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

[Nicomo Cosca]

That line has been on fire together. Why split them up? It's the only unit producing consistently.

Not because of Zajac though. Might as well try Jack with them.

 

[Devils731]

Hughes in 19-20: 0.11 goals/game, 0.34 points/game, 45.8% CF%

Hughes in 20-21: 0.23 goals/game, 0.54 points/game, 56.1% CF%

"No improvement"

and thats just the superficial stats....

But what does it look like if I remove any game this season where Hughes got points? I bet his superficial stats look worse then.

 

[Call Me Al]

What the hell has Travis done to play with the best two wingers we’ve had for the last couple of weeks.

uh, he’s played center for them really well and been an integral part of their breakouts. that’s what he’s done

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

but WHY would you ever do that?! Centers are MUCH more important in hockey than wingers are.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills

That’s BS and an easy way out. Are you saying that Patrick Kane is not a better option over a bunch of #1-b centers? There’s a bunch of wingers I’d take over centers, especially when he’s now our #2 center, the second we drafted Hughes.

The Oilers have the 2 best centers in the game and going by your standards, they should be steamrolling everyone... but they’re not. Their team is unbalanced and that’s why they’re going nowhere. You need balance to be good and a productive line is a mix of 3 solid ingredients... a sniper, a playmaker and a "grinder".

Having to explain this is a massive head scratcher for someone who I feel has some solid hockey knowledge. As good as Nico is, I don’t see him being the offensive dynamo that will make average wingers look good, let alone great. We all know he’s a fantastic 2 way player but if we’re going to wait for Holtz and Mercer to possibly fix our issue, we’re in for another half a decade of finishing at the bottom of the overall standings.

 

[hidek91]

What the hell has Travis done to play with the best two wingers we’ve had for the last couple of weeks.

For the love of god, flip Zajac with Hughes and call it a day.

Zajac (while his age is showing) is a crucial part of this line, plays well defensively, makes smart decisions and has good chemistry with those guys. I would keep it as it is.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

That’s BS and an easy way out. Are you saying that Patrick Kane is not a better option over a bunch of #1-b centers? There’s a bunch of wingers I’d take over centers, especially when he’s now our #2 center, the second we drafted Hughes.

The Oilers have the 2 best centers in the game and going by your standards, they should be steamrolling everyone... but they’re not. Their team is unbalanced and that’s why they’re going nowhere. You need balance to be good and a productive line is a mix of 3 solid ingredients... a sniper, a playmaker and a "grinder".

Having to explain this is a massive head scratcher for someone who I feel has some solid hockey knowledge.

No, having to explain why centers are way more important than wingers is what is a head scratcher

 

[NJDevs26]

Hughes in 19-20: 0.11 goals/game, 0.34 points/game, 45.8% CF%

Hughes in 20-21: 0.23 goals/game, 0.54 points/game, 56.1% CF%

"No improvement"

and thats just the superficial stats....

I’m not saying I agree with the sky is falling Hughes fatalism but the problem is all of this year’s numbers have been trending down for a long time and he hasn’t played as many games this year as last year yet so they could get much closer to last year’s numbers than we hope when it’s all said and done.

We can debate the reasons why his numbers are dropping, clearly there are multiple factors. But the winger one really doesn’t wash for me considering all of our wingers aren’t even doing as well as modest expectations say they should be. Elite playmakers should at least be able to get average production from wingers in the worst of circumstances.

 

[guitarguyvic]

What a ridiculous take man, if you don't think the vets playing crap doesn't effect the kids, you're on another planet.

I didn’t say that. But ok.

 

[Darkauron]

It really doesn't help that the team had covid, Hughes had covid, the team has to play a tooon more games every week with a lot less rest and practice, and no Nico means Hughes is always going to be shutdown more than normal by the oppositions first line ect. It isn't a great recipe and situation for success for any player.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

No, having to explain why centers are way more important than wingers is what is a head scratcher

If a legit goal scorer can get the best out of our young franchise forward and help our main issue, scoring goals, why wouldn’t you want that.

I would rather have a scoring heavy line and a good, not great, 2nd line over two lines that are not producing with great/good centers and garbage wingers.

