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

[theoptimist]

There’s zero chance they will fire him in the next two weeks.

The draft is June 27-28. They would have to rush the search for a replacement and then throw the new guy in there days before the draft and free agency.

Even someone who wants Fitz gone would have to admit that’s a terrible idea.

It’s a terrible idea

 

[Bcap88]

Only thing I fear is firing fitz and then Marty takes over who will prob revert to old
Lou ways in 2025

Only way I see him getting fired is if nj misses playoffs next year

 

[Emperoreddy]

At worst, Toews could probably be a reliable 4th line C. It could be a low risk, high reward move depending on the price. I’d imagine someone overpays him though.

Yeah i could see bringing him in as a 4C working out for someone potentially.

Giving up real money to play in your top 9 though sounds foolish

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Toews aint gonna go anywhere to play 4C, rightly or wrongly

some team will pay for the name IMO

 

[Guttersniped]

It wasn’t true. Not really. Toews’ skepticism of Colliton passed pretty quickly, actually, during that first season. The two got along well and had plenty of mutual respect to go around. That trust only grew deeper when Colliton fell on his sword in the Edmonton bubble in the summer of 2020, taking all the heat for Toews’ conspicuous absence during the final minutes of a one-goal loss to Vegas when, in fact, Toews had pulled himself from the game because his body was betraying him and he was barely able to move.

So believe it when Toews — back after his season-long absence — says he’s fully bought-in on Colliton and his systems. It’s not just a captain saying the right thing. Colliton doesn’t only communicate with the young guys, he’s in constant communication with the two remaining stars from the Stanley Cup era. And Toews is on board. Has been for a long time now.

“Yeah, 100 percent,” Toews said. “When you’ve got a certain level of experience with the game — Jeremy’s good with this — he welcomes those questions, the little things you don’t understand or don’t agree with, to bring it up and have a discussion. He’s very open to that and that’s what makes him a good coach. I’m not going to agree 100 percent of the time, and it’s good to talk those things out. But ultimately, it’s been my message coming back to the team that I’m just happy to be here, I’m happy to jump on the wagon with the fellas and go have some fun and play some hockey as a team. I think we’ve shown times last year, you could see it, and the year before, too, when we bought in and it was shift after shift that everyone was playing the right way and the same way. You get results when you play Jeremy’s way.”

Link

(Note: this is not a serious post.)

 

[Guttersniped]

I might entertain a Toews deal, depending on what he's asking

I’m assuming he’ll take a cheap +35 contract with performance bonuses.

I doubt money will be much of a factor at all with him and team fit will be everything.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Toews and Kane on the 3rd line

 

[NJDfan86]

Feels like a Vegas/Florida situation to me.

 

[Davegarri]

Yeah I'm honestly down for giving toews a shot to play a bottom 6 role if we can't find a good 3C. There's no way he can command a ton of money at 37 and taking the last 2 years off. Idgaf how much leadership and experience he has, he has no leverage in contract negotiations.

 

[devsfan8]

Only thing I fear is firing fitz and then Marty takes over who will prob revert to old
Lou ways in 2025

Only way I see him getting fired is if nj misses playoffs next year

The chances of this happening at any point this summer are ZERO. And like you said only a playoff miss would lose him his job.

 

[Lou is God]

Toews and Kane on the 3rd line

I dunno if there is a hockey stick in the world tall enough for him.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Some of you guys were out to lunch thinking Fitz was getting fired.

GM of a playoff team isnt losing his job because the team slumped in January then dealt with catastrophic injuries soon there after.

And a first round exit is doubly not getting laid at the GM's feet with the level of injuries we suffered.

Doesnt mean he is free from criticism, but nothing firable happened this season

 

[Time Skip]

There is zero chance the Devils go with someone who hasn’t played since April 13, 2023 at a position of need where we have a contract already in Haula

Also zero chance Toews goes to New Jersey to be a fourth line center. Theyd sooner keep Glass at his 2.5 million qualifying offer, which he will come in well below of

 

[Emperoreddy]

The rumored trade ask of Philly is more then reasonable, but anyone feels comfortable dishing out a 7x7 or more contract that he is supposedly looking for?

 

[Oneiro]

If you want Rossi, you implicitly believe 7x7 will end up being cheap. I don't think we'll do it because of size concerns up front. Which is dumb but reality.

 

[Cheddabombs]

There's no way after all the talk about improving the forward depth I'm seeing pining for Jonathan Toews in 2025. I would literally prefer just bring back Dowling.

 

[njdevils1982]

Toews and Kane on the 3rd line

I dunno if there is a hockey stick in the world tall enough for him.

 

[Time Skip]

If you want Rossi, you implicitly believe 7x7 will end up being cheap. I don't think we'll do it because of size concerns up front. Which is dumb but reality.

