Devils discussion (news, notes and speculation) - offseason part II

[NJDevs26]

With all the goalie starved teams in the league unless they surprisingly sign him before free agency starts, I think he’s going to be one of those first hour signings where he’ll get like 3 years for like 3.5-4mil.

There is zero chance Kahkonen gets a three year deal based on five junktime games with the Devils when his last two years were poor otherwise and he got traded for a guy with the worst ‘starter’ numbers in the league who couldn’t even play the rest of the season. He will likely take a day one deal, the one year contract (two max) plus best opportunity he gets.

 

[devilsblood]

2 years, if he's retained $1.5 for year that's a very low risk 7.2 per year for only two more seasons. Devils cap is in great shape and the contract ends before they owe the kids some cash. Kinda fits perfectly in the top-6. Plus that shot? After catching passes from Bratt? Sheesh, I want.

Not into playing Laine $7mil per.

Not only does he have the on ice questions in terms of all around game, but now he's missing a bunch of games yearly.

 

[woody footbreaker]

There is bald, there is balding, and then there is Laine.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Old enough to remember some posters in here begging for the Devils to trade Bratt for Laine....

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

It’s not realistic to keep Kahkonen unless you either A) go all in on Allen being a 1A, or B) trade Allen after you’ve just spent the better part of a year trying to convince him to waive a NTC and make Kakhonen the backup. There isn’t any room to stash him in the AHL either.

There is an Option C, acquire Askarov, sign Kakh and carry 3 goalies.

Montreal carried 3 goalies last season until Allen was dealt. Detroit carried 3 for entire season.

Why carry 3 goalies? It will allow a young goalie like Askarov to get NHL coaching and reps. Allow extra evaluation time for Kakh to see if he would be a better option than Jake Allen. Also, one of Allen/Kakh is a potential trade chip at deadline once we have figured out who better guy is.

Why it won't work. Limits roster flexibility. Inefficient use of cap space. We don't have a very good NHL goalie coach.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

I wouldnt take Laine for free with that contract tbh

They could retain the maximum and I still wouldn't want anything to do with it. He's just such a loser.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Why it won't work. Limits roster flexibility. Inefficient use of cap space. We don't have a very good NHL goalie coach.

Yeah but having 3 goalies means rogalski will get to spend less time with each one

That's value

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

There is zero chance Kahkonen gets a three year deal based on five junktime games with the Devils when his last two years were poor otherwise and he got traded for a guy with the worst ‘starter’ numbers in the league who couldn’t even play the rest of the season. He will likely take a day one deal, the one year contract (two max) plus best opportunity he gets.

Maybe but I’m basing it more on the propensity of GMs to do stupid signings, the scarcity of keepers around the league and the fact he just made $2.75mil the last two seasons. I wasn’t even thinking about his last few games here. Either way, I don’t think he’ll last long on the market.

 

[Guadana]

Insider Trading: The latest ‘near-offseason’ updates - Video - TSN

TSN’s Hockey Insiders have the latest on Jacob Markstrom, Mitch Marner, Nik Ehlers, Patrik Laine and Martin Necas, as well as why Leon Draisaitl wasn’t suspended and Team Canada/Jon Cooper.

www.tsn.ca

First minute is CJ on markstrom

"Calgary wants a certain amount, New Jersey only willing to go so far"

I will be not surprised if Fitz will trade Gritsyuk.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

man, I absolutely love Ehlers as a player...but I just don't know that we need another smol boi

 

[forceten]

I guess my thinking on Kahkonen was -- what if we are unable to acquire another goaltender? He's insurance. If we get someone, we deal him.

 

[MartyOwns]

There is an Option C, acquire Askarov

 

[Zippy316]

he is going to try and get that, but is a Markstrom Allen combo a lock to be good? I mean I figure it will be better then what we saw for much of last year but I could see it being below average.

I do like going 4 deep though organizationally...........even if that 4th is Poulter. Which is kind of interesting in that I'm into the idea of trading Scmid to acquire a #1, and think Poulter may have better long term promise, but I like Schmid in the near term, Id be a little wary if we had to turn to Poulter at some point next year.

From everything I’ve seen, Markstrom has been a consistent above average starter. Even if he slips a bit, he’s still better than the goaltending we’ve trotted out the last few years.

I'm not sold on Allen, in all honesty. I don’t think he’s much better than VV, just plays with more veteran savvy and is more composed as a vet. That being said, I do think he should be able to fill the role well as a 1B playing 25-30 games, but I question anything more than that.

I do think there’s a good chance Schmid or Daws may supplant Allen by years end on the depth chart, even if they spend the majority of the year in the minors. It makes me a little more comfortable having that option behind Allen.

 

[RSeen]

I will be not surprised if Fitz will trade Gritsyuk.

I'd hope not. He could come in and be an impact player at a cheap cap hit for at least a season.

 

[devilsblood]

From everything I’ve seen, Markstrom has been a consistent above average starter. Even if he slips a bit, he’s still better than the goaltending we’ve trotted out the last few years.

I'm not sold on Allen, in all honesty. I don’t think he’s much better than VV, just plays with more veteran savvy and is more composed as a vet. It seems like the management group is prioritizing experience in goal next year for that very reason.