 

[ninetyeight]

*Sigh*

Ffs he got his face shattered by a damn puck. I’d certainly say that falls in the unlucky category more than “injury prone” wouldn’t you?

Is that all you got from my post? That one tiny bit of doubt and worry from a pro-Nico post, ffs. Alright let’s argue even though we’re on the same side of the argument. What does injury prone even mean? Someone who gets injured a lot? Did I say that the puck to the face was Nico’s fault? How is someone like Vatanen and Murray, who also get injured almost every season, any different? Are they somehow injuring themselves on purpose while Nico is just unlucky? The fact is Hischier has been out every season since his first and already twice this season. Whatever the reason is, it has definitely played a part in his development and career points.

 

[Blender]

Noooo. My sweet prince

"2 minutes for slashing".

 

[Lou is God]

I didn’t say that. But ok.

Ahhh, you said quote you "Because who gives a shit about the vets"

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

You never know, both Wood and Bastian are aggressive players and that could work well with Jack's style, what I don't get is Johnsson and Goose on the same line, ugh.

I actually prefer to consolidate the black holes.

Let them bring down each other rather than the energetic kids who clearly want a future here.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Is that all you got from my post? That one tiny bit of doubt and worry from a pro-Nico post, ffs. Alright let’s argue even though we’re on the same side of the argument. What does injury prone even mean? Someone who gets injured a lot? Did I say that the puck to the face was Nico’s fault? How is someone like Vatanen and Murray, who also get injured almost every season, any different? Are they somehow injuring themselves on purpose while Nico is just unlucky? The fact is Hischier has been out every season since his first and already twice this season. Whatever the reason is, it has definitely played a part in his development and career points.

I’m not going to explain how a leg and face fracture from a teammate falling on you and a teammate blasting you in the face with a puck differs from a chronic back injury.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

I’m not going to explain how a leg and face fracture from a teammate falling on you and a teammate blasting you in the face with a puck differs from a chronic back injury.

Injury prone means being injured often, it’s not that hard to understand.

How, when and by who doesn’t mean shit. The question you need to ask yourself is this... "Is he on the IR wayyyyy more often then any other player?". If your answer is yes, he’s injury prone.

 

[glenwo2]

He hasn't played well but he's 19 years old playing on a dumpster fire of a team and perhaps more importantly his linemates have sucked even worse than he has through this slump period.

Johnsson is a glorified 4th line / AHL scrub who contributes literally nothing every single game, he has 1 point (an assist) in his last 13 games. Bratt has also oscillated between outright terrible or completely invisible in a lot of games recently; I personally think he's just a poor stylistic fit with Hughes and that overall that line is horribly constructed, I honestly can't believe the coaching staff continues to run with it. Bratt & Hughes are clearly skilled players but they need to play on separate lines with complementary line-mates that bring something else to the table.

I'd love to see Hughes get a run with Sharangovich & Kuokkanen before judging his offensive performance too harshly, but it seems our braindead coaching staff is content to just stick with the combinations that have already failed them repeatedly and show zero signs of improving. Johnsson needs to be banished to the AHL/taxi squad, he's hot garbage. I also feel that Sharangovich & Kuokkanen have been successful recently in spite of playing with Zajac rather than because of him, although Travis has been slightly better recently. I don't get the impression their games will suddenly implode playing with a different center like Hughes, I don't really understand the coaching staffs reluctance to separate them from Zajac.

I would say Bratt has been more invisible than outright terrible but that's just me.

And of course I would like to have him on a different line than Hughes.

He had already assisted on TWO of Miles Wood's goals each time they find each other on the same ice whether it's 5v5 or the PP.

Put him on a line with Wood and see if they can make things happen.

 

[glenwo2]

Hughes points per game has improved from .344 to .538. His shot has improved (shooting nearly double what he did last year), he's taken zero penalties this year and his defense is lightyears better (though still has room for improvement). So it's just factually incorrect to say he hasn't improved. Finishing has been a problem for the Devils all year and no one has been more emblematic of that than Jack, he could easily have 4-8 more points if he/linemates were able to bury the chances he created.

