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

[NjDevsRR]

 

[Nubmer6]

Why are mommy and daddy always fighting?

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Stop playing games ...go look how Hockey reference list them...

Last season was Markstrom's 34 year. This year is his 35.

Bahl 23 and 24

It's not complicated. And it's a silly thing to be quibbling over

Not playing games and I could care less what hockey reference says I just think it’s funny that you have countless posts talking about trading a 23 year old for a 35 year old. It really isn’t complicated and I’m glad you’re finally figuring it out.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

Of course Bahl doesn't suck in the way that someone like Mason Geertsen sucks. He's not literally a beer league player, he can play a regular shift in the NHL and provide some value. But it's not that difficult to find guys with a bottom pairing floor who can be situationally useful.

Bahl's play had clearly plateaued and he was making the same mistakes over and over again. Yes, he can get young and can polish up his game a bit. But right now he's JAG and we can bring in a different JAG to do what he did. What more nuance do we need?

Yeah, people are saying we lose an important PKer like it isn't possible to sign a Brendan Smith for dirt cheap. Instead, what the team really needs is a more veteran guy for the playoffs and better to sign one now than have to trade a 2nd at the deadline.

 

[JimEIV]

Yeah, people are saying we lose an important PKer like it isn't possible to sign a Brendan Smith for dirt cheap. Instead, what the team really needs is a more veteran guy for the playoffs and better to sign one now than have to trade a 2nd at the deadline.

Two top 4 PKers.

Smith was our #2 and Bahl was our #4

I don't only to think it's difficult to replace those two Pkers, I think it's going to be close to impossible.

You can't fit two in the lineup.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

Two top 4 PKers.

Smith was our #2 and Bahl was our #4

We will get someone in free agency or a trade. Hopefully the kind of guy that is let's say an 82 rating in NHL 2k25 rather than the 79 a guy like Bahl is. And then Nemec should be able to step up for the other spot.

 

[njdevils1982]

I wish I had as little to do on a Friday as some of you did today.

i love my job... unconventional hours/days and free time ....a good balance of life vs work

today i relax and watch soccer, follow the cubs game.. have a few brews.....monday travel to guelph for some sewer manhole sensor relocations. easy shit.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Two top 4 PKers.

Smith was our #2 and Bahl was our #4

I don't only to think it's difficult to replace those two Pkers, I think it's going to be close to impossible.

You can't fit two in the lineup.

its going to be "close to impossible" to replace Brendan SMith and Kevin Bahl....you heard it here first!

how does any team ever operate? I mean, considering every team every offseason loses players on par with or better than those turds, how does ANY team EVER do ANYTHING in today's NHL!?!?

 

[britdevil]

All this bitching and the draft/free agency hasn't happened yet.

 

[JimEIV]

We will get someone in free agency or a trade. Hopefully the kind of guy that is let's say an 82 rating in NHL 2k25 rather than the 79 a guy like Bahl is. And then Nemec should be able to step up for the other spot.

I don't know what any of this means....I have played video games since NHL 94 on Super Nintendo.

Edit: and Scott Niedermayer was a 58 in NHL 94

 

[britdevil]

Two top 4 PKers.

Smith was our #2 and Bahl was our #4

I don't only to think it's difficult to replace those two Pkers, I think it's going to be close to impossible.

You can't fit two in the lineup.

 

[JimEIV]

Show how it fits...you can only make it fit with a New guy who is going to have to be a top line PKer and Nemec a top 4 PK with nothing behind him....no team had just 4 PKers....so you'll to reach down to guy who never kills them in Luke or Dougie...

That's not a good situation and it's the absolute best we can do.


You'll probably be blaming whoever the assistant is for running a shit PK next year.... cause I'm damn certain no one will be blaming goaltending next season.

 

[woody footbreaker]

Did he say he would replace his minutes entirely or take some of them? Huge difference and I’m guessing he didn’t at any point say Bahl was a full replacement for Graves.

I don’t know what he thought entirely then or now but it’s possible he wasn’t wrong either. But I know how you like to spin things.


He also may just not have loved Bahl’s development this past season or just thought the Markstrom trade was worth it and Bahl was expendable and replaceable. Genuinely not sure what you’re trying to argue in that post.

