Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - 2022-23 season thread part III

[HersheyBob27]

Among forwards, Jesper Bratt is number 1 in the NHL in CF%, number 7 in actual GF%, number 2 in xGF%, number 4 in HDCF%, number 20 in total 5 on 5 points. We cannot replace this player.

Willing to wager second half numbers don’t equal first half numbers. You actually make a good case for trading him now while someone might bite on that stuff. He is literally 3 points away from falling out of the top 50 scoring list. Point a game doesn’t mean as much as it did 5 years ago. Surely you recognize that

 

[Devs3cups]

I highly doubt the draft position is going to be held against him. If the stats you guys spew out are really that important he will be paid accordingly so will be interesting to see all those % stats being 2nd means he should get paid big bucks

A good comparable for his deal would be Roope Hintz. Posted the comparison a few posts above.

 

[Emperoreddy]

People slagging Bratt activated the ChocolateBob signal

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Willing to wager second half numbers don’t equal first half numbers. You actually make a good case for trading him now while someone might bite on that stuff. He is literally 3 points away from falling out of the top 50 scoring list. Point a game doesn’t mean as much as it did 5 years ago. Surely you recognize that

oh my god lmao

Bob you know its okay to just say "You know what, I was wrong on this player, hes really good!"

the world will move on if you do so.

 

[JrFischer54]

You’re free to completely ignore any advanced stats. He’s a 24 year old with 40 goals 110 points in his last 113 games with a +14. Not much to complain about.

I’m not complaining I’m just saying all those letters and %s you throw around should mean this kid is going to get paid!

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Willing to wager second half numbers don’t equal first half numbers. You actually make a good case for trading him now while someone might bite on that stuff. He is literally 3 points away from falling out of the top 50 scoring list. Point a game doesn’t mean as much as it did 5 years ago. Surely you recognize that

Lucky for us, Jesper isn’t an empty calorie scorer that can’t help the team when he’s not on the scoresheet. Elite play driver. There’s a reason he’s out there for way more goals for than against.

Points aren’t everything, he’s better than plenty of PP point merchants.

 

[Devs3cups]

I’m not complaining I’m just saying all those letters and %s you throw around should mean this kid is going to get paid!

He'll most likely get between 8-8.75/9.

 

[Devs3cups]

oh my god lmao

Bob you know its okay to just say "You know what, I was wrong on this player, hes really good!"

the world will move on if you do so.

Humility is a rare commodity around here unfortunately it seems.

It's their prerogative and it's all good, but you'd think some would be glad to admit being wrong about a guy when he's a net positive for the team and thriving!

 

[JrFischer54]

He'll most likely get between 8-8.75/9.

That salary doesn’t scream second best cf% and all those other stats. Interesting but I appreciate you giving a number.

 

[New Jersey]

LOL I'm still not anywhere near in the mood to play pick your opponent when we've won two of our last eleven games. But if we're stuck on the bubble it'll be more in the vein of Boston or Carolina regardless.

only thing is we’re way better than our recent record indicates

this isn’t fantastical hype train shit either. we all see it. how much bad hockey have we watched the last decade to know for a fact that this isn’t it?

 

[Devs3cups]

That salary doesn’t scream second best cf% and all those other stats. Interesting

Look at the Roope Hintz comparable posted above. Hintz just signed for 8.4mil and their metrics are extremely similar. Position also comes into play. Hintz is a C for example, and those tend to earn more. I think it's an extremely good comparable though, if I was Fitz I'd keep that one in mind.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

That salary doesn’t scream second best cf% and all those other stats. Interesting but I appreciate you giving a number.

It’s actually good to get value for the player you sign. A better bet than paying a premium for a “sniper” that doesn’t contribute in other ways.

 

[NJDevs26]

Willing to wager second half numbers don’t equal first half numbers. You actually make a good case for trading him now while someone might bite on that stuff. He is literally 3 points away from falling out of the top 50 scoring list. Point a game doesn’t mean as much as it did 5 years ago. Surely you recognize that

Yeah because Bratt really collapsed in the second half last year

 

[New Jersey]

I have been here for an unlucky 13 years and I have NEVER seen this many of our own shitting on us, lmao.

How many of you *actually* knows what it means to watch the NJ Devils embarrass our great state…?

The new generation? You don’t, lol.

 

[NJDevs26]

I’m not complaining I’m just saying all those letters and %s you throw around should mean this kid is going to get paid!

