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

[Triumph]

Which for the 100th time is exactly why the Kovacevic contract was moronic. Unjustifiably stupid when factoring in the roster construction, RD depth, 25 movement clauses, and trash forward prospects. And I liked the Kovy acquisition from day 1.....extension still made ZERO sense for this team unless it was a sweetheart deal. But per usual, Fitz overpaid the shit out of him and gave him a NMC instead of moving him for a 1st+ or a decent prospect. Anyone thinking Kovy wouldn't have gotten that this year didn't pay attention to the deadline at all.

Fitz has no idea how to value players $$$ wise. He also has no clue how to factor TIMING into roster construction. So this org is pretty much f'd unless they suddenly start drafting well OR Jack Hughes stops getting hurt AND further rounds out his C game. Tom Fitzgerald is a moron and a bottom 5 GM in this league. People applaud him for course correcting easily foreseeable issues a year too late....back against wall...and getting bent over a barrel or panic overcorrecting. It's ridiculous.

I paid attention to the deadline. Kovacevic, a player who has never played in an NHL playoff game, would not have returned a 1st round pick. You are delusional.

It was a sweetheart deal, you have no idea what players are worth or what UFAs will be paid this summer. Even though the cap is no longer going to explode (it's going to go up for 2 more years and then who knows what 2027-28 looks like), GMs are going to act as though it will.

 

[Oneiro]

If they can't trade Palat, he's a buyout in the final year. Dougie will have plenty of takers, as will Nemec in a multi asset deal.

Not that hard.

Yes, they need to hit on some forwards now, but if the current roster had anything even remotely resembling Florida's or Dallas's depth, this is a contending team.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Can’t believe we ended up with the same amount of points as the Montreal Canadiens. We were basically 20 points over them at the holiday break.

Shameful, what a horrible 2025.

It's okay. They finished with 4 more loser points than we did. We finished with 6 more regulation wins and 2 more regulation/OT wins.

We finished with 2 more regulation wins than Ottawa. Even Florida got propped up by going 6-0 in the shootout this season.

We made the dance. Now the real fun starts.

 

[Devs3cups]

It's okay. They finished with 4 more loser points than we did. We finished with 6 more regulation wins and 2 more regulation/OT wins.

We finished with 2 more regulation wins than Ottawa. Even Florida got propped up by going 6-0 in the shootout this season.

We made the dance. Now the real fun starts.

I wouldn’t say it’s okay… it’s pretty bad in my books.

Agree with the second season. LGD!

 

[NjDevsRR]

Devils have more points in their last 10 games than the following teams:

Caps
Canes
Stars
Panthers

 

[Aurinko]

Can’t believe we ended up with the same amount of points as the Montreal Canadiens. We were basically 20 points over them at the holiday break.

Shameful, what a horrible 2025.

Good job Canadiens tho.

I would rather face Caps, Canes or the Canadiens instead of the streaking CBJ. Rough way to end a season for CBJ, but they did have one crazy playoff push. If the Jackets would have got in, they would have streamrolled couple rounds with their momentum.

 

[theoptimist]

Another two weeks and this will all be over

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Another two weeks and this will all be over

What is the point of being a fan of a sports team if you have an opinion like this? Honest question.

 

[devsfan8]

I think it is funny that for the last few months we have heard:

The Devils cannot beat a playoff team
The Devils cannot beat a bad team
The Devils cannot score
The Devils cannot win at home
The Devils cannot win on the road
etc
etc

Makes me wonder...how the heck did this team win 40 games, finish in top 5 in both the Power play and Special Teams and made the playoffs?

 

[NjDevsRR]

What is the point of being a fan of a sports team if you have an opinion like this? Honest question.

More faith in blue

 

[Clam Jensen]

Another two weeks and this will all be over

“Fire Fitz” “ship out Siegs for a 7th”…at least the other negative Nancie’s write more words for me to read and laugh at. Your one liners are boring, repetitive, and sad. Don’t watch then.

 

[My3Sons]

“Fire Fitz” “ship out Siegs for a 7th”…at least the other negative Nancie’s write more words for me to read and laugh at. Your one liners are boring, repetitive, and sad. Don’t watch then.

Well it’s not easy living up to the standards I set when it comes to one liners. Mine are never boring or repetitive. They are unique little works of comedy bliss. They deserve not only praise but also awards.

