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

[SteveCangialosi123]

Another prospect being slotted in the top 6?

We want to miss the playoffs next season? Keep your Johnson in your pants. He’s a bottom 6 guy until proven otherwise.

Offseason hasn’t even begun yet. But this isn’t a 20 year old, he’s either ready to play or not going to be an NHLer.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Would not be surprised if this team struggles out of the gate next year, Jack/Luke will probably be a bit scared to play their normal selves like with their shoulder surgeries, guys like Gritsyuk still need to be brought in slowly to learn the ropes. Who knows if the veterans will actually show up this time? Also most likely the downgrade in net with Allen to Daws.

 

[devsfan8]

Another prospect being slotted in the top 6?

You are silly.

 

[Devs3cups]

I’d like to see the following C depth.

Jack
Nico
X
Glass

X should ideally be a pretty high end 3C.

 

[theoptimist]

Offseason hasn’t even begun yet. But this isn’t a 20 year old, he’s either ready to play or not going to be an NHLer.

Agree. I’m leaving a slot open for a true top 6 guy. In May 2025, I don’t even want to think about the guy playing next to Jack.

Grits can find his game next to Justin Dowling

 

[theoptimist]

I’d like to see the following C depth.

Jack
Nico
X
Glass

X should ideally be a pretty high end 3C.

Like Chandler Stephenson?

Paging the free-website statisticians…..

 

[JimEIV]

It's officially fishing season for me now.

 

[devsfan8]

Agree. I’m leaving a slot open for a true top 6 guy. In May 2025, I don’t even want to think about the guy playing next to Jack.

Grits can find his game next to Justin Dowling

Why do we need a true top 6 guy? We have enough of them. We need competent DEPTH guys. We need a 3rd line. Jesper and Jack when healthy provide enough offense. If someone plays well with them put them there.

 

[BostonDevil]

i agree the forward group is garbage and said as much in another post. but the context here is that we went all in for this guy, and gave up solid pieces for an unimpressive result. he should be held to a high standard and didn’t meet it, in my opinion

I don't know how 'all in' we went. Gave up our 14th defenseman and the 18th pick in the draft to for a guy making $4M for only 2 years, filling a hole this team has had for a long, long, time.

What was the better option? Trade for Ullmark and give him 8x4? Swayman at 8x8? Gibson? Roll out the kids again?

The guy was solid if not very good until he got hurt.

 

[Billdo]

Not even close to worthwhile. He is a crappy teammate

Cool, thanks.

 

[theoptimist]

You are silly.

I said Canes in 5 and ‘won’ that bet. Feels good being right again. I love Bratt and Nico. None of this is on them. They sat around anticipating some help in the top 6 and their general manager got them Cody Glass and Daniel Sprong. When asked after the TDL, Fitz said we were second place. You can’t make this up.

 

[Darkauron]

Oh we lost. Oh well. Injuries killed us

 

[theoptimist]

Why do we need a true top 6 guy? We have enough of them. We need competent DEPTH guys. We need a 3rd line. Jesper and Jack when healthy provide enough offense. If someone plays well with them put them there.

We need true top 6 talent because I don’t ever want to see people talk about Tatar-Nico-Mercer as an option ever again. Or Palat-Jack-Holtz (H20). Fortunately, Holtz was traded so that ended pretty soon.

 

[devsfan8]

I said Canes in 5 and ‘won’ that bet. Feels good being right again. I love Bratt and Nico. None of this is on them. They sat around anticipating some help in the top 6 and their general manager got them Cody Glass and Daniel Sprong. When asked after the TDL, Fitz said we were second place. You can’t make this up.

You say that but can you name me ONE, just one and I'll drop it, acquisition at the deadline of significance that has helped their team ger further? At least as of today? You want Fitz gone. Give me a name of a suitable candidate. It's easy to say you wanted this player or this GM or coach, but with no names to support that the point is moot.

Cody Glass was NOT hand picked. He was scouted, watched and desired for a while. He was a depth move to add to the bottom 6. Dumolin was a steal of the deadline. He didn't land a big time forward, but there were several holes and he filled a couple of them. Yeah He LOST on his target at the deadline. He didn't lose on Markstrom or Meier or Hamilton or Pesce. You win some you lose some. Thw team made the playoffs. The future is bright for us. Tweak the roster and get read for next season.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I’d like to see the following C depth.

