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

[Hisch13r]

I love Ehlers and think he'd become our 4th best forward instantly but I don't know if we can hand out a 7 year contract to a 29 year old.

Pageau's contract is too heavy. I'd only do it if they'd take Palat back but Lou is gone so that isn't happening.

Ehlers would come down to protections for me. If you can get those last 2 or 3 years with protections that'd make him movable down the line I go for it. He'd be an astronomical boost to the offense. If he really valued the protections though then I'd probably be wary.

 

[Devils Trap]

I would really like for a Ross Colton trade with COL.

1 year left at 4 million, COL healthy scratched him in the playoffs and they have some SERIOUS cap issues,

He can either play 3C at an above average level (or as he showed earlier int he year when everyone was out) he was able to play with Nathan Mackinnon and put up good numbers when given top 6 minutes.

He is a career 52% FO guy and he has been above 51% in 3 straight years before this one, where he barely took any due to injury.

 

[RSeen]

I'd much rather trade Nemec and keep Silayev. Quinn would make both Nemec and Casey really redundant and Nemec is going to have more value in a trade so he makes sense to be the one to part with. Silayev doesn't have any of those redundancies concerns. Nemec is a very offensive leaning guy. Silayev's a defensive monster.

I don't really worry about Luke's reduced opportunities and deployment. Let's say Luke's at 9 mil. By year 3 of his deal that's the equivalent of 7 mil on this current cap. He spent most of this year as the PP2 guy and still paced for 50 pts and that's at 21. It's even less of a concern if he's able turn those defensive highs he hit for stretches this year into a consistent thing.

By the time he's 25 he could be a high end defensive player that is on your 2nd PK unit, is an elite offensive driver and transition guy, that puts up 50+ pts even as the PP2 guy, AND is doing all of that for 5 years where he's making the equivalent of <7 mil on this current cap climate. Luke at 9 mil even with reduced opportunities compared to if Quinn wasn't here will look like an absurd bargain.

I also agree they're not moving him this year. Like at the absolute earliest I could see is sometime mid next season if their season goes off the rails and they know he's not going to want to stick around. I don't think the logjam is much of an issue. You mention Dougie "almost has to go" to make this work. Dougie has to go just to make anything work for next season even regardless of Quinn. So with Dougie gone and also Nemec likely going back in that deal there's really not a logjam. You have Quinn, Siegs, Dillon on the left, shift Luke to the right with Pesce and Kovy. Casey as the 7D.

Separately on the the Dillon thing it shouldn't even be a perhaps we get out of him next year. We'd already be better off without him. We'll definitely be better off without him in a year from now and his protections downgrading from a full NTC to a 10 team NTC should make him pretty easy to dump.

That is fair - in a rising cap environment, Luke will be paid like a #2 when Quinn's extension for big dollars comes into effect.

Fair point on Dillon, year 3 he has limited protection so that should help.

 

[Hisch13r]

I would really like for a Ross Colton trade with COL.

1 year left at 4 million, COL healthy scratched him in the playoffs and they have some SERIOUS cap issues,

He can either play 3C at an above average level (or as he showed earlier int he year when everyone was out) he was able to play with Nathan Mackinnon and put up good numbers when given top 6 minutes.

He is a career 52% FO guy and he has been above 51% in 3 straight years before this one, where he barely took any due to injury.

Colton's not a guy I'd like to rely upon as the 3C. I think he's more a winger than can player center than a true center center. As a middle 6 winger though than can play center yeah I'd be into that. He's got 2 years left as well so even better

Looking at their cap situation though I really don't see SERIOUS issues at all. The Wood deal is shockingly coming back to bite them a bit lol. I'm sure now they'd rather have the 2.5 mil and go cheaper on a different 4th liner

He'd fit right in lol

 

[Devils Trap]

Colton's not a guy I'd like to rely upon as the 3C. I think he's more a winger than can player center than a true center center. As a middle 6 winger though than can play center yeah I'd be into that. He's got 2 years left as well so even better

Looking at their cap situation though I really don't see SERIOUS issues at all. The Wood deal is shockingly coming back to bite them a bit lol. I'm sure now they'd rather have the 2.5 mil and go cheaper on a different 4th liner

View attachment 1029396

He'd fit right in lol

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I was factoring in Necas needs a new deal + Drouin both of which will have hefty pay raises. They need a 3C + another Dman as well for their bottom 6.

 

[Hisch13r]

I was factoring in Necas needs a new deal + Drouin both of which will have hefty pay raises. They need a 3C + another Dman as well for their bottom 6.

Necas is next year. If they wanted for this year they could have Colton 3C and re-sign Drouin. Drouin will be interesting. If he wants something crazy I’d probably pass and go find someone cheaper. Things will be tight for them this year but it’s doable. I don’t think it’s a situation where they have to move on from Colton.

If they did move on from Colton they’d go from having like 6 mil in space for a top 9 guy and 3RD to 10 mil in for 2 top 9 guys and a 3RD. I don’t see the sense in moving Colton’s 4 mil when you’d just have to replace him anyway. It’s not like Colton’s overpaid and you could find a guy for a similar impact at a lower price. 4 mil is a perfectly good deal for Colton.

