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

[edevils]

also how many fans really are taking the train to the games? honest question

I usually hitch-hike from Sussex County...takes me about four days.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I almost forgot Siegs was 'part' of that trade lol

The Hughes #1 was pretty much a slam dunk aside from a few people on this board who wanted to hype up Kakko and make a parallel with the Nico draft, but the Nico draft was definitely having a conviction against the pre-draft grain and following through on it.

I mean I don't want to turn this into a pissing match on the day the guy passed away but there's definitely evidence that you can galaxy brain a first overall pick, Montreal with Slafkovsky is Exhibit A.

 

[edevils]

It's a message board during a Devils off day. Rehashing and infighting are like... the only things to do.

Have you tried holding hands?

 

[Emperoreddy]

I mean I don't want to turn this into a pissing match on the day the guy passed away but there's definitely evidence that you can galaxy brain a first overall pick, Montreal with Slafkovsky is Exhibit A.

Hell people wanted him to galaxy brain that pick and take Kakko.

Maybe its not a huge feather in the cap to not f*** up 1st overall picks, but he still managed to largely get both picks right.

And it does mean something when you got teams like the Rags, Habs, and Buffalo whiffing on their 1st overalls in recent years.

 

[NJDevs26]

Some years first overalls are definitely more...debated than others. Hell even the year Taylor Hall was a #1 overall, it was a bit back and forth between him and Seguin. Montreal with Slaf may well have been overthinking it, but Wright clearly wasn't the consensus #1 some of us thought either since a couple other teams also passed on him.

 

[Bleedred]

What was wrong with the John Hynes hire? He did fine with the young players. It was an obvious transition hiring. Same with Ruff. Shero wasn’t hiring a win now coach in that spot. What are the expectations here?

Taylor Hall going into God Mode in 17-18 changed how things played out in those years but Hynes did fine with the rosters he was given. 15-16 was a good example.

Sure, maybe he hung onto Hynes too long but giving the reigns to Nas earlier does nothing that season.

I think @thebeernerd seemed to be critiquing Shero's decision to prolong Hynes, and not so much hiring him in the first place. At least that's how I took it. Keeping Hynes on life support for about 6-7 weeks by sending Fitz down to the bench instead of just firing him in the first month of the season probably had a heavy hand in him being fired. As well as some of the win-now moves from the offseason (Subban, Gusev) and us really doing poorly that season.

I think Shero gets a lot of criticism here, but he didn't really do that badly here. If his tenure came 5 years after the rebuild started and didn't begin with the rebuild then I'd understand people being much more critical of his time here.

Not to mention, he was going to be the bad guy to a sect of the fanbase no matter what, just for being the guy to replace Lou. Much like Cory for replacing Marty.

 

[Bleedred]

Sadly, today's news was just as shocking as the news of his firing was.

I don't think many people thought he was going to be fired, even at the conclusion of that season. Never mind at about the halfway point.

We were very much caught off guard by both developments.

 

[Billdo]

I think @thebeernerd seemed to be critiquing Shero's decision to prolong Hynes, and not so much hiring him in the first place. At least that's how I took it. Keeping Hynes on life support for about 6-7 weeks by sending Fitz down to the bench instead of just firing him in the first month of the season probably had a heavy hand in him being fired. As well as some of the win-now moves from the offseason (Subban, Gusev) and us really doing poorly that season.

I think Shero gets a lot of criticism here, but he didn't really do that badly here. If his tenure came 5 years after the rebuild started and didn't begin with the rebuild then I'd understand people being much more critical of his time here.

Not to mention, he was going to be the bad guy to a sect of the fanbase no matter what, just for being the guy to replace Lou. Much like Cory for replacing Marty.

Or Jim's hatred of Bratt for replacing Tyler Kennedy.

 

[Guadana]

Some years first overalls are definitely more...debated than others. Hell even the year Taylor Hall was a #1 overall, it was a bit back and forth between him and Seguin. Montreal with Slaf may well have been overthinking it, but Wright clearly wasn't the consensus #1 some of us thought either since a couple other teams also passed on him.

I mean I don't want to turn this into a pissing match on the day the guy passed away but there's definitely evidence that you can galaxy brain a first overall pick, Montreal with Slafkovsky is Exhibit A.

Cooley wasnt clear first OA at all and for now Slafkovsky is just better than Wright.
Slafkovsky is playing more important role than Wright(2 min more on the ice 5 on 5, 3.20 min more overall), Slafkovsky is much better in CF(50% vs 47%), SF 51\48, xGF 48\45 etc
Slafkovsky has 36 points 5 on 5, Wirght has 30.

Slafkovsky is playing with good partners, but Wright played with McCann, Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen more than with other forwards. And Slafkovsky is facing tougher opponents.

Its not a huge gap but there are no mistakes, at least yet. Especially with Demidov and Hage who are not on their roster yet. It can boost results a lot. So its too early to call his pick as bad.

