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

[Forge]

I had just gotten the notification that a new episode had dropped, going to listen shortly. But FWIW:

 

[Devils731]

I had just gotten the notification that a new episode had dropped, going to listen shortly. But FWIW:

I have no idea what the offer or ask is but I do believe the Devils shouldn’t reach for Markstrom. If the Flames are trying to hold out and get the Devils to blink, the Devils should go another path.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1801804395887345915

Although I do think Johnston could have been more clear that it should be crazy to expect the 10th.

Although some Flames fans feel certain the 10th is a reasonable ask.

 

[Forge]

I have no idea what the offer or ask is but I do believe the Devils shouldn’t reach for Markstrom. If the Flames are trying to hold out and get the Devils to blink, the Devils should go another path.

I think right now, neither team needs to be in any sort of hurry. Still a 2+ weeks out from UFA, they can bide their time just a bit.

As we get closer to July 1, it becomes a little more interesting as teams are starting to set their rosters up for the year via free agency. That means teams want to create cap space, etc. The need to do that goes away the further they get away from July 1 though.

 

[Alex NJD]

Lindholm should sign a 1 year deal here and rebuild his value by playing with Jack Hughes. The cap will move up for the foreseeable future so he probably wouldn’t even leave any money on the table if he has a big year. Who is lining up to give him 7x7 at the moment?

I think there was a main board post that says Friedman reported he turned down 7x7 with Vancouver.

 

[Smitty426]

Henrique is fine. We need him as a bottom line player. And Trenin. Of course if Fitz will find better winger for Jack ROSS COLTON (NMC kicks in July 1), we can send Haula back to the third line and not worry about it anymore.

I would say finding top 4 defenseman (MCNABB) and two forwards like Trenin YES and DeBrusk (for example) MALENSTYN-Wsh (or STURM in SJ for Bastian+) will be more important than goalie. Skjei(for example), Trenin, Debrusk and Kahkonen/Lankinen/DeSmith(is he available?) Will make millions times better job for this team than Saros with third pair defenseman and cheap 4th line winger.

Bring back Colin Miller for insurance.Jeannot if he could be had cheap.

 

[Goptor]

I imagine a Devils-Flames trade would be something like Markstrom for Schmid and either early 4th(2024) or late 3rd(2025).

They could actually use Schmid. Wolf and Vladar were awful last year. Schmid was better than both and far better than Vladar the prior year. Gives them another NHL ready goalie to hopefully hit with.

 

[Forge]

I had just gotten the notification that a new episode had dropped, going to listen shortly. But FWIW:

The way I interpreted the frustration that CJ mentioned is that he was referring to markstrom being frustrated

I imagine a Devils-Flames trade would be something like Markstrom for Schmid and either early 4th(2024) or late 3rd(2025).

They could actually use Schmid. Wolf and Vladar were awful last year. Schmid was better than both and far better than Vladar the prior year. Gives them another NHL ready goalie to hopefully hit with.

I've believed that it is likely to be a great bit heftier than that. But that would be awesome lol

 

[Goptor]

The way I interpreted the frustration that CJ mentioned is that he was referring to markstrom being frustrated



I've believed that it is likely to be a great bit heftier than that. But that would be awesome lol

Markstrom was non-commital to the Flames during their end of season press conference. He was also refusing to comment the whole time starting from when he waived the NMC. Its very clear he's not happy with how things went down.

Thats why I think Calgary management screwed up big time. Its as close to tampering as you can legally get. Markstrom knows 100% that the Devils want to trade for him and he can block any other trades to teams he's less interested in because he knows that the Devils will always have interest.

 

[Guttersniped]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1801662206842458373

and a pony, and a whirley dervish, and a fire truck, and a gamecube, and

 

[Guttersniped]

anyone getting excited about this hasn't followed a Fitzy offseason. Just last year we were going to bring in a stud goalie. The year before it was an elite winger.

Several people seemingly interpreted this as bitching but I assumed you just meant there’s a difference between what Fitz is interested in adding and what’s available/feasible.

For one thing, I don’t see how we could even afford all that unless he was scoring some bargains or shipping out some salary too.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

. Its as close to tampering as you can legally get. Markstrom knows 100% that the Devils want to trade for him and he can block any other trades to teams he's less interested in because he knows that the Devils will always have interest.

I think you’re greatly overestimating how badly Markstrom wants to come to jersey. I think it’s a lot more he’s not happy in Calgary than him really wanting to come to the Devils. Not sure where that assumption is coming from. I’d imagine there’s anywhere from 10-20 teams he’d waive for if not most of the teams in the league at this point.

 

[britdevil]

Fitzgerald does A LOT of talking doesn't he?

