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

[devilsblood]

In colorado. Just heard the news. F**k.

Done for the season sounds like the quick diagnosis?

 

[njdevil26]

Haters will cry "bad luck" for some of these guys.

Real ones know that they just don't have finish and fire the puck wide more often than they get one on net. Especially Dougie.

Definitely not slandering Dougie.

He has 4 goals and 12 assists in the last 20 games.

People going out of their way crap out Dougie is getting so out of hand.


Speaking of out of hand, Haula has 0 points in 27 games which seems impossible. You would think a shot would go off his ass at some point and he'd accidentally get an assist. He is SO BAD.

 

[jkrdevil]

the panicking after carolina was ridiculous too - we had a game every other day for 2 weeks, including after a game 7 in a emotional rivalry series.

i think any other circumstances and that team could have beaten them, they just dug themselves into a hole because they weren’t ready to reset after round 1 and ran out of gas. the scheduler was unfair to us because we were the only team that didn’t get more than a day off between games and series.

They should have returned to Carolina 2-2 but Vitek happened. Ironically the one thing that should have been fixed after the playoffs wasn’t.

In colorado. Just heard the news. F**k.

Done for the season sounds like the quick diagnosis?

I haven’t seen any word on the injury. Don’t go by Twitter doctors who are often wrong (not saying you specifically are, just in general)

 

[guitarguyvic]

If it wasn't obvious enough that moves need to be made...

Last 20 games

Tatar- 3 goals
Haula- 0 POINTS! (last point Nov 25, 27 games ago)
Bastian- 1 goal
Lazar- 1 goal
Dowling- 0 goals
MacDermid- 0 goals
Mercer- 4 goals
Palat- 5 goals
Meier- 2 goals
Bratt- 3 goals

Palat having the most goals on this list is super disturbing especially when the reason he has these goals just lost his shoulder.

The depth is really bad.

But also, when you have guys in your core who routinely go a quarter of a season without scoring more than a fourth liner…that’s a f***ing problem. We see this shit (along with injuries) every f***ing season with these guys it seems.

It’s been years now and they still haven’t proven they can step up unless everything goes absolutely perfect. They have a chance now, but will they really do it? I’m sure the usual suspects will step in to tell us we aren’t real fans because we don’t trust these guys to do something they’ve failed at many times before.

 

[devilsblood]

I haven’t seen any word on the injury. Don’t go by Twitter doctors who are often wrong (not saying you specifically are, just in general)

truthfully my wifi sucks so I haven’t even seen the video yet.

I just read about it and luke being emotional.

Shoulder though?

 

[njdevil26]

truthfully my wifi sucks so I haven’t even seen the video yet.

I just read about it and luke being emotional.

Shoulder though?

He stayed down for a bit... glided off hunched over on his own holding his right arm. He was holding his wrist area but his arm was definitely dangling down. My guess is shoulder/collarbone. Looked real bad honestly.

 

[longislanddevil]

Devils GM Can No Longer Sit on Hands After Jack Hughes Injury

The Devils needed reinforcements before the Jack Hughes injury. Now? General manager Tom Fitzgerald needs to get to work and salvage the 2024-25 season.

newjerseyhockeynow.com

Good article. Nichols is right in the assertion that Fitzgerald vastly overestimated production from this forward group. I remenber Fitz saying he isn’t worried about the offense. “You’re hoping that the Tatars, Cotters and Noesens are all chipping in.” HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY, TOM!! It’s comical now to hear Fitz actually thought Mercer could “explode.”

 

[Triumph]

They're a mediocre built team that's capitalizing on the East being dogshit this year that just lost their best player with a tough stretch upcoming and haven't been good since the New Year. Not sure where the WAR debate of Jack came into this.

Because you think the Devils will miss the playoffs without Jack. The Devils are 33-23-6 with Jack, the cut line for the playoffs is probably around 90 points, which means you are saying they are around a 9-11-0 team without him. This would make him a 15 wins a year player, but I grant that you are talking about the latest iteration of the team with bad Luke and invisible Haula.

The depth is really bad.

But also, when you have guys in your core who routinely go a quarter of a season without scoring more than a fourth liner…that’s a f***ing problem. We see this shit (along with injuries) every f***ing season with these guys it seems.

