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

[Emperoreddy]

They didn't magically get 5 days off with full practice between Thursday and today.

They are gassed out. Nothing short of giving guys multiple games off to recharge is going to change things.

 

[Camille the Eel]

So Wedgewood tomorrow night, right?

 

[NJDevs26]

So Wedgewood tomorrow night, right?

Or Dell, I don't know how long that shutout buys Wedgewood when he gives up a ton of goals every other game he doesn't get a shutout in. I'd probably still put him in over Dell for tomorrow but it's like I said a few days ago, just shuttle these guys in and out every two or three games until someone gets hot.

 

[glenwo2]

Taken from the GDT :

@EnglishDevil : " Bratt is poor defensively, offers zero physicality and simply plays on the perimeter because he's too weak/afraid to go to the dirty areas to retrieve pucks or score goals."

It's almost like some fans don't actually watch the game.

 

[Guttersniped]

I’ve been busy and noticed the Johnsson’s dead horse got ridden at the end of the last thread. I saw that the ridiculous argument that Johnson didn’t get his numbers inflated by playing with the Leaf’s top players in 2018-19 got peddled again.

Matthews assisted on of 5 of AJ’s 16 5v5 goals and 8 of Johnsson’s 20 5v5 assists were on Matthews’ 5v5 goals. That’s because he played 422 minutes (out 866 5v5 minutes) with Matthews. Johnsson didn’t play much with Matthews until December but he played on his line for half the year with Kaparen or Nylander.

Johnsson did play a while on a line with Connor Brown and Par Lundholm in Oct/Nov when healthy before getting his minutes bumped up when he moved to the top six. He played a bit with Tavares and Marner too, and was pretty productive, when Hyman was out for 11 games. AJ only got bumped down to bottom six again later in the year when Marleau was playing with Kaparen/Matthews and he briefly got dumped on Gauthier’s line, that’s why his minutes go down temporarily in February.

The forwards Johnsson played the most 5v5 with in order: Matthews (422 minutes), Kaparen (251), Nylander (239), C. Brown (199), Lindholm (192), Tavares (121), Marner (109), Kadri (75) and Gauthier (67).

So this comment of Steve’s about Johnsson is correct except AJ’s year doesn’t have much to do with Nylander’s holdout per se. Nylander played with Marleau and Kadri after he first returned and then he mostly played with Matthews and Johnsson after Kadri got injured.

In Johnsson's one (1) decent season, William Nylander was a contract holdout. Johnson received significant time alongside both Matthews and Tavares, and played mostly on the 2PP. To his credit, he seemed to show a decent nose for the net and a pretty good finish, which along with his surrounding high-talent contributed to his being one of 6 20-goal scorers on the 2018-19 Maple Leafs (20 goals, 23 assists, 43 points).

I’m refuting this with this much excruciating detail because this same debate happened during the trade and it annoyed me then that people were denying Johnsson played the majority of that season with top line players. (I remember someone dismissing the amount of time he played with Matthews since it was “only” half of his season, and that’s probably why I’m still annoyed.)

 

[Jets012]

 

[glenwo2]

Too bad there's no vaccine for being unable to finish scoring chances.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Brain fog and fatigue are both symptoms of long covid

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Covid is the bodysnatchers. Just shells of their former selves going through the motions.

 

[MadDevil]

I don't envy Fitz in trying to accurately assess this team and season given how strange it's been.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I don't envy Fitz in trying to accurately assess this team and season given how strange it's been.

I think its clear what additions the team needs, and I think its pretty easy to let someone like Gusev go.

Figuring out what to do with Palms is difficult.

 

[NJ07102]

I think its clear what additions the team needs, and I think its pretty easy to let someone like Gusev go.

Figuring out what to do with Palms is difficult.

Boy was that annoying to see Palms cough up the puck three consecutive times on the same pp late in period two. That was a real momentum killer right there.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I’ve been busy and noticed the Johnsson’s dead horse got ridden at the end of the last thread. I saw that the ridiculous argument that Johnson didn’t get his numbers inflated by playing with the Leaf’s top players in 2018-19 got peddled again.

Matthews assisted on of 5 of AJ’s 16 5v5 goals and 8 of Johnsson’s 20 5v5 assists were on Matthews’ 5v5 goals. That’s because he played 422 minutes (out 866 5v5 minutes) with Matthews. Johnsson didn’t play much with Matthews until December but he played on his line for half the year with Kaparen or Nylander.

Johnsson did play a while on a line with Connor Brown and Par Lundholm in Oct/Nov when healthy before getting his minutes bumped up when he moved to the top six. He played a bit with Tavares and Marner too, and was pretty productive, when Hyman was out for 11 games. AJ only got bumped down to bottom six again later in the year when Marleau was playing with Kaparen/Matthews and he briefly got dumped on Gauthier’s line, that’s why his minutes go down temporarily in February.

