Confirmed with Link: Devils acquire F Curtis Lazar for 4th in '24

[NJDevs26]

I dont see what the hangup is on 2m. Thats not even 3% of the cap as of today, let alone when it eventually rises (since if Mikey signed to that itd be long-term)

And thats what youre paying to the 4C, not just some winger. Hes the anchor of that line and takes important draws away from his line as well.

You dont want three 4th liners making 2m each.. but odds are Wood is replaced with AHL depth and Bastian is re-signed to very little. Paying one fourth liner for the long-term at fair value isnt what breaks a contender up

Wood got 3m but McLeod cant sniff 2m? I just dont follow the logic there

It's simple - Wood's had five seasons scoring double-digit goals, McLeod zero. And while he tries to play physical he isn't exactly prime Milan Lucic there either. You don't pay a one-dimensional faceoff guy $2 million per in this NHL.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Solid addition. Lazar is the backup 5C. If something happens to Huala or McLeod, Lazar will get inserted into lineup.

I think team probably see Boqvist as a winger going forward. Mercer too. The team needed center depth as there is nothing in AHL.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Wood got 3m but McLeod cant sniff 2m? I just dont follow the logic there

Good thing I don't think Wood deserves 3m+ either. I never mentioned Wood so you just made an assumption there.

 

[bigd]

It's close because Wood is one of the worst forwards in the league defensively and Lazar is very good defensively. I agree that I don't think Lazar is better than Wood, but it is closer than you are making it seem. Wood is just a complete black hole defensively.

Basically this keeps the 4 liners motivated. Lazar will take their spot if they don't show up every night!

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I just dont think it realistic to expect every fourth liner be a vet minimum

were contenders not bottom-dwellers anymore. McLeod is now beinrg severely underrated if you think hes only worth a million lol...

um...bottom dwellers are actually the teams who over pay for crappy players lol.

McLeod at 2 is plenty fair and thinking we can just pay mostly dirt cheap bottom-6ers is how we end up like Toronto the last five years.

That isn't why Toronto has been failing. Not sure why this floats around so much. They failed because they simply suck lol.

 

[MasterofGrond]

if Toronto has failed for any reason imo it’s because Reilly isn’t capable of being a Stanley cup champion #1 and the goaltending has been suspect as hell.

It’s not that their bottom 6 is dragging them down.

 

[Oneiro]

Like B. Smith, Lazar is a well-liked, outgoing guy who's been around for awhile, understands his role and the limits of his game. And you have him at a manageable hit for multiple seasons to build rapport with the room and insulate young guys on and off the ice. And he's a bit physical but still moves with enough pace to fit in. It's not a world beating add but there's thought put into it.

We'll see what happens with the Bratt/Meier extensions but otherwise, I'm pretty thrilled we have Fitz as our GM.

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Deleted

 

[Guttersniped]

football ass number

This is ugly though

Ew

I thought he took 43 for a moment and said…. No!!! Hughes!!!!

 

[Lou is God]

if Toronto has failed for any reason imo it’s because Reilly isn’t capable of being a Stanley cup champion #1 and the goaltending has been suspect as hell.

It’s not that their bottom 6 is dragging them down.

The pressure for the Leafs to win in round one is going to be immense. It's going to be an interesting watch how they respond.

 

[Billdo]

That's almost identical to what I said earlier, he fills a need, has playoff experience, and should be hungry. I don't mind it at all. Will help push the bottom 6 for spots next year as well.

 

[NHL Fanatik]

Good thing I don't think Wood deserves 3m+ either. I never mentioned Wood so you just made an assumption there.

Miles Wood exists outside this conversation too yaknow lol, I can bring him up even if you didnt.

It's simple - Wood's had five seasons scoring double-digit goals, McLeod zero. And while he tries to play physical he isn't exactly prime Milan Lucic there either. You don't pay a one-dimensional faceoff guy $2 million per in this NHL.

That one-dimensional faceoff guy though has only paced ~5 points less than Wood since 2019, and one is trending up while the other down.

But even if he is/was one dimensional, when the heck did 2m become some gross overpayment for a 4th liner? Were gonna really hard-stance Mikey over a difference of 1.5% of the cap??

Like I said before recent Cup winners all have had one or two 4th line (or barely 3rd line) players making 1.5-3.

Thats not even counting bad contracts like Johnson in Tampa or Steen in St Louis. My point being Mikey making 2m wont have any affect on our contention or its window and hes earned it.