Jack
Nico
X
Glass

X should ideally be a pretty high end 3C.

These usually come from inside the organization and we don't have any. This is my biggest gripe with Fitz. We have no one internally to step into an NHL center ice role, let alone a good 3C role.

 

[Devs3cups]

NJ needs to find a way to trade for Schenn and maybe sign Ehlers, I know it's quite difficult with the cap but our inability to develop middle 6 forwards is really hurting us.

I would absolutely love Ehlers, but I don’t think it’ll be possible unfortunately.

 

[Devs3cups]

These usually come from inside the organization and we don't have any. This is my biggest gripe with Fitz. We have no one internally to step into and NHL center ice role, let alone a good 3C role.

In theory, Mercer should be that. Unfortunate he can’t be trusted as a C at this level.

 

[Triumph]

I don't know how 'all in' we went. Gave up our 14th defenseman and the 18th pick in the draft to for a guy making $4M for only 2 years, filling a hole this team has had for a long, long, time.

What was the better option? Trade for Ullmark and give him 8x4? Swayman at 8x8? Gibson? Roll out the kids again?

The guy was solid if not very good until he got hurt.

The thing that literally everyone overlooks about Markstrom is that he has a $4M cap hit. Most starting goalies do not have anywhere close to that.

 

[devsfan8]

We need true top 6 talent because I don’t ever want to see people talk about Tatar-Nico-Mercer as an option ever again. Or Palat-Jack-Holtz (H20). Fortunately, Holtz was traded so that ended pretty soon.

Your embarrassing yourself. CHEM ISTRY matters

Quite simply. Mercer and Palat are not the problem. They provide scoring and aren't a cap hindrance. Yeah Palat is overpaid like half the league.

Move Meier to RW, put Bratt back at LW.

I am 200% fine with this top 6

Bratt-Jack-Mercer
Palat-Nico-Hischier

I want a more balanced attack and a stronger bottom 6 like Carolina. If we can get a legit forward to move those guys down obviously it's fine but it's NOT a need.

The Devis do NOT need elite scoring. They need to stay healthy and get secondary scoring more consistently. If a deal is right, anyone is tradeable, but I don't think adding g a STUD forward is a dire necessity.

 

[thebeernerd]

I gotta say that I feel better about our chances next season than I did prior to the playoffs. All we need is a healthy Jack Hughes and a bottom six that isn't entirely made up of AHL pond scum. Both of these things are no guarantees, the former because of bonitis and the latter because Fitz doesn't have a great eye for forward talent. But the core, the defensive personnel and system, the physicality, and the coach are all checked off. We'll see how Marky fares next season but we've got help on the way in net regardless. Let Allen walk, he's not worth the money he'll get in a goalie-starved free agent market.

If Rutherford is actually correct about Quinn wanting to play with his brothers, then it's a waiting game before the window truly springs open. And allegedly, Quinn wasn't taking calls on the golf course....

 

[TheUnseenHand]

In theory, Mercer should be that. Unfortunate he can’t be trusted as a C at this level.

Sure but you would hope there would be like, literally anything else in the system.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Save his job? You are assuming his job is in danger. Everyone is so gung ho about firing Fitz yet they never actually give NAMES of someone who can do a better job. We made the playoffs 2 our of 3 years. The goal was to make the playoffs. Going in to the season we were in the playoff lock category. Not a cup contender yet.

Everyone complains he didn't land the "big name" during he deadline hence maing it a failed deadline. Yet the same people complaining CANNOT name a SINGLE move any team made that actually HELPED their respective team WIN this season. And i do not buy this BS that we need a top 6 forward. I dont buy it. We need depth and a deeper lineup. Too top heavy.

HE has built a solid defsense. HE added Markstrom and he addressed needed depth this past offseason, but obvikously we needed more. As far as I am concerned this is NOT a overhaul or a DISASTER situation IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM. Fitz is safe and Keefe, with this track record of making the playoffs is safe.

