GDT: Devils @ Hurricanes - 2025 Playoffs! RD1 GM5 - 7:30 PM - MSG, TBS, MAX

[Bleedred]

Besides Luke, who do they re-sign and who walks. Opinions?

UFA – Tomas Tatar, Nathan Bastian, Curtis Lazar, Daniel Sprong, Justin Dowling, Brian Dumoulin, Dennis Cholowski, Jake Allen

RFA – Cody Glass, Nolan Foote, Luke Hughes

They almost all could walk in UFA, though I would see what Allen wants and for how many years.

They can re-sign Sprong if he’s just depth. Not sure they will.

Dumoulin can stay if Dillon is done playing forever. Please not a 3 year deal, but you know it will be because Fitz.

Dowling can come back to play in the AHL, but he shouldn’t be playing this many NHL games next year.

I’d consider Tatar for one more year at league minimum for the 4th line.

Lazar needs to go. Bastian can go. Cholowski can go.

Glass can stay. Obviously Luke can stay. Don’t tender Foote. He needs to go. It’s time. We let Boqvist walk when he was about a year younger I think. And he actually stayed on an NHL roster for a full year. Foote never has.

 

[devilsblood]

The Athletic is giving Markström a lot of credit for the game when in fairness he was a key reason why it went to OT in the first place

He was THE key reason we blew that lead.

Great in the first couple games. Great in the 3rd period and OT last night. But he let in multiple goals that need to be saved.

And if we pull out last nights game we are still very likely losing that series, but I do think extending the series and earning another game, even if it was just one, but moreso if they were able to get to game 7, would have been good for the group.

 

[devilsblood]

If there was a positive it was Nemec. He looked like the real deal in the playoffs. I think he was on of our best players. Nico and Meier also had a good series as well.

I do feel I'm swaying in the breeze on Nemec, but I was ready to move on after the regular season, now I'm back to trading Hamilton to get Nemec in the lineup next year.

 

[Bleedred]

I’m m glad I’m not the only one shitting on Markstrom for the last two games.

I don’t even wanna tell you who leads my goals counted stoppable for the playoffs. And with an ungodly 56.25%.

I’m sure someone will pass him by the end of the second round.

 

[HersheyBob27]

And the Laffs add to their horrible record in games in which they can clinch a series win.

Now 0-2 under the great Craig Berube in those games.

Not all close out games are the same. What does berube have to do with this anyway?

 

[Bleedred]

Not all close out games are the same. What does berube have to do with this anyway?

Because they’re the same old Leafs. Looks like that’s a Leafs issue and not a Keefe issue.

Just like it was an issue with Babcock before him.

Same old Leafs gonna Leafs.

 

[Incharge1976]

They almost all could walk in UFA, though I would see what Allen wants and for how many years.

They can re-sign Sprong if he’s just depth. Not sure they will.

Dumoulin can stay if Dillon is done playing forever. Please not a 3 year deal, but you know it will be because Fitz.

Dowling can come back to play in the AHL, but he shouldn’t be playing this many NHL games next year.

I’d consider Tatar for one more year at league minimum for the 4th line.

Lazar needs to go. Bastian can go. Cholowski can go.

Glass can stay. Obviously Luke can stay. Don’t tender Foote. He needs to go. It’s time. We let Boqvist walk when he was about a year younger I think. And he actually stayed on an NHL roster for a full year. Foote never has.

Don't care if it's 3 years. Every team can move players in the last year. The only thing I care about is not attaching no trade clauses or a list of teams he would go to if traded.

 

[glenwo2]

Bratt was invisible tonight

First game all year he wasn’t the best skater out there, he looked gassed

Bratt can't do everything himself. *big shocker*

Good game for that

Maybe if the so-called supporting cast actually did SOMETHING all series long instead of showing up in ONE GAME, this might've been a series that was winnable.

AND...stop me if you heard this before.....maybe if MARKSTROM didn't play like sh-t when we needed him to NOT play like sh-t, we would've been in better shape?

We had a 3-0 lead after 1....*THREE* GOAL LEAD!

And we promptly lost it.

But yeah it's all Bratt's fault.

This is f*cking ridiculous.

You guys (who are piling on Bratt) can all shove it.

 

[glenwo2]

He was the best player on the ice for either team in a few games this series. Didn’t have a great one tonight. This is a ‘didn’t watch but looked at the scoreboard’ take.

Can't believe there are fans that have the gall to put this at Bratt's feet AFTER HAVING NO ONE ELSE (sans Nico) SHOW UP IN THE OTHER 4 GAMES!!!

Oh and can our Goaltender MAKE A F*CKING SAVE??

Bratt can't play Goaltender for him or the team.

 

[MartyOwns]

ugh i can't take the idiotic bratt babble today. please lock this thread

 

[Bleedred]

J Marks stunk and was outplayed by Pete Kochetkov, just like he was outplayed by Freddie who is even older than J Marks is.

Shesty and the Rags would have beaten the NJD in 3. Rawly understandably took a little longer because a Rags they are not, as they've shown when facing the Rags in the playoffs in 2 of the previous 3 years.

Bratt is a nice player, but just doesn't have the heart of Martinook.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Disappointing season anyway you frame it

I agree, however, I thought Keefe was great. Fitz was quite bad in roster construction.

 

[My3Sons]

Luckily our second daughter was born last night right before the game so this series loss means nothing to me. Life has a funny way of putting things in perspective.

I have faith that the team will address the glaring needs this offseason (depth, depth, and more depth!). Hopefully Grits helps with that and the brothers Hughes get bionic shoulders. Oh and f*** the canes and their embarrassing brand of hockey! Can’t wait to see a real team stomp them.

