piling on the points/goals. He's fast, a little bit shifty, and hard on the boards. Most noticably buzzing around, but he can't seem to produce anything from it, which is strange. He has speed, and some size, and his hands aren't exactly awful....you figure he'd get something from that.

What was the reaction of the overturned goal from where you sat in the crowd?

 

[Billdo]

He didn't touch on anything Devils related but yesterday's Spittin Chiclets had Brent Sutter as a guest. Fantastic stories about his time as an Islander, Canada cup teams, owning the Red Deer junior team, etc. Definitely worth a listen.

 

[glenwo2]

He didn't touch on anything Devils related but yesterday's Spittin Chiclets had Brent Sutter as a guest. Fantastic stories about his time as an Islander, Canada cup teams, owning the Red Deer junior team, etc. Definitely worth a listen.

Still won't forgive Sutter for changing things that didn't need to be changed when he was head Coach that cost the Devils.

You know what I'm referring to.

 

[Whaddagoal]

What was the reaction of the overturned goal from where you sat in the crowd?

We at first had no idea what was going on tbh, everyone was cheering and elated that we "won"..... yeah. But as soon as they were at the goalscorers penalty box area, I was like "oh shit", and knew something was up, but i didn't see anything egregiously wrong at the time. The life was sucked out of the building..

The worst part were how overjoyed we were at first, team did the middle cheer for fans, everyone was elated, Isles fans were shuffling out fast grumbling... .then they came back (the isles fans) like the jerks they were the whole game, and I KNEW NJ wouldn't overcome that high to low. I was on the low side where the PP was going on at end, but nothing was happening . Shootout seemed good at first, but i didn't get good looks at the NJ shootout goals at all, was on bad angle from my seating...

There were at least 35% isles fans in the lower section of the total fans in the building, maybe even more. That really pissed me off because they were droning all game. And when they came back cackling that the game wasn't over yet...

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

guess someone was board (or drunk) today from the looks of it

 

[JimEIV]

... youre comparing a 37yo captain being moved in his last contract year to a 22 year old 1st overall whos signed for seven more

What other players who were named captain before 24-25 were moved?

Kirk Muller.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

we seriously doing this again?

Lou vs Shero is so last year

 

[Darkauron]

Who would you look at the time...its Jim time.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

7 points in his first 5 games and 7 points in his last 21 games... that's just disgusting.

7 points in his last 21 games is .33 points per game or 27 point pace over 82 while averaging 19:10 a game.

This is not progress. That is a disgrace.

Ok Jim, I think I know your schtick. That being said, the word you're looking for is disappointing, not disgrace.

It's a reason to keep watching the games. You hope that Hughes and Ty Smith rediscover their early season form. You hope some of the other kids stand out and make themselves worth protecting in the expansion draft. If watching the team is making your blood boil, then just turn the TV off and do something else.

Yes it would've been nice to get a McDavid or Matthews from our 1st overalls but....we didn't. Have to do the best with what we have.

 

[Triumph]

The Devils have a 7% shooting percentage with Jack Hughes on the PP in the last 21 games.

The Devils have a 7% shooting percenage with Jack Hughes 5v5 in the last 21 games.

Hughes looks a little slower than he did at the beginning of the season but then again so does just about everyone.

 

[NJDevs26]

He didn't touch on anything Devils related but yesterday's Spittin Chiclets had Brent Sutter as a guest. Fantastic stories about his time as an Islander, Canada cup teams, owning the Red Deer junior team, etc. Definitely worth a listen.

LOL the feeling is mutual, I’d rather forget about his tenure cause this guy was so freaking overrated by everyone including Lou, he never wanted to be here anyway and took the first opportunity to peace out after Lou and VBK spent a year plus trying to get him here. Thanks for playing Clemmensen over Weekes in 2009, **** off about everything else.