I do think there’s a good chance Schmid or Daws may supplant Allen by years end on the depth chart, even if they spend the majority of the year in the minors. It makes me a little more comfortable having that option behind Allen.

I guess .905 is average these days, but .892 the year before. He turns 35 midseason.

Not seeing he can't be good, but I just don't see it as a lock.

On the other hand, this past season, I thought Allen was worlds better then VV. I thought Vitek actually looked worse then his #'s, while Allen looked better.
Still, a couple old goalies is risky.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I’d take Markstrom for cheap. He’s an average ish goalie without a super long term commitment.

I wouldn’t pay much of anything for him though, he’s 35 and making 6M a year.

 

[devilsblood]

I guess my thinking on Kahkonen was -- what if we are unable to acquire another goaltender? He's insurance. If we get someone, we deal him.

But would he sign up for such uncertainty?

Maybe if we overpay to do so, but would we do that? And what is overpaying?

I'm pro Kahk, I just think the Devils have shown their hand, that being, he is not in the plans.

I’d take Markstrom for cheap. He’s an average ish goalie without a super long term commitment.

I wouldn’t pay much of anything for him though, he’s 35 and making 6M a year.

Do we pay up for retention, or can we keep the assets and fit his full salary under the cap?

 

[Camille the Eel]

They could retain the maximum and I still wouldn't want anything to do with it. He's just such a loser.

He would be an extremely high upside reclamation project. It would totally depend on managements view about whether he can buy in, return to form and you can get him to play a totally focused defensive and team game too. What’s in it for Laine is reviving his career that is going down the drain. Who is he: is he really nothing but a loser?

In looking at the Devils from the point of view of how Florida is now dominant, the conclusion I draw is not that the Devils must become big and heavy. It’s that we must become a superlative defensive club. First things first here is our defensive play. You don’t have to be a big heavy guy to play great defense. Just ask Bob Gainey and Rejean Houle and the rosters of the highly skilled Montreal cup winning teams that were some of the best defensive clubs of all time.

If Scotty Bowman ( or whoever was coach) could get Frank Mahovolich to commit to D, why not Patrick Laine ?

 

[Guttersniped]

Old enough to remember some posters in here begging for the Devils to trade Bratt for Laine....

The poster with multiple handles argued strenuously for it to be Nico for Laine.

LA signing Danault as a UFA was supposed to show how easy it would be to replace him at center. (It was an endless thread & endless debate & very dumb lol.)

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I would take Ehlers. We’d just have to get at least 2 big boys to offset the move. Ehlers, Carrier, Trenin?

 

[Forge]

I will be not surprised if Fitz will trade Gritsyuk.

I could definitely see it.

Do we pay up for retention, or can we keep the assets and fit his full salary under the cap?

We don't need the retention, and I think most likely he'll get traded without it. If there is any retention, I think it's going to be minimal.

 

[Guadana]

There is an Option C, acquire Askarov, sign Kakh and carry 3 goalies.

Montreal carried 3 goalies last season until Allen was dealt. Detroit carried 3 for entire season.

Why carry 3 goalies? It will allow a young goalie like Askarov to get NHL coaching and reps. Allow extra evaluation time for Kakh to see if he would be a better option than Jake Allen. Also, one of Allen/Kakh is a potential trade chip at deadline once we have figured out who better guy is.

Why it won't work. Limits roster flexibility. Inefficient use of cap space. We don't have a very good NHL goalie coach.

Nash will not trade Askarov. We dont have an assets we ready to move.

 

[Guadana]

I'd hope not. He could come in and be an impact player at a cheap cap hit for at least a season.

Me too. But Fitz is losing patience. He already traded Shaq, Okhotiuk(even when he said to him by himself he dont wanna trade him and see him as a part of the team), Bardakov. He needs some assets to make a deal and it looks like CGY wants more ready talent, they have big Russian population in their club, 10OA is way too big asset for Markstrom, Gritsyuk still will not play next season. They may have no agreement about will they burn or not his ELC year and we dont know how both sides are thinking about it.
Im not saying he will trade him, but I think there could be some circumstances he will make it. Will I like it? Of course not, its a bad panic move. Fitz already made bad trade with young Sharangovich with bad outcome, he already let some players go he shouldnt. Devils already have thin prospect pool and they are in the beginning of their window. If he would trade Gritsyuk for 25-27 yo LD for top-4 and sign him long term - I would be okay. Swayman? of course. Go give 10OA + Gritsyuk if they want. But they dont. Markstrom/Saros/Ullmark or some other 30+ yo goalies? No thanks. I hope he will save his best assets, team huge problem is depth. Team without scoring depth wins nothing, young players is a perfect way to fill needs with lower cap.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I will be not surprised if Fitz will trade Gritsyuk.

Gut what little forward prospect depth we have... I'd sooner trade Casey, and I really don't want to trade Casey. But yeah, I absolutely could see Gritz being traded for some overpriced goalie that won't make us much better.

 

[forceten]

I do think that Fitzgerald overplayed his hand and saying in the media that Kahkonen wasn't in the plans (or strongly implying that) was definitely foolish.