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

[Forge]

Eight million seems really fair for a PPG+ player; and the cap is going up! Heck, we pay Timo more than that and he isnt even on the powerplay!

JT Miller going to be on the PP1 here?

 

[jkrdevil]

I still believe the Canes and Devils stuff is the Canucks using metro teams as stalking horses for the Rangers.

 

[New Jerseys Devil]

JT Miller going to be on the PP1 here?

Probably, right? He could take faceoffs and let Nico focus more on defensive minutes. Id put Timo in for Nico but he isnt a center! Though, if it was up to me, id still try Meier in for Nico now; faceoffs be damned!

 

[Emperoreddy]

I still believe the Canes and Devils stuff is the Canucks using metro teams as stalking horses for the Rangers.

Almost certainly. They got the bulk of the deal done. They are just haggling over pick conditions

 

[Forge]

I still believe the Canes and Devils stuff is the Canucks using metro teams as stalking horses for the Rangers.

This would ultimately be my guess as well

 

[New Jerseys Devil]

The division and even conference is starting to really tighten up near the Wild Card spots. The boys better step it up soon or we may begin feeling the heat! And the deadline is a ways away

 

[Bleedred]

I think he (Miller) would help this team a lot right now too. I just don’t like that he’s signed forever. Is this really only year two of his 7 (or is it 8?) year deal?

I still believe the Canes and Devils stuff is the Canucks using metro teams as stalking horses for the Rangers.

This too.

I’m still skeptical we’re legit in on him.

Who was that Vancouver guy that started tweeting about it a few days ago? Never heard of him before.

Lebrun is the first legit guy I’ve heard say anything about us being in on him.

I guess Friedman alluded to it, but said he doesn’t think we’re too serious about it.

 

[Bleedred]

Friedman mentioned on the podcast yesterday that we’d have to do “Surgery” on the roster to get Miller over here. Which means dumping a significant contract or maybe more. And the Rangers don’t have to after dumping Trouba and I guess Kakko.

Mercer is definitely going the other way in any potential Miller deal and I don’t really care anymore.

 

[BostonDevil]

Friedman mentioned on the podcast yesterday that we’d have to do “Surgery” on the roster to get Miller over here. Which means dumping a significant contract or maybe more. And the Rangers don’t have to after dumping Trouba and I guess Kakko.

Mercer is definitely going the other way in any potential Miller deal and I don’t really care anymore.

Dougie and Palat

 

[NjDevsRR]

Thankfully the entire east is clumped up in that 48-53 pt range. And our two challengers for metro 3 are 3-4 pts back IF they win their games in hand.

Devils used up their cushion. It’s time to build a new one. Tomorrow needs to be the start of a new stretch of good hockey. And it has to go til the break.

I have faith. LGD, and lets celebrate Lemaire.

 

[jkrdevil]

I think he (Miller) would help this team a lot right now too. I just don’t like that he’s signed forever. Is this really only year two of his 7 (or is it 8?) year deal?


This too.

I’m still skeptical we’re legit in on him.

Who was that Vancouver guy that started tweeting about it a few days ago? Never heard of him before.

Lebrun is the first legit guy I’ve heard say anything about us being in on him.

I guess Friedman alluded to it, but said he doesn’t think we’re too serious about it.

It was Cam Robinson who writes for Elite Prospects. Then a few other Canucks connected people and Marek — who is Canucks connected too. That all happened Friday afternoon and by Friday night the Canucks were deep in negotiating with Drury.

 

[billingtons ghost]

the overall point is you cannot just expect the top 3-4 players to consistently bail you out every game. SOmetimes those guys are gonna struggle for a bit and you'd hope that the bottom of your lineup pick those guys up. I think the first time we played Ottawa was one of those games where all 3 goals were not top players. How many other games this year were there like that?

The problem is our bottom 6 has been nowhere near good enough overall this year. I don't even know how that is even debatable? We don't even have a functioning 3rd line right now.

The problem is I listed the top eight players, not the top 3. It really doesn't matter if we had the best bottom six in the league, bc you can't win with Bratt, Meier, Hamilton, Nico, Luke so producing 1g or less over their last ten. Palat/Mercer in the top six but giving us fourth line numbers.

Yeah I mean anyone walking through the door right now to add to our secondary scoring would be great, but I think it's silly to point at the Bastians and Cotters or Siegs/Kovacevic sof the world as the problem. Without the defensive defensemen we aren't even in one goal games.

 

[mdj12784]

Friedman mentioned on the podcast yesterday that we’d have to do “Surgery” on the roster to get Miller over here. Which means dumping a significant contract or maybe more. And the Rangers don’t have to after dumping Trouba and I guess Kakko.

Mercer is definitely going the other way in any potential Miller deal and I don’t really care anymore.

I've been over Mercer for awhile now. Durable, but frustratingly streaky

 

[njdevil26]

I'm over Mercer too ... but the Devils needing one more forward would turn into two if Mercer goes the other way. I'm intrigued at what Miller would do for this team.

