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

[DerekDevils30]

Tomorrow will be interesting. Avs may be tired like the Kraken were last night. With that being said we can’t have the breakdowns in transition when Mackinnon is out there. Devils played very well yesterday but there were a handful of ugly plays with guys caught up ice allowing the Kraken odd man rushes. If they can cut that out tomorrow I like their chances. Avs played in Raleigh Thursday and are in Detroit tonight. Devils have the rest advantage.

 

[Triumph]

Is Bastian coming back supposed to make me feel better about the bottom half of our offense? Because oh god.

Don’t the devils carry 3 health bombs right now? I’m not asking the devils to trade kovacevic for a top-6 player making 7+.

Feels like 30% of the way through the season they can afford a $2-$3m player by getting creative with the cap.

Bastian has scored at a 3rd line rate in his career and been a fine territorial player besides.

The Devils have 2 healthy scratches on the roster, yes, but they're not going to waive MacDermid and they're definitely not going to carry a 20 man roster to add a forward. That makes no sense to do in December.

The Devils are comfortably in the playoffs. There is no reason to add anything earlier than the deadline.

 

[dgibb10]

Cool to see. All 6 of our dman in the top 33 in xGoals share 5v5

Luke hughes top 5 my goat

 

[dgibb10]

Also on that note, since Luke and Pesce came back we have the best 5v5 xGoals share in the league

 

[Clam Jensen]

Cool to see. All 6 of our dman in the top 33 in xGoals share 5v5View attachment 941402

Luke hughes top 5 my goat

Luke has the potential to maybe be a top-4 D in the future, but he’s no Hutson!

 

[dgibb10]

Bastian has scored at a 3rd line rate in his career and been a fine territorial player besides.

The Devils have 2 healthy scratches on the roster, yes, but they're not going to waive MacDermid and they're definitely not going to carry a 20 man roster to add a forward. That makes no sense to do in December.

The Devils are comfortably in the playoffs. There is no reason to add anything earlier than the deadline.

Let the AHLers cook for a bit longer bc they've been playing well tbh. I think a PKing forward may be in order tho

 

[onmygameboi]

You are correct. I confused him with Danault who is a center - back when they used to play together. WHy do I do that? Nobody knows

It might have to do with what's in your avatar

 

[dgibb10]

Tomorrow will be interesting. Avs may be tired like the Kraken were last night. With that being said we can’t have the breakdowns in transition when Mackinnon is out there. Devils played very well yesterday but there were a handful of ugly plays with guys caught up ice allowing the Kraken odd man rushes. If they can cut that out tomorrow I like their chances. Avs played in Raleigh Thursday and are in Detroit tonight. Devils have the rest advantage.

Luke's skating should be a good tool to deal with the Mackinnon line. Need to avoid the Dougie-DIllon pairing getting matched up against them at all costs tho.

I did not ever think I would be saying Luke hughes as a defensive stopper against the Mackinnon's and McDavid's of the league, but here we are

 

[onmygameboi]

Nemec is one of our two best prospects with major upside.

There simply is not a trade that we win where he is traded for what would be our 3 or 4C on our depth chart.

You trade picks and lesser prospects for someone like that

Trading Nemec would be an over-reaction to our lack of depth. He looked real good last year. If he plays in the AHL the entire year, so be it. We don't need to rush him.

We were in love with Nemec's game last season for a reason.

We have a very good team. We need a few tweaks to the bottom 6 which we can acquire w/o trading any key prospects.

We have three 2nd round picks in the upcoming draft. We could trade two of those for a 3/4th line center, which would be more than enough to land a decent player.

 

[Bleedred]

Tomorrow will be interesting. Avs may be tired like the Kraken were last night. With that being said we can’t have the breakdowns in transition when Mackinnon is out there. Devils played very well yesterday but there were a handful of ugly plays with guys caught up ice allowing the Kraken odd man rushes. If they can cut that out tomorrow I like their chances. Avs played in Raleigh Thursday and are in Detroit tonight. Devils have the rest advantage.

The Wedgewood stuff is even stupider than the Scott Clemmensen stuff at this point, and wayyyyyyyyyy stupider than not being able to score on Blackwood, who we've only played 4 periods against him.

They said Wedgewood had a .962% career against us even before his one period of 15 saves and shutout hockey in relief with Nashville.

I’d line to see us chase him back to the AHL for once. You know they’re gonna start him against us. Unless he’s back in tonight against the Islanders after losing to Carolina in their last game.

They’re so intent on trying to make Georgiev happen over there that I can’t see them giving Wedgewood two starts in a row after a mediocre start against Carolina.