 

[Bleedred]

Not sure if it's already been posted, but I read through Pittsburgh Hockey Now that

''His cause of death was not announced, but is it believed that he had been undergoing treatments for an aggressive form of cancer.''

So unless this is misinformation it sounds like he may have already been ill.

 

[Davegarri]

I usually hitch-hike from Sussex County...takes me about four days.

Bro just steal a horse. There's plenty of them up there

 

[Devilsgrl35]

That is absolutely awful news about Shero Seemed like he was a great guy and I always enjoyed his candor in interviews.

 

[NjDevsRR]

 

[jkrdevil]

Not sure if it's already been posted, but I read through Pittsburgh Hockey Now that

''His cause of death was not announced, but is it believed that he had been undergoing treatments for an aggressive form of cancer.''

So unless this is misinformation it sounds like he may have already been ill.

Russo had a full blown obituary written for him already for The Athletic. He wasn’t at the age where outlets just keep that on file. My guess is he was sick and it was kept from the public for personal / family sake.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

RIP Shero.

 

[HughesCorporation]

thank You Fred for bringing in youth and speed.. F Cancer

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Cooley wasnt clear first OA at all and for now Slafkovsky is just better than Wright.
Slafkovsky is playing more important role than Wright(2 min more on the ice 5 on 5, 3.20 min more overall), Slafkovsky is much better in CF(50% vs 47%), SF 51\48, xGF 48\45 etc
Slafkovsky has 36 points 5 on 5, Wirght has 30.

Slafkovsky is playing with good partners, but Wright played with McCann, Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen more than with other forwards. And Slafkovsky is facing tougher opponents.

Its not a huge gap but there are no mistakes, at least yet. Especially with Demidov and Hage who are not on their roster yet. It can boost results a lot. So its too early to call his pick as bad.

I liked Slaf and wanted him as a Devil but something about that fit in Montreal felt weird from the start. We'll see though, if Hage develops then it's a better looking pick but if he's mediocre and they're in the weird spot with Suzuki at the C spot and then a lot of mediocrity behind him then it'll look worse.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

The Hischier and Bratt IG stories almost got me, crazy to think how much of Shero's influence was on this team

 

[AfroThunder396]

Fast, attacking, supportive

 

[My3Sons]

I liked Slaf and wanted him as a Devil but something about that fit in Montreal felt weird from the start. We'll see though, if Hage develops then it's a better looking pick but if he's mediocre and they're in the weird spot with Suzuki and then a lot of mediocrity behind him then it'll look worse.

Drafts where this is no obvious top tier guy are always difficult. Do you reach for potential or take the most accomplished guy? If Wright or Cooley is the best that draft has to offer there was no great outcome available for anyone. Except for Montreal getting the greatest defender since Ben Lovejoy but other than that it was a lose lose for all involved.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Drafts where this is no obvious top tier guy are always difficult. Do you reach for potential or take the most accomplished guy? If Wright or Cooley is the best that draft has to offer there was no great outcome available for anyone. Except for Montreal getting the greatest defender since Ben Lovejoy but other than that it was a lose lose for all involved.

That's probably what their and the Devils thinking was for that draft, go with guys you know who'll be NHLers v the elite ceiling. 2022 is going to be a very weird draft to look back in a few years if I had to bet

 

[Guadana]

I liked Slaf and wanted him as a Devil but something about that fit in Montreal felt weird from the start. We'll see though, if Hage develops then it's a better looking pick but if he's mediocre and they're in the weird spot with Suzuki at the C spot and then a lot of mediocrity behind him then it'll look worse.

From this points of view I absolutely agree. Slafkovsky would be much better if he would play with Jack or Nico. And Wright would be much better if he would play with Demidov... and Michkov.
Anyway Demidov is a very good driver\game maker to make everyone around him better, at least in perspective. So it will down the load from all the players and make their life easier. Montreal as organisation are really in good position but they could be in much better situation if they would not try to outbrain everybody. So I agree with you.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Russo had a full blown obituary written for him already for The Athletic. He wasn’t at the age where outlets just keep that on file. My guess is he was sick and it was kept from the public for personal / family sake.

I think I saw him say to someone on Twitter that he was away from the team as well when asked if he attended the team photoshoot. I don’t know if senior advisors typically would take part in that, but it could be what he was implying with him not being around the team.

Truly sad either way. He’s 3 years younger than my parents.

 

[My3Sons]

I think I saw him say to someone on Twitter that he was away from the team as well when asked if he attended the team photoshoot. I don’t know if senior advisors typically would take part in that, but it could be what he was implying with him not being around the team.

Truly sad either way. He’s 3 years younger than my parents.

Your parents are in their mid-60s? Mine are in their mid-160s.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I don’t know if someone shared it, I only just realized in looking back at Facebook memories, but the Jack lottery win was actually 6 years ago today.