The Jeff Marek Show

Sportsnet insider Jeff Marek goes around the league in Sportsnet 590 The FAN’s national NHL show, airing live across the country daily from 12pm-2pm ET. Opinion, news and analysis featuring daily segments from insider Elliotte Friedman.

www.sportsnet.ca

just listen was Fitz said yesterday on the show

 

[britdevil]

Show how it fits...you can only make it fit with a New guy who is going to have to be a top line PKer and Nemec a top 4 PK with nothing behind him....no team had just 4 PKers....so you'll to reach down to guy who never kills them in Luke or Dougie...

That's not a good situation and it's the absolute best we can do.


You'll probably be blaming whoever the assistant is for running a shit PK next year.... cause I'm damn certain no one will be blaming goaltending next season.

My brother in christ, they're still playing the finals.

We have the draft and free agency to come.

You're blowing your load before she's even warmed up.

 

[Nubmer6]

i love my job... unconventional hours/days and free time ....a good balance of life vs work

today i relax and watch soccer, follow the cubs game.. have a few brews.....monday travel to guelph for some sewer manhole sensor relocations. easy shit.

I thought you were in the sewers HERE

 

[Saugus]

Jesus, you guys are going to get this thread locked too.

 

[njdevils1982]

I thought you were in the sewers HERE

oh!!!!

 

[None Shall Pass]

This all really sucks to read

 

[None Shall Pass]

Like I'm going to go do my job instead of killing time on a Friday here. Do better guys damn

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

we got people posting that Brendan Smith and Kevin Bahl will be "close to impossible" to replace, but yeah I am definitely the problem

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

WIsh List:
Draft BPA @ #10 (Dickinson, Buiim, Tij, MBG, Helen) whoever drops
Sign mercer long term or bridge
Trade for Ross Colton (WPG #2 2025 & Prospect)
Sign Trenin 2mmx3yrs
Sign Dillon 4mmx2yrs

Timo/Nico/Bratt
Palat/Hughes/Mercer
Haula/Colton/Holtz
Trenin/Lazar/Bastian
Extra - Foote/Macdermit

Sieg/Dougie
Hughes/Marino
Dillon/Nemec

Markstrom/Allen

Give Casey an oppty late in season to see if he can make an Impact during playoffs.

Good lineup. A couple of minor adjustments from me:
1. I'll start Nolan Foote in AHL, even if that means him going through waivers and potentially losing him. I'll drop Bastian to the 13th forward spot and see if we can bring in another tough and physical 4th liner that can actually play. Pospisil would of been perfect if we got him from Markstrom trade.
2. Giving Holtz another chance with a new coach? I'm in two minds because Toffoli's production needs to be replaced and i just dont think Holtz has what it takes. If Anaheim are willing to accept pick 10 and Holtz for Zegras, i'll like to pursue this option to bring Jack's best mate to the team. An alternative is using Holtz in a swap for Laine at 50% retained would interest me if that would appeal to Columbus? Maybe we need to persist with Holtz for one more season as the team don't have the cap to bring in another $4m-$6m winger, even if Mercer takes a team friendly bridge deal.
3. For the team 7th defenseman, we need a veteran that can play both sides and willing to sit for a long time and only get in the lineup if there is injuries. It needs to be someone that can PK regularly. Could someone like TJ Brodie accept this new role at a minimum salary to re-unite with his old coach? I also like Joel Edmundson and even bringing back Nick DeSimone.
4. Agree with Seamus Casey comments. Let him play a full season or two in AHL.

 

[Darkauron]

Look at the time... its Jim O'clock! And everyone still continues..

 

[JimEIV]

My brother in christ, they're still playing the finals.

We have the draft and free agency to come.

You're blowing your load before she's even warmed up.

Don't you see it doesn't matter what we do in FA. We're still going to have two guys who don't kill penalties and 20 year old who got a little taste last year and nothing else... there's no more slots unless we go with 7 D.... let's assume Nemec is a good regular #4.... who's next? Dougie? Then Luke?

Adding 1 PKer doesn't even get us back to even from last year and last year was worse than 2023....not much but we basically had to use Smith full time to ice a full two lines of PK

LH
New guy - PK 1/2. Or even 3/4
Siegenthaler Pk 2/3
Luke no PK

RH
Dougie no PK
Marino 1/2 PK
Nemec 4/5 PK.

You can't make it work without forcing it. And forcing it with a 20 year old no less.

 

[HoliksGhost]

This all really sucks to read

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[JimEIV]

Why are mommy and daddy always fighting?

That's foreplay