You have two daughters? You don’t need both of them. My wife would love a daughter. I’ll give you my two oldest and a golden retriever to be named later for the baby while she’s on her ELC. If you don’t say yes we will just kidnap her in UFA

 

[ChuckW]

2002. 2006. 2009. 2023. 2025.

View attachment 1026142

You guys won in 2001. Scott Stevens concussed Ron Francis and Shane Willis. Willis was never the same.

 

[Bleedred]

Luckily our second daughter was born last night right before the game so this series loss means nothing to me. Life has a funny way of putting things in perspective.

I have faith that the team will address the glaring needs this offseason (depth, depth, and more depth!). Hopefully Grits helps with that and the brothers Hughes get bionic shoulders. Oh and f*** the canes and their embarrassing brand of hockey! Can’t wait to see a real team stomp them.

Congrats!

At least you'll always be able to look back fondly on the night we got knocked off by the Canes with our skeleton lineup, for reasons not related to hockey.

 

[Bleedred]

You guys won in 2001. Scott Stevens concussed Ron Francis and Shane Willis. Willis was never the same.

It seems we're still paying the toll on that.

And for all our troubles that year we still couldn't even repeat.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

The Athletic is giving Markström a lot of credit for the game when in fairness he was a key reason why it went to OT in the first place

vibes

 

[devilsfan950003]

They almost all could walk in UFA, though I would see what Allen wants and for how many years.

They can re-sign Sprong if he’s just depth. Not sure they will.

Dumoulin can stay if Dillon is done playing forever. Please not a 3 year deal, but you know it will be because Fitz.

Dowling can come back to play in the AHL, but he shouldn’t be playing this many NHL games next year.

I’d consider Tatar for one more year at league minimum for the 4th line.

Lazar needs to go. Bastian can go. Cholowski can go.

Glass can stay. Obviously Luke can stay. Don’t tender Foote. He needs to go. It’s time. We let Boqvist walk when he was about a year younger I think. And he actually stayed on an NHL roster for a full year. Foote never has.I

Is Glass a 3C or 4C on the Devils? I ask because of his qualifying offer is 2 years at $2.5 million.

 

[Bleedred]

Is Glass a 3C or 4C on the Devils? I ask because of his qualifying offer is 2 years at $2.5 million.

He's probably better off at 4C to be honest.

But as others have pointed out, I don't think he'll be qualified. We'll bring him back for less than that if I had to guess. We've done that quite a bit in the SheroFitz era with pending RFAs who were too expensive to give their qualifying offer, but too useful to just let walk.

And I'm sure he'll take less than $2.5 million to stay, as I don't think anyone else is offering him that in UFA.

 

[glenwo2]

The Athletic is giving Markström a lot of credit for the game when in fairness he was a key reason why it went to OT in the first place

And this is why The Athletic is one of the more UNSERIOUS online publications around.

 

[devilsfan950003]

Pretty nitpicky - all this - compared to more major points about our team structure and development. On the ledger of Fitzgerald’s management of the team and its resources I can’t see it weighs heavily. I’ll cut him some slack here in light of getting Kovacevic for nothing and Dumolin at the deadline for next to nothing.

There’s a good deal of disappointment right now with the playoff series and our play since New Year really. And god knows the experience of watching hundreds of hours of the Devils in 2025 has been frustrating. I rather think Fitz’s tenure is going to be defined by the moves he makes now and whether we can take another step or two forward.

Nemec for Quinn Hughes straight up? Maybe throw in some forwards? Nemec and a forward or two for Hughes and Boeser?

Can Jack Hughes stay healthy through a season or is his career going to be cut short by a chronic shoulder problem?

See everyone around draft time for the next chapters.

Why not wait two years until Quinn becomes a UFA? They'll need the time to free up cap space for him.

 

[devilsfan950003]

Keefe is a damn good coach.
Nemec is going to be a stud defenseman.
I’m still mad at Noesen and Mercer, lol

I'd trade Mercer. He's on a team friendly contract. He's 23, with an iron man streak still active, 20-27 goal scorer. He has value.

 

[devilsfan950003]

He's probably better off at 4C to be honest.

But as others have pointed out, I don't think he'll be qualified. We'll bring him back for less than that if I had to guess. We've done that quite a bit in the SheroFitz era with pending RFAs who were too expensive to give their qualifying offer, but too useful to just let walk.

And I'm sure he'll take less than $2.5 million to stay, as I don't think anyone else is offering him that in UFA.

Yeah I did read on here they won't qualify him. I agree, he's more of a 4C. Devils did the same with Bastian, I think. Still signed Bastian for two years but less than QO.. McLeod too, No QO, but he only received a year contract.

 

[My3Sons]

Yeah I did read on here they won't qualify him. I agree, he's more of a 4C. Devils did the same with Bastian, I think. Still signed Bastian for two years but less than QO.. McLeod too, No QO, but he only received a year contract.

NJ already has a perfectly adequate 3C

 

[guitarguyvic]

Why not wait two years until Quinn becomes a UFA? They'll need the time to free up cap space for him.

There’s several advantages to going after Quinn now. You get him an extra two years and instantly transform the team’s transition game. You prevent another team from acquiring him and potentially convincing him to sign there. It makes it more likely he will sign in NJ in two years. It eliminates several variables that could impact our ability to sign him in two years.

Obviously you have to weight this against what the cost would be, but I think people are really undervaluing the benefit of acquiring him immediately.