I mean, shit.. the cap will rise probably 1-1.5 and that alone covers his raise!!

 

[Guttersniped]

Fitz is big on checking boxes.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Miles Wood exists outside this conversation too yaknow lol, I can bring him up even if you didnt.


That one-dimensional faceoff guy though has only paced ~5 points less than Wood since 2019, and one is trending up while the other down.

But even if he is/was one dimensional, when the heck did 2m become some gross overpayment for a 4th liner? Were gonna really hard-stance Mikey over a difference of 1.5% of the cap??

Like I said before recent Cup winners all have had one or two 4th line (or barely 3rd line) players making 1.5-3.

Thats not even counting bad contracts like Johnson in Tampa or Steen in St Louis. My point being Mikey making 2m wont have any affect on our contention or its window and hes earned it.

I mean, shit.. the cap will rise probably 1-1.5 and that alone covers his raise!!

2M is overpayment when there’s guys who are better for the same rate in the NHL

And wood is monstrously overpaid and I want him off the team so that remains a terrible comparison.

 

[NHL Fanatik]

2M is overpayment when there’s guys who are better for the same rate in the NHL

And wood is monstrously overpaid and I want him off the team so that remains a terrible comparison.

If thats the case then youd also agree we cant pay anyone more than Jack, since hes the best forward on our team.

see how silly that sounds?

Having a 4th liner making 2m didnt stop Colorado, St Louis, Washington, or Tampa. Why would it stop us when the cap is even higher and will rise eventually?

I need actual reasons for Mikey, not just '4Cs shouldnt make X' which just isnt true when we look at actual Cup winners in recent history.

 

[Darkauron]

Wood sucks and will not be brought back, and Mcleod is not worth $2 mil at all. And with our cap issues we are not going to be able to overpay those type of players at all

 

[MasterofGrond]

If thats the case then youd also agree we cant pay anyone more than Jack, since hes the best forward on our team.

see how silly that sounds?

Having a 4th liner making 2m didnt stop Colorado, St Louis, Washington, or Tampa. Why would it stop us when the cap is even higher and will rise eventually?

I need actual reason for Mikey, not just '4Cs shouldnt make X' which just isnt true when we look at actual Cup winners in recent history.

What? I’m saying we can sign other better players for 2M.

If we could sign better players than Meier and Bratt easily on the open market for the same money I’d say we shouldn’t sign them either. Difference there is we can’t, you feel me?

I’m fine paying a 4C 2M IF HES REAL GOOD. Mikey is mediocre. Don’t pay for mediocre, pay for good!

 

[NHL Fanatik]

What? I’m saying we can sign other better players for 2M.

If we could sign better players than Meier and Bratt easily on the open market for the same money I’d say we shouldn’t sign them either. Difference there is we can’t, you feel me?

I’m fine paying a 4C 2M IF HES REAL GOOD. Mikey is mediocre. Don’t pay for mediocre, pay for good!

So what are some names then of 4Cs who deserve 2m?

And why cant we win a Cup with one but everyone before us can? Why is our cap situation any more dire than Tampa Bay's was for b2b Cups with multiple poor contracts?

I mean I seriously didnt expect such haggling over a 1m difference that will, quite literally, be free for us with the cap rise this summer. It almost seems pretty ridiculous honestly lol, were talking 1.5% of the cap here like its an 8year/10m deal

 

[Richer's Ghost]

The pressure for the Leafs to win in round one is going to be immense. It's going to be an interesting watch how they respond.

After the numerous moves... gonna be hard to justify anything short of making the ECF a success.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

After the numerous moves... gonna be hard to justify anything short of making the ECF a success.

It is still a success to make it to the POs and to compete for the division title, in a year like this.

ECF should be the target for next year.

Edit: aaaand you were talking about the Laffs haha yes, 100% agree. If they are again knocked in the 1st round, everyone should resign lol

 

[NJDevs26]

After the numerous moves... gonna be hard to justify anything short of making the ECF a success.

Too bad they'd have to beat Tampa and Boston to get there

 

[MadDevil]

After the numerous moves... gonna be hard to justify anything short of making the ECF a success.

And they get to start off against the team that's been to 3 straight Cup Finals.

 

[Patrik26]

So who comes out for him? Boquist is already a spare. Do they sit Hischier and play Lazar at 3C?

Sit McLeod and put Nico at 4C.

 

[Blender]

Sure.