The forwards Johnsson played the most 5v5 with in order: Matthews (422 minutes), Kaparen (251), Nylander (239), C. Brown (199), Lindholm (192), Tavares (121), Marner (109), Kadri (75) and Gauthier (67).

So this comment of Steve’s about Johnsson is correct except AJ’s year doesn’t have much to do with Nylander’s holdout per se. Nylander played with Marleau and Kadri after he first returned and then he mostly played with Matthews and Johnsson after Kadri got injured.



I’m refuting this with this much excruciating detail because this same debate happened during the trade and it annoyed me then that people were denying Johnsson played the majority of that season with top line players. (I remember someone dismissing the amount of time he played with Matthews since it was “only” half of his season, and that’s probably why I’m still annoyed.)

As always, your research is terrific. I remember watching that Leafs team a ton, but I'm not really the best at coming up with the actual figures.

I'm done with the anti-Johnsson soap box, though I'm still a bit hot about the Ty Smith incident. I just can't imagine watching your teammate get cheap-shotted that heinously three inches from your face and not even displaying an iota of concern. But he's still a Devil, so I hope he turns it around and starts going to the net again like he did two years ago, before the $3.4 million deal.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Too bad there's no vaccine for being unable to finish scoring chances.

Pfizer is currently awaiting FDA approval for Ovechkinisol.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I think its clear what additions the team needs, and I think its pretty easy to let someone like Gusev go.

Figuring out what to do with Palms is difficult.

Get something for him at the deadline, then you can always re-sign him in the off-season. Hey, it worked with Vatanen, right?

 

[NJDevils#4]

Our power play gives me diarrhea.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

I don't envy Fitz in trying to accurately assess this team and season given how strange it's been.

I really do not think they have that many tough decisions to make. I doubt Goose has any trade value, so it is just a matter of if he plays the rest of the way. If the LeBrun report is true that the Devils do not even know what Palms wants we know they were not interested in signing him long term even before his below average play this year. If they trade him it would depend on what they could get for him and that really depends on what is offered.

As far as the expansion draft, it appears Johnnson, Mikey and Bastian will all play enough to qualify for the experienced F spots in the expansion draft. No use sweating losing one of them or anyone else they will not protect. There is only 1 D that is signed beyond 21-22 that is worth protecting so no worries about that IMO.

The big question for me is if Zacha is a W or C moving forward so the team can bring in players for next year. Assessing the players that they may bring in will be the big challenge IMO.

 

[Traitor Zach]

It’s not that hard for Fitz to see all the problems, the issues are timeline and ability or options to make easily in next year or two.

This team clearly is in dire need of a high end scorer/finisher to pair with Hughes and you can’t keep throwing bodies onto top lines expecting other singular skill players to carry them. Palms is a complementary winter and he’s really a 2b/2nd line winger possibly really going to be more from a production and analytic standpoint a 3rd line winger going forward at this point.

Severson and Smith are a nice pairing but the rest of the defense is not a core group. Kulikov I would bring back but you still need another top 4 defender. Subban, Vatanen, Murray due to his health limitations all need to be jettisoned and are not part of competitive roster going forward.

While guys like Mercer, Foote excite me, there’s still couple spots at wing you can trade around on to fill and build forward. No current forward sans Hughes/Nico should be untouchable.

A good checking C is probably needed too with Zajac departure.

I am really interested what ownerships perspective is and how patient they will be with Fitz.

 

[Edmonton East]

Or, conversely, both teams were already trending down before COVID.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Pfizer is currently awaiting FDA approval for Ovechkinisol.

Does that come in pill form or topical?

Asking for a friend...

 

[Maine Fan]

1st-world Problems, yo.

glenwo2, I don't know what that means, sorry, would you explain? Thanks

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Sharangovich appears to be climbing the wall he hit after a great first couple of games. He is gaining confidence handling the puck and making plays. I believe the goals will start coming more as a result.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Sharangovich appears to be climbing the wall he hit after a great first couple of games. He is gaining confidence handling the puck and making plays. I believe the goals will start coming more as a result.

In my mind, Sharangovich and Maltsev have both been revelations this year. For such late draft picks to be proving they have the mettle and talent to be long-time NHL regulars is a huge bright spot for the Devils organization. I firmly believe both have the talent to be very solid third-liners at the very least, and I'm holding out hope that they can both even possibly develop into second-line players.

 

[devlzfan]

C'mon Fitz, claim Gardiner. Vatanen, Murray, Kulikov off the books next year. The move is not for this year, it's for the next two.

 

[devlzfan]

I just don't get it. I think Gardiner is a solid veteran presence on the blueline, and over 20 assists each of the last 7 years. When's the last time the Devils had that type of consistency from a defenseman. Gardiner's cap hit simply replaces Murray's next season. This was a no-brainer and Carolina, just like all cap strapped teams it seems, gets bailed out again.