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

[devilsblood]

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I tend to not speculate too much on potential player acquisitions, they are often just so unlikely to happen(or they happen and you had no clue it was a possibility) that it seems like wasted energy.

But this one seems to have a relatively high likelihood. If Quinn wants to play with his brothers, and I assume he does, he can make it happen, it's just a matter of time. If I'm Vancouver I get out ahead of it. Get what you can now and don't have that cloud hanging over the situation.

I think Silayev makes more sense then Nemec from our perspective. If we have to include Mercer that's fine. If we have to include Casey that's fine. I'd love to include Hamilton in the deal, and from afar I'd think it would make some sense from Van's perspective.

Would rather not include Lenni, but that would not be a sticking point.

 

[devilsblood]

if Glass is the 3C for the entire year next year, might as well just start talking about 26-27. That cannot happen.

I think Glass as 3C is OK if Jack can stay healthy and we get a quality 4th line C.

 

[BostonDevil]

I'm confused by people saying this about our forward group.

IMO, the Devils relied on Jack, Bratt, Nico, McLeod, and the D to move the puck through the neutral zone in 2022-2023.

Everything but McLeod is pretty much the same with the forwards. On D, though, the right side went from Hamilton, Marino, Severson to Hamilton, Pesce, Kovacevic: we got bigger and tougher, but lost a lot of mobility / offense.

The Devils either need to add mobility back to the D, or they need to add new puck transporters up front. But, adding up front (other than replacing McLeod) is really more of a change than reverting back to the past.

I think we had more offense in past seasons. Toffoli, Rango, Zetts, etc. had the potential to generate scoring outside the "Big 4", losing those guys AND the rest of the existing forward group giving you nothing, really hurt.

 

[devsfan8]

I like a 4th line of Cotter-Glass-Noesen.
Mercer would slot right wing on the 3rd line barring a trade and there would be a hole for 3C to address this offseason.

 

[JK3]

I’d like to a solid 3C that Keefe trusts instead of throwing poor Nico out there for a million face offs and every other responsibility.

Fitz needs to make up his mind though on what team he’s trying to build. We went from a fast run and gun team to a slower, heavier, more responsible one. Is he going to over correct again and go the other way?

 

[devilsblood]

I’d like to a solid 3C that Keefe trusts instead of throwing poor Nico out there for a million face offs and every other responsibility.

Fitz needs to make up his mind though on what team he’s trying to build. We went from a fast run and gun team to a slower, heavier, more responsible one. Is he going to over correct again and go the other way?

Fitz did not build the fast run and gun team. He wants heavy.

 

[JK3]

I like a 4th line of Cotter-Glass-Noesen.
Mercer would slot right wing on the 3rd line barring a trade and there would be a hole for 3C to address this offseason.

I doubt Noesen plays on the fourth line. I still see him and Mercer flip flopping in the middle six.

I’d rather see Halonen there, that could be a fast and kinda nasty line (maybe not glass) but yeah.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

I think we are at the point with the cap rising where Kotkaniemi is a positive asset. Mercer for Kotkaniemi is maybe the best we could do in a Mercer for a Center trade, which I’m guessing would make us all angry.

I think you have to just hope an offseason of recovery/ development gets Haula/Mercer to adequate center play next year, or you break the bank for Pius Suter who is too small for Fitz im guessing.

 

[Devils731]

Fitz did not build the fast run and gun team. He wants heavy.

And as much as I think this years team was too slow to effectively use their heaviness, the team did perform better than I thought it would in the playoffs considering injuries.

I still don’t think the team can effectively deploy its heaviness but I do feel the playoffs were a point in Tom’s favor despite the 4-1 outcome.

If the Devils can get some quicker, heavy guys, that would be great. Even if still less skilled, they’ll help keep the other team under pressure instead of the vacation the Devils 3rd and 4th lines often were.

 

[thebeernerd]

I think we are at the point with the cap rising where Kotkaniemi is a positive asset.

That last part of this sentence is something that has never been said in recorded history.

 

[tailfins]

I think we had more offense in past seasons. Toffoli, Rango, Zetts, etc. had the potential to generate scoring outside the "Big 4", losing those guys AND the rest of the existing forward group giving you nothing, really hurt.

The issue is that most people seem to be saying that Fitz made the team slower by bringing in grit over speed up front. Boqvist seems to come up in these conversations. But, I don't think that's accurate.

Scoring - ok. Between Toffoli, Sharangovich, Zetterlund we lost some scoring. But, they only got Timo at the deadline that year. Timo should give you more scoring than Zetterlund, and Sharangovich (as much as I liked him) was scratched in the playoffs.

As @JimEIV has pointed out, the way our forward group has shaken out, it's LW where the Devils are lacking.

Someone like Ehlers could be a good fit. LW. Can move the puck. Can score. Could play with Nico and Timo. I'm not sure I see the salary fit, though.

 

[BostonDevil]

The issue is that most people seem to be saying that Fitz made the team slower by bringing in grit over speed up front. Boqvist seems to come up in these conversations. But, I don't think that's accurate.