 

[My3Sons]

Cool to see. All 6 of our dman in the top 33 in xGoals share 5v5View attachment 941402

Luke hughes top 5 my goat

Yeah well Lane Hutson is so far ahead of everyone else he’s above that list!!

 

[Lou Bloom]

Trading Nemec would be an over-reaction to our lack of depth. He looked real good last year. If he plays in the AHL the entire year, so be it. We don't need to rush him.

We were in love with Nemec's game last season for a reason.

We have a very good team. We need a few tweaks to the bottom 6 which we can acquire w/o trading any key prospects.

We have three 2nd round picks in the upcoming draft. We could trade two of those for a 3/4th line center, which would be more than enough to land a decent player.

It's about trading from a position of strength for a position of weakness with a clear path to the NHL. Even without Nemec the Devils still have a loaded top 6 defense currently with Casey and Silayev still waiting in the wings.

Forward wise they have an elite core but both the current depth and future depth at forward is very lacking. If the Devils acquire a high end young forward for Nemec it would make a lot more sense from a team building perspective both in the short term and the long term.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Had this come up in my YouTube feed. The interviewer is apparently a teenager from Toronto so some of the questions lean towards Keefe’s time with the Leafs, but he offers some insights on him taking the job, and his impressions of Jack, Nico and Bratt.

One note that surprised me was his family stayed in Toronto for now. Gotta imagine that can’t be easy for him on a daily basis.

 

[My3Sons]

It's about trading from a position of strength for a position of weakness with a clear path to the NHL. Even without Nemec the Devils still have a loaded top 6 defense currently with Casey and Silayev still waiting in the wings.

Forward wise they have an elite core but both the current depth and future depth at forward is very lacking. If the Devils acquire a high end young forward for Nemec it would make a lot more sense from a team building perspective both in the short term and the long term.

You have to get lucky that a top center prospect tells his drafting team he won’t sign with them. If you go out to peddle Nemec you likely get a lesser player.

 

[Lou Bloom]

You have to get lucky that a top center prospect tells his drafting team he won’t sign with them. If you go out to peddle Nemec you likely get a lesser player.

I don't think you have to limit your options to center. If an elite young wing prospect was available that fit in with out core that would certainly be a trade worth making.

I also think it would depend on how you value Nemec. If you're expecting a Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantili, Cayden Lindstrom type of prospect back for Nemec then you're going to be very disappointed because Nemec was never on those guys same level as prospects even though he was drafted 2nd overall.

Most people look at the fact that he was 2nd overall and forget that the 2022 class was extremely weak at the top relative to other draft classes, If you settle your expectations to more reasonable levels then I think there's fair value trades that could present themselves since teams are always looking for young defenseman.

 

[dgibb10]

I don't think you have to limit your options to center. If an elite young wing prospect was available that fit in with out core that would certainly be a trade worth making.

I also think it would depend on how you value Nemec. If you're expecting a Leo Carlsson, Adam Fantili, Cayden Lindstrom type of prospect back for Nemec then you're going to be very disappointed because Nemec was never on those guys same level as prospects even though he was drafted 2nd overall.

Most people look at the fact that he was 2nd overall and forget that the 2022 class was extremely weak at the top relative to other draft classes, If you settle your expectations to more reasonable levels then I think there's fair value trades that could present themselves since teams are always looking for young defenseman.

if we're talking lesser than Lindstrom hard pass

 

[Lou Bloom]

if we're talking lesser than Lindstrom hard pass

Lindstrom was a surfire top 5 pick in a very good 2024 draft class as a center with elite physical attributes and good skill. Even with the injuries he would have easily went 1st overall in the 2022 class over Slafkovsky.

I like Nemec and thought he was a fine pick based on the draft class but in any other class in the past 5+ seasons he wouldn't have gone top 5.

 

[New Jerseys Devil]

It's about trading from a position of strength for a position of weakness with a clear path to the NHL. Even without Nemec the Devils still have a loaded top 6 defense currently with Casey and Silayev still waiting in the wings.

Forward wise they have an elite core but both the current depth and future depth at forward is very lacking. If the Devils acquire a high end young forward for Nemec it would make a lot more sense from a team building perspective both in the short term and the long term.

I know little about the intricacies of prospects and how they do outside of the NHL. But just based on gut feeling, id rather move Casey than Nemec; and thats if we have to move one at all! Id rather keep both!!

I think Nemec can be a defacto two-way, minute eating defenseman for us. Id love for him and Luke to anchor down two pairs for the next decade!

