Devils discussion (news, notes and speculation) - playoff edition

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

i mean we are all looking to keep nemec because of a small playoff sample and couple games but we are all looking to ditch hamilton off a playoff sample and couple games after coming back missing 20 games to end the season.

now you will mention age and contract sure concerns but hamilton still has value

I think he probably still has value too (to another team), which is why you ship him off to whomever wants him this summer.

 

[dgibb10]

It's super unfair the rest of the league gets to play with injuries off. Smh. Just more Bettman hating on the Devs! Other teams don't have injury adversity.

Dallas isn't missing one of the best defenseman in the world AND a 1C.
The Panthers didn't go up 2-0 without one of the better dmen in the league (PEDS) and Tkachuk "back" from injury playing very limited minutes.
Jets Ehlers.
Knights Vilardi. 61pts in 71 games btw since I know plenty of ya don't watch other teams at all.
Oilers Ekholm.

So, uh, yea the team can't be complete trash if one of Nico or Hughes miss some time (NOT saying this Devs team as a whole isn't f'd now w/ injuries). Well, I mean they can be and that is reality of course, but that's another obvious reason why they weren't and aren't a serious contender. It's also laughable to say SEE JACK GOT HURT SO IT'S GOOD WE DIDN'T ADDRESS BLATANTY OBVIOUS FORWARD DEPTH ISSUES EARLIER. Uh, ok....remember Jack got hurt frustratingly busting his ass late in a terrible game during a long stretch of underperformance by the team...maybe with actual forward depth that injury doesn't happen, maybe it does. But regardless, to say proactively getting forward depth would have been a bad thing is some of the stupidest shit I've ever seen on here. And hilariously by that logic, I guess they shouldn't get forward depth (especially C) next season either.

The stars added Mikko Rantanen, Granlund, and Ceci at the deadline. It cost them 4+ firsts of value.
The panthers added Seth Jones and Brad Marchand at the deadline. It cost them about 3 1sts or so of value
The oilers spent a 1st on walman and a 2nd on frederic


Also all 4 of the teams you named in the west could very well be first round exits, just like us.

You are trying to evaluate based on teams that took starting rosters (which had holes) and supplemented them significantly with rentals, and using that as an argument on why we need to fill every single hole in the offseason.

 

[Devils Trap]

definitely need two top 6 guys and push the players down mercer 3rd line nose 4th line. these guys were no shows this season and you got them in the same if not promoted roles next season with a rookie no less.

That is the DREAM scenario but idk how feasible it is

 

[Edmonton East]

And every team you just mentioned might lose their first round series also, not the time to take a victory lap champ

Not the point, champ. Yay for comprehension! Good teams need depth. Injuries happen. Even if you lose, you have to be competitive. Specifically, talking about Nico and Jack. That simple enough? Cya, can't take reading this nonsense anymore.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

If anything, this series shows how good of a coach Keefe is. Game 1 didn’t go well so he made the proper adjustments and we have seen a fantastic effort since then. These games should be blowouts, but the team has been in each game. With THIS roster, I say he has done a great job. Get him better offensive players for next season.

He's been dealt a shit hand but there's something things I would ding him for this series. In the end, you can't ask for much when you're giving the bottom 6 he has and the dman that are dressing nightly for him

 

[Zippy316]

A lot of the trades this deadline were hockey trades.

It was multiple pieces to fill holes on both teams. They weren’t cut and dry best offer in terms of prospects + picks where you lost the deal because you didn’t beat the best offer.

This is true for both Coyle (who has been speculated as the center with term that Fitzgerald lost out on) and Zetterlund. Even the Glass deal the Devils made was a hockey trade with multiple pieces both ways.

 

[Zippy316]

We should keep Dougie and just wait 2 more years for Quinn.

Dougie isn't the issue.

Dougie isn’t the issue, but allocating his money (and getting good value for him via trade) would make a ton of sense given the current state of the defense.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Not the point, champ. Yay for comprehension! Good teams need depth. Injuries happen. Even if you lose, you have to be competitive. Specifically, talking about Nico and Jack. That simple enough? Cya, can't take reading this nonsense anymore.

Take off the 1C and the 3D off every team you listed and then come back to me with their depth charts. The only one slightly comparable to us is Dallas and they added guys before those injuries and then got Rantanen falling into the laps because the Canes are morons

 

[dgibb10]

I'm not saying this is a productive exercise or one that I agree with, but he's not going to play many 82-game seasons and this team will need a Plan B.

I'm not saying I disagree.

But you aren't winning a cup with Jack Hughes hurt regardless of what you do. That will be a lottery we'll have to play every year with Jack, no matter what you do around him. Hope he's healthy for playoffs

I believe in building a team good enough to make the playoffs with jack missing up to 30 or so games (we did this year), and maximizing our chances of a cup WITH HIM HEALTHY.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Not the point, champ. Yay for comprehension! Good teams need depth. Injuries happen. Even if you lose, you have to be competitive. Specifically, talking about Nico and Jack. That simple enough? Cya, can't take reading this nonsense anymore.

still waiting for you to show us which team(s) lost their best forward AND their best 3 LHD (well, now 2 LHD and 1 RHD)

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

i mean we are all looking to keep nemec because of a small playoff sample and couple games but we are all looking to ditch hamilton off a playoff sample and couple games after coming back missing 20 games to end the season.

now you will mention age and contract sure concerns but hamilton still has value

Yes because one guy is making 9M and is getting older while the other one is 21 years old making peanuts and could possibly use this as a stepping stone for his career. Holy f*** at this sub sometimes lol

 

[dgibb10]

Idk the exact value, he just had a 3.16 x 2. So taking about the same to be on a contender - if we need to add a 3rd year w/e

Again. I think you're going to be sticker shocked from trying to compare to covid years.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Another reason our PK is getting murdered this series is Dillon Luke and Kov being out, meanwhile Dougie and Siegs are taking penalties because they are still not 100% back to where they need to be.

