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

[devilsblood]

why didn't you go back 11 games? Probably because he scored in that game, which would put it at 7 in 11.

love arbitrary timeframes.

by the way, 7 pts is 25% of Dawson Mercer's point total for the entire year. In 71 games.

Actually no. I didn't go to the game logs, just went 10 games-20 games, 30 games.

Thought I was being generous. Cause 20 games out puts him at 45ish point rate. 30 games puts him at a 16 goal 46 point pace.

Not sure what his 31 game pace is though.

 

[Killing Joke]

Eh idk, not really the point. But that would still increase the chances of Keefe going. Most decent GM prospects are gonna want to choose their own coach unless the team is rolling and has a stellar track record (GM generally not fired then to begin with).

This gm has had 5 coaches with only one playoff birth. The issue is him and his roster construction.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I don’t think ever experienced as a devils fan feeling this down on the team despite them being in a playoff spot all year.

In the end this squad isn’t gonna finish that much better record-wise than the 2017-18 team, and the latter was infinitely more likable.

Edit: Holy shit I just looked it up and realized this team is on pace for less points and GF than 2017-18. That is f***ing pathetic. WOW.

What does that team have to do with anything? Everyone knew that team was a nothing-burger. They had an all-time season from Hall and a hot 2nd half from Kinkaid to drag a bad team to the playoffs. It isn't that big of a deal.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Don’t be shocked if there’s some heat between Keefe and Fitz right now, mostly coming from Keefe.

Source?

not sure why this type of stuff is allowed here.

 

[devilsblood]

Outside of losing games of late why is this team unlikable?

 

[devilsblood]

What does that team have to do with anything? Everyone knew that team was a nothing-burger. They had an all-time season from Hall and a hot 2nd half from Kinkaid to drag a bad team to the playoffs. It isn't that big of a deal.

That team had a rookie #1 OA pick at center. Jesper Bratt had an incredible first half of the season. Miles Wood with 19 goals. Will Butcher with a big rookie season. Palm's was a legit goal scorer. Lock down defensive line in Coleman Zajac Noesen.

And oh yeah a huge MVP season from Hall.

Very much dislike the hindsight view that that team was a "nothing-burger".

 

[JimEIV]

This gm has had 5 coaches with only one playoff birth. The issue is him and his roster construction.

It's Fitz's fault Jack can't stay healthy?

It's Fitz's fault the 40 goal power forward that he sacrificed that pipeline you mentioned earlier for only has 20 goals and only had 1 goal in January and February?

It's Fitz's fault that Jesper Bratt is probably going to have 6 to 8 fewer 5v5 goals than he had in the last few years?

It's Fitz's fault that when he became the GM we had no defense prospects and a weak NHL defense?

It's Fitz's fault that when he became the GM we had no goaltending anywhere in the entire organization?

It's Fitz's fault that McLeod is seemingly related to Harvey Weinstein?

What roster construction are you referring to? The entire D and Goaltending he built? The bottom 6?

The problems with this roster are more core than ansilary pieces people are complaining about. But nobody really wants to admit it. Edit: and that core was in place before Fitz took over... should he blow it up?

 

[HersheyBob27]

Kovacevic will probably be here longer than Fitz and Keefe lol.

Kovasevic seemed to be loved by the analytic types during the early part of the season. To the eye test he always seemed a little rough and handled the puck like a grenade at times. Seemed like a big commitment for a small sample size

 

[devilsblood]

Kovasevic seemed to be loved by the analytic types during the early part of the season. To the eye test he always seemed a little rough and handled the puck like a grenade at times. Seemed like a big commitment for a small sample size

He's a d-man who handles heavy defensive responsibilities. Ya he's going to handle the puck like a grenade at times......as he should.

He's also 27 and signed at $4mil per season.

This is a good signing that is only getting hate because the team is losing.

 

[BostonDevil]

I enjoy the fact that we have a coach that seems to care on some level.

Keefe has not been part of the losing history that this organization has seemingly become accustomed to for the better part of 20 years and, apparently, it bothers him.

