Devils discussion (news, notes and speculation) - draft and FA edition

[devsfan8]

I feel like Fitz will end up with one of Ehlers or Granlund via free agency. Trades would happen to clear up space. Maybe his targets are actually free agents afterall.

I guess one way to see if that is the case is if Palat or Hamilton are outright dumped for nothing or minimal return.

 

[Hisch13r]

I feel like Fitz will end up with one of Ehlers or Granlund via free agency. Trades would happen to clear up space. Maybe his targets are actually free agents afterall.

I guess one way to see if that is the case is if Palat or Hamilton are outright dumped for nothing or minimal return.

There’s a wiiiiiiiiiide gap between those players. Granlund would be so awful

 

[MB3]

I thoroughly enjoy when this place denies an inconvenient reality for years, chastising anyone that mentions it. Then finally starts to pivot when it's slapping them in the face and is undeniable anymore. Bravo. Onto the next one guys! 80% of this place was singing Fitz' praises just last offseason ffs.

You are exhausting. Please seek outside help.

I hate Tom Fitzgerald but my God you just show up in every thread to post the exact same shit over, and over, and over, and over, and over again.

 

[devsfan8]

I thoroughly enjoy when this place denies an inconvenient reality for years, chastising anyone that mentions it. Then finally starts to pivot when it's slapping them in the face and is undeniable anymore. Bravo. Onto the next one guys! 80% of this place was singing Fitz' praises just last offseason ffs.

Nobody disputes Fitz needs to put up or shut up this summer and the team needs to win at minimum a round or 2. Nobody. Ill even accept Fitz labeled as an average at best GM. But to imply he is a BAD GM who should already be gone is just beyond ridiculous.

 

[Hisch13r]

Its not even a thought in my mind. Its an absolute no Brainer. Palat at 6 mill for 2 more years or Hertl for 6.5 for another 5?

Would you like me to say it again to make sure you read it right?

I'd rather have Ondrej Palat then Tomas Hertl based on cap hit and salary.

6.75 for 5 years isn’t all that awful for Hertl. He’s still actually good and the cap’s rising. He had 30+ goals and 60+ pts. He paced for 36 and 69. He’ll be 34 which is Palat’s current age in 3 years. When Hertl’s Palat’s age he’d have 2 years left just like Palat currently has and it’d be on the equivalent of a ~5 mil deal rather than 6. Also probably get some good years in the interim.

There’s probably better options for us than getting Hertl right now but he’s extremely clearly the better asset than Palat.

 

[devsfan8]

6.75 for 5 years isn’t all that awful for Hertl. He’s still actually good and the cap’s rising. He had 30+ goals and 60+ pts. He paced for 36 and 69. He’ll be 34 which is Palat’s current age in 3 years. When Hertl’s Palat’s age he’d have 2 years left just like Palat currently has and it’d be on the equivalent of a ~5 mil deal rather than 6. Also probably get some good years in the interim.

There’s probably better options for us than getting Hertl right now but he’s extremely clearly the better asset than Palat.

Palat is NOT a dog shi* player either. Nobody would want him traded if he made 3 mill a year. His salary is the issue. Okay, yes I know his 15 goals are mostly because he was carried by Jack/Bratt for most of the year. But he still wins puck battles and would be fine as a 3rd line LW if not for his 6 mill cap hit at 34. 50 playoff goals and 2 cups is nothing to take lightly. IF somehow the team is improved or Dougie is the one who is sent packing, its not like having Palat on the 3rd line is a glaring problem. At all.

He is just, if traded he is just a cap dump. Victim of a team who needed to get rid of a bad contact. Its not because he sucks.

 

[The 29th Pick]

Shoutout to whomever changed Alex's wikipedia picture. Up till now it was a blurry shot of him in the Albany RR jersey. (I'll still never forgive Lou for doing him dirty like he did).

Lou did it to Neil Broten too after they won the cup in '95, a 16+ season veteran, Neil said something like "fine, if they wanna pay me a million a year to play in the minors, I'll do it"

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I would take Hertl tbh. You could probably stick him with Jack and Bratt and have him take draws. Or if we could put together a “3rd line” at times with him and Timo, that would be incredible.