Scoring - ok. Between Toffoli, Sharangovich, Zetterlund we lost some scoring. But, they only got Timo at the deadline that year. Timo should give you more scoring than Zetterlund, and Sharangovich (as much as I liked him) was scratched in the playoffs.

As @JimEIV has pointed out, the way our forward group has shaken out, it's LW where the Devils are lacking.

Someone like Ehlers could be a good fit. LW. Can move the puck. Can score. Could play with Nico and Timo. I'm not sure I see the salary fit, though.

The thing with Timo is that he CAN score so that's on him...

Definitely can contribute offense:
Jack
Nico
Bratt
Timo

Probably can contribute offense:
Noesen

Maybe could contribute offense:
Cotter
Glass
Mercer

Definitely can't contribute offense:
Lazar
Bastian
Palat
Haula
Tatar

This list it way too bottom heavy

 

[devsfan8]

The Quinn Hughes speculation is going to become such a distraction like JT Miller was for Vancouver they might have no choice but to trade him this summer.

 

[devilsblood]

And as much as I think this years team was too slow to effectively use their heaviness, the team did perform better than I thought it would in the playoffs considering injuries.

I still don’t think the team can effectively deploy its heaviness but I do feel the playoffs were a point in Tom’s favor despite the 4-1 outcome.

If the Devils can get some quicker, heavy guys, that would be great. Even if still less skilled, they’ll help keep the other team under pressure instead of the vacation the Devils 3rd and 4th lines often were.

Ya speed and heavy. With an emphasis on the latter.

 

[forceten]

We can’t easily trade Mercer because we are in such a bad spot with forwards we wouldn’t have anyone to replace him. He is a fine third line player.

Kotkaniemi? My god. Overpaid and hasn’t worked out so great for Carolina

 

[thebeernerd]

The Quinn Hughes speculation is going to become such a distraction like JT Miller was for Vancouver they might have no choice but to trade him this summer.

Canadian hockey media seems weirdly antagonistic towards the Canucks, so this is a possibility. I don't think that Rutherford and Allvin will feel pressured to make a move right now. We've seen that they're more of the "smear someone for months before letting them go" kind of group.

 

[theoptimist]

I think Glass as 3C is OK if Jack can stay healthy and we get a quality 4th line C.

I’m exhausted

 

[thebeernerd]

I’m exhausted

Agreed, Glass is strictly a 4C.

 

[Devils731]

The Quinn Hughes speculation is going to become such a distraction like JT Miller was for Vancouver they might have no choice but to trade him this summer.

Vancouver feels like they’re almost accidentally in a “blow it up” rebuild situation with some of it no fault of their own.

• Miller-Pettersson friction.
• Quinn wanting to play with brothers.
• Boeser apparently likely to leave.
• Pettersson not playing at star level.

Quinn’s possible/probable departure being a big issue since he’s so good. You can’t replace him and you lose almost any trade, regardless of when you make it, and you think he is gone for nothing if he gets that chance.

So your best course of action may be to sell the next 2 years of Quinn for the highest bidder. You’ll only get 50 cents to the dollar but it’s better than nothing or the 25 cents you’ll get next year.

Sell Pettersson to anyone who is willing to take him on as a reclamation project. Possible only get 35 cents on the dollar but you remove the risk and dollars.

Sign veterans you can flip at the deadline to fill in those spots.

Yes your team will be awful but it looks like it may not be getting over the hump anyway, a jumpstart to the rebuild and getting as many assets for guys as possible rather than spiral deeper into mediocrity holding onto assets that may be depreciating.

 

[Devils731]

Canadian hockey media seems weirdly antagonistic towards the Canucks, so this is a possibility. I don't think that Rutherford and Allvin will feel pressured to make a move right now. We've seen that they're more of the "smear someone for months before letting them go" kind of group.

I think the smearing of Quinn started about a month ago.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

We can’t easily trade Mercer because we are in such a bad spot with forwards we wouldn’t have anyone to replace him. He is a fine third line player.

Kotkaniemi? My god. Overpaid and hasn’t worked out so great for Carolina

We certainly can trade Mercer. He isn't used as a 3rd liner. He is very underwhelming for the ice time he gets.

 

[thebeernerd]

Vancouver feels like they’re almost accidentally in a “blow it up” rebuild situation with some of it no fault of their own.

Hey, it's better than being in a "blow it up" rebuild situation that was entirely inflicted by Jim Benning being terrible. Progress?

Speaking of Benning, they'd be so much better off if they didn't draft Olli Juolevi or Jake Virtanen in the early 1st round in previous drafts. They could have had Matthew Tkachuk or Willie Nylander instead.

 

[BostonDevil]

Since I'm bored and stupid (it's my trademark)...

What if the Devils signed Marner and them moved Bratt to Vancouver for Quinn?

 

[Devils Trap]

Since I'm bored and stupid (it's my trademark)...

What if the Devils signed Marner and them moved Bratt to Vancouver for Quinn?

Real dumb waste of assets IMO

Bratt at 7.8 million for 6 more years is worth more then Marner at 13 Million or w/e he wants

 

[Darkauron]

Since I'm bored and stupid (it's my trademark)...

What if the Devils signed Marner and them moved Bratt to Vancouver for Quinn?

Really dumb. Bratt is a better contract and an amazing player still