I do not dispute the teams inconsistencies the last half of the season. We need to add some competent depth this off season.

I like the top two lines and the 4th line. We need a 3rd line:.

Bratt-Hughes-Mercer
Palat-HIschier-Meier

Cotter-Glass-Noesen

Gritsyuk will be in the picture also.

Gimme some COMPETENT depth guys who play with energy and have heart and make up for the lack of depth prioduction this summer.

As for the D, IN MY MIND, Dumolin and Pesce is our top pairing next season. Dumolin has become a priority. And I say that..Not caring if we have FIVE or just two left handed D men. Anyone who can handle 35 minutes a game of playoff hockey. block shots and be a fixture in front of the net, and someone who has won in the past needs to be signed TOMORROW. Nemec, gave me and a lot of us the finger for his play this post season. He was an animal and played like he wants to win. Dillon is a good penalty killer and has a No trade clause. Sigenthaler and Kovacevic and Pesce are here long term and Luke is getting a contract this summer. I LOVE DOUGIE and always felt he was clutch and a big part of the team, but I am making him the odd man out. For a team tht thrived on special teams played all season ,when it mattered most we did BUPKIS. And Dougie is in my doghouse. Perhaps i do make him the odd man out this summer. Id expect trades with one or more of our D men to add some forward help and not so much free agency.

Mercer and Palat in the top six is gonna get us exactly what we got this year. Insanity.

In what world is Dumo a top pairing d-man? Elevating players beyond their abilities because they played well in a small playoff sample size…more insanity.

This team had higher expectations than just making the playoffs, to say otherwise is revisionist. The “improvements” Fitz made this past off-season were for problems that he largely created himself or failed to address for several seasons prior. He also did it at the expense of other things. He has taken a team that had good depth and good contracts and turned it into one that has no depth, no farm system, and bad contracts for players who aren’t contributing/are now anchors.

The only reason I don’t think of him even more poorly is that some of the losses we incurred on the roster were inevitable. That being said, he responded to those losses by over-correcting and departing way too far from the team’s identity, and did it by handing out too many crappy contracts to older players.

You’re right that there’s no obvious better replacement floating around out there. He needs to hit it out of the ballpark this off-season. It’s a daunting task though. We shouldn’t be completely barren of any prospects who can help fill our needs. The team has gone backwards.

 

[JimEIV]

Why do we need a true top 6 guy? We have enough of them. We need competent DEPTH guys. We need a 3rd line. Jesper and Jack when healthy provide enough offense. If someone plays well with them put them there.

Jesper Bratt had 4 more 5v5 goals than Erik Haula this season....one more than Mercer for a whopping 12. Timo was right there with Bratt until the middle of March...but he was M.I.A for the 5 months before...our top 6 is not that good.

Goal scoring from our top 6 was mediocre to below average this season. It was with Jack too.

 

[theoptimist]

You say that but can you name me ONE, just one and I'll drop it, acquisition at the deadline of significance that has helped their team ger further? At least as of today? You want Fitz gone. Give me a name of a suitable candidate. It's easy to dsy you wanted this player or this GM or coach, but with no names to support that the point is moot.

Cody Glass was NOT hand picked. He was scouted, watched and desired for a while. He was a depth move to add to the bottom 6. Dumolin was a steal of the deadline. He didn't land a big time forward, but there were several holes and he filled a couple of them. Yeah He LOST on his target at the deadline. He didn't lose on Markstrom or Meier or Hamilton or Pesce. You win some you lose some. Thw team made the playoffs. The future is bright for us. Tweak the roster and get read for next season.

Seth Jones is that player.

A suitable replacement for Tom Fitzgerald is Ben Bernanke, Joshua Angrist, or Stephen Miller.

 

[devsfan8]

Dumolin has more value to a playoff contender then Anaheim. He is good enough from whst I saw to be in our top 4 on the left side as a shut down dman. How can anyone possibly argue that? He was a beast blocking shots, cleaing pucks, positioning hemlself in front of the net, playing over 30 minutes a game. You can never, have enough players like that. Especially ones tha have been deep.

You look at other teams, many of then including contending clubs don't have 6 top 6 forwards. Find me a team that does.