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

[Gurglesons]

We have too many LWs as it is and I'm not sure Bunting is a particular upgrade over Palat. Wouldn't make sense to get another LW while creating a middle six void at RW.

What about Bryan Rust or Rakell at 50% with a 2nd added?

 

[dgibb10]

Sounded like Dubas did Eller a solid and sent him to a preferred location (while opening up a roster spot to take a flyer on Tomasino). Not sure Montreal has the same incentive/motivation to do a trade in advance of the deadline barring an overpayment.

Usually the reason you don't see more trades early is that teams will have insane asking prices. Ie, Anaheim was asking for a 1st+prospect for Rickard Rakell but then had to settle for a 2nd+prospect. It wasn't a rental, but Washington apparently was asking for a 1st for Nic Dowd last deadline.

Dowd is a stud tbh.

They had his line with zone starts that were;

3% ozone

29% dzone (the next highest not on his line was at 20%, average guys are at around 10%)

 

[dgibb10]

What about Bryan Rust or Rakell at 50% with a 2nd added?

There's just not really interest in getting a decade older.

 

[Billdo]

The shutout thing is just strange. Don't care too much about the retaliation stuff.

Also, are we really paying Meier that much to be a 60 pt forward? I expect him to heat up at some point, maybe it's even better if he does it in the backhalf of the year. But between him, Palat and Mercer, that's a lot of cap inefficiency.

The thing is, outside of one 76 point year, Meier has been a 50ish pt forward. He's averaged about 54 points a season. When he's engaged and playing well he's terrific. When he's not he's largely invisible.

We have too many LWs as it is and I'm not sure Bunting is a particular upgrade over Palat. Wouldn't make sense to get another LW while creating a middle six void at RW.

He's very clearly an upgrade over Palat. Hell I bet even Tatar is upgrade over Palat at this point.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Thank god I didn't take a drink of anything when I saw this

 

[My3Sons]

Yeah nobody here has ever advocated for that. And why would they? It’d be a crazy thing to repeatedly advocate for in a variety of threads across this board, even as just one more entry in a users hypothetical portfolio of long running marginally funny bits that he or she does mostly to pass the twilight before their ever more quickly approaching dotage.

Sounds like a brilliant idea and comedy gold all rolled into one by a misunderstood genius. Not sure why you are so cranky about it.

 

[devilsblood]

The thing is, outside of one 76 point year, Meier has been a 50ish pt forward. He's averaged about 54 points a season. When he's engaged and playing well he's terrific. When he's not he's largely invisible.

Timo is a goal heavy point producer. 3 times a 30 goal scorer, which includes a 40 goal season. Had 28 last year despite missing games and being banged up for half the year.

As I note above, he's been putting a ton of shots, including quality chances, on net of late. He's been playing well.

He's very clearly an upgrade over Palat. Hell I bet even Tatar is upgrade over Palat at this point.

I still think Palat's been pretty good on that line. Not ideal, but decent enough.

 

[My3Sons]

Uh, @MasterofGrond , you’re responding to that very advocate.

I made a line-up just for him, though I sprinkled the psychopaths in the our traditional line-up to make it more feasible.

View attachment 943813

Not enough Lovejoy but at least you slotted Hischier correctly.

 

[IDEKWTM]

Complaining about a team that’s probably going to finish with over 100 points is wild to me

We're way beyond this.

We have been waiting over 13 years for a contending team, not just a playoff team.

We passed that stage 3 years ago.

 

[Devs3cups]

Need a strong performance tomorrow. I think Marky will be vary motivated to bounce back. He seemed to take this L pretty personally.

 

[NJDevs26]

We're way beyond this.

We have been waiting over 13 years for a contending team, not just a playoff team.

We passed that stage 3 years ago.

In the long term yes, they need to start contending for championships in the next 2-3 years. In the short term, making the playoffs again is fine, we've only done it once in the last several years - it's not quite our birthright to be there yet. Let them continue to show last year was the fluke/lesson learned for this group going forward and not a sign of rot that still needs to be addressed.

 

[IDEKWTM]

In the long term yes, they need to start contending for championships in the next 2-3 years. In the short term, making the playoffs again is fine, we've only done it once in the last several years - it's not quite our birthright to be there yet. Let them continue to show last year was the fluke/lesson learned for this group going forward and not a sign of rot that still needs to be addressed.

I would agree... but we traded a first rounder for a an aging G so I'm assuming the internal expectations are set on being contenders and not just making the playoffs.

 

[Devs3cups]

In the long term yes, they need to start contending for championships in the next 2-3 years. In the short term, making the playoffs again is fine, we've only done it once in the last several years - it's not quite our birthright to be there yet. Let them continue to show last year was the fluke/lesson learned for this group going forward and not a sign of rot that still needs to be addressed.

The window is pretty large, so I’m not too worried about it, but yeah, that seems fair to me. I feel like Keefe is building something good.

 

[njdevils1982]

The window is pretty large, so I’m not too worried about it, but yeah, that seems fair to me. I feel like Keefe is building something good.

 

[Bad Goalie]

I think I would take low testosterone Pavel Zacha over Haula at this point. Just another day wondering why our GM has done nothing to address the center position

Sounds like sour grapes, but now you guys know how it feels down here on the farm. We have had this problem for 3 seasons and it is pure s++t now.

