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

[Mgd31]

Devils really got to start figuring out how to get the first goal more often during this last stretch. A lot tougher now without Jack but still. Even though the year has sucked, they are 8-1-1 in 2025 when they score first.

Maybe the result is somewhat different last night if Bratt gets to that puck or the multiple penalties that occurred before the first Jets goal are called.

 

[Triumph]

Here are the lines I

thanks for the reply!

Are you sure that’s true re: NTC - pretty sure the Dubois trade last year was right before his clause kicked in

Re: Kovy that’s good analysis. Still feels possible but you’re right about cap and RHDs.

Zetterlund I included Foote as about equal to Ostapchuk. Maybe that’s slightly off but directionally similar

Sorry but Foote is a 24 year old winger and has passed through waivers already, chances are he is traded for a similar player this offseason or just released by the Devils outright. He doesn't have any value.

I can't find the thing I'm talking about in the MOU so maybe I have it wrong, what it does say is that players' NTCs travel with them if their contract is traded in this way.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Was looking through all those “other” names that went in and out for the Devils yesterday, and I would have sworn Cholowski was a 34yo undrafted D who’s been in the Isles system for a decade. I swear i’ve seen him play in Bridgeport pre-covid but obviously i didn’t.

Also…looks like we finally got those AHL centers we needed, huh?

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

This is one thing that frustrates me about the discussion on trades - it's very easy to look at a player like Zach Ostapchuk and think that he is worth nothing. But he's 21 and playing in the NHL and he's a physical player. Chances are the reason this deal got done is because of Ostapchuk, that for some reason San Jose is high on him. Picks aren't players and GMs prefer players to picks.

This is how you end up with trades in the NHL that would get you laughed off a message board.

Grier said the key to the deal was the 21-year-old Ostapchuk, who they see developing into a third-line NHL centerman who can grow with a group of young players that includes Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund, and their cadre of recently drafted prospects.”

Sharks’ Grier explains his most contentious NHL trade deadline decision

NHL trade deadline: San Jose Sharks are excited about forward Zack Ostapchuk and how he fits with organization

www.mercurynews.com

 

[theoptimist]

Last season, I remember losing to the Sabres and Nico in the post-game calling them a ‘certain’ team. The same season we were 3-4 points out of W2 for months.

No Nico, we are the certain team and have always been. Going on 10 years of feckless hockey. Embarrassing for him to say that, and they’ve earned NOTHING. Fluke 2017-2018 and looks like a fluke 2022-2023.

Fitz should be fired in 5 weeks. New GM, and unfortunately, a new coach for next season.

 

[RNCDevil]

Last season, I remember losing to the Sabres and Nico in the post-game calling them a ‘certain’ team. The same season we were 3-4 points out of W2 for months.

No Nico, we are the certain team and have always been. Going on 10 years of feckless hockey. Embarrassing for him to say that, and they’ve earned NOTHING. Fluke 2017-2018 and looks like a fluke 2022-2023.

Fitz should be fired in 5 weeks. New GM, and unfortunately, a new coach for next season.

They all have the swagger. I hope they come out tonight with a purpose (and that purpose is not getting to their Ruth Chris reservations).

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Grier said the key to the deal was the 21-year-old Ostapchuk, who they see developing into a third-line NHL centerman who can grow with a group of young players that includes Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, William Eklund, and their cadre of recently drafted prospects.”

Sharks’ Grier explains his most contentious NHL trade deadline decision

NHL trade deadline: San Jose Sharks are excited about forward Zack Ostapchuk and how he fits with organization

www.mercurynews.com

Another guy taken just after Chase Stillman. Bravo, Tom.

 

[BostonDevil]

OK - Fitz sucks and that ship has sailed so what are the guys going to do the rest of the year? Not the terrible guys like Haula, the guys who we think are the core of the team, Nico, Bratt and Timo.

Love 'em all but they need to just take over now. Nico was riding shotgun when Hall lead us to the playoffs, single handedly in 17-18. He should know what it takes from here on out.

It's on you guys now. Let's see what you're made of.

 

[NJDevs26]

Last season, I remember losing to the Sabres and Nico in the post-game calling them a ‘certain’ team. The same season we were 3-4 points out of W2 for months.

No Nico, we are the certain team and have always been. Going on 10 years of feckless hockey. Embarrassing for him to say that, and they’ve earned NOTHING. Fluke 2017-2018 and looks like a fluke 2022-2023.

Fitz should be fired in 5 weeks. New GM, and unfortunately, a new coach for next season.

Why not both? We've made the playoffs twice in the last decade which is bad...the Sabres have made it zero times which is even more rancid.

 

[Casey Jones]

Yes

Do you remember who he was traded for?

How is that question supposed to help your argument? Timo has been extremely mid and he is paid a fortune. We would have been better off not drafting Shak and not trading for Timo. Plus zetterland was a good player too.

Fitz drafted too many D. He is not an elite drafter. There why this team has no forward depth.

 

[NJDevils17]

They need to move on from at least 4 forwards, preferably 6. That’s a lot of turnover

 

[Lou Bloom]

Here are the lines I

thanks for the reply!

Are you sure that’s true re: NTC - pretty sure the Dubois trade last year was right before his clause kicked in

Re: Kovy that’s good analysis. Still feels possible but you’re right about cap and RHDs.

Zetterlund I included Foote as about equal to Ostapchuk. Maybe that’s slightly off but directionally similar

Ostspchuk is significantly more valuable than Foote, Foote was past through waivers, Ostspchuk would get a 1st round pick back in a trade.

