Devils discussion (news, notes and speculation) - offseason edition

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

To further kill the 3rd line myth

#3 LW/RW Cotter and Mercer gave us 35 goals

#2 LW/RW Palat and Bratt gave us 36 goals



Where's the problem?

Mercer played more than Bratt at 5 on 5! Jfc how many times does this need to be said to you.

Mercer was NOT used as a 3rd liner.

 

[Bcap88]

And the reason he isnt in his proper spot on PP1 is because Jack and Bratt play those spots.

Keefe was asked about this today

That’s the issue tho

Bratt has 11 ppg over the last two years

Timo has 17 and that’s including being stapled to pp2 most of this year.

Ur wasting a left handed heavy shot for pp2
Or a bumper position

 

[Zippy316]

Mercer played more than Bratt at 5 on 5! Jfc how many times does this need to be said to you.

Mercer was NOT used as a 3rd liner.

Bratt is the last guy we should be complaining about.

Consistently puts in the work. Gets better year after year adding a new dimension to his game (this year he was far more physical). On top of that, his deal is terrific value.

But we’re going to cherry pick goal scoring totals and ignore that he had 67 assists? Sure.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Haula's Mid-Year Drought

Regular Season P or Playoff P
Fitzgerald's Offseason

 

[Zippy316]

Also we can’t overlook the fact that as Keefe mentioned, Hischier didn’t get an easy shift all season. Hischier, Hughes, and Bratt were regularly killing penalties too since our depth was terrible.

You look around the league and all the good teams have depth options to allow them to leverage their top players too.

Carolina has Staal giving Aho prime minutes. Florida uses Barkov or Lundell in defensive minutes. Washington has their 4C in Dowd take almost every defensive zone faceoff. Tampa has Cirelli to free up Kucherov. Dallas has such a dynamic top nine that they spread the wealth. Winnipeg has Coyle as a matchup center.

The lack of depth on this team was an anchor plain and simple. Overextended top guys way too much and they still had excellent offensive seasons despite that.

 

[Triumph]

That’s the issue tho

Bratt has 11 ppg over the last two years

Timo has 17 and that’s including being stapled to pp2 most of this year.

Ur wasting a left handed heavy shot for pp2
Or a bumper position

This doesn't sound like he's being wasted, sounds like he's scoring plenty of goals regardless.

Timo's issue on PP1 is obvious whenever he gets on there - he can score goals, but he very much struggles to set anyone up for goals or make any good reads with (or in the case of Game 2, without) the puck. He's better suited to PP2 where people can just set him up.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Regular Season P or Playoff P
Fitzgerald's Offseason

 

[AfroThunder396]

The draft record is the only thing that has me in favor of firing Fitzgerald. The problem is, that's the biggest lagging factor - by the time we know what the more promising bunch of these players are, it's too late.

Fitzgerald is the GM and therefore he's ultimately responsible for who gets picked. But I'm really interested in the dynamics going on in the scouting department.

Paul Castron was an original Shero hire in 2015. I see him referred to as the Director of Amateur Scouting in articles and places like Elite Prospects, but on the Devils staff directory he's listed as VP of Amateur Scouting. The Devils official website does not have anyone listed as Director of Amateur Scouting.

Instead, the person who is listed first in the scouting department directory is not Castron, but Mark Dennehy who was promoted by Fitz in August 2021 after a middling career as NCAA/AHL coach. His title is listed as Chief Scout and maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill but it's listed above Castron on the staff directory. Dennehy has also been front and center during draft media the past few years while Castron doesn't seem to be featured at all.

I only being this up because Castron seemed to do pretty good work while Shero was GM, finding guys like Bratt, Sharangovich, Zetterlund, Gritsyuk, etc in later round. Whatever he was doing under Shero seemed to be working.

Then Shero is fired, the pandemic happens, we have two really weird COVID drafts where everyone is essentially throwing darts (which just happen to be the two drafts that we have five 1sts in), and then the last three drafts since Dennehy arrived seem pretty disappointing so far.

We also hired a person named Dakota Keene in September 2022, who is listed as Manger of Amateur Scouting. So there's one more cook in the kitchen.

I guess my overall point is that I don't know who is doing what in the room anymore and that may be related to the lack of quality we've been pulling from the draft.

I can't stop thinking about that one clip from 2021 where we're on the clock in the 3rd round and Fitz says "quick, someone sell me on Salminen" and then some guy just mumbles something about being a big centerman who scores goals and Fitz says "yeah let's go with him then." It just felt very disorganized, like the kind of draft process you'd expect from a bar full of drunk guys.

 

[Forge]

Palat can't be waived next year, right? He only has a 10 team trade list, but looks like he has an NMC to prevent the Drury trick of threatening waivers, is that right?

 

[thebeernerd]

Fitzgerald is the GM and therefore he's ultimately responsible for who gets picked. But I'm really interested in the dynamics going on in the scouting department.

Paul Castron was an original Shero hire in 2015. I see him referred to as the Director of Amateur Scouting in articles and places like Elite Prospects, but on the Devils staff directory he's listed as VP of Amateur Scouting. The Devils official website does not have anyone listed as Director of Amateur Scouting.

Instead, the person who is listed first in the scouting department directory is not Castron, but Mark Dennehy who was promoted by Fitz in August 2021 after a middling career as NCAA/AHL coach. His title is listed as Chief Scout and maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill but it's listed above Castron on the staff directory. Dennehy has also been front and center during draft media the past few years while Castron doesn't seem to be featured at all.

I only being this up because Castron seemed to do pretty good work while Shero was GM, finding guys like Bratt, Sharangovich, Zetterlund, Gritsyuk, etc in later round. Whatever he was doing under Shero seemed to be working.