Why are we discussing analytics with Bratt? His conventional numbers have been just fine. It’s one thing when people were making him out to be elite before he even had a 40-point season but I think a season and a half of PPG is enough tangible to look at without mocking the CF%

 

[Bleedred]

I'm extremely optimistic we can get back to winning a really good amount of games

I'm even more extremely pessimistic that this staff will play the correct goalie, which will undoubtedly SANDBAG us.

So I say if they continue to do that, it will be a nailbiter to the finish line.

But hey, I predicted before the season started that we would finish below where we should have (BECAUSE of goaltending again) and that Ruff would be fired midseason (certainly still can't be ruled out) because of said goaltending again.

Beyond goaltending though, bottom 6 scoring is a black hole right now. It's been pretty rare since the skid started that we get goals that don't involve one of Jack, Nico or Bratt. Wood and McLeod are dead men skating without Bastian and have been a complete net negative ever since.

And the power play continues to be a dumpster fire, but that's been the case all year long, but it was probably slightly better before this skid started. But even then like when we had a power play goal in like 8 straight games or whatever it was? I think we had at least one 5 on 3 goal during that stretch (maybe two?) and definitely two different 4 on 3 OT winners.

We literally had one game where we went 1 for 8 on the power play. Some of those were probably abbreviated (didn't we just go 1 for 6 in a recent game?), as is often the case when you get that many power plays. Still, the power play is below satisfactory.

 

[HersheyBob27]

oh my god lmao

Bob you know its okay to just say "You know what, I was wrong on this player, hes really good!"

the world will move on if you do so.

Hes fine. Carry on

 

[None Shall Pass]

I think Bratt is overthinking his game too much lately.

During his recent "slow" stretch, I've been noticing a lot of silly overplaying. Getting somewhere "high danger" with the puck then circling it out or making a low-percentage pass.

On the PP where there's extra ice and an emphasis on possession and passing, it's not a big deal, but on 5v5 it's noticeable.

 

[Bleedred]

And besides Blackwood, you got a couple other potentially disastrous contracts in the making that are looming this offseason.

Wood is what he is. He's really not worth more money than he's getting this year and he's really not worth a whole lot of term at what he's making this year. And he was starting out on pace for a career year, but the cool down (market correction) has really put a damper on that.

McLeod is probably due a raise. I can't really see McLeod being worth more than about $2 million a year and that might be kind of generous, but you know they're probably gonna give it to him on a 2 year deal, which I think will bring him right to UFA when 2 years is up.

I think Bastian deserves more than either. Can't be too generous with him either, depending on when he comes back this year. If he only comes back to play for another 1-2 months, we won't be getting enough of a look at him.

I think I would rather pay Haula that $1.8-$2 million, but only for ONE year and absolutely no playing with Hughes or any power play time whatsoever. But if he's here and he finishes the season this year still playing with Jack (hopefully he won't), you know they're gonna try that again at some point next year if he's back. Whether it's to start the year or if things start not going our way. Just like when Zubrus was playing with Jagr again the next year when he was reduced to just a torso with no legs or arms. ''Well it worked last year and these two were really good together in the first half of 13-14, so let's try them again this year'', yes I said that in my Pete DeBoer voice, by the way,

I really don't think Boqvist is getting a raise after this year, because he just doesn't score enough. He probably should have gotten more last offseason though, based on his performance last year.

Yeah, Tatar has been really good, but do we really want him for another 2 years, especially at what he's making now? Do you really want Tatar here until he's almost 34 and at $4 million a year?

Some tough decisions going forward.

And that's not even touching Bratt.

 

[Bleedred]

And I even forgot about Sharangovich, who I think has been somewhat sandbagged with his usage this year.

But yet he's still on pace for close to 40 points and over 20 goals in fairly limited usage and with exactly 0 power play points.

 

[Emperoreddy]

We never got proper update on Nico, huh?

 

[Bleedred]

We never got proper update on Nico, huh?

It appears today was an off day, thus no media availability.

 

[My3Sons]

Humility is a rare commodity around here unfortunately it seems.

It's their prerogative and it's all good, but you'd think some would be glad to admit being wrong about a guy when he's a net positive for the team and thriving!

What are you talking about? I’m incredibly humble. It’s one of my many superb qualities.

 

[Devs3cups]

What are you talking about? I’m incredibly humble. It’s one of my many superb qualities.

Never change, My3Sons!!!

 

[Saugus]

It is baffling to me that people are slagging Bratt right after a game where he scored two big goals.

Like I know the knock is that he's streaky or whatever, but this doesn't seem like the right time for this argument.