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

[Incharge1976]

Did you stop watching devils hockey after december?

Luke and Pesce were frankly a disaster the second half of the year. Kovy also had a pretty significant drop off. Dougie meanwhile was the only one winning his minutes

It's like you made these takes about the dcore half a year ago and haven't bothered to pay attention since.

The dmen other than dougie+siegs had a TON to do with the teams failures in the second half.

tell you what, we can get rid of the 13 mill 3rd pairing problem

Siegs-Hamilton: 12.5 mill first pairing
Luke-Kovy: 12 mill 2nd pairing
Pesce-Nemec: 6.5 mill 3rd pairing.

Problem solved

You're trying to strawman based on loosley defined "pairings" and both using Brenden Dillon as the ultimate strawman, a guy who both CANNOT be taken out of the lineup under any circumstances and a guy who you use HIS cap hit to make dougie seem more expensive than he is.

Dougie's game played since 2022

2022 - 62
2023 - 82
2024 - 20
2025 - 64

You'll probably need someone for 20+ games anyway, maybe a lot more.

He simply isn't worth the $9M at this point.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Ya knows this is very unrealistic right
The first 2 have full control of where they go
The rest woukd be good but you're adding to do the first part

Most recent DevilsInsiders podcast dropped earlier this morning and the guys make it sound like a given that Quinn comes to the Devils - if not this summer then next year.

How is that not redundant with what the team already has?

 

[MadDevil]

Most recent DevilsInsiders podcast dropped earlier this morning and the guys make it sound like a given that Quinn comes to the Devils - if not this summer then next year.

How is that not redundant with what the team already has?

The Devils already have a Norris Trophy winning defenseman that is a top 2-3 player at his position?

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

The Devils already have a Norris Trophy winning defenseman that is a top 2-3 player at his position?

They have at least three offense-first, contact-averse power play QB types who are deficient in their own end. Four if you count Seamus Casey.

 

[forceten]

Quinn Hughes is a top 3 player at his position. You get that if you can get that.

Trade ideas including Mercer puzzle me because who is going to play forward on this team? We are in bad enough position without reading a young guy who is a solid 3rd liner and can play up if needed

 

[My3Sons]

You’re free to sort through 2026-2027 UFAs to see what players with the kind of term you want are available. Just a short list of players with modest term: McCann, Danault, Coleman, O’Reilly, Crouse, Colton, Schmaltz, Pageau, Garland, Backlund, Marchment, Sissons, Lizotte, Sherwood. With a bit more term: Rakell, Schenn, Hoglander.

Anyone with a semi-functioning brain can understand that having 9 million dollars freed up changes the way you can construct the roster. It would also be nice to have another pick that can be flipped for a player. And again, for the 80th time, RHD is log jammed. Nemec is playing, and I don’t want any righty righty pairings. That alone is enough for me, but there are many other reasons to deal him.

Is the last part of the post serious? Really? You can’t see why the HIGHEST PAID PLAYER ON THE ROSTER at a position we’re loaded in is a unique circumstance? We wouldn’t be “selling low” on him either. There is very likely a new bottom that can be tested if he suffers another injury or gets even worse defensively. We wouldn’t even be able to trade him if we wanted to in that case. It’s possible there aren’t many takers as it stands.

Yeah well what about someone like me who doesn’t have even a semi-functioning brain? What am I supposed to see?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Most recent DevilsInsiders podcast dropped earlier this morning and the guys make it sound like a given that Quinn comes to the Devils - if not this summer then next year.

How is that not redundant with what the team already has?

They have at least three offense-first, contact-averse power play QB types who are deficient in their own end. Four if you count Seamus Casey.

how did I know you would be the one to complain about Quinn lol

name the 3 "contact averse PP QB types" that we have. I will give you Dougie and Luke. Who is the third? If you say Simon Nemec lmao

Quinn Hughes is a Norris trophy winning DMan. If you think that it is a bad idea to add that, like I've told you before, I think you should watch another team. Jack and Luke are here and will be here for a long time.

 

[guitarguyvic]

I mean you’re not keeping Dougie or Casey if you get Quinn, so including them as part of the roster to complain about redundancy seems disingenuous.

Pretty wild that people are questioning the wisdom of adding a Norris caliber d-man.

 

[forceten]

5 defensemen have NTC/NMC/M-NMC clauses for $21.9M in cap
Haula/Palat have M-NMC clasuses for $9.15M in cap
We whiffed on Stillman
We whiffted on Holtz (#7 OA)
We traded Bardakov for MacDermid (1.15M in cap) who never plays and...
...we have no centers
This is how I feel:

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Did you stop watching devils hockey after december?

Luke and Pesce were frankly a disaster the second half of the year. Kovy also had a pretty significant drop off. Dougie meanwhile was the only one winning his minutes

It's like you made these takes about the dcore half a year ago and haven't bothered to pay attention since.

The dmen other than dougie+siegs had a TON to do with the teams failures in the second half.

tell you what, we can get rid of the 13 mill 3rd pairing problem

Siegs-Hamilton: 12.5 mill first pairing
Luke-Kovy: 12 mill 2nd pairing
Pesce-Nemec: 6.5 mill 3rd pairing.