It’s been years now and they still haven’t proven they can step up unless everything goes absolutely perfect. They have a chance now, but will they really do it? I’m sure the usual suspects will step in to tell us we aren’t real fans because we don’t trust these guys to do something they’ve failed at many times before.

Scoring has not been the problem with this team until this season. I don't really know how many times this has to be said. That said, most of the problem with scoring is outside of the core - Tatar the only mild contributor on the 4th line, no callup Fs scoring, Haula going invisible, Meier being unable to finish.

Mercer not stepping up to be a long-term solution, Luke going from best D to worst D, and Haula turning from 3rd liner to unplayable are the three biggest issues with the team, in no order.

 

[Bleedred]

You’re lucky you have supporting documentation here, but even so that tweet answers only one of your claims in the affirmative. And Chuck Fletcher likely becomes the next guy in line if he gets fired, which he probably will if they miss.

I don’t think Chuck Fletcher would become the GM here on anything more than an interim basis.

 

[Better Call Sal]

 

[HoliksGhost]

Devils GM Can No Longer Sit on Hands After Jack Hughes Injury

The Devils needed reinforcements before the Jack Hughes injury. Now? General manager Tom Fitzgerald needs to get to work and salvage the 2024-25 season.

newjerseyhockeynow.com

Good article. Nichols is right in the assertion that Fitzgerald vastly overestimated production from this forward group. I remenber Fitz saying he isn’t worried about the offense. “You’re hoping that the Tatars, Cotters and Noesens are all chipping in.” HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY, TOM!! It’s comical now to hear Fitz actually thought Mercer could “explode.”

If Timo was playing like a 40 goal scorer, we might not be having this discussion.

 

[Saint Beaurivage]

Devils GM Can No Longer Sit on Hands After Jack Hughes Injury

The Devils needed reinforcements before the Jack Hughes injury. Now? General manager Tom Fitzgerald needs to get to work and salvage the 2024-25 season.

newjerseyhockeynow.com

Good article. Nichols is right in the assertion that Fitzgerald vastly overestimated production from this forward group. I remenber Fitz saying he isn’t worried about the offense. It’s comical now to hear Fitz actually thought Mercer could “explode.”

I'll say it again, Fitzgerald should have been active 2 months ago networking GMs for a fair straight up trade to spark chemistry alone. Unless you're contending for the SC what good is it to compromise the future of the organization for an overpriced UFA?

 

[theoptimist]

If he was hired today, Lou wouldn't let us miss the playoffs with Jack and Nico

 

[NJDevs26]

Both sentiments are equally bananas.

Not so much at this point...there's a world where we find out Jack's out for the rest of the regular season and even with him they could have easily lost the next two games with the pack already coming close to catching us.

 

[billingtons ghost]

truthfully my wifi sucks so I haven’t even seen the video yet.

I just read about it and luke being emotional.

Shoulder though?

I'm thinking best case scenario: collarbone.Broken arm. Set it, heal. Come back.

When we get into shoulder or wrist stuff can get really scary with surgery and it seems I'll l like a wider range if outcomes and timelines. (In a sling for a week? Missing training camp and part of next season after surgery?)

 

[MB3]

I'm thinking best case scenario: collarbone.Broken arm. Set it, heal. Come back.

When we get into shoulder or wrist stuff can get really scary with surgery and it seems I'll l like a wider range if outcomes and timelines. (In a sling for a week? Missing training camp and part of next season after surgery?)

there's no way the best case scenario is a broken collarbone lmao. Didn't he have a shoulder injury in 2022? Came back after a few weeks and was a force in the playoffs.

If Jack is out for the year you really do need to just sell anyone who's sell-able and move towards next year. Honestly wondering if that includes Markstrom. Some team might pay through the nose for that guy, and then you use those assets to re-assess in the offseason.

 

[longislanddevil]

I don’t think Chuck Fletcher would become the GM here on anything more than an interim basis.

Chuck Fletcher is one of the worst GMs I’ve ever seen and I am not being hyperbolic. We better pray he is never promoted to that role.

 

[MadDevil]

If he was hired today, Lou wouldn't let us miss the playoffs with Jack and Nico

He'd trade Nemec for a third line rental and Casey for a 30+ year old depth forward.