Is he the best coach ever? No. I do think he's the best coach since Jacques left in 2011 (DeBoer could get votes)

 

[Killing Joke]

He's a d-man who handles heavy defensive responsibilities. Ya he's going to handle the puck like a grenade at times......as he should.

He's also 27 and signed at $4mil per season.

This is a good signing that is only getting hate because the team is losing.

More so the signing makes no sense when you have two right ds that are prospects, but that we held onto instead of using them as trade bait at the TDL to get more offensive help, like to get a Dylan Cozens. They could’ve been packaged with Mercer and we’d have good center depth right now and some more speed. Then going forward you have him as a winger in the top six when jacks healthy with Nico and glass (who they should keep).

The signing made no sense if you’re hanging onto younger dmen when you could also sell Kovy off to a team like Dallas that could desperately use a top 4 RD. And a big one like him would get a good package especially this past TDL.

Basically Fitz signed him, kept the two prospects and did jack shit to help the scoring out when it’s desperately needed it before Hughes injury, and clearly needs it more than ever.

 

[NJDevilsFan21]

Losing Zetterlund, Wood (not that he's very good today, but still we replaced him with Lazar who does nothing), and Mercer turning out to be nothing is an entire line worth of bottom 6 lost.

If we miss the playoffs I'm checking out next season. I've lost faith this core can do it. I don't know if it's them and their inconsistent health and production, or the lack of bottom six, or both. I won't care anymore. Done.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Forget the lower goals from Timo and the others for a moment. How about just not giving up late game goals the way they have? You don’t need to score to do that. If they hold up against Calgary Dallas San Jose and Detroit that’s a few more points and things probably dokt seem quite as bad right now.

But what's the real problem here? The complete inability to clear the zone? Inability to control the puck and get it deep? Winning board battles? Complete panic and icing the puck? Stopping skating? Conditioning?

It seems like all of it is commitment to detail and inexperience?

I don't expect them to flip a switch and be a good defensive team, but it REALLY pisses me off when vets like Tatar give the puck over at the blueline and force Luke or Pesce or Kovacevic to absolutely burn themselves out getting back

I'm amazed at how bad our forwards are in general at taking care of the puck and the complete panic we are in for ten minutes every third period these games

We can be pissed about the quality of the players, but sheesh there seems to be a commitment thing

 

[NJDevs26]

Source?

not sure why this type of stuff is allowed here.

It's just spitballing, he's not passing it off as he has an inside source. That kind of stuff is generally taken about as seriously as a Bratt Pack Tweet.

 

[JimEIV]

I'm watching Florida and I gotta say Boqvist doesn't look like the same player that played for New Jersey or Boston.

Maybe it's just tonight? I don't know but he looks way more assertive tonight.

 

[devilsblood]

More so the signing makes no sense when you have two right ds that are prospects, but that we held onto instead of using them as trade bait at the TDL to get more offensive help, like to get a Dylan Cozens. They could’ve been packaged with Mercer and we’d have good center depth right now and some more speed. Then going forward you have him as a winger in the top six when jacks healthy with Nico and glass (who they should keep).

The signing made no sense if you’re hanging onto younger dmen when you could also sell Kovy off to a team like Dallas that could desperately use a top 4 RD. And a big one like him would get a good package especially this past TDL.

Basically Fitz signed him, kept the two prospects and did jack shit to help the scoring out when it’s desperately needed it before Hughes injury, and clearly needs it more than ever.

Since they clearly are not comfortable playing either Nemec or Casey, and I don't see how that would have changed heading into next year, trading one of those guys would have been the logical choice.

So I'm back to saying the Kova contract was a good move by Fitz.

Not trading those other guys is another debate.

 

[billingtons ghost]

why didn't you go back 11 games? Probably because he scored in that game, which would put it at 7 in 11.

love arbitrary timeframes.

by the way, 7 pts is 25% of Dawson Mercer's point total for the entire year. In 71 games.

You *are* the king of arbitrary timeframes. Why not look at the entire season? Guy who eschews the round #10 for 11. Lollz

Fact is Meier is a huge disappointment even with the surge in production.

