Confirmed with Link: Devils sign Tomas Tatar - 2 years @ $4.5M AAV

[Maine Fan]

I am a recent NJ convert! I come in peace! Tatar is a very good supporting player and should look good next to Nico or Jack. He'll help their two-way games and in transition (not that Jack needs the help in that area).

Excellent signing.

I think your correct.

 

[brakeyawself]

Where does this put Foote and maybe Mercer if he’s ready at all?

Zacha to wing stead of 3c? Figured Foote at least would see time on that third line with Zacha. Assuming Jack and Nico stil 1C/2C.

I guess this a sign they not confident enough that Mercer is close enough? Holtz definitely not ready which makes sense. But perhaps Foote not as ready as he seemed?

Not sure who Mercer would overtake even if he were ready.

 

[Guttersniped]

Zacha at center to me is fine if you staple Bratt to him. Bratt has a similar impact that center vs wing does on him. Then you have Tatar, Sharangovich, Kuokkanen, Tarasenko as the wings with Jack/Nico

This Stockholm Syndrome or something, “Zacha at center is fine”? It’s not fine. It’s just not. Stop saying that.

Zacha isn’t good defensively at center and actually got his 5v5 goal scoring going on wing. I’m not giving up my dream of him not being at 3C until pre-season game line-ups make it crumble. I thought I was beyond “Zacha is bad defensively at center and has some other real issues too there” “discussions” and I probably should give up there for my own well-being but I so… so relieved it was over. I really thought the improvement of him at wing was obvious and couldn’t be denied… It was so freeing…

 

[bossram]

Where does this put Foote and maybe Mercer if he’s ready at all?

Zacha to wing stead of 3c? Figured Foote at least would see time on that third line. Assuming Jack and Nico stil 1C/2C.

I guess this a sign they not confident enough that Mercer is close enough? Holtz definitely not ready which makes sense. But perhaps Foote not as ready as he seemed?

Not sure who Mercer oil does overtake even if he were ready.

Mercer can start in the AHL. If he really dominates, then he's an option.

Still looks like there's room for Foote in the regular lineup.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Where does this put Foote and maybe Mercer if he’s ready at all?

Zacha to wing stead of 3c? Figured Foote at least would see time on that third line. Assuming Jack and Nico stil 1C/2C.

I guess this a sign they not confident enough that Mercer is close enough? Holtz definitely not ready which makes sense. But perhaps Foote not as ready as he seemed?

Not sure who Mercer would overtake even if he were ready.

There is still at least one roster spot open at forward, even if you assume that Boqvist is on the team

Hughes
Hischier
Bratt
Zacha
Tatar
Sharangovich
Kuokkanen
Wood
Johnsson
McLeod
Boqvist

thats only 11. There is still plenty of room for at least one of Foote, Mercer, or Holtz to be on the team.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

I'm not so I agree with that...I mean I don't want to put a guy that can't stay healthy on equal footing with a guy who can...It is great that you put up .59 ppg in 79 games...But 124 games were played during that period...Someone being out for 50 games of 124 hurts the team as much as .59ppg helped the team.

Assuming injuries of the past are going to continue doesn't seem like a valid way to plan for the future but you do you.

 

[Offseason Champs]

Where does this put Foote and maybe Mercer if he’s ready at all?

Zacha to wing stead of 3c? Figured Foote at least would see time on that third line with Zacha. Assuming Jack and Nico stil 1C/2C.

I guess this a sign they not confident enough that Mercer is close enough? Holtz definitely not ready which makes sense. But perhaps Foote not as ready as he seemed?

Not sure who Mercer would overtake even if he were ready.

Third line time for all of these guys which is honestly the ideal situation. Putting raw kids out on top 6 roles and expecting and quite frankly banking on them to produce is a great way to be a lottery team once more. Giving them more sheltered third and fourth line time lets them cut their teeth a little versus being thrown to the wolves.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

The social media team is literally meming before posting

Was at work, didn't get to see this, and now it's gone... Bummer.

 

[Blackjack]

Was at work, didn't get to see this, and now it's gone... Bummer.

It was a drunk Habs fan leaning into the camera and annunciating "To-mas Ta-tar", but they covered his face with an NJD logo. Pretty funny for the official account to Tweet that out before the formal announcement.

 

[Guttersniped]

Montreal moved on because of the playoff stuff. You don't give Hoffman an extra year at the same cap hit instead of signing Tatar if it was just about being replaced internally

Yeah, and Hoffman had his own healthy scratches too. Hoffman was signed because Montreal need to replace Tatar after burning that bridge in the playoffs.

Hoffman at 3 years/4.5m is worse to me.

 

[JimEIV]

wait... have you always been this pro-Zacha

who is this

No not really. I don't think I was ever negative on him either. I just think over the last two seasons he has been a solid contributor and that he's not getting enough credit for it.

 

[Guttersniped]

I know it is hard to accept for many...But over the last two years Zacha has produced more points than any player on the team....If he is not a reliable top 6 option, no one is.

