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

[edevils]

Devils apparently have interest in this kid to stop @Bleedred from his constant onslaught.

This is f***ed up

The biggest lost depth piece from the 22-23 season was not due to a Fitz hockey decision.

It was due to the player being an off the ice scumbag.

Innocent until proven guilty.

 

[HellOnIce]

With the horrendous job he has done in Utica, one has to ask would he really be a good choice to run the whole hockey operation in NJ?

I'm not sure that's a real job.

 

[jkrdevil]

With the horrendous job he has done in Utica, one has to ask would he really be a good choice to run the whole hockey operation in NJ?

If Fitz gets canned in the next year or so his replacement won’t be internal. Teams don’t go back to back internal candidates when they fire people. Maybe someone takes over in an interim role, but they likely won’t get the full job.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

The point about not having a farm system is why we're in this mess in the first place, the Panthers affiliate is up 2-0 on Laval in the Conference Finals in the AHL. Elite teams have good farms that when injuries happen. Fitz and company have dropped the ball tremendously in that regard.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

If Fitz gets canned in the next year or so his replacement won’t be internal. Teams don’t go back to back internal candidates when they fire people. Maybe someone takes over in an interim role, but they likely won’t get the full job.

If you look at Harris's hires in other sports (granted we don't know how day to day he is anymore), they're usually younger executives (Adam Peters/Elton Brand) trying to get a chance where as the coach hire is usually a proven guy who's won before (Dan Quinn in Washington with the Commanders/Nick Nurse in Philly with the Sixers)

 

[NJDfan86]

Mercer is just Tatar with fewer teeth

Tatar is better territorially and was significantly better in his younger days.

Mercer certainly looked like he would be there - but the last two years are hugely disappointing. He was at his best as a scrappy 3rd option on a scoring line but the Devils coaches and management still try to force him into something he is not imo.

 

[My3Sons]

Did Yegorov play this past semester while studying abroad or did they just live Boston’s to the EU?

 

[jkrdevil]

It also list Nolan Foote and I wouldn’t call a 24-year-old rfa a prospect.

 

[billingtons ghost]

So, I was just looking at the windows to win championships. It looks like the majority of the time, there's about a five to nine year period that cores have from the first time that the reach the finals to the time that they have a last hurrah and make it back to the Finals. Seems like there's always a mix of established vets, guys in their prime and rookies.

NJ. 1995 - 2003 (Stevens30/Nieds21/Brodeur22). 2000-2012 (Elias/Brodeur)
Chicago. 2010-2015 (hossa31 Toews21/Kane21/Keith26)
Pittsburgh 2008-2017 (Sydney21 Geno21, Letang22)
Tampa 2015-2022 (stamkos24, hedman21 kuch 21, vas 20)
Boston 2011-2019 (Thomas36, Chara33, bergeron 26, marchand 24, Rask23)
Detroit1995-2002 (yzerman29, fedorov25 lidstrom24) . -2008 (Datsyuk/Zetterberg)

Colorado 1996-2001 (Sakic26/Forsberg22/Roy30)

Bratt 27Jack24k Luke23 Timo29 Nico 26 Dougie32 Markie36

 

[Smitty426]

.

Ross Colton is worse than Mercer and five years older.. id rather not lol

Mercer is half the guy Colton is with regard to toughness, board play, any kind of snarl. This team is missing that in spades. Id rather have that than perfect attendance. And i like Mercer.

 

[NJDfan86]

It also list Nolan Foote and I wouldn’t call a 24-year-old rfa a prospect.

In most senses I agree - but between the AHL and his limited NHL time there are reasons to to believe he is an NHL player. IMO, he is Bastian with less defensive value and more offensive value ( hard to take his relatively strong NHL numbers seriously given the tiny sample).

It just seems like it won’t be with the Devils as they have tried for years to get him to “play to his size” instead of just letting him be himself.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Foote stinks

 

[Triumph]

In most senses I agree - but between the AHL and his limited NHL time there are reasons to to believe he is an NHL player. IMO, he is Bastian with less defensive value and more offensive value ( hard to take his relatively strong NHL numbers seriously given the tiny sample).

It just seems like it won’t be with the Devils as they have tried for years to get him to “play to his size” instead of just letting him be himself.

I don't think there's much room in the NHL for a player who plays like Foote. He could get an NHL run somewhere, but it's basically like 'Chicago if there's a lot of injuries' or something like that - slow, not physical, don't create their own offense-type players don't get much ice time. It's a shame because with some better skating and physicality he would be the perfect winger for Hughes.

 

[HersheyBob27]

The biggest lost depth piece from the 22-23 season was not due to a Fitz hockey decision.

It was due to the player being an off the ice scumbag.

