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

the Hughes brothers, with 0 working shoulders

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ZachaFlockaFlame said:
I get the worrisome nature of Daws especially after that 23-24 year where we trusted Vanecek and Schmid off of one year wonders but I think this team is better equipped defensively to play a different style with a "liability" in net. People talk about Quinn being a luxury, I'd argue paying top dollar to a backup who just had a career year is far worse for this roster.
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Very true on us being a much better defensive team now then we were 2 years ago.

Although i would debate over what is considered top dollar for a backup goalie and if it is worth paying it.
 
Re: the comedy of Kovacevic signing 3x3 -

32 year old Ben Lovejoy signed a 3 year deal at 2.67M per in the summer of 2016. He was coming off a season where he played 19 minutes a game. In the playoffs, this ice time went down. His most common pairmate by far over the season was our boy Brian Dumoulin, but in the playoffs he played with Olli Maatta and Ian Cole - Dumoulin was moved up to play with Letang.

That contract would be 3.5M adjusted for next year's cap. So sure, 27 year old Johnathan Kovacevic coming off the year he had, worth less than Lovejoy in 2016. Makes sense to me.

I don't think very many players will be signing a contract like 3x3 this offseason. Taylor Hall did, and that's exactly the sort of player you might see it from - Hall will be 36 at the end of that deal, it's unclear whether he will be a functional NHLer at that point, and he doesn't do the other stuff you'd ideally want from a player playing down in the lineup.
 
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NJ07102 said:
If Kovacevic needs knee surgery and isn’t sure he’ll be back in five months, sounds like it could be an ACL tear. Could be something like a meniscus too, but that timeline really screams ligament.
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I was thinking ACL, as well. What other kind of knee injury would sideline a player for 5.5 months? If it is ACL, he could be looking at a 9 recovery timeline which means we wouldn’t see Kovo until February.

I have to imagine this changes the game plan for Fitzgerald. I don’t see how you can trade Nemec now, whether Hamilton is dumped or not. The organization clearly trusts Nemec way more than Casey.

Pesce
Hamilton
Nemec
 
Edmonton East said:
Folks somehow argued I was wrong when I said the tough decision, but right move considering the circumstances was to trade Kovacevic at the deadline....

Out: Kovacevic
In: 1st round pick+ or decent forward prospect (see deadline prices paid). Can leverage picks in offseason.

Even if he had stayed healthy, this was the right move for the team considering the RD org strength and other major holes on the roster with a poor forward prospect pool. If he had signed a sweetheart 3 X 3 and no clause, that would have been fine. But he didn't because Fitz has to materially overpay in nearly every transaction. Death by a thousand Tommy Fitz inducted papercuts. So paid a premium to extend in season in the one position the org doesn't need. Team took all the risk on that contract with $$$ and full NMC...so now what happens if he isn't 100% the same post knee surgery? His play had already dropped off from first half of season with Siegs. STOP GIVING OUT FULL NMCs WITH YOUR OVERPAYS FITZ. PLEASE. Minimum ask here.
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No way. You would've gotten a mutiny in the locker room if they sold at the deadline this year.

This isn't a video game where you can tank for a year and then sign every free agent. Even if the playoff push seemed pointless and a first round loss inevitable, it does show a good culture which means free agents are more likely to sign here for less this summer and players are more likely to waive their NTC to come here (or to force a trade here.....hint hint QHughes). Going to have a harder time to convince Dougie and Palat to leave tho, as they probably want to remain part of the future.
 
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NJDevils17 said:
The issue with Kovacevic isn’t if the contract is bad. It’s that it wasn’t necessary and money could be used betelsrwhere
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Feel it was more necessary than most would want it to be.

I think its evident Casey is going for at least one full season down in the A. Then youd have him on the third pair, probably taking some games off. So by year 3 of Kovacevic's 5 year deal, Casey should be up to speed.

All of this includes, of course, that Pesce can and has (even for us) played LD.

To finish, and this is just my personal theory; Kovacevic wont be finishing his deal with us and never was going to. I think that contract is strategic in that he put himself on the map and now has two more years (as Ive laid it out) to show the leagues hes worth acquiring. As @Triumph has shown, odds were Kovacevic was never signing a deal for less than that; especially when the team would have paid a 2nd+ or a 1st for him

Edit: or Pesce is hurt or broken down by then and Kovacevic stays for him to be moved
 
Ekiru said:
I couldnt disagree more that RD is a position the organization doesnt need. Right defense has a single prospect under contract, Seamus Casey, and thats it! The only other right shot options are unsigned, late picks like Charlie Leddy, Artyom Barabosha, and Mikhael Vukojevic

The left side has names for days lol, including 10th overall Anton Silayev and stud Michigan standout Ethan Edwards (lol see what I did there)
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What are you talking about? RD:

Pesce - material cash, term, and NMC
Hamilton - huge cash, term, and 10 team trade list
Nemec - high pick already openly disgruntled about NHL time. So he needs opportunity or should be moved because it will get ugly.
Casey - looks solid. Likely PPQB option bottom pair player at a minimum sometime down the road
Then add Kovacevic with yet another NMC and material cash and term.

Conversely, you wanna list the forward depth/prospects now? How about at center?
 
devsfan8 said:
I wanted O'Reilly! I was okay with a 1 for 1 of Mercer for O'Reilly. I cannot get on Fitz for turning this down.

I wonder if he pursues a deal for ROR in the offseason...
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If the price is reasonable and we can make it work from a Cap perspective, you could do a lot worse than signing ROR to a two year deal. I definitely wouldn’t go past that for a player turning 35 in February.
 
Devils731 said:


View attachment 1027286

That’s a way too big ask. Again, I’m glad the Devils didn’t make a move like this at the deadline.
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O'Reilly is 34. There's a non-zero chance that he becomes a 35 point player as soon as next year. Let's go ahead and run a line of Palat-O'Reilly-Haula and see what happens. Still would love him on this team as a 3C but Mercer, Nemec, and the 1st are our best assets and I'd rather trade them for a higher-tier player or at least a younger one.
 
Edmonton East said:
What are you talking about? RD:

Pesce - material cash, term, and NMC
Hamilton - huge cash, term, and 10 team trade list
Nemec - high pick already openly disgruntled about NHL time. So he needs opportunity or should be moved because it will get ugly.
Casey - looks solid. Likely PPQB option bottom pair player at a minimum sometime down the road
Then add Kovacevic with yet another NMC and material cash and term.

Conversely, you wanna list the forward depth/prospects now? How about at center?
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But those aren't prospects; Nemec isnt one as hes played more than enough NHL games to qualify, and Casey is clearly (to me, at least) more than a year away from full-time play in the big league

I also spoke two posts above about why Kovacevic's deal is likely strategic and how it fits our timeline with Casey.

As for your question, I agree center depth is abhorrently skinny lol. However we have more wingers, goalies, and LD prospects than we know what to do with; Fitzgerald has no excuses going forward to not bolster the center (and RD) depth
 
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