 

[devilsblood]

I'm watching Florida and I gotta say Boqvist doesn't look like the same player that played for New Jersey or Boston.

Maybe it's just tonight? I don't know but he looks way more assertive tonight.

Statistically he is hitting a lot more this year.

If he played more physical I doubt NJ would have moved on from him as that was clearly the direction they were looking to go.

 

[NJDevs26]

Since they clearly are not comfortable playing either Nemec or Casey, and I don't see how that would have changed heading into next year, trading one of those guys would have been the logical choice.

So I'm back to saying the Kova contract was a good move by Fitz.

Not trading those other guys is another debate.

Even without Nemec or Casey on a 2025-6 roster you STILL had Hamilton and Pesce under contract long-term, you didn't need to lock yourself into a third long term contract on the right side and have people really put you over a barrel if you did try to flip Dougie.

 

[Cheddabombs]

My faith in this team is shaken but I still believe! Just need to lock in one game at a time

 

[billingtons ghost]

He's a d-man who handles heavy defensive responsibilities. Ya he's going to handle the puck like a grenade at times......as he should.

He's also 27 and signed at $4mil per season.

This is a good signing that is only getting hate because the team is losing.

This^

There's been games where he's been our best defender and a ton of games where he's been very solid.

An interesting question is: although Keefe's system has at least dug us out of being a complete disaster, where is the coaching when the ice tilts? Where is the vet leadership?

You cannot win a game when you're afraid of giving up a lead and play that way.

And that's really what we've been seeing recently... And I think it's the vet players and coaches that need to change the tone.

Isn't this the knock on Toronto Keefe?

 

[NJDevils17]

Even without Nemec or Casey on a 2025-6 roster you STILL had Hamilton and Pesce under contract long-term, you didn't need to lock yourself into a third long term contract on the right side and have people really put you over a barrel if you did try to flip Dougie.

It was also money that could’ve been allocated better elsewhere

 

[HersheyBob27]

This^

There's been games where he's been our best defender and a ton of games where he's been very solid.

An interesting question is: although Keefe's system has at least dug us out of being a complete disaster, where is the coaching when the ice tilts? Where is the vet leadership?

You cannot win a game when you're afraid of giving up a lead and play that way.

And that's really what we've been seeing recently... And I think it's the vet players and coaches that need to change the tone.

Isn't this the knock on Toronto Keefe?

Im telling you he has done all his coaching for the year already. Just like toronto. He has nothing left to help these guys. All he does is point his finger at people

 

[Triumph]

It's not even debatable. No matter Taylor Hall had his career season, it still took a total team effort EVERY NIGHT to get to the playoffs. This team apparently doesn't have that capability. What makes it worse is how putrid the rest of the Eastern Conference and division are.

Huh, wonder what would happen to that team if you removed 20% of their allotted cap space. I bet they would've been fine.

They effectively lost Schneider for the 2nd half of the year and Johansson missed more than half the year but that's still not close to what we have going on right now.

That team had a rookie #1 OA pick at center. Jesper Bratt had an incredible first half of the season. Miles Wood with 19 goals. Will Butcher with a big rookie season. Palm's was a legit goal scorer. Lock down defensive line in Coleman Zajac Noesen.

And oh yeah a huge MVP season from Hall.

Very much dislike the hindsight view that that team was a "nothing-burger".

No mention of Gibbons who scored 12 of his 25 career goals in the first half of that season.

I agree that I don't think anyone thought that they would finish 5th to last in the subsequent season, but there were obvious flaws and Shero didn't do a whole lot during the offseason. Wood looked like he might be a 2nd/3rd line winger, that didn't really happen, Zacha never took off, Noesen's career fell apart, Butcher had one more decent year and then he was through, and so on.

 

[Triumph]

Even without Nemec or Casey on a 2025-6 roster you STILL had Hamilton and Pesce under contract long-term, you didn't need to lock yourself into a third long term contract on the right side and have people really put you over a barrel if you did try to flip Dougie.

I absolutely do not understand the viewpoint that the Devils are 'over a barrel' with Hamilton. You are pretending that there are 2 teams in the NHL. There are more than 2 teams.