 

[Lou Bloom]

Buffalo with their 8th straight loss, If Tuch becomes available I'd do something along the lines of Tuch + Kulich for Nemec + Mercer. Devils would get a legit top 6 forward for the next 1 and half years at a cheap rate that can PK and play with Jack and Bratt and a young NHL ready center in Kulich that has three ELC years left and waiver exemption if they decide to add to the bottom 6 at the deadline. Buffalo downgrades their forwards but still have a ton of forward prospects in their system and get a long term RD that they desperately need in Nemec.

 

[ninetyeight]

Buffalo with their 8th straight loss, If Tuch becomes available I'd do something along the lines of Tuch + Kulich for Nemec + Mercer.

I think they hate Tuch at the Sabres sub. He's not what he was 2 years ago, even though he seems to have racked fair amount of assists. Mercer is better defensively and still has potential to reach his offensive level as well. Kulich is a great Prospect, but he's far from a sure thing. He only has 3+0 on 19 games. As we know with Holtz, AHL success doesn't always translate to NHL. I think it would be shortsighted to give up on Nemec right now. The injury obviously set him back a bit, but he already showed glimpses of great future last season. I know he doesn't have AHL production this year, and +- sucks as a stat but being on positive side when guys like Misyul and DeSimone are -9, has to mean at least something.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I think they hate Tuch at the Sabres sub. He's not what he was 2 years ago, even though he seems to have racked fair amount of assists. Mercer is better defensively and still has potential to reach his offensive level as well. Kulich is a great Prospect, but he's far from a sure thing. He only has 3+0 on 19 games. As we know with Holtz, AHL success doesn't always translate to NHL. I think it would be shortsighted to give up on Nemec right now. The injury obviously set him back a bit, but he already showed glimpses of great future last season. I know he doesn't have AHL production this year, and +- sucks as a stat but being on positive side when guys like Misyul and DeSimone are -9, has to mean at least something.

None of their guys are truly what they were 2 years ago in the 22-23, that's what probably doomed Buffalo. They were probably all 10-15 points worse than they all did that year, Tuch is still a pretty good player, I'd think a bit hard about that trade and he'd arguably have the best line mates he'd ever have if he was attached to Jack/Bratt

 

[britdevil]

View attachment 943811

Love the actor getting shot. Emmy worthy acting.

 

[devilsblood]

Buffalo with their 8th straight loss, If Tuch becomes available I'd do something along the lines of Tuch + Kulich for Nemec + Mercer. Devils would get a legit top 6 forward for the next 1 and half years at a cheap rate that can PK and play with Jack and Bratt and a young NHL ready center in Kulich that has three ELC years left and waiver exemption if they decide to add to the bottom 6 at the deadline. Buffalo downgrades their forwards but still have a ton of forward prospects in their system and get a long term RD that they desperately need in Nemec.

If I'm trading Nemec it's for a high end yound fwd.

And while Tuch looks like a good option for the top line, and I could see a deal centered around Mercer to get him here, his shot rate has dropped pretty significantly over the past 2 years. He's been banged up throughout his career. I wonder if he's not a guy already on the downside.

Similar to Meier in a couple ways in that he's a big guy, has had injuries throughout his career, won't play on our top PP1, and thus I think that while he may be good here, may also not fully meet expectations.

 

[devilsblood]

None of their guys are truly what they were 2 years ago in the 22-23, that's what probably doomed Buffalo. They were probably all 10-15 points worse than they all did that year, Tuch is still a pretty good player, I'd think a bit hard about that trade and he'd arguably have the best line mates he'd ever have if he was attached to Jack/Bratt

Without looking who he played with in Vegas I'd say this is a safe bet, Hughes/Bratt are a top of the league combo. But Tuch is playing with Tage(and Peterka) this season. So not chopped liver.

 

[RSeen]

Buffalo with their 8th straight loss, If Tuch becomes available I'd do something along the lines of Tuch + Kulich for Nemec + Mercer. Devils would get a legit top 6 forward for the next 1 and half years at a cheap rate that can PK and play with Jack and Bratt and a young NHL ready center in Kulich that has three ELC years left and waiver exemption if they decide to add to the bottom 6 at the deadline. Buffalo downgrades their forwards but still have a ton of forward prospects in their system and get a long term RD that they desperately need in Nemec.

I like Tuch but I'm not giving up Nemec to get him. Tuch is 28 and his extension will be during his 30 year old season. Probably a 1.5 year rental - not giving up Nemec for that.

Casey I'd probably consider though.

 

[guitarguyvic]

A guy like Tuch should not cost a top prospect.

 

[TheBeerNerd]

Is Tuch a rightie?

 

[devilsblood]

Looking into Kulich, who I admit, I know near nothing about, he does look to be an interesting option as a 3rd line center as he is a guy who generates shots, and scores goals, on his own. And thus far he is a pretty good face off guy(54%), and his on ice numbers are also good. Does look like he has played a fair amount with Cozens so I wonder how much of a true center Kulich is.

At 20, Buffalo is not looking to trade him, so I guess that's where a guy like Nemec would need to be in the deal. Would Casey and his point totals entice Buff? Probably not given they have Dahlin on their PP1.

A deal that I find to be super unlikely, so this is just an in general exercise, but if our scouts were iffy on Nemec, (maybe questioning his skating/athleticism/compete level) while being big on Kulich (perhaps admiring those same qualities) then I guess it would be something to consider.