Is it dumb? Or is it reality?

The two teams about to meet in the Finals, Panthers and Oilers, have one single sub-6ft player active combined. Troy Stetcher playing third pair for Edmonton. Edit: Marchand was forgotten but hes not your average sub-6fter

Dallas has a few higher-end players sub-6ft in Duchene, Dadanov, and Granlund. However, they counter-balance this with the heaviest and tallest forward core in hockey. Marchment, Rantanen, Benn, Hintz, Robertson, Seguin are all 6’2”+.

The Devils already have Jack and Jesper below 6’; that’s equivalent to most true contenders. They need not add more but look elsewhere for different player-archetypes

Big, skilled talents win more than not in the playoffs; it’s reality, in my opinion. I dont disagree we can have one more in the top-9, but past that…

 

[Brodeur]

View attachment 1043761

Just for the excuse, one of my favorite random things I learned during the pandemic was that Shaq and Penny Hardaway inadvertently affected the NHL Draft from 1995-2012.

I was reading some old articles and found one where the NHL managed not to hash out the lottery procedure until May 1995. The draft was a few weeks away and the regular season was already over. They waited until the GM meetings to figure it out and naturally a few might have had a conflict of interest.

After a compromise was reached, one of the GMs mentioned that they wanted to avoid an "Orlando situation." In 1993, Orlando narrowly missed out on the playoffs and had the lowest odds of winning the lottery. Sure enough they won and eventually paired Penny with Shaq. Fast forward to May 1995 and Orlando is the #1 seed en route to an NBA Finals appearance. The NHL GMs probably thought Orlando had been handed a dynasty.

So that why the NHL lottery originally had that rule about the winning team only being able to move up four spots.

 

[dgibb10]

There is zero chance the Devils go with someone who hasn’t played since April 13, 2023 at a position of need where we have a contract already in Haula

Also zero chance Toews goes to New Jersey to be a fourth line center. Theyd sooner keep Glass at his 2.5 million qualifying offer, which he will come in well below of

I don't expect glass to cost "well below" his QO

 

[Nubmer6]

So that why the NHL lottery originally had that rule about the winning team only being able to move up four spots.

I wonder if we would still have selected Larson if that rule didn't exist and we had the 1OA pick. We were desperate for D, and Adam was pretty highly touted. I also think there wasn't a universal consensus #1 pick that year.

 

[Time Skip]

I don't expect glass to cost "well below" his QO

Id consider 1.85-2m well below considering that’s 20-25% discount

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Is it dumb? Or is it reality?

The two teams about to meet in the Finals, Panthers and Oilers, have one single sub-6ft player active combined. Troy Stetcher playing third pair for Edmonton. Edit: Marchand was forgotten but hes not your average sub-6fter

Dallas has a few higher-end players sub-6ft in Duchene, Dadanov, and Granlund. However, they counter-balance this with the heaviest and tallest forward core in hockey. Marchment, Rantanen, Benn, Hintz, Robertson, Seguin are all 6’2”+.

The Devils already have Jack and Jesper below 6’; that’s equivalent to most true contenders. They need not add more but look elsewhere for different player-archetypes

Big, skilled talents win more than not in the playoffs; it’s reality, in my opinion. I dont disagree we can have one more in the top-9, but past that…

Don’t really want Rossi, but “below 6 feet” is such a totally meaningless category. Tampa won cups with 4 important forwards below 6 feet, and two listed at exactly 6 feet. The last time the Devils won a cup they had 4 important forwards below 6 feet and a defenseman.

 

[Time Skip]

Don’t really want Rossi, but “below 6 feet” is such a totally meaningless category. Tampa won cups with 4 important forwards below 6 feet, and two listed at exactly 6 feet. The last time the Devils won a cup they had 4 important forwards below 6 feet and a defenseman.

I agree it should be meaningless; but what should be meaningless and what is reality can be mutually-inclusive and contradictory

Its ebbs and flows. Right now bruiser-style hockey is back with a vengeance, during a time where retaliatory hockey isn’t being allowed. Therefore, right now, size wins

You dont build a team for just next year so one more sub-6fter outside Jack and Jesper can work (if Mercer is moved). But would I want four of my top-9 being small and lacking physicality? Not in any era of hockey

And I dont consider Bratt’s 80 hits physical; there’s a difference between him and Marchand’s hits (and antics), for example. Hell, even Kucherov is a bigger pest

Tampa Bay is also a tough example considering their cap one year was 12 million above the allowed limit. I too would be okay having a extra few smaller guys if I could also have another 1st liner for free

 

[devilsfan950003]

If you want Rossi, you implicitly believe 7x7 will end up being cheap. I don't think we'll do it because of size concerns up front. Which is dumb but reality.

Where are they finding the cap room to sign him?