Devils 2021 training camp thread (news, notes and speculation) - Part III [MOD warning in OP]

[Bleedred]

Rango - Hughes - Holtz
Zacha - Mercer - Kuokkanen
Tatar - Hischier - Bratt
Vesey - McLeod - Wood
Johnsson, Boqvist

I’d love to see Johnsson as a healthy scratch and Boqvist has been nothing but JAG his entire NHL career so far, so I do think we can get better players on the ice.

 

[TrufleShufle]

Hischier was horrible so far. He has really to prove this season that he is the real deal. After all these years he showed nothing but being out of gas after a couple of shifts. He looks like a weaker version of RNH. If he doesn’t start progressing he should be waived or demoted to the Ahl and call him a bust. I am tired of all these excuses for his poor play.
Imo he doesn‘t even have the right to play center on the second line.

I was going to laugh this post off as just a pot stirrer, like saying we should have left Bratt exposed, but then I saw you have 50 posts in 13 years...... This must be something you feel strongly about.....and that's scary.

 

[Sheros expletives]

Come regular season sure. He can be the worst player on the ice and get outplayed by everyone and it won’t matter if it’s during preseason

Preseason yada yada

 

[DevilDog]

I was going to laugh this post off as just a pot stirrer, like saying we should have left Bratt exposed, but then I saw you have 50 posts in 13 years...... This must be something you feel strongly about.....and that's scary.

Lol yes that’s a pretty hot take for a lurker. And this is coming from one…

 

[Offseason Champs]

Imagine hating Nico that much after two preseason games

 

[Hisch13r]

Imagine hating Nico that much after two preseason games

Where he wasn’t even bad either. He is just getting his feet wet after barely playing games for a year and a half

 

[Hisch13r]

Nico led the forwards in shot contributions and had over a 70% CF and 75% xGF. Despite not looking overly dominant. I’ll surely take that

 

[MartyOwns]

i don’t really care how the vets do in preseason tbh. these games are for the kids and they’re killing it. if mercer hits his reid-boucher-ceiling we’re going to be in excellent shape.

 

[Hisch13r]

i don’t really care how the vets do in preseason tbh. these games are for the kids and they’re killing it. if mercer hits his reid-boucher-ceiling we’re going to be in excellent shape.

No you got it all wrong. Holtz is the one with the Reid Boucher ceiling

 

[NJ Fan 12]

Tough to find negatives with the way things are going to this point but it's still a bit disconcerting that with the influx of new talent there are still players who appear to have spots based on contracts and salary as opposed to their production on the ice.

The sooner the Mercers and Holtzes move into prominent roles and some of the veterans assume the supplementary roles for which they are better suited the more likely it is that this team will compete on a nightly basis.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

 

[Bevans]

Outsider perspective, but long-term I see Nico pushed to wing with Zacha and Mercer as a 2A 2B threat.

So much center depth in NJ, someone has to move to wing and I think it makes more sense to have the bigger bodies in the middle.

See this similar to RNH's usage.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

Tough to find negatives with the way things are going to this point but it's still a bit disconcerting that with the influx of new talent there are still players who appear to have spots based on contracts and salary as opposed to their production on the ice.

The sooner the Mercers and Holtzes move into prominent roles and some of the veterans assume the supplementary roles for which they are better suited the more likely it is that this team will compete on a nightly basis.

Just curious who you think those players are that have spots based on contracts?

 

[Hisch13r]

Outsider perspective, but long-term I see Nico pushed to wing with Zacha and Mercer as a 2A 2B threat.

So much center depth in NJ, someone has to move to wing and I think it makes more sense to have the bigger bodies in the middle.

See this similar to RNH's usage.

Zacha is a god awful center and belongs on the wing. Oilers had to move Nuge because they had basically no good wingers. Nico also isn’t small and is bigger than Mercer is so he wouldn’t be getting moved for a bigger bodied center.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

If Nico plays with Tatar and Bratt, I would bet a lot of money that they are one of the best territorial lines in the whole league.

 

[Hisch13r]

If Nico plays with Tatar and Bratt, I would bet a lot of money that they are one of the best territorial lines in the whole league.

If Holtz stays up then I need that line. Much rather that than Zacha in Tatar’s place

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

If Holtz stays up then I need that line. Much rather that than Zacha in Tatar’s place

Zacha with Mercer and Kuokkanen would be a good fit too. Two guys that are responsible defensively and do the dirty work and Zacha can float a little on the wing.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Outsider perspective, but long-term I see Nico pushed to wing with Zacha and Mercer as a 2A 2B threat.

So much center depth in NJ, someone has to move to wing and I think it makes more sense to have the bigger bodies in the middle.

See this similar to RNH's usage.

Don't see that happening at all. Nico is very good and underrated at his position. Zacha is much better suited at wing than center.

 

[Bevans]

Don't see that happening at all. Nico is very good and underrated at his position. Zacha is much better suited at wing than center.

I'm also alright with that. I just forsee Mercer being worth a top 6 spot sooner Rather than later.

Maybe Mercer moves to wing as well with McLeod at 3C and faceoff taking is platooned for strong side draws.

 

[Hisch13r]

Zacha with Mercer and Kuokkanen would be a good fit too. Two guys that are responsible defensively and do the dirty work and Zacha can float a little on the wing.

Yup and then you let him do his real damage on PP1

 

[Eye of Ra]

One of the few poles who ever played in NHL. What memories of this guy do you people have?

Was he just a goon or did he have some skill?

Just asking out of curiosity.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Not surprising. I have not been impressed with #81 at all.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I got a feeling opening lineup will be something like this:
Tatar-Hughes-Sharangovich
Johnsson-Hischier-Bratt
Kuokkanen-Zacha-Mercer
Wood-McLeod-Vesey

Graves-Hamilton
Smith-Severson
Sigenthaler-Subban

Bernier-Blackwood

Wedgewood-Jankowski-Jaros

I think if Ruff wants Zacha at 3C then he'll start the season there, which unfortunately means Johnsson will probably start on a scoring line.

I would sign Vesey and Jankowski and play Boqvist on first line in AHL with Foote and Holtz.
Mercer starts the year at 3RW and probably eventually becomes 3C once Ruff realise Johnsson sucks and moves Zacha back to wing.

That is a significant downgrade than the lineups other people have been posting.

Sharangovich-Hughes-Holtz
Tatar-Hischier-Bratt
Zacha-Mercer-Kuokkanen
Wood-Mcleod-whoever

I like this balance way more.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I'm mostly kidding with my anti-nico posts but fact is Mercer has outplayed him so far in camp. He needs to step it up big time.

Is this your first preseason?

 

[Ripshot 43]

That is a significant downgrade than the lineups other people have been posting.

Sharangovich-Hughes-Holtz
Tatar-Hischier-Bratt
Zacha-Mercer-Kuokkanen
Wood-Mcleod-whoever

I like this balance way more.

I like this lineup for the start of the season and see how the youngsters do. The “whoever” I would like to be someone similar to Bastian that can hold his own physically and play with some energy. That line was set the tone in a lot of close games last year.