 

[Call Me Al]

Another two weeks and this will all be over

this posting is insufferable

 

[MartyOwns]

Makes me wonder...how the heck did this team win 40 games, finish in top 5 in both the Power play and Special Teams and made the playoffs?

you kind of answered your own question. our special teams were amazing for the most part, and combined with better goaltending, we made the playoffs.

i'm finding it hard to imagine a scenario where we win this series, but i do think we'll make it competitive.

 

[forceten]

thats why they play the games to see what happens.


even if the pick and prospect turn into something which is an insane long shot it doesn't mean they would've had the same effect here.

I mean, 2nd rounders are valuable, there are a lot of NHLers from the 2nd round. We have a lot of needs. Throwing away one of several 2nd rounders (in a weak draft where we probably want to cast broader, and have no first round pick too)... makes no sense to me.

Unless there's a plan to re-sign doom, which I wouldn't hate. I like him better than Dillon.

But we give out NMC/NTCs like candy, so we're handcuffed.

 

[devilsblood]

Devils just don’t have the cap space moving forward to deal Nemec for anyone making a significant cap hit, unless they miraculously get a team to take Palat with no retention.

How do they fit in Pettersson and a Luke extension? It’s just not feasible.

Devils either have to accept moving Nemec for a one-for-one swap that could go horribly wrong like Wright or MacTavish or target a mid-tier forward like McCann signed to a great deal. The latter is probably not the best use of a Nemec as an asset though.

I’m still of the opinion it makes sense to move Dougie, given he would waive his NMC. I’ve floated the idea of Marchment + Dumba (cap dump) that I could see make a ton of sense for both teams.

Begs the question: Would we look to attach Palat in a Nemec deal? Lessening the return but opening up the cap space?

 

[devilsblood]

We’re not remotely healthy now, and weren’t at the trade deadline, so that hypothetical doesn’t matter.

With the addition and good play of Doom, and now the return of Hamilton, we are basically down only Jack, which is a big hit, but it is only one guy. Roster looking solid and healthy otherwise.

 

[forceten]

I really don't want to trade Nemec but if we do I hope we do it for someone very young and very impactful at a position of dire need

 

[My3Sons]

I really don't want to trade Nemec but if we do I hope we do it for someone very young and very impactful at a position of dire need

so a good amateur scout or two?

 

[forceten]

so a good amateur scout or two?

Nah. Was thinking a really good EBUG

 

[Devils731]

With the addition and good play of Doom, and now the return of Hamilton, we are basically down only Jack, which is a big hit, but it is only one guy. Roster looking solid and healthy otherwise.

I think the gap between Siegs and Dumo is still pretty larger.

Much smaller than the gap between Siegs and Cholo but it’s still there.

 

[edevils]

It's a tale of two seasons: Pre-Christmas and Post-Christmas.

Does anyone have a good handle on what changed during the course of the season to cause such a dramatic shift in results?

 

[My3Sons]

It's a tale of two seasons: Pre-Christmas and Post-Christmas.

Does anyone have a good handle on what changed during the course of the season to cause such a dramatic shift in results?

They went to India and John had a spat with the maharishi and then on the way home he split up with Cynthia and Yoko moved in and it was never the same after that.

 

[NJDevs26]

It's a tale of two seasons: Pre-Christmas and Post-Christmas.

Does anyone have a good handle on what changed during the course of the season to cause such a dramatic shift in results?

Everyone has an opinion but nobody actually knows...maybe we'll know after the season, especially if it's the quick exit some of us fear. Some want to attribute it to the Devils being in a playoff position for much of the season and easing off a bit in the second half, only turning it up when they needed to against Columbus and the Rangers, which in itself could be an issue. Some of us think it's indicative of bigger problems with the team, given the way last year and the end of this year went this group pretty much lost the benefit of the doubt they'd seemingly earned two years ago with me. Some just blame injuries and bad luck, as if every team doesn't have a share of both.

All I know is this, this team has its chance to prove the doubters wrong, maybe once and for all in this postseason against a playoff-tested team they never match up well with. If they get bumped in four or five games, because of how putrid they've been for three months I'm not gonna give a crap who's injured - the team objectively failed and underachieved two years in a row. I'm not going to say a close series loss would be a moral victory but at least it wouldn't be another step backwards the way last season and the second half of this season was.

But if they actually win the series...then all the apologists can take their bows for believing in this group when they really haven't shown a lot to deserve it for 1.5 of the last two seasons.

 

[edevils]

They went to India and John had a spat with the maharishi and then on the way home he split up with Cynthia and Yoko moved in and it was never the same after that.

Whatever happened to Julian?