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

[NJDevs26]

@Zajacs Bowl Cut and @TrufleShufle I didn't see the posts that prompted this a while back until after the fact but knock the public sniping off and take it to PM's or you're both getting put in timeout

And there is a difference between 'calling out a bad opinion' and being an *** toward other posters. This is Devils team discussion, not poster discussion.

 

[Better Call Sal]

A neat video idea that proves we’re not alone in being weirdly better on the road than we are at home.

 

[Hisch13r]

Keeping Palat up with Jack-Bratt and swapping Mercer/Noesen again is just laughable. Palat f***ing sucks and drags that line down. Mercer with Timo-Nico was a bad line while Noesen there has been an elite line. Palat must have some exceptional blackmail

I agree. Can we now admit MM was worth 4-5M on a 5yr deal?

f*** no

 

[NJDfan86]

He hasn’t earned it by any means, but they might be better moving Mercer up with Jack/Bratt. You would be hoping it reignites some scoring in order to get two lines that can score 5v5 - try to have the other two lines play as low event as possible.

Once they get a bit healthier they will have some more options for balanced scoring.

 

[NjDevsRR]

@Zajacs Bowl Cut and @TrufleShufle I didn't see the posts that prompted this a while back until after the fact but knock the public sniping off and take it to PM's or you're both getting put in timeout

And there is a difference between 'calling out a bad opinion' and being an *** toward other posters. This is Devils team discussion, not poster discussion.

Are we still allowed to use Dano to attack others?

 

[devilsblood]

Keeping Palat up with Jack-Bratt and swapping Mercer/Noesen again is just laughable. Palat f***ing sucks and drags that line down. Mercer with Timo-Nico was a bad line while Noesen there has been an elite line. Palat must have some exceptional blackmail



f*** no

There really is not much of a difference between Palat with those guys, and those guys without him.

 

[Triumph]

He hasn’t earned it by any means, but they might be better moving Mercer up with Jack/Bratt. You would be hoping it reignites some scoring in order to get two lines that can score 5v5 - try to have the other two lines play as low event as possible.

Once they get a bit healthier they will have some more options for balanced scoring.

Ruff never put together that line and I do not think Keefe will either, unless they add another forward somewhere along the way.

 

[Emperoreddy]

A neat video idea that proves we’re not alone in being weirdly better on the road than we are at home.

It seems a lot more common then you would expect to have one of the road or home records to be lopsided.

His theory on why a team would struggle at home but excel at home probably does apply to us.

Increased pressure of wanting to please the home fans causes them to look for perfect plays where as on the road they feel more comfortable playing a simpler game.

Things do seem to snowball more often in our home games. They succumb to adversity more then they do on the road.

 

[njdevil26]

I have to be honest... and I'm not trying to be combative or anything... but I for the life of me cannot understand the amount of people that want Hamilton traded.

He's on pace for 57 points which would be the second best point total of his career. Other than last year, he's been healthy. He had a slow start coming off a long injury and recovery... but his defense has improved and he's putting up a lot of points.

Casey and Nemec are not replacing that PP QB 1 and point output any time soon.

He has a complete NMC this year then an NMC and 10 team no trade the last 3 years of his deal.

The cap is going to go up 3-5 mil ever year.


PALAT is the guy that needs to go. He has two more years. Complete NMC this year... NMC and 10 team no trade his two remaining years. Get rid of him and Dougie's cap hit matters even less.

 

[Maine Fan]

Imagine Blackwood back I'm the goalie discussion level. The Avalanche traded for Blackwood. Maybe it is time to get Blackwood as Devils backup goalie. I am just kidding folks. I don't know how many years I have left but for sure they would be shortened if the Devils got Blackward Back in goal.

 

[tailfins]

I have to be honest... and I'm not trying to be combative or anything... but I for the life of me cannot understand the amount of people that want Hamilton traded.

He's on pace for 57 points which would be the second best point total of his career. Other than last year, he's been healthy. He had a slow start coming off a long injury and recovery... but his defense has improved and he's putting up a lot of points.

Casey and Nemec are not replacing that PP QB 1 and point output any time soon.

He has a complete NMC this year then an NMC and 10 team no trade the last 3 years of his deal.

The cap is going to go up 3-5 mil ever year.


PALAT is the guy that needs to go. He has two more years. Complete NMC this year... NMC and 10 team no trade his two remaining years. Get rid of him and Dougie's cap hit matters even less.

1. I have a Dougie game jersey.
2. I still think he needs to go.

I agree with all your points, but:

- Luke would replace him on PP1, not Nemec or Casey. It’ll be a downgrade in terms of shot and experience, but Luke will provide some different stuff from Dougie on PP1 as well.

- Nemec / Casey are blocked as long as Dougie is here. Dougie’s 5v5 role is the one most similar to what Nemec or Casey would play. They can free up a slot for Nemec / Casey by losing Kovy, but that changes the makeup of the D more significantly.

- trading Dougie potentially brings back assets. As you note, Hamilton is a productive player. If Anaheim is willing to send back (minor) assets and eat Trouba’s entire cap hit, possible there will be a team for Dougie as well.

- trading Dougie doesn’t prevent Fitz from also moving on from Palat.

Imo, the Hamilton decision is really driven by the progress of Nemec and Casey, and how much the Devils believe in Kovacevic.