 

[Bleedred]

Wouldn’t be surprised if both end up there. I doubt Sheldon will like Sprong. Only hope would be this team is so incredibly anemic that he puts up with Sprong for some goals

He already threw him under the bus in the post game last night when asked about him lol.

Said something like “He’s got a lot of skill and he can score! But he’s got some other issues which is why he’s been playing in the American Hockey League” or something along those lines lol.

That’s a hell of a thing to say about somebody that they want to help the team. Unless they do plan to keep him in the AHL.

And if they do plan to then why did we even bother trading for him? Just so the (jackass) GM can show you his resume of moves he made at the deadline?

 

[Bleedred]

Ehhhh Shero won two lottery picks, that’s the only reason his tenure had any ‘success’ - that and robbing Chia Pet of Taylor Hall - but he’s gone five years without another GM job now.

It took me a minute to realize who chia pet was. I was thinking he was some GM (that looked like a chia pet) of a team that wanted Hall in 2019 and Shero screwed him out of it. And then I realized it was the first few letters of the former Oilers GM’s name.

I actually thought he would get another GM job after he got fired. And said Hynes wouldn’t for a while. It was the other way around. After Hynes to Nashville I thought Shero would end up there as GM to succeed Poile, but Poile stayed another several years and was replaced by Trotz. Shero was the assistant GM to Poile in Nashville before he got the head GM job in Pittsburgh, so he had some history there. There were rumors he was a candidate for the Philly job a few years back.

But then you look around and realize that aside from Lou and a couple of these really old guys who have been around forever, most guys don’t get a third shot at GM with three different teams.

Brian Burke had like 3 or 4, along with two other president of hockey ops positions. Bryan Murray had I think 4. Rutherford only had 2 as GM, but is now POHOPS with Vancouver and he’s another guy that loves to talk so much you would think he was Allvin’s translator, until he publicly said he was going to stop talking after several controversial statements, which he’s since went back to talking. And Don Waddell just got GM job number 3.

 

[theoptimist]

Why not both? We've made the playoffs twice in the last decade which is bad...the Sabres have made it zero times which is even more rancid.

Fair, both can be true. But it’s concerning we don’t have back to back successful seasons. Forget winning 3 games in a row, give me two consecutive seasons where we make the playoffs.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

I work in Grand Central Terminal and saw a Devils fan in a Hkschier jersey last night at like 9:40 PM. I had to go talk to him and tell him I'm sorry he had to witness that abomination of a game. He left the game.in the 2nd period lol... He was a cool dude and was very knowledgeable about the Devils/hockey, as many of our fans are compared to the dumb Rangers fans i have to see all the time. Anyway this guy was saying that he thinks Jack would be a better/stronger player if he changed the hollow of his skates to a deeper cut. He was pretty serious too lol...

 

[Devs3cups]

I don’t think this team gets it done this year. So disappointing. Fix the bottom 6.

 

[Devs3cups]

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

They need to move on from at least 4 forwards, preferably 6. That’s a lot of turnover

Yeah which is maybe why you want a new GM to do it, better to fire your GM a year too early than a year too late. Nothing personal, just business.

 

[NJ07102]

Fitz drafted too many D. He is not an elite drafter. There why this team has no forward depth.

He drafted way to few centers, that's for sure.

 

[guitarguyvic]

I don’t think this team gets it done this year. So disappointing. Fix the bottom 6.

We have to stop pretending like it’s just the bottom six. Who is the sniper/goal scorer in our top six? Who is stepping up when Jack goes down?

We have 18 games to see if this core is up to snuff when Jack is not around, but sadly my expectations are low.

 

[TrufleShufle]

No clever "clocks Sprong forward tomorrow and so do we" or anything like that. Seems everyone has given up.

 

[Devs3cups]

We have to stop pretending like it’s just the bottom six. Who is the sniper/goal scorer in our top six? Who is stepping up when Jack goes down?

We have 18 games to see if this core is up to snuff when Jack is not around, but sadly my expectations are low.

It’s mostly the bottom 6 imo. We most likely aren’t even talking about snipers/leadership and all that stuff if the bottom 6 had 15-20 more goals on the season, which isn’t a huge ask. MTL’s bottom 6 has more than double the goals ours has lmfao.

It’s fine if we disagree though, not really in the mood to argue, pretty numb about this team right now.

 

[Triumph]

He already threw him under the bus in the post game last night when asked about him lol.

Said something like “He’s got a lot of skill and he can score! But he’s got some other issues which is why he’s been playing in the American Hockey League” or something along those lines lol.

That’s a hell of a thing to say about somebody that they want to help the team. Unless they do plan to keep him in the AHL.

And if they do plan to then why did we even bother trading for him? Just so the (jackass) GM can show you his resume of moves he made at the deadline?

Keefe's comments were absolutely in line with the performance he witnessed and I suggest going back and reading exactly what he said because it's not how you paraphrased it. He praised the first two periods and lambasted the third, saying that the player who played in the third period doesn't belong in the league, and he is correct. Now if Nemec reads those comments, he might not understand what Keefe is saying there, because he was making a subtle distinction. But it's also as bad a period of hockey as I've seen a guy play.

 

[Bleedred]

Agree with both opinions.

Bottom 6 sucks and we probably need another top 6 guy.

Noesen and Palat both in the top 6 next year is absolutely not ideal. Noesen has done fine in that role this year though, I just can’t think he’ll be as good next year.