 

[Better Call Sal]

More so for awareness when the topic comes up. So many low effort / worthless posts to pad post counts and fake internet likes that actual interesting stuff gets lost in the shuffle too often. If you don't find it interesting the Pens won a Cup, got Fitz and immediately underachieved for several years, and then won a Cup immediately after him leaving....you can ignore it.

Anyway, what constitutes a "step forward"? That's a vaguely low bar for a team that gave up a 1st++ for a 35 year old goalie with only 2 years left and spent last offseason on 30+ dmen with term, no? You only make those moves if you think you are a serious contender RIGHT NOW, otherwise you are just lighting assets on fire (whether it be picks, cap, players, etc). So, anything short of an ECF appearance and Fitz should be punted into the Atlantic. And that ain't happening, so just clean house already. Missed playoffs a year ago. Played like a bottom 5-10 team majority of last season as well.

Well, you've been shouting it from the rooftops for quite a while now so I assure you, it has not gotten lost in the shuffle. I don't recall how far you outlined his time with the Penguins, but he was with the organization when they won their 2009 Cup as director of player development. It's not as though he came aboard and wrecked the good thing they had going. Of course there's far less responsibility in that role, but I'm sure we could find creative ways to argue if he helped develop anyone in his time there too that wound up being important to their

As far as the Penguins go, I give more credit to Rutherford for coming in and filling in the gaps the team had. He acquired what wound up being their big playoff line over the course of that year with Kessel and Bonino in the offseason and Hagelin mid-year. You can certainly knock Shero and Fitz for being incapable of replicating that, but they did make quite a bit of moves as GM/AGM to try and get those depth pieces. Fleury turning into a pumpkin in those prime years didn't do anyone any favors either.

When I say a step forward, I mean they have to win at least one round. An ECF berth would be fantastic, and it's feasible given the Metro seems to be in a weird state at the moment. But if Fitz doesn't make the moves up front to support the core and we deal with another season like this one where we're getting shutout if the big guns up front don't score, I think he'll be packing his bags.

Not to regurgitate last offseason again, but yes, I thought he shored up the weakest points of the roster. He fired the coach (later than he should have) that lead them to missing the playoffs. Fixing the defense and the goaltending was essential and they made a difference with their level of play for much of the season. I didn't have a problem with giving up a first and Kevin Bahl for Markstrom. I don't consider that lighting assets on fire given what would the alternative have been? Then the forward acquisitions overperformed in the first month and a half, Noesen and Cotter, so all probably felt well in Fitz land. He has typically corrected (too) strongly in what the team needs in the offseason, but he now is a bit limited in what he can do this summer. I, like you, wait with bated breath to see what he does.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Hope we get the regular season schedule next week too. I love having the schedule as early as possible so I don't double book things.

 

[thebeernerd]

Hope we get the regular season schedule next week too. I love having the schedule as early as possible so I don't double book things.

I think the league said the entire schedule reveal will be on July 17, which is about when the sports calendar is at is quietest.

 

[Brodeur]

Hope we get the regular season schedule next week too. I love having the schedule as early as possible so I don't double book things.

John Shannon said the regular season would be released on July 16th. Not sure why it's a couple weeks later this year, the only thing that makes sense to me is that it's the day after the MLB All-Star game when almost nothing is going on in the American sports calendar. So it could be de facto headline news on a slow sports news day.

 

[Satans Hockey]

I think the league said the entire schedule reveal will be on July 17, which is about when the sports calendar is at is quietest.

John Shannon said the regular season would be released on July 16th. Not sure why it's a couple weeks later this year, the only thing that makes sense to me is that it's the day after the MLB All-Star game when almost nothing is going on in the American sports calendar. So it could be de facto headline news on a slow sports news day.

That's annoying, it was July 2nd last year.

 

[Brodeur]

That's annoying, it was July 2nd last year.

