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

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Forgetting all the Kulikov stuff, would you extend Ryan Graves? What do you think the best option for LD2 next season is?

I was against it, but I am warming up to the idea if you can get him on a fair deal

you also did not have Luke Hughes in your lineup, and he will 99% be in NJ next year

 

[Blackjack]

First, what came out of the Bratt camp? I don’t actually remember hearing anything specific from his agent. One of the things I like about his agent is he hasn’t leaked shit, that’s why we don’t have numbers. All we have some whiny leaks from the team about how good their offer was.

After that, what do want to discuss? The idea of the Devils planning to snap up Pasta as a UFA?

Sorry, it sounds like a complete fantasy to me, I can’t do it.

He’s too important a player for them, he’s going to be able to squeeze them pretty good with the season he’s having but I assume he stays.

The Bruins brand is very strong and they’ve let a bunch of guys walk, but those were lesser players and that ended up being the right decision. (Not re-signing mid-tier UFAs forwards usually is a great decision.) Pasta is a key aspect to their offense, they need him to much. And he’s a huge star.

I don’t see how Boston is a 1st round exit this year unless something wacky happens so there should be good vibes.

They need to figure out the future of their center position but Horvat should wait until the UFA period to sign anyway. Not sure if they can afford them both but they probably have more money than Colorado, I don’t f***ing care that much to figure it out.

I agree with you, but it does seem like Boston hates paying market rates for superstars. McAvoy is the only example I can even think of.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I would be very in favor of brining Kulikov back tbh.

He would be an upgrade on Brendan Smith and allow us to send Bahl to Utica

 

[Blackjack]

I was against it, but I am warming up to the idea if you can get him on a fair deal

you also did not have Luke Hughes in your lineup, and he will 99% be in NJ next year

Yes, I agree, I left him out because I was afraid people would get mad and say he won’t be ready yet so I threw a cheap vet in there instead, haha.

 

[Devs3cups]

about to take off to the city for comets/marlies game

stoked to see former devils legend andreas johnsson!

Nice! Could you tell us if Nemec is playing?

 

[Guttersniped]

I would be very in favor of brining Kulikov back tbh.

He played 38 games here in 2021 let it go.

 

[Bleedred]

"que-lee-kov"

-jack edwards

I thought he was actually saying it ''COOL-YEE-KOