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

[Edmonton East]

Why does anyone assume Keefe HASN'T addressed Kovacevic's play with him first? Especially after some of the gaffes he's had recently. Why do people just assume he only popped off at a presser and blindsided him?

At least we don't have to worry about ganking his trade value anytime soon since he just signed an extension unlike the GM with Holtz.

Well, I think the point would be ya don't go for a guys throat like that unless they've been a problem child and it be somewhat okay. And hard for me to believe he's a problem child considering he was literally gifted a very generous $$$ extension w/ term 2 weeks ago...in a position that wasn't of need....and based off of 1 good season.

Yet another terrible unjustifiable decision by Fitz in terms of asset management/allocation of resources of course; pretty much regardless how Kovy plays. Paid for his ceiling on a small sample size in the only position of depth in the entire org. And of course yet another NMC.

 

[JimEIV]

Pretty good chance the GM goes before Keefe right now.

I don't know?

If front office decisions are truly being made more by committee/ "executive team". It is a lot easier for that committee to blame the coach for the on ice product...at least I would think so?

 

[guitarguyvic]

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.

 

[BahlDeep]

okay, and?

Mercer hasn't been good in 2 years. Meier is producing NOW.

weird stuff.

Lol Meier is gettind paid $9m/year and he is producing just NOW!

Weird stuff for real

 

[Edmonton East]

Pretty good chance the GM goes before Keefe right now.

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).

 

[Bleedred]

Clearly...although I will say the coach also deserves ripping if the team somehow misses the playoffs. He's not getting offed this year, nor do I think he's the big issue - but I don't think he should get off scot-free either if this team somehow chokes away a playoff berth, especially with the amount of time we puttered around in mediocrity even before this spate of injuries.

I've honestly had plenty of issue with him the last three games. His love for Lazar, all of this holding other guys accountable and Lazar only missed the game after that horrific one against Columbus because of injury scratch and not a healthy one. The way the team sat back in the 3rd periods the two games before last night, as well as Dillon-Cholowski constantly getting caught out there and murdered by Ottawa's top line.

And the most fatal mistake was giving Markstrom BOTH the Pens and Flames games after the games Allen had prior to those games. He'll no doubt make that same mistake tomorrow night again. Hopefully it's a happy mistake.

 

[Xirik]

Seems like the sky is still falling in here.

I'll come back later.

 

[Bleedred]

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).

I think they'll keep Keefe if there's a GM change this year. Keefe went through just that in his final season in Toronto when Treliving replaced Dubas and kept Keefe for a year.

If it happens after this year? I'd say the chances are reset.

As it stands right now I think there's a greater chance of seeing a GM change than a head coaching change at the conclusion of this year.

 

[NJDevs26]

I can't get on him for playing any fourth liner (aside from MacD) or sixth D at this point, cause we have no other real options for either.

 

[Bleedred]

I can't get on him for playing any fourth liner (aside from MacD) or sixth D at this point, cause we have no other real options for either.

Lazar really earned at least one scratch with that pathetic Columbus game.

The thing that has cost the team at least 2-3, maybe even 4 points in the last week is starting Markstrom.

Is it a given Allen doesn't have two terrible performances in those games? No. But you'd think if he were just okay we'd get at least a point out of the Pittsburgh and Calgary games. Good chance we win one and a decent chance we win both.

But Keefe did this last year. He should have went with Woll to start game 4. He didn't go with Woll until game 5 when the series was tied 2-2. Then Woll somehow was hurt and couldn't play game 7, so he had no choice but to go with Samsonov.

The joke was that he stuck by Samsonov probably at least one game too long and I also wondered why he started the playoffs with Samsonov at all. A guy that had been brutal all year and was even waived and cleared several months earlier.

I think they win that series with Woll, unless he just gets hurt (like he does a lot) and they couldn't finish the series with him and had to turn it over to Samsonov anyway by game 4 or 5. We all see how mediocre that Boston team is and they were showing real signs of it last year. It's just nobody bothered to notice and Swayman wasn't garbage like he has been this year.