 

[dgibb10]

I do not think adding ehlers would have any meaningful impact to the jack/bratt line

 

[RSeen]

I do not think adding ehlers would have any meaningful impact to the jack/bratt line

We had Palat playing with them all year. He was dragging them down so we definitely need to find a top. 6 winger.

It probably doesn't need to be someone who gets a $7-8M contract necessarily, but Ehlers should in theory be a massive upgrade - but I don't think we need to spend the dollars on him.

 

[Devs3cups]

Where Luke extension

 

[Devils731]

Where Luke extension

He’s physically incapable of putting pen to paper currently. Once the new arm regrows from the experimental regenerative lizard DNA injections, we should be good to go.

 

[Guttersniped]

Where Luke extension

This off-season will be blast. We won’t move anyone and Luke will sign a bridge deal in September.

 

[devilsblood]

We had Palat playing with them all year. He was dragging them down so we definitely need to find a top. 6 winger.

It probably doesn't need to be someone who gets a $7-8M contract necessarily, but Ehlers should in theory be a massive upgrade - but I don't think we need to spend the dollars on him.

I don't think Ehlers get's the big contract some here think he will.

 

[RSeen]

I don't think Ehlers get's the big contract some here think he will.

You think he would get below the $7-8M range I referenced? That was be an easy signing from my perspective if that was the case.

He is elite at even strength.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Matched the eye test

 

[RSeen]

Matched the eye test

Noesen was pretty awful. I have concerns about him next year - not sure how much he will contribute at even strength.

I definitely do not expect him to repeat his production from this year.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Noesen was pretty awful. I have concerns about him next year - not sure how much he will contribute at even strength.

I definitely do not expect him to repeat his production from this year.

I’m sure he was playing through something significant. I still like him as a PP weapon, but he shouldn’t be leaned on much at 5 on 5.

 

[devilsblood]

You think he would get below the $7-8M range I referenced? That was be an easy signing from my perspective if that was the case.

He is elite at even strength.

But he's a soon to be 30 year old winger with a penchant for playoff no shows.

 

[devilsblood]

Matched the eye test

Bastian 2nd most chances?

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Bastian 2nd more chances?

I can remember a couple of glorious ones. That weren’t finished, of course. Dowling had a couple too.

 

[Mgd31]

Matched the eye test

Our attempt at a 3rd line was terrible

 

[Smitty426]

Spit balling here- I am not one for moving him so bear with me, but If the Devs were to consider moving on from Dougie (after his $10.5M bonus kicks in of course, leaving $1M in real cash to be paid). A place that is in need of some leadership is Buffalo (I know, I know he has 10 teams which he CAN be traded to). I read in Buf posts online, Owen Power is in need of a vet D partner. They are both big players and DH coudl teach him from his perspective. DH would have to waive and MOST LIKELY won't but there is a fit there. Buf is ready to be a decet team and maybe Lindy welcomes DH. And cheapskate Pegula would have most of his bonus money paid by us. I like DH but many here are reaady to move on because of Luke, who has gotten better but is not ready fully. We need to shed some contracts (Palat is one as well). Not even sure what the return would be, but maybe McLeods rights as a RFA, and add as needed on whatever side you see fit.
Just thinking out loud.

 

[RSeen]

Spit balling here- I am not one for moving him so bear with me, but If the Devs were to consider moving on from Dougie (after his $10.5M bonus kicks in of course, leaving $1M in real cash to be paid). A place that is in need of some leadership is Buffalo (I know, I know he has 10 teams which he CAN be traded to). I read in Buf posts online, Owen Power is in need of a vet D partner. They are both big players and DH coudl teach him from his perspective. DH would have to waive and MOST LIKELY won't but there is a fit there. Buf is ready to be a decet team and maybe Lindy welcomes DH. And cheapskate Pegula would have most of his bonus money paid by us. I like DH but many here are reaady to move on because of Luke, who has gotten better but is not ready fully. We need to shed some contracts (Palat is one as well). Not even sure what the return would be, but maybe McLeods rights as a RFA, and add as needed on whatever side you see fit.
Just thinking out loud.

There is no way he'd not block a trade to Buffalo, but I agree with the logic - that we should have an easier time trading him after his bonus is paid. If there is a team that is not on his no trade list that is not looking to be a cap team in this rising cap environment, then that would be a great fit.

 

[devilsblood]

I can remember a couple of glorious ones. That weren’t finished, of course. Dowling had a couple too.

Ya the one timer he put back into Freddie when he had a ton of empty net being the big one. But still 2nd most? And that's total, not per 60.

Good on him, but bad on everyone else.

 

[dgibb10]

We had Palat playing with them all year. He was dragging them down so we definitely need to find a top. 6 winger.

It probably doesn't need to be someone who gets a $7-8M contract necessarily, but Ehlers should in theory be a massive upgrade - but I don't think we need to spend the dollars on him.

And we had Toffoli with them the year before and it made no meaningful improvement. And we tried meier with them and it had a NEGATIVE impact.

Yes "In theory" a 3rd winger SHOULD be a big improvement over palat. In reality, I don't think the 3rd winger on a line with 2 puck dominant players will have nearly the impact you think.

 

[Hisch13r]

This off-season will be blast. We won’t move anyone and Luke will sign a bridge deal in September.

He signs a one year deal then signs a monster offer sheet with Vancouver next summer!