Yeah and it used to be a couple days before the draft. I'm waiting on some NCAA schedules to get released too and some schools are dragging. Looks like the WHL released their schedule this morning, I guess I can look to see if there's an excuse to visit my friend in Portland.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

just saw this from Alex:



- Glass walks
- we trade for a Penguins winger (Rakell or Rust)
- we sign Dan Vladar to be the backup goalie
- we trade for Ross Colton


obviously all depends on what we'd give up, but I don't HATE that. Vladar's overall numbers weren't great, but his 2nd half of the year he had like a .915 or something.

 

[Devils Trap]

just saw this from Alex:



- Glass walks
- we trade for a Penguins winger (Rakell or Rust)
- we sign Dan Vladar to be the backup goalie
- we trade for Ross Colton


obviously all depends on what we'd give up, but I don't HATE that. Vladar's overall numbers weren't great, but his 2nd half of the year he had like a .915 or something.

Cap wise to make that work we would need to dump 1 more contract no?

 

[woody footbreaker]

i hope Fitz is in on Hertl. much like with Jenner and Horvat, i think this type of player fits our needs the best. Jack needs a guy that is good in front of the net and has good hands and can play center. So hard to aquire a quality C, his age and AAV isnt bad at all with the cap going up. get a 3rd party in with retention even better

 

[Devil X]

just saw this from Alex:



- Glass walks
- we trade for a Penguins winger (Rakell or Rust)
- we sign Dan Vladar to be the backup goalie
- we trade for Ross Colton


obviously all depends on what we'd give up, but I don't HATE that. Vladar's overall numbers weren't great, but his 2nd half of the year he had like a .915 or something.

I actually liked this for the most part. The goalies could be an issue but something has to give to improve the forwards.

 

[Forge]

just saw this from Alex:



- Glass walks
- we trade for a Penguins winger (Rakell or Rust)
- we sign Dan Vladar to be the backup goalie
- we trade for Ross Colton


obviously all depends on what we'd give up, but I don't HATE that. Vladar's overall numbers weren't great, but his 2nd half of the year he had like a .915 or something.

So mercer is the 3c then?

 

[Forge]

Cap wise to make that work we would need to dump 1 more contract no?

Would need to move another contract

 

[Devils Trap]

So mercer is the 3c then?

Would be Colton for 3C surely

 

[Devils Trap]

Would be Colton for 3C surely

Timo - Nico - Mercer
Bratt - Jack - Rakell / Rust
Palat - Colton - Gritsyuk
Cotter - XXXX - Noeson

That would work if we dumped Dougie's contract. If not one of Mercer / Palat would need to go.

sorry: Meant to reply to Forge not my own message lol

 

[Forge]

Would be Colton for 3C surely

Avs fans talk about Colton the same way we do about Mercer in that he's not a center. That's why I think they've been so hell bent on finding centers the last couple of years. I think he played almost exclusively on the wing last year. Either way, I think we are looking at the same thing for the 3c position.

 

[Devil X]

Timo - Nico - Mercer
Bratt - Jack - Rakell / Rust
Palat - Colton - Gritsyuk
Cotter - XXXX - Noeson

That would work if we dumped Dougie's contract. If not one of Mercer / Palat would need to go.

sorry: Meant to reply to Forge not my own message lol

In the article he moved Palat to Pitt because they are willing to take on salary apparently and they are moving a 3 year deal for a 2 year deal. At least thats how i took it.

He suggested when letting Glass walk to sign Nico Sturm, Evolving Hockey has him signing for 1 year just over 1 million. He would be the 4th line center in that plan.

Avs fans talk about Colton the same way we do about Mercer in that he's not a center. That's why I think they've been so hell bent on finding centers the last couple of years. I think he played almost exclusively on the wing last year. Either way, I think we are looking at the same thing for the 3c position.

Since he went to the Avs yes but i believe his numbers in TB were very solid at center. Perhaps im incorrect i am sure someone on here can show that.

 

[Ekiru]

Timo - Nico - Mercer
Bratt - Jack - Rakell / Rust
Palat - Colton - Gritsyuk
Cotter - XXXX - Noeson

That would work if we dumped Dougie's contract. If not one of Mercer / Palat would need to go.

sorry: Meant to reply to Forge not my own message lol

Gritsyuk is going to run back to Russia if thats the line hes on