 

[HoliksGhost]

I'll say it again, Fitzgerald should have been active 2 months ago networking GMs for a fair straight up trade to spark chemistry alone. Unless you're contending for the SC what good is it to compromise the future of the organization for an overpriced UFA?

I agree but how do you know he wasn’t?

 

[NJDevs26]

I'll say it again, Fitzgerald should have been active 2 months ago networking GMs for a fair straight up trade to spark chemistry alone. Unless you're contending for the SC what good is it to compromise the future of the organization for an overpriced UFA?

Two months ago everything was hunky dory and they didn't need a 'chemistry' trade, it was only after the new year where the warts started to multiply.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Devils GM Can No Longer Sit on Hands After Jack Hughes Injury

The Devils needed reinforcements before the Jack Hughes injury. Now? General manager Tom Fitzgerald needs to get to work and salvage the 2024-25 season.

newjerseyhockeynow.com

Good article. Nichols is right in the assertion that Fitzgerald vastly overestimated production from this forward group. I remenber Fitz saying he isn’t worried about the offense. “You’re hoping that the Tatars, Cotters and Noesens are all chipping in.” HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY, TOM!! It’s comical now to hear Fitz actually thought Mercer could “explode.”

Honestly speaking:
Hughes: 30g 100 points
Bratt: 30g 85 points
Nico: 30g 80 points
Meier 40g 80 points
Mercer: 25g 60 points
Palat 15g 50 points
Haula 15g 40 points
Cotter 15g 30points
Tatar 12g 30points

Hamilton 15g 60points
Luke 15g 40points

That's 220g with reasonable projections for the guys we have on the top 9.

I was hoping Meier, Bratt or Jack would hit 50goals, tbh.

I think where you're right is that we all think of Palat/Haula/Mercer as fringe top six, but they've rarely cracked 15g in their careers. They are really 4 the liners.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Two months ago everything was hunky dory and they didn't need a 'chemistry' trade, it was only after the new year where the warts started to multiply.

Even this feels familiar though. It's like every year we take teams by surprise for the first half of the season, or first quarter. But once the rest of the league swings into gear, we fade.

 

[NJDevs26]

He'd trade Nemec for a third line rental and Casey for a 30+ year old depth forward.

I do feel like this part of Lou gets exaggerated, at least Devils Lou. 80+ year old Lou on his likely last job is a bit more off the rails but what great young player did we really trade here, Sheldon Souray? Brian Rolston? He never wound up trading the Eliases, Parises, etc.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Because you think the Devils will miss the playoffs without Jack. The Devils are 33-23-6 with Jack, the cut line for the playoffs is probably around 90 points, which means you are saying they are around a 9-11-0 team without him. This would make him a 15 wins a year player, but I grant that you are talking about the latest iteration of the team with bad Luke and invisible Haula.

Jesus man, who cares what the spreadsheet would say? This has been a .500 team with Jack for two f***ing months, you think it’s some huge stretch that they could go 9-11 without him??? I refuse to believe that you are this delusional.

Scoring has not been the problem with this team until this season. I don't really know how many times this has to be said. That said, most of the problem with scoring is outside of the core - Tatar the only mild contributor on the 4th line, no callup Fs scoring, Haula going invisible, Meier being unable to finish.

Mercer not stepping up to be a long-term solution, Luke going from best D to worst D, and Haula turning from 3rd liner to unplayable are the three biggest issues with the team, in no order.

To say scoring has never been a problem until this year is ignoring context, per usual. This core of this team, sans perhaps Nico, has never stepped up when Jack is out with injury. They aren’t THE problem but at one point do we acknowledge they have flaws? This might be fine if our forward depth was outstanding, but clearly Fitz has fumbled the ball there badly.

This team isn’t gonna contend for a cup with zero natural goal scorers in the top six and just “ok” depth. And if nothing changes they will always be a Jack Hughes injury away from possibly missing the playoffs altogether. And it seems Jack is destined to miss a quarter of the season every f***ing year. So please, don’t tell me that there isn’t anything to be addressed with this core, IN ADDITION to the horrendous depth.

 

[MadDevil]

Who should he have traded for that's been moved? Rantanen? Miller? Granlund?