I guess you haven’t followed the trial at all? Turns out the only victims here are the players

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Not sure I understand the question. How do I know that Fitz knows the team needs more scoring help? He alluded to it in the end of the year presser when he said they won't be coming back with the same group because it wasn't good enough and that there were players he felt that could score on this team that simply didn't.

I know people like to paint him as a slack-jawed idiot, but he's done well with targeting areas of need during the offseason in the past. It's been more that he's possibly over-corrected in those times as well. Hence the moving away of the depth speed players in 22-23 and bringing in size on defense last offseason.

Yea I guess there was a lot in your post. I meant this part: "but I don't expect him to pigeonhole those spots on one particular trait."

Who's to say he isn't trying to get "scoring" help from forwards who are big power forward types. I'll believe he'll get a small but very skilled forward when he actually does

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Devils apparently have interest in this kid to stop @Bleedred from his constant onslaught.

:32 It's Timo!

 

[njdevils1982]

My kingdom for Alexander Tuch

wow. your whole kingdom?! seems like a....

 

[The 29th Pick]

Foote stinks

He's a lucky rabbit I thought?

 

[HabsAddict]

The point about not having a farm system is why we're in this mess in the first place, the Panthers affiliate is up 2-0 on Laval in the Conference Finals in the AHL. Elite teams have good farms that when injuries happen. Fitz and company have dropped the ball tremendously in that regard.

The Checkers don't have any worthwhile prospects. They are built with older AHL lifers and THAT is why they are winning.

Like many, I thought tne AHL is a development league. Some are, some aren't.

This is the Checkers prospects...you tell me if this looks
Ike a development team. And of course, their goaltender has 5 NHL seasons.

Michael Benning:
A fourth-round pick by the Panthers, Benning is a key defenseman for the Checkers.

Oliver Okuliar and Mikulas Hovorka:
These two have signed deals with Florida and are making the jump to North America.

Nathan Staios and Mack Guzda:
These undrafted free agents have been playing well and are looking to make their mark on the Checkers.

Justin Sourdif:
A third-round draft pick, Sourdif has been enjoying his rookie season with the Checkers.

 

[Triumph]

The point about not having a farm system is why we're in this mess in the first place, the Panthers affiliate is up 2-0 on Laval in the Conference Finals in the AHL. Elite teams have good farms that when injuries happen. Fitz and company have dropped the ball tremendously in that regard.

Just to pile on - this team is full of AHL lifers and former NHLers. Their goalie is Kaapo Kahkonen. Now, do the Devils have to improve in Utica, yes, does it really matter if that improvement is by signing a bunch of guys who got 100+ NHL games but are not now NHL quality players, not really.

 

[McDuffz88]

If the Rossi rumors are true I would absolutely do it. That would give us the ability to roll 3 really good scoring lines. We looked the most lethal in the playoffs when all the lines clicked & all could score. That's the identity we should get back to. Imagine rolling this lineup. We would just need to get one winger to fill in the xxx. This gives us 3 lines that can score and a high end 4th line with Haula as the spare for when a center goes down.
Mercer-Nico-Meier
Xxx-Hughes-Bratt
Palat-Rossi-Grits
Cotter-Glass-Noeson
Haula

 

[Monsieur Verdoux]

If the Rossi rumors are true I would absolutely do it. That would give us the ability to roll 3 really good scoring lines. We looked the most lethal in the playoffs when all the lines clicked & all could score. That's the identity we should get back to. Imagine rolling this lineup. We would just need to get one winger to fill in the xxx. This gives us 3 lines that can score and a high end 4th line with Haula as the spare for when a center goes down.
Mercer-Nico-Meier
Xxx-Hughes-Bratt
Palat-Rossi-Grits
Cotter-Glass-Noeson
Haula

He is way too expensive as a 3C if the rumors are true that he is trying to get a 7x7 contract.

 

[glenwo2]

So, what’s good to eat around here?

Bratt-wurst sandwiches.

 

[glenwo2]

Devils apparently have interest in this kid to stop @Bleedred from his constant onslaught.

The cuteness levels are off the scale....

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Just to pile on - this team is full of AHL lifers and former NHLers. Their goalie is Kaapo Kahkonen. Now, do the Devils have to improve in Utica, yes, does it really matter if that improvement is by signing a bunch of guys who got 100+ NHL games but are not now NHL quality players, not really.

Ya, I don't think I really care if Utica signs guys that were former good players in this league or just guys trying to hold onto their careers by a thread. In fact, those guys are probably the best to surround the kids with because competition will make them better down and they can latch onto to habits from guys who were good at one point in the league. They just need to find their footing again as a farm team. It's tough for guys to go from a shit situation down there and then come expect to be an asset to an NHL club in some manner. Dowling was a prime example of that this year.