 

[onmygameboi]

It's about trading from a position of strength for a position of weakness with a clear path to the NHL. Even without Nemec the Devils still have a loaded top 6 defense currently with Casey and Silayev still waiting in the wings.

Forward wise they have an elite core but both the current depth and future depth at forward is very lacking. If the Devils acquire a high end young forward for Nemec it would make a lot more sense from a team building perspective both in the short term and the long term.

I can't see a trade happening where we trade Nemec and end up with the best player.

Your logic makes sense in regards to leveraging a position of strength to address a weakness.

However, I think a top 2 Dman is more valuable than a couple of depth players.

Even if we get a couple of 2nd/3rd liner types for him, I'd still rather have Nemec.

 

[dgibb10]

Lindstrom was a surfire top 5 pick in a very good 2024 draft class as a center with elite physical attributes and good skill. Even with the injuries he would have easily went 1st overall in the 2022 class over Slafkovsky.

I like Nemec and thought he was a fine pick based on the draft class but in any other class in the past 5+ seasons he wouldn't have gone top 5.

If you drop below that tier, then Nemec is no longer the one you move.

 

[Lou Bloom]

If you drop below that tier, then Nemec is no longer the one you move.

Then we have different evaluations on Nemec. If you take away the fact that he was 2nd overall due a weak 2022 class, then he would have been in a very similar talent level than many of the defenseman that have been drafted between 6th-15th overall in the past 5+ seasons. He has great attributes but he also has some clear weaknesses in his game.

 

[dgibb10]

Then we have different evaluations on Nemec. If you take away the fact that he was 2nd overall due a weak 2022 class, then he would have been in a very similar talent level than many of the defenseman that have been drafted between 6th-15th overall in the past 5+ seasons. He has great attributes but he also has some clear weaknesses in his game.

I think you overrate other classes in comparison.

Cayden Lindstrom is not some game changing prospect. Heck, there was a 15 year old on his own team that was arguably better than him.

Yes, Nemec is not on the Fantilli Carlsson Bedard Michkov Celebrini tier.

But Lindstrom isn't either, especially given his injury concerns.

 

[Lou Bloom]

I can't see a trade happening where we trade Nemec and end up with the best player.

Your logic makes sense in regards to leveraging a position of strength to address a weakness.

However, I think a top 2 Dman is more valuable than a couple of depth players.

Even if we get a couple of 2nd/3rd liner types for him, I'd still rather have Nemec.

The problem is you've locked Nemec in as a top 2 Dman, and then assume the player we get in return is a middle 6 player. If both things were true then yes, it wouldn't make sense to trade a top pairing D man for a middle 6 forward.

But Nemec Isn't a guaranteed top 2 Dman, he has the potential, but he also has plenty of limitations to his game and a lot more development ahead of him before he reaches that level. On the flip side, I'd be looking to acquire a forward that I view as a potential high impact player not just some middle 6 filler.

 

[Lou Bloom]

I think you overrate other classes in comparison.

Cayden Lindstrom is not some game changing prospect. Heck, there was a 15 year old on his own team that was arguably better than him.

Yes, Nemec is not on the Fantilli Carlsson Bedard Michkov Celebrini tier.

But Lindstrom isn't either, especially given his injury concerns.

The 2022 draft class has always been seen as a very weak draft class, specifically at the top.

Lindstrom Isn't on the same level as Fantili or Carlssson but injuries aside he was clearly a better talent than any player from the 2022 class.

Nemec not being on the Fantili, Carlsson, Bedard, Michkov, Celebrini tier goes without saying. My point is Nemec isn't your usual top 5 defensive prospect. Just to compare him to the 2024 draft class, I would say he's on a similar tier to the defenseman that went between 7th-12th overall in that draft class. Which more so goes to my point that Nemec is a very good defensive prospect but not some untouchable defenseman that's a for sure top pairing defenseman in the future.

 

[NJDevilsFan21]

Brady is the only player I move Nemec for (and I know we'd have to send more back). His current cap hit is Jack and Bratt levels good. We would have to send Palat back the other way to make a Luke extension possible. Kovy wouldn't get resigned because of the additional cap hit that Brady has on Palat, but we have Casey in the pipeline - who we would have to hold onto in the hypothetical above. Won't happen though, and right now it doesn't really need to. Things are working and we don't need to tune until we see where this current group goes.

I hope Nemec is patient, but if he doesn't have a surefire spot next season there might be some tough decisions ahead to avoid a Holtz situation, who just wasn't that good anyway, but his value was certainly higher at one point. Nemec's situation is a little different where he's clearly skilled and has shown it for many games, but we really do have a jam on D right now while Hamilton's contract is still too far out.