Player	Pos	GP	G	A	P
Pavel Zacha	C	115	25	42	67
Kyle Palmieri	R	99	33	29	62
Jesper Bratt	L	106	23	39	62
Jack Hughes	C	117	18	34	52
Damon Severson	D	125	11	41	52
Nikita Gusev	L	86	15	34	49
Miles Wood	L	123	28	20	48
Nico Hischier	C	79	20	27	47
Travis Zajac	C	102	16	27	43
P.K. Subban	D	112	12	25	37
Will Butcher	D	79	5	27	32
Blake Coleman	C	57	21	10	31
Yegor Sharangovich	C	54	16	14	30
Sami Vatanen	D	77	7	22	29
Taylor Hall	L	30	6	19	25
Janne Kuokkanen	L	51	8	17	25
Wayne Simmonds	R	61	8	16	24
Ty Smith	D	48	2	21	23
Michael McLeod	C	64	9	8	17
Ryan Murray	D	48	0	14	14
Nick Merkley	R	31	3	9	12
Andreas Johnsson	L	50	5	6	11
Andy Greene	D	53	2	9	11
Jesper Boqvist	C	63	8	3	11
Nathan Bastian	R	41	3	7	10
Mikhail Maltsev	L	33	6	3	9
Kevin Rooney	C	49	4	5	9
Connor Carrick	D	40	2	6	8
Mirco Mueller	D	50	2	5	7
Joey Anderson	R	18	4	2	6
Matt Tennyson	D	41	1	5	6
Dakota Mermis	D	10	1	3	4
John Hayden	C	43	3	1	4
Fredrik Claesson	D	5	1	1	2
Nolan Foote	L	6	1	1	2
Kevin Bahl	D	7	0	2	2
Marian Studenic	R	8	1	1	2
Dmitry Kulikov	D	38	0	2	2
Ben Street	C	3	0	1	1
Tyce Thompson	R	7	0	1	1

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

I have to admit I had Subban, Simmonds and Mermis all penciled in my top six before I saw this spreadsheet.

 

[Forge]

We really need McLeod to take a step forward, or for someone else to step into that 3rd line center role.

I just don't think that Mikey is skilled enough to do that offensively. I think he's going to have a good career throwing his body around and flying up and down the ice, but that's it. Boqvist has the offensive skill, but is 23 and has yet to prove that he's an NHLer (not entirely his fault). He'd be ideal to find that role, but I don't know how you have that be plan A going into the season and I don't know that he's good enough defensively.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

No not really. I don't think I was ever negative on him either. I just think over the last two seasons he has been a solid contributor and that he's not getting enough credit for it.

 

[JimEIV]

I have to admit I had Subban, Simmonds and Mermis all penciled in my top six before I saw this spreadsheet.

Two Dmen in your top 6? That's weird.

 

[Cheddabombs]

That's a classic right there, gotta bring back some Rick and Morty gifs this season

 

[Guttersniped]

The social media team is literally meming before posting

Was at work, didn't get to see this, and now it's gone... Bummer.

It’s still there.

 

[JimEIV]

I'm sorry, I don't get it.

 

[devilsblood]

Where does this put Foote and maybe Mercer if he’s ready at all?

Zacha to wing stead of 3c? Figured Foote at least would see time on that third line with Zacha. Assuming Jack and Nico stil 1C/2C.

I guess this a sign they not confident enough that Mercer is close enough? Holtz definitely not ready which makes sense. But perhaps Foote not as ready as he seemed?

Not sure who Mercer would overtake even if he were ready.

I think Mercer and Holtz are almost certainly starting in the AHL and will be depth in case of injury or guys struggling.

I think Foote may too, as Zetterlund being a righty, and more of a 4th line kind of guy, may get the 4th line rw spot.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Team cancer confirmed

 

[JimEIV]

I think Mercer and Holtz are almost certainly starting in the AHL and will be depth in case of injury or guys struggling.

I think Foote may too, as Zetterlund being a righty, and more of a 4th line kind of guy, may get the 4th line rw spot.

I like to see Zetterlund get an opportunity.

 

[Forge]

Where does this put Foote and maybe Mercer if he’s ready at all?

Zacha to wing stead of 3c? Figured Foote at least would see time on that third line with Zacha. Assuming Jack and Nico stil 1C/2C.

I guess this a sign they not confident enough that Mercer is close enough? Holtz definitely not ready which makes sense. But perhaps Foote not as ready as he seemed?

Not sure who Mercer would overtake even if he were ready.

If Mercer forces his way onto the roster, great. But that's certainly not my expectation nor my plan. I would assume he spends the entirety of the year in Utica this year.

Preference is certainly that Zacha be on the wing with Nico and Bratt and not 3c, but until I see some other concrete plan in place for the final center position, its' possible he ends up there. Foote I think gets one more year mostly in utica but maybe serves as the priority call up during the season and maybe sees 10-20 games or something? I suppose that he could finagle his way into a bottom six role, but truthfully I kind of don't want him there. But it's whatever.

 

[TheDuke93]

I'm bricked up, playoffs or bust boys and girl!

 

[Omar Little]

I like to see Zetterlund get an opportunity.

Yea his player profile is a bit Coleman-lite

 

[devilsblood]

We really need McLeod to take a step forward, or for someone else to step into that 3rd line center role.

As I've noted a fair amount already, I'm perfectly fine with Boqvist in that spot to start next year.

Now if they bring in a vet, that makes us a deeper team, and Boqvist can go help Holtz acclimate in Utica for a bit. So even though I'm pro Boq, there are multiple benefits to finding a 3c.