That results in 2 and 22 needing to kill off the entire penalty and things get hairy when one have to gets off. Not to mention Dillon and Kov are good on the PK.

Just an absolute shit hand we were given in this first round which is par for the course on the season.

 

[JrFischer54]

Dougie isn’t the issue, but allocating his money (and getting good value for him via trade) would make a ton of sense given the current state of the defense.

no one is giving you anything of real value for hamilton at this point in his career and contract.

 

[dgibb10]

Not the point, champ. Yay for comprehension! Good teams need depth. Injuries happen. Even if you lose, you have to be competitive. Specifically, talking about Nico and Jack. That simple enough? Cya, can't take reading this nonsense anymore.

You are being so unbelievably disingenious.

Looking at dallas.

If we went this deadline and traded our 2026 1st, 2027 1st, 2028 1st (or all of our 2nds this year if you want to substiture that badly) Casey, and it lead us to a "competitive" 1st round exit, you would be calling for tom fitzgeralds head on a f***ing stake

 

[JrFischer54]

Yes because one guy is making 9M and is getting older while the other one is 21 years old making peanuts and could possibly use this as a stepping stone for his career. Holy f*** at this sub sometimes lol

its amazing how starved this fanbase is to hold onto a couple good games and just completely forget the season he had and that they wanted him traded two weeks ago. lol i'm with ya though i hope hes turned a corner and this is how he will be playing but the jury is still way out on him.

 

[dgibb10]

Yes because one guy is making 9M and is getting older while the other one is 21 years old making peanuts and could possibly use this as a stepping stone for his career. Holy f*** at this sub sometimes lol

You can get Nemec into the lineup without trading hamilton if you want.

The reality is that Hamilton's money would go into a top 6 forward, and be allocated to them for a LOT longer than the 3 years hamilton has left.

It would probably go straight to f***ing ehlers for the next 8 years and then shocked face when he doesn't actually improve the top 6 meaningfully, the PP gets worse, and the team is now locked in even further (complicating getting quinn if we wish to)

 

[NjDevsRR]

I have a feeling Markstrom steals one for us to make up for yesterday. Plus we are due for a win in that damn arena. Then Friday will be it

 

[dgibb10]

I think this baseline of a team for next year makes alot of sense.

- Traded Dougie similar to what NSH did with PK and us (not getting into assets cause I have no idea what it would be)
- Daws up to replace Allen at a cheap price
- Haula buyout (1.6 million in savings)
- Palat traded + Prospect and 2nd to dump
- Grits signed to ELC, Glass back and Luke 8 x 8 and Dumo re-signed for similar deal he was on.

Can move around the overall lines of players (dont love Dawson up there but I dont want to force Grits Top 6 at the start) General feeling that we need 1 Top 6 Guy / 2 Bottom 6 guys.

Id love to target cap strung teams (DAL) for a Marchment for example. I know we were after him as a UFA 2 years ago.

UFA options suck, Im fine with going UFA for 4th line but Id rather trade for Top 6 Winger / 3C

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A buyout of Haula is so dumb when you're gonna spend at least 1.6 mill replacing him anyway wasting any savings you get. (and you eat it next year as well)

And then someone will get hurt and you'll be shocked when we don't have depth.

You'd literally be better off sending haula to Utica

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

You can get Nemec into the lineup without trading hamilton if you want.

The reality is that Hamilton's money would go into a top 6 forward, and be allocated to them for a LOT longer than the 3 years hamilton has left.

It would probably go straight to f***ing ehlers for the next 8 years and then shocked face when he doesn't actually improve the top 6 meaningfully, the PP gets worse, and the team is now locked in even further (complicating getting quinn if we wish to)

Correct, you'd use Dougie's money on the forward side since the D is pretty much set for next year as is.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I have a feeling Markstrom steals one for us to make up for yesterday. Plus we are due for a win in that damn arena. Then Friday will be it

Still trying to maintain that same optimism. Get us back to the Rock by any means necessary.

 

[JrFischer54]

I have a feeling Markstrom steals one for us to make up for yesterday. Plus we are due for a win in that damn arena. Then Friday will be it

i do agree with this. i definitely can see them winning tomorrow starting with a ppg

 

[Mgd31]

I have a feeling Markstrom steals one for us to make up for yesterday. Plus we are due for a win in that damn arena. Then Friday will be it

Come on Game 7 will surely be after Friday

 

[NJDfan86]

You are being so unbelievably disingenious.

Looking at dallas.

If we went this deadline and traded our 2026 1st, 2027 1st, 2028 1st (or all of our 2nds this year if you want to substiture that badly) Casey, and it lead us to a "competitive" 1st round exit, you would be calling for tom fitzgeralds head on a f***ing stake

I mean, they still have Rantenen long term - not a great example.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

its amazing how starved this fanbase is to hold onto a couple good games and just completely forget the season he had and that they wanted him traded two weeks ago. lol i'm with ya though i hope hes turned a corner and this is how he will be playing but the jury is still way out on him.

It's not being starved, this exact thing happened with Capitals youth last year. Guys like McMichael, Sandin, Protas all had good playoff series v the Rags last year and they all EXPLODED this year granted some on shooting benders that might not be sustainable but they all developed better because of how they used the playoffs to get better for the following regular season. Why can't Nemec do the same?