 

[Triumph]

Well, I think the point would be ya don't go for a guys throat like that unless they've been a problem child and it be somewhat okay. And hard for me to believe he's a problem child considering he was literally gifted a very generous $$$ extension w/ term 2 weeks ago...in a position that wasn't of need....and based off of 1 good season.

Yet another terrible unjustifiable decision by Fitz in terms of asset management/allocation of resources of course; pretty much regardless how Kovy plays. Paid for his ceiling on a small sample size in the only position of depth in the entire org. And of course yet another NMC.

See this is why I can't ignore. Do I need to dig up the million messages from you 5 years ago about how the Devils' defense was full of dwarves and couldn't stop anyone, the Devils find a bargain bin D who has an excellent season and they pay him like a 3rd pairing UFA D for his prime + a little after, and all you have is complaints about the move? The Devils have a shutdown D pair signed for $7.125M long-term.

When you have a position of depth and augment it, you can then trade from that depth for other pieces.

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.

No shit, that team got a ton of unsustainable performances and dragged itself to the playoffs, of course people liked that team, this team is banged up and pretty boring with Keefe's style and without Hughes.

 

[Edmonton East]

Nemec's complete implosion this season is a mystery, but he has to get himself straightened out immediately. It's not unheard of for a young guy to get confident and not show up prepared after he thinks he has a spot, but it's a lesson a player can only be taught once. He either learns it then or never does. Petr Sykora played on the top line for a while in his rookie season at age 18, then he was in the minors for most of the next year. He came out of that and had a good career. Nemec has abilities few players have, he just has to put in the work to get to the level he showed in his rookie season.

Kinda wild to consider Nemec's pullback a "mystery" when the Devs have had this happen with dmen before....and very recently. Ignoring any revisionist history, people were once incredibly high on Ty Smith. His 20 year old season 23pts/48gms on a TERRIBLE team. He's like 25 now and still can't get consistent NHL time.

And no, I'm not saying they are identical players or that Nemec is 100% cooked. And of course, Nemec was the better prospect at time of draft. Still shouldn't be a mystery though.

 

[Triumph]

Kinda wild to consider Nemec's pullback a "mystery" when the Devs have had this happen with dmen before....and very recently. Ignoring any revisionist history, people were once incredibly high on Ty Smith. His 20 year old season 23pts/48gms on a TERRIBLE team. He's like 25 now and still can't get consistent NHL time.

And no, I'm not saying they are identical players or that Nemec is 100% cooked. And of course, Nemec was the better prospect at time of draft. Still shouldn't be a mystery though.

Huh, well I guess the common element is Ryan McGill? Or the GM or something? Weird how Siegenthaler can go from tossed away Washington spare part to top pairing D under the same circumstances. Or maybe you're just analogizing two things that have almost nothing to do with one another.

 

[Edmonton East]

See this is why I can't ignore. Do I need to dig up the million messages from you 5 years ago about how the Devils' defense was full of dwarves and couldn't stop anyone, the Devils find a bargain bin D who has an excellent season and they pay him like a 3rd pairing UFA D for his prime + a little after, and all you have is complaints about the move? The Devils have a shutdown D pair signed for $7.125M long-term.

When you have a position of depth and augment it, you can then trade from that depth for other pieces.



No shit, that team got a ton of unsustainable performances and dragged itself to the playoffs, of course people liked that team, this team is banged up and pretty boring with Keefe's style and without Hughes.

lmao you mean when this team had the mighty might defense that 100% would never win anything in the NHL??? When I was complaining they had a defense built primarily around 5'10" guys.....guys with no reach. Guys that didn't block shots. Guy that were soft. And look, I ended up being right. That never worked. IT was never gonna work. That doesn't mean you overcorrect. Duh. But thanks for pointing out another great argument I was ahead on, appreciate it! I also always said that doesn't mean you get a team of grenade handlers (not saying Kovy is). Some things never change, eh? Cya.

 

[JK3]

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

 

[JimEIV]

I honestly don't see how anyone can complain about Fitz's Defense decisions overall...going back to Ryan Murray, Kulikov and Siegenthaler in his first season... Fitz identified the problem and addressed it the best he could.