Regarding Bratt, he's T-2nd on the team in points since our return to play and he's T-3rd on the team in assists overall. I know everybody wants to grab a shovel and bury him for the one goal, but we all know he's not going to keep shooting at 2% all season. The goals are coming and he's generating chances every game. Before this season, his career points per game was 0.54 and this season through 20 games his points per game is at 0.55 which is somehow considered scratch/demotion worthy.

I'm not worried about Smith or Blackwood, both have cooled down after their amazing starts but I think that's more a consequence of the condensed schedule than anything else. Smith and Severseon have both played a huge amount of minutes and are obviously gassed. Blackwood, I don't know if it's confidence or conditioning or what, but I've seen enough of him to know he's an excellent goalie and he'll figure it out.

It feels weird that so many people are celebrating Zajac turning a corner the past ~10 games with his 0 goals and a bunch of assists, yet still continue to bash Bratt for his 0 goals and 2 fewer assists during the same stretch. It also feels weird that Hughes gets called off for his production dropping (2 points in his last 9), yet no one has said a word about Zacha and Wood having their production drop (3 points in their last 9).

Somehow the narrative has been flipped - NHL vets failing to produce has been accepted as normal, while kids struggling to produce is seen as franchise killing disaster. It's so bizarre to see 19-22 year olds get eviscerated for trying hard but not scoring on a bottom-5 team while the guys in their prime playing for contracts are allowed to coast as much as they want.

So much THIS.

 

[Nocashstyle]

I’m not saying I agree with the sky is falling Hughes fatalism but the problem is all of this year’s numbers have been trending down for a long time and he hasn’t played as many games this year as last year yet so they could get much closer to last year’s numbers than we hope when it’s all said and done.

We can debate the reasons why his numbers are dropping, clearly there are multiple factors. But the winger one really doesn’t wash for me considering all of our wingers aren’t even doing as well as modest expectations say they should be. Elite playmakers should at least be able to get average production from wingers in the worst of circumstances.

Yeah, I don’t understand why some here get so defensive if anything slightly critical of Hughes is said. Sure, there are plenty of factors against Hughes and the team as a whole this season, but that doesn’t mean somewhat concerning trends should immediately be excused. If Jack is to become an elite player, the “bad wingers” excuse isn’t going to fly.

After Jack’s 3 point game (only third game of the season), he’s put up 8 points in 23 games. That’s not even a 29 point pace. That certainly doesn’t make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

 

[Nocashstyle]

"2 minutes for slashing".

It really wasn’t that malicious of a slash though. Certainly a penalty, but it must have got him in the worst possible spot.

 

[glenwo2]

I’m gonna go ahead and say this line doesn’t get Jack going

Okay.

Either Lindy or someone on his staff lurks here in this board 'cause I've seen those lines posted here before.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Injury prone means being injured often, it’s not that hard to understand.

How, when and by who doesn’t mean shit. The question you need to ask yourself is this... "Is he on the IR wayyyyy more often then any other player?". If your answer is yes, he’s injury prone.

Just completely an ignorant post...though when combined with some of your others, I guess I get it

so if Nico were hit by a car tomorrow, does that add to his "injury prone" tag?

Pucks to the face and freak broken legs don't make a player injury prone. Ryan Murray missing tons of games each year due to chronic back problems is an example of an injury prone player.

 

[Nubmer6]

Okay.

Either Lindy or someone on his staff lurks here in this board 'cause I've seen those lines posted here before.

Umm... at this point, I think EVERY line combo has been posted.

Did we see Mac Black at LW1 in a post? Wouldn't surprise me

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Wow, we have about 26M$ coming off our cap next year of guys we don’t even want back, maaaaybe outside of Palmieri, that’s insane. We can replace guys like Zajac, Gusev, Murray, Vatanen and Kulikov for a fraction of the price.

I think this will be the summer where we’ll trade for a superstar player. We have the assets, the cap space and owners with deep pockets. We’re in a prime position to make this work and we have an abundance of prospects, so we’d still be one of the youngest teams in the league.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Just completely an ignorant post...though when combined with some of your others, I guess I get it

so if Nico were hit by a car tomorrow, does that add to his "injury prone" tag?

Pucks to the face and freak broken legs don't make a player injury prone. Ryan Murray missing tons of games each year due to chronic back problems is an example of an injury prone player.

If it’s by a zamboni, cause they’re way more frequent then cars on the ice, absolutely!