 

[Goptor]

I think you’re greatly overestimating how badly Markstrom wants to come to jersey. I think it’s a lot more he’s not happy in Calgary than him really wanting to come to the Devils. Not sure where that assumption is coming from. I’d imagine there’s anywhere from 10-20 teams he’d waive for if not most of the teams in the league at this point.

I agree he mostly wants out of Calgary.
But where else will he find a starting job and want to be there? He specifically refused to waive for the Kings and there are likely a bunch of other teams he'll refuse to waive to.

Ottawa is a giant mess, no chance he goes there.
LA is already out.
I doubt Utah is in the running.
Carolina is going to be very tight against the cap signing their own players. I doubt they can fit him in.
Edmonton is in a similar cap situation and I doubt Calgary wants to trade him there.
Sharks, BJs, Hawks are going to be garbage, no chance he goes to any of them.

Devils are an option
Leafs are an option
Flyers maybe, but they just signed Fedotov for $3.3m
Blues maybe if they trade Binnington
Detroit maybe if they get rid of Husso

 

[Guadana]

Strongly disagree.
Goalie is the number one priority, even more than re-signing Mercer.
Once we sort this out, it will determine how much we can spend on filling the other team needs.
We have to get the best option available. Fitz can’t cheap out on this position. If Saros at $6m and Markstrom at $3m retained both present itself, then I want the better option in Saros, even if it means will need to go cheap and miss out on a $5m forward we may have earmarked for top 6.

Sorry, but no.
Devils were good even when vv and mb were bad or good or meh year ago.
Devils were bad and lost games without any chance for more wins even when kk and Allen were good or even great this year.

This year playoff shows what is more important for hockey teams. Im not saying we shouldn't sign goalies, but average goalie should be enough, if this team will fix their real problems.

 

[Guadana]

Bring back Colin Miller for insurance.Jeannot if he could be had cheap.

You have plan! Overall everything looks good but I would prefer to save more assets. Our prospect pool isn't strong, we are not the strong team still and good players on elc will help a lot. As roster players, as 13-14 F/7-8 D options.

For my view Fitz shouldn't overrank player he likes. He likes Graves, Toffoli, Johnsson. They were okay. But they were not great. He can find players on the market and pay for them only by cap space. Trenin, Blueger, Joshua, Blackwell, Foegele, Henrique, Debrusk etc. Some of them are really good, im not a fan of some others. Overall plenty of options. Jeannot if he is available should be cheap.
Plenty of options, pick what you like. Fitz just should understand the problem and work on the market.

With defensemen its harder task to ask. I would like Kulikov as a third pair defenseman but he is good when nothing more. Bahl is goid when he is third pair defenseman too. We need something more. I can't pencil Bahl or Sigenthaler as top 4 defenseman now if we are talking about trying to compete.
McNabb sounds good but he is cheap, I believe Vegas would prefer to save him, may be They are ready to trade him I could miss some rumors.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I believe any of the top 20 NHL goaltenders are capable of being a legit NHL starter and Vezina candidate under the right conditions. There isn’t just 3 candidates available like the media seems to think. I believe a team like Vegas would be willing to move off Adin Hill who will need a new contract in a year, especially with Thompson there making pennies.

 

[ndkjr70]

Several people seemingly interpreted this as bitching but I assumed you just meant there’s a difference between what Fitz is interested in adding and what’s available/feasible.

For one thing, I don’t see how we could even afford all that unless he was scoring some bargains or shipping out some salary too.

yeah, that’s really it. i think there’s a big difference in what fitz leaks to the media and what is a realistic offseason. 4 new players that will have immediate impact, plus a goalie, seems like it falls in the “unrealistic” side of that discussion.

 

[ThePrideofStockholm]

Rogalski sound like a wunder Cure for balding men. -Have you tried Rogalski? Work like a charm for me , got my muller back in a week

 

[Nubmer6]

Fitzgerald does A LOT of talking doesn't he?

He strikes me as someone who won't shut up when he's drunk.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

This been awhile so here are my thoughts on what Fitzy should be doing

1) I would only focus on Markstrom, Saros and Ullmark. Markstrom would be the cheapest and potentially the best for our situation. Saros would be ideal but I don't think we get him. Markstrom at 50% retained would be the goal. TRADE - Markstrom at 50% and ideally Pick 28 but probably 41 or 62 for Pick 10.
(+3 million to cap)

Goalies -
Markstrom
Allen
Daws
Schmid
Brennan
Malek

2) Pick-up a depth d-man as a better replacement for B.Smith. Sign Brenden Dillon for 3 years x4 million. He could probably get more elsewhere but he's exactly what he need on the back-end. 6'4 225lbs, plays the PK and brings alot of physicality to the backend. Veteran presence.
(+4million to cap)

Hughes - Hamilton
Dillon - Marino
Siegenthaler - Nemec
Bahl

3) Re-sign Mercer at 2 x 3.75 million. Could get in the 4's but you align him with either Palat (3) or Haula (2) end of contracts.
(+~4million to cap)