My biggest complaint is that he didn't replace Severson and Graves quick enough. But as far as the actual personnel he's chosen to bring in A+. 100%

Kovacevic was a castaway 6 months ago with a sputtering NHL career. He's a legit top 4 Damn today on team that has a top 5 defense right now. These kinds of moves are seemingly being dismissed but that shit is top notch.

 

[Triumph]

lmao you mean when this team had the mighty might defense that 100% would never win anything in the NHL??? When I was complaining they had a defense built primarily around 5'10" guys.....guys with no reach. Guys that didn't block shots. Guy that were soft. And look, I ended up being right. That never worked. IT was never gonna work. That doesn't mean you overcorrect. Duh. But thanks for pointing out another great argument I was ahead on, appreciate it! I also always said that doesn't mean you get a team of grenade handlers (not saying Kovy is). Some things never change, eh? Cya.

See, again great comedy - you can point out when you were right about something inside when I am pointing out how you are disagreeing with your past self. No engagement at all with the actual arguments inside. It's a superpower.

 

[NJDevs26]

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

At the moment he has a longer contract, but if Fitz goes out on his ear sooner rather than later, the next guy isn't gonna give two craps that Fitz gave Kovacevic five years.

 

[Edmonton East]

See, again great comedy - you can point out when you were right about something inside when I am pointing out how you are disagreeing with your past self. No engagement at all with the actual arguments inside. It's a superpower.

This is comical

 

[guitarguyvic]

No shit, that team got a ton of unsustainable performances and dragged itself to the playoffs, of course people liked that team, this team is banged up and pretty boring with Keefe's style and without Hughes.

This team has been unlikable since January, don’t come here with this Hughes injury BS. And of course you drop in “unstustainable”…who cares? You have no issue with using that as a positive when it comes to making the playoffs (“anything can happen!”) but somehow it’s meaningless when it comes to having a season that’s actually enjoyable for fans. Most of us don’t garner our joy of the game from looking at numbers on a spreadsheet that don’t match the on-ice entertainment or the results that actually matter.

 

[Triumph]

This team has been unlikable since January, don’t come here with this Hughes injury BS. And of course you drop in “unstustainable”…who cares? You have no issue with using that as a positive when it comes to making the playoffs (“anything can happen!”) but somehow it’s meaningless when it comes to having a season that’s actually enjoyable for fans. Most of us don’t garner our joy of the game from looking at numbers on a spreadsheet that don’t match the on-ice entertainment or the results that actually matter.

Sigh. Obviously if the team were unsustainably good, this would be pointed out in the subsequent off-season, which I sure think it was around here in summer 2018, and indeed there was some concern even during the 2017-18 season that the team did not have the prospect capital to start winning consistently. It was still a really fun season.

I'm not coming in with Hughes injury BS, the team has actually started to play a little better given the injuries and if they had Hughes maybe one of these losses is instead an OT loss or win. Hughes is also a lot of fun to watch and without him the team is less fun to watch. Which was the point I was making, but go ahead and accuse me of looking at spreadsheets.

 

[Patrik26]

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.

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.

 

[Killing Joke]

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

 

[Killing Joke]

He wouldn't be in the Devils lineup at all this season. How would that help them tonight ?

I'm still on the fence of them taking Silayev over some other players like Dickinson/Buium but we can't judge the pick this early too much. You have to remember that Silayev is playing in a better league than those 2. A league that doesn't let teenage defensmen play big minutes, let alone crack their roster.

It’s about having it in the pipeline. Nemec ain’t it, Silayev is such a project and his offensive upside is not even close what Buiums floor is let alone ceiling. Our backend can’t skate well and has very little offensive ability outside of Hamilton and Hughes, and Hamilton is a bandaid boy along with our top two centers.

Our gm sucks, his vision sucks and he can’t evaluate talent.

 

[Ekiru]

Im not sure if signing Kovacevic already was the move but so be it. Team needs to get its act together and win some games, before its too late