Miller-Hughes-Bratt
Meier-Hischier-Noesen
Palat-Haula-????
Cotter-Lazar-Basitan?

 

[Clam Jensen]

I'm over Mercer too ... but the Devils needing one more forward would turn into two if Mercer goes the other way. I'm intrigued at what Miller would do for this team.

Miller-Hughes-Bratt
Meier-Hischier-Noesen
Palat-Haula-????
Cotter-Lazar-Basitan?

I like the idea of Mercer but the product has been underwhelming.

 

[devsfan8]

Mercer has been underwhelming if you expected top 6 numbers. But as a 3rd line RW and the ability to be durable and that he never gets hurt and still so young entering his prime, and a good salary and he can still put up 20 goals, thats value/depth I'd rather keep and add onto instead of replace. That's a lot of ands. I'd be dumb to not trade him for Miller I admit. But I would certainly not offer him or give him up without a fight.

You know what's better then Miller? Miller and Mercer.

 

[devsfan8]

I like the idea of Mercer but the product has been underwhelming.

And like mentioned above, there lies the reason why we should be looking to add some depth scoring instead of coming more top heavy. There are 20 players we can trade for and be a better team.

I'm sorry if because he is 31, I do not put all my eggs in one basket when it cones to Miller. But that's how it is. I don't dispute his production and talent.

The Devils have 3 good defensive prospects. You have to assume one of them will go in a trade of some type if we aren't going after a rental and making a hockey trade.

 

[onmygameboi]

I could see us trading Mercer and then us kicking ourselves in the ass when he breaks out in 3 years. He has all the tools, it's just a matter of time before he puts them all together. Sometimes, players take longer than others to develop.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I could see us trading Mercer and then us kicking ourselves in the ass when he breaks out in 3 years. He has all the tools, it's just a matter of time before he puts them all together. Sometimes, players take longer than others to develop.

he has played ~300 games in the NHL already

the chances of him having some major breakout in 3 years is just not likely. Sure it could happen as there are always exceptions, but if a player usually has not broken out by now, they probably wont. Mercer has regressed and unfortunately its been going on 2 years of this level of play. I think he is what he is by now.

 

[NJDevs26]

he has played ~300 games in the NHL already

the chances of him having some major breakout in 3 years is just not likely. Sure it could happen as there are always exceptions, but if a player usually has not broken out by now, they probably wont. Mercer has regressed and unfortunately its been going on 2 years of this level of play. I think he is what he is by now.

Well if you think the Devils player development is **** (which it might be) there’s definitely a chance he breaks out somewhere else, especially if he needs that wake-up call of a trade to kick him in the ass - which also could well be true

 

[Better Call Sal]

I still hold out hope that Mercer can get a bit closer back to what his level was in 22-23. He really hasn't had any time with Jack, and I wouldn't mind giving that another look at some point. I'm a bit surprised they didn't put him there instead of Bastian, but he has had success with Timo in the past as well.

 

[Devils731]

I could see us trading Mercer and then us kicking ourselves in the ass when he breaks out in 3 years. He has all the tools, it's just a matter of time before he puts them all together. Sometimes, players take longer than others to develop.

It’s just rough with Mercer because in some ways, I feel less confident in him as a player than I did as a rookie and his raw totals are declining over the last 3 years.

In his first and second year, he wasn’t the fastest nor strongest guy but he kept his feet moving and he could create time for himself through good use of his hands and puck manipulation. He was also really good at finishing off chances; he had a knack for it.

Fast forward to this year and he still isn’t the fastest nor strongest, I would have liked him to have picked a lane and tried to become faster or stronger but he’s still a little of both but also neither. He still keeps his feet moving and the effort is there.

His ability to create time for himself seems totally gone though. Plays are constantly dying on his stick and that’s been happening more and more frequently from his peak until now. He’s also lost his knack for finishing plays off.

My worry for Mercer is that he has some good tricks in his bag but he hasn’t or can’t add to the number of tricks he has and now that teams know him, they shut down his next attempted play before he can execute it. Mercer may not have the physical ability to beat guys if they know his trick and if they do, then the play is over.

——————-

I don’t think Mercer’s career story is written in stone though. I think in any offseason he can choose to lose weight and get faster or gain weight and get stronger and try to pick up a few tricks to go along with those changes. I think if he does something like that, he will see a spike in performance.

If he keeps going down his current path of no big game changes then I worry what we see over the last season and a half if about that Mercer will be, which frankly isn’t that net positive to the team.

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[onmygameboi]

I'll put it this way. Does anyone think Jack's done developing as a player? I think he can get better and if Jack can get better, so can Mercer.

We're not winning the cup with Jack turning the puck over every shift. But would I give up on him now? Absolutely not.

I extend the same logic to Mercer and I think moving him is going to bite us in the ass.

 

[Better Call Sal]

That Slovak reporter sure is enjoying stirring the pot right now.

Of course teams are going to be calling after the report he helped put in the limelight last week. I am sure Fitz is not remotely considering it unless someone blows his socks off.