At least one (maybe two) of these guys aren’t with the Devils next year - which could mean keeping both the kids in Utica another year, if they’re open to it. If both kids are in Utica next year, though, I think most of us would be pretty surprised.

 

[Bleedred]

Imagine Blackwood back I'm the goalie discussion level. The Avalanche traded for Blackwood. Maybe it is time to get Blackwood as Devils backup goalie. I am just kidding folks. I don't know how many years I have left but for sure they would be shortened if the Devils got Blackward Back in goal.

Not sure if you meant that pun on purpose or if it was a simple typo for his name, but bringing back Blackwood would certainly be going Blackward with Blackwood.

 

[Nocashstyle]

I understand the argument for thinking Dougie should traded, but I don’t think the positives outweigh it.

 

[dgibb10]

We can keep dougie next year easily.

If we trade him there's really nothing we need to spend the cap on.

Unless the price to dump palat is utterly exhorbiant and someone is willing to pay heavily for dougie, it doesn't make sense.

Now, 2 years down the line, maybe to clear out space for Nemec (assuming we keep kovacevic)

 

[TheBeerNerd]

Maybe the analytics say otherwise, but I don't really see a dip in play quality by Dougie. Considering Nemec's struggles even down in the AHL, it's not a good idea to trade him right now.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I have to be honest... and I'm not trying to be combative or anything... but I for the life of me cannot understand the amount of people that want Hamilton traded.

He's on pace for 57 points which would be the second best point total of his career. Other than last year, he's been healthy. He had a slow start coming off a long injury and recovery... but his defense has improved and he's putting up a lot of points.

Casey and Nemec are not replacing that PP QB 1 and point output any time soon.

He has a complete NMC this year then an NMC and 10 team no trade the last 3 years of his deal.

The cap is going to go up 3-5 mil ever year.


PALAT is the guy that needs to go. He has two more years. Complete NMC this year... NMC and 10 team no trade his two remaining years. Get rid of him and Dougie's cap hit matters even less.

It’s just a matter of wanting to keep Kovacevic and making room for Nemec/Casey. And we have a clear PP1 QB in waiting in Luke. He isn’t on some albatross deal, it’s just that we’re in a unique circumstance and can likely use that cap more efficiently.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I cannot understand the people clamoring to keep a 27 year old journeyman having a good year over a guy established to be one of the best offensive defenseman in the league for half a decade.

I'd understand the "playing style" argument if not for the new revamped Luke Hughes Experience (tm). We can safely have all loose cannons on the right side if the left side is all defense.

 

[HellOnIce]

We have time for Nemec and Casey. Let them cook. Dougie is fine.

 

[SJinNewJersey]

Team just recalled G Isaac Poulter from Utica. Wonder if something is up with Allen or Markstrom?

 

[youryeah]

Team just recalled G Isaac Poulter from Utica. Wonder if something is up with Allen or Markstrom?

allen was being evaluated for something yesterday- didn't mention what. so it sounds like he can't back up markstrom tonight

 

[Better Call Sal]

Team just recalled G Isaac Poulter from Utica. Wonder if something is up with Allen or Markstrom?

Allen didn't skate yesterday. Keefe said he was being evaluated and that he would be questionable. I think it was a definite he wouldn't be available to backup tonight. Hopefully not a long-term thing, but we don't have any back-to-backs for a while so Markstrom can take the reins.

 

[Triumph]

I love what Hamilton is doing on PP1, but his ES time is down a minute and there's lots of other warning signs that he may be declining. The thing he's best at, the Devils have two other players in their system who might take over for him. I don't think the Devils can afford to be paying Hughes and Hamilton $17M and they can spend the money they save more efficiently.

 

[AfroThunder396]

I have to be honest... and I'm not trying to be combative or anything... but I for the life of me cannot understand the amount of people that want Hamilton traded.

He's on pace for 57 points which would be the second best point total of his career. Other than last year, he's been healthy. He had a slow start coming off a long injury and recovery... but his defense has improved and he's putting up a lot of points.

Casey and Nemec are not replacing that PP QB 1 and point output any time soon.

He has a complete NMC this year then an NMC and 10 team no trade the last 3 years of his deal.

The cap is going to go up 3-5 mil ever year.


PALAT is the guy that needs to go. He has two more years. Complete NMC this year... NMC and 10 team no trade his two remaining years. Get rid of him and Dougie's cap hit matters even less.

I don't want to trade him, at least not right now, but we'll have to make a cap move at some point and considering age/contracts/value he's the one that makes the most sense. You're going to have to pay an asset or two in order to move Palat, Dougie still has some value.

 

[glenwo2]

Keeping Palat up with Jack-Bratt and swapping Mercer/Noesen again is just laughable. Palat f***ing sucks and drags that line down. Mercer with Timo-Nico was a bad line while Noesen there has been an elite line. Palat must have some exceptional blackmail



f*** no

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

 

[Triumph]

Basically, to add on to my point re: trading Hamilton, if you want Hamilton here next year, you should be in favor of a Hughes bridge deal. There isn't any sense in extending Luke at a huge number on a big contract and then playing him on PP2 and paying another guy top-line money to play PP1 and 2nd pairing ES minutes (and no PK).

Trading Hamilton won't necessarily be easy and I think the Devils will have to eat some money to do it. Carolina is one place I could see maybe being interested. I'd say Boston but they won't be.