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

[Bleedred]

My guess is maybe they wanna sit Markstrom one of these games coming up to give him a break, and they’d rather it be Daws who starts a game than Poulter. I think when Poulter was first called up they never planned to even give him a game.

 

[Better Call Sal]

 

[Cheddabombs]

Ah Fitz going on his press runs now that the team is good again. Nature is healing

 

[guitarguyvic]

Evidently, just state of the union type stuff ahead of the holiday break.

The indictments of Lindy have been ever-present this season.

 

[Devs3cups]

Luke extension is going to hit like crazy. Awesome to know that Jack and Luke are here for a long time, we’re very lucky to have these guys.

 

[NJDevils17]

Kovacevic singing a Seigs-like deal would be great (probably comes in a little higher) but at some point you do need to make decisions about the young D (Casey/Nemec and even further down the road, Silayev.) I don’t really think you can let him walk after what we’ve seen.

 

[Devils731]

Luke extension is going to hit like crazy. Awesome to know that Jack and Luke are here for a long time, we’re very lucky to have these guys.

Luke extension, 8 years at $4 million per year.

Unrelated, Devils hire Ellen Hughes as skating developmental coach for $6 million per year.

 

[Zippy316]

Kovacevic singing a Seigs-like deal would be great (probably comes in a little higher) but at some point you do need to make decisions about the young D (Casey/Nemec and even further down the road, Silayev.) I don’t really think you can let him walk after what we’ve seen.

With the way the rest of our defense is locked in, you can only extend Kovacevic if you’re fully prepared to ship out Dougie or Nemec before next season.

Nemec should be up by next year playing a regular NHL role. Casey you could probably have him play two full AHL seasons before being a part-time NHLer and full time the next year.

If you’re prepping to move Dougie and run Pesce-Kovacevic-Nemec next year, it would have to be an off season move. With Luke’s salary likely coming in somewhere close to Dougie, I could definitely see the Devils going down that path.

 

[Clam Jensen]

Very important 10 minutes from Mcdermid did the trick.

 

[Omar Little]

Either that or you bridge Luke for like 2 years at like $4m - $5m per so you end having him and Kovacevic at like ~9m going into next year and another $7m to fill in 3 more forward spots

 

[Better Call Sal]

Full media availability is here.

 

[Guttersniped]

Nico's done this stuff since day 1, it's easy to see why he got the C super early in his career

Battling with the boys!

 

[JrFischer54]

Evidently, just state of the union type stuff ahead of the holiday break.

also helps when goalies make a big timely save to keep the team from just collapsing. sure there are more clunkers then with a star goalie but the team feeds off of good/decent goaltending and it really shows. this team would be amazingly scary if they had a star in net

 

[MasterofGrond]

bridging luke would be a mistake. lock him down.

maybe brisson would throw us another bone

 

[NjDevsRR]

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[Omar Little]

bridging luke would be a mistake. lock him down.

maybe brisson would throw us another bone

It's a question of maximizing the roster of the next two years. If we're able to add more forward depth to this team, with the goalies we have today (which likely have an impending expiration date), and given the overall reduced competition in the eastern conference, I think you make that tradeoff. Particularly if you believe the cap will go up and contracts will either expire (Palat) or be easier to move (Hamilton) in a few years time

 

[TheBeerNerd]

You don't bridge talent like Luke. You sign him for the max and then take care of other business.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Related to Cotter, for what it's worth, still outscoring Holtz. And obviously playing a much more useful game than Holtz would in that bottom 6 role.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Did Cotter get banged up. Hes been noticeably slower

 

[Better Call Sal]

Did Cotter get banged up. Hes been noticeably slower

He had an odd tumble against LA where he fell over a falling Kings player and landed on his back. He didn't bang his head or anything, it didn't look that bad of a landing but he looked shaken up by it. It's certainly possible he's battling through things.

He had a great scoring chance in the 1st period last game, just couldn't finish.

 

[Devs3cups]

I highly doubt Luke is getting bridged. He’s getting a max deal, like his bro.

 

[Cheddabombs]

You don't bridge talent like Luke. You sign him for the max and then take care of other business.

Give him the Kovalchuk contract!

 

[Triumph]

Did Cotter get banged up. Hes been noticeably slower

He takes a hard hit every game now. Seems like he could use a break - wouldn't mind if he got to sit games between now and December 27th.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I'm not building a roster for the next two years, I'm building it for the next 10. Especially in an environment where the cap is going to be rising aggressively, you should lock down your stars (or future stars) if they'll let you.

This moment in time (expiring ELC) is when the team and players interests most align. Player is trying to hedge away downside risk for career ending injury, and the team is trying to lock a guy in at a below market salary for as long as possible. If you bridge, the player will already have high 7 figures or more in career earnings, and be closer to UFA in a rising cap environment.

There's risk from a team perspective, so you shouldn’t treat every guy like this, but Luke is as close to a lock for future star as anybody in this league right now. Gotta strike while the iron is hot, and work out the #4-6D contracts around that.