4) Sign a third line winger. Williams Carrier / Jake Debrusk / Warren Foegele / Max Domi / Dakota Joshua / James Van Riemsdyk (meh)

Bratt - Hughes - Holtz
Palat - Hischier - Meier
X - Haula - Mercer
Foote - Lazar - Bastian
MacDermid

I don't think Holtz has a place here. Let's just move on from him

 

[Guadana]

This been awhile so here are my thoughts on what Fitzy should be doing

1) I would only focus on Markstrom, Saros and Ullmark. Markstrom would be the cheapest and potentially the best for our situation. Saros would be ideal but I don't think we get him. Markstrom at 50% retained would be the goal. TRADE - Markstrom at 50% and ideally Pick 28 but probably 41 or 62 for Pick 10.
(+3 million to cap)

Goalies -
Markstrom
Allen
Daws
Schmid
Brennan
Malek

2) Pick-up a depth d-man as a better replacement for B.Smith. Sign Brenden Dillon for 3 years x4 million. He could probably get more elsewhere but he's exactly what he need on the back-end. 6'4 225lbs, plays the PK and brings alot of physicality to the backend. Veteran presence.
(+4million to cap)

Hughes - Hamilton
Dillon - Marino
Siegenthaler - Nemec
Bahl

3) Re-sign Mercer at 2 x 3.75 million. Could get in the 4's but you align him with either Palat (3) or Haula (2) end of contracts.
(+~4million to cap)

4) Sign a third line winger. Williams Carrier / Jake Debrusk / Warren Foegele / Max Domi / Dakota Joshua / James Van Riemsdyk (meh)

Bratt - Hughes - Holtz
Palat - Hischier - Meier
X - Haula - Mercer
Foote - Lazar - Bastian
MacDermid

Trading 10 Pick for markstrom is reaalyy bad trade. 20somthing or later pick don’t help.
Holtz is not top 3 forward. He isn’t top 6 forward. At least now.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

The #1 by far reason for the drop in scoring is because the bad teams don't make it into the playoffs. Bad teams get scored on more and bring up the scoring rates in the regular season.

He's focusing on minor things and not really looking at the big picture.

Another reason is simply the fact that in the playoffs, teams really focus on the details of that 1 team. They don't do that in the reg. season.

 

[theoptimist]

Pass on DeBrusk. Don't want to sign another winger to the Palat contract. Would prefer a C/W player.

 

[longislanddevil]

Devils’ top goalie target might not get traded after all, insider says

There’s another new wrinkle in the Devils’ pursuit of a goalie.

www.nj.com

Who is Conroy fooling here? Really. They don’t have any leverage after the gross, inept mismanagement of the Markstrom situation at the trade deadline. It’s like Maloney expected a desperate Fitz to up his offer and Fitz held firm (good for him). You’ve asked the player to waive his no trade clause and the media is all over it. I believe Markstrom fully expected to be traded to the Devils at this point. With each passing day and the report leaking of Maloney vetoing the deal, it’s a complete clown show. Fast forward to now….it’s almost comical that Conroy is saying the Flames may keep Markstrom after all. You have already alienated Markstrom who I’d suspect fully wants out.

Conroy’s best offer was probably at the trade deadline and he certainly does not have a better one now or he’d have pulled the trigger. Tough pill to swallow but the damage is self-inflicted.

Ottawa can be interested in Markstrom all they want but I’d be stunned if he waived his NTC to go there. Who’s left? Toronto, possibly….and us. Sorry buddy, you’re not getting the return you’re holding out for. This isn’t Schneider in his prime, who was a borderline elite goalie when he was traded for.

Go ahead and keep a disgruntled Markstrom, Craigie…I’m sure it’ll be great for your room. Not buying it for a second. I’ve reached a point where I’m over this. If I’m Fitz I give Calgary a drop dead date and have a Plan B lined up and ready to execute on. It’s high time the heat is turned up on the Flames (see what I did there….haha).

 

[justHypnos]

Goalies the age of Markstrom usually get donated (Roloson, Fleury, Smith, Luongo, Talbot...). Fitzgerald obviously overpaid for Allen but usually when you're at that age you have no value, unless you're a mid season rental as currently the Vezina favorite. Plus Markstrom is overpaid and has an extra year in his contract and has struggled for 2 years in a row. I think a 2nd round pick would be an overpayment. He has almost no playoff experience either. Giving up a 1st would be, in my opinion, one of the worst trades of the modern era, up there with the Erat and Bobrovsky trades.
Most likely the '10th overall pick' talk is just the Canadian media's concoction. I'm always hearing about how the Habs can get elite players for their most recent 7th round pick or how their latest 6th round pick is definitely the next Gaudreau. Always lies