Problem solved

You're trying to strawman based on loosley defined "pairings" and both using Brenden Dillon as the ultimate strawman, a guy who both CANNOT be taken out of the lineup under any circumstances and a guy who you use HIS cap hit to make dougie seem more expensive than he is.

I don’t want to do any of that, thanks. A much worse idea than just trading Dougie Hamilton. The reasons have been clearly stated, and there is no changing my mind.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Calling Quinn a Norris winning defenseman is true, but also probably undersells him, lmao

"We already have guys who play similarly!" If that's something you think worth saying, even in an effort to troll this board, consider never talking about hockey again because you don't understand it full stop. "I'm sorry, we can't add Barkov because we already have Hischier at home."

He would be the teams best player, instantly, he's one of the best players in the league in an era with a LOT of elite talent. If you need to do roster surgery to fix things after acquiring him, you DO THE SURGERY because 25 year old top 10 players don't fall into the hands of playoff teams on a regular basis.

Plus, he makes the other elite talent we have more likely to stay for the long run. I would light a lot of assets on fire to get him (and fit him in) this offseason, and I think you're a fool if you wouldn't.

 

[Smitty426]

Most recent DevilsInsiders podcast dropped earlier this morning and the guys make it sound like a given that Quinn comes to the Devils - if not this summer then next year.

How is that not redundant with what the team already has?

Don't get me wrong, I don't doubt he's coming here (next summer imo) but wishing other players who have almost full control of their destiny is silly. Palat is not going to Van. That's not a knock on Van, it's just he's up there in years and wants to go to a team that is contending now. Dougie is a little different but not far off. They will have yo give up good stuff, just how much. Casey goes imo, since he's redundant as you say. Nemec and Sil as less so and we will need so.e cheaper contracts. Gonna be fun to see what Fitzy does. I think he works on the fwds this summer.

 

[Nico Hischier]

I would be down for sure

 

[AfroThunder396]

Dougie definitely had a lot of things going against him this season. Still recovering from the chest surgery which clearly affected his shooting ability, and having to be a babysitter for Dillon didn't help either. And he still posted positive results.

That being said, he's constantly hurt, on the wrong side of 30, and 9M is a LOT of cap space.

 

[Zippy316]

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I would be down for sure

Odds are that contract is not going to look good. You probably have to go 7 years just to get a better AAV.

Maybe you just live with the length since the first 3-4 years he’d be a great fit.

I think the Devils may have better luck in the trade market, in all honesty. Feels like some team would line up for Dougie to offload an overpaid 2/3C the Devils need.

 

[thebeernerd]

View attachment 1034350

I would be down for sure

Not for the amount of money he'll command. The Panther I was actually thinking of was Marchand, but I highly doubt he leaves.

 

[Cheddabombs]

View attachment 1034350

I would be down for sure

Is the update that they've come to the realization there may be a fit there

 

[My3Sons]

Watching the World Championship game of the US against the Swiss. Siegenthaler has a goal in the first. Hischier had a chance to shoot from a decent spot and of course he passed off to a non-NHL player. Never change Nico, never change.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Watching the World Championship game of the US against the Swiss. Siegenthaler has a goal in the first. Hischier had a chance to shoot from a decent spot and of course he passed off to a non-NHL player. Never change Nico, never change.

That's my captain.

 

[NjDevsRR]

It has been a long running joke on here that folks would somehow complain even after a cup winning season. I now believe it.

Bemoaning about the possibility of getting one of the best defensemen in the league is wild.

 

[Zippy316]

Most recent DevilsInsiders podcast dropped earlier this morning and the guys make it sound like a given that Quinn comes to the Devils - if not this summer then next year.

How is that not redundant with what the team already has?

I think the Devils already have somewhat of an expectation that this will happen sooner rather than later given the guys they’ve extended on defense.

Pesce, Kovacevic, Dillon, and Siegenthaler are all in theory a perfect top six to add Luke and Quinn to.

If Quinn comes, it’s almost assured that Casey is gone either in that deal or another one. I would hope they hang onto Nemec as something like Quinn - Kovacevic; Luke - Pesce; Siegenthaler - Nemec could be elite.

 

[thebeernerd]

It has been a long running joke on here that folks would somehow complain even after a cup winning season. I now believe it.

Bemoaning about the possibility of getting one of the best defensemen in the league is wild.

I know the stuff about how we'll still have holes to fill if we get Quinn is valid, but you never, ever say no to someone of Quinn's talent. Get him in, deal with whatever happens afterward.

 

[Forge]

View attachment 1034350

I would be down for sure

Not a Bennett guy in free agency, personally. That feels like a grenade contract

 

[theoptimist]

Folks, it’s pretty simple. If we get Quinn this summer, Fitz secures his job for another 3 seasons. The first season we falter with Nico and Quinn on their big deals is when Fitz will get canned.

 

[theoptimist]

View attachment 1034350

I would be down for sure

Chandler Stephenson was a better fit and likely the better contract in a few seasons.