Then Shero is fired, the pandemic happens, we have two really weird COVID drafts where everyone is essentially throwing darts (which just happen to be the two drafts that we have five 1sts in), and then the last three drafts since Dennehy arrived seem pretty disappointing so far.

We also hired a person named Dakota Keene in September 2022, who is listed as Manger of Amateur Scouting. So there's one more cook in the kitchen.

I guess my overall point is that I don't know who is doing what in the room anymore and that may be related to the lack of quality we've been pulling from the draft.

I can't stop thinking about that one clip from 2021 where we're on the clock in the 3rd round and Fitz says "quick, someone sell me on Salminen" and then some guy just mumbles something about being a big centerman who scores goals and Fitz says "yeah let's go with him then." It just felt very disorganized, like the kind of draft process you'd expect from a bar full of drunk guys.

Good post, but I have one quibble: Shero did a pretty bad job of drafting defensemen. Hell, he didn't have a very good handle on building a blue line corps in general, and that goes back to his Pittsburgh days. I'll grant Fitz one thing, he's better at that. Many of the trades he's made has worked out perfectly, and given his track record I'll give him the benefit of the doubt on Silayev.

In terms of drafting, developing, and finding forward talent, Shero has the edge easily. Maybe the Devils should invest in a seance?

 

[NjDevsRR]

I’d hold onto Palat for one more season. He probably can’t be moved and his buyout scenario this year is not palatable

 

[thebeernerd]

I’d hold onto Palat for one more season. He probably can’t be moved and his buyout scenario this year is not palatable

He bought another year for his playoff performance.

 

[theoptimist]

You can strong arm Palat and terminate his contract. The headlines will include the word “mutual”

 

[devsfan8]

I think (and I love the guy and hate not defending him) that trading Dougie is in the best interest of the organization. Its a huge hunk of space. Palat, Haula can stay in that scenario. Haula has a year left anyway so it makes less sense to move him and he is a good penalty killer. We can add some legit socring help with that kind of space.

Finding a team that Dougie would be a good fit on is not hard. Even retaining 2 mill for 3 years and ridding the other 7 mill is possible. Not knowing what teams he would go to is what would make it difficult. Unless he agreed to a trade to a team not on his list.

I would start the season at D with lines similar to this

Hughes-Pesce
Siegenthaler-Dumoulin (Dumo playing HIS OFF SIDE for now)
Dillon-Nemec

Kovacevic - IR (they dont rush him back)

Sign some 7th.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Of course, from an absolute stand point he's by no mean trash.

But relative to what he's getting paid, he's been a big disappointment. I don't care if he got hot for 2 months, 53 points and 26 goals is not it.

I was expecting Timo to shoulder more of the offensive burden from day 1.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

I’d hold onto Palat for one more season. He probably can’t be moved and his buyout scenario this year is not palatable

 

[Devils731]

You can strong arm Palat and terminate his contract. The headlines will include the word “mutual”

What leverage are you using to make Palat give up millions of dollars for no reason other than his good will?

 

[devsfan8]

They gave up what they gave up for Dumo because of how he played with us. That mf'er deserves a statue for that performance. Make that deal everyday. Just wish we could off load Dillon to sign him.

I'd keep both! Dillon has been solid for us also and will be ready to go. He also has a no trade clause.

 

[SJinNewJersey]

What leverage are you using to make Palat give up millions of dollars for no reason other than his good will?

You can tell him this guy will be his new road roommate.

 

[devsfan8]

I don’t care about the second round pick but throwing in one of our better forward prospects made it an overpay for a desperation rental only designed to keep us in the playoffs. And I’d love to keep Dumo but….how? The six man defense includes (via Puckpedia):

Dougie - signed for three years at $9 million per, full NMC

Pesce - signed for four years at $5.5 million per, full NTC

Siegs - signed for three years at $3.4 million per, partial NTC

Kovacevic - signed for four years at $4 million per, full NTC

Dillon - signed for two years at $4 million per, full NTC

Luke will need a new deal soon AND you have the Nemec situation, you basically have to get rid of two guys to sign Dumo

I think its fair to assume with an over crowded defense and a need for more scoring that one can be used to acquire the other.... I think we could see both Hamilton and Casey traded.

One thing is clear with Fitzy, he is not afraid to trade defense man. Ty Smith, Marino, etc.

 

[NJDevs26]

I think its fair to assume with an over crowded defense and a need for more scoring that one can be used to acquire the other.... I think we could see both Hamilton and Casey traded.

One thing is clear with Fitzy, he is not afraid to trade defense man. Ty Smith, Marino, etc.

Ty Smith wasn’t his draft pick and Marino didn’t have a NTC iirc

I could definitely see your scenario playing out but the NTC with the contract makes it harder than we want to believe with Dougie, especially since he wasn’t exactly a hot ticket among GM’s when actually a FA

 

[thebeernerd]

I think Dougie's NTC goes to ten teams this year, right? He should strike while the iron's hot on this one.

 

[Clam Jensen]

I was expecting Timo to shoulder more of the offensive burden from day 1.

I would temper expectations then if success was tied to anything to do with shoulders.

 

[NJDevs26]

I think Dougie's NTC goes to ten teams this year, right? He should strike while the iron's hot on this one.

Ten teams he picks so if he doesn’t want to move (or even if he does) he’ll just pick good teams with no cap space

 

[thebeernerd]

Ten teams he picks so if he doesn’t want to move (or even if he does) he’ll just pick good teams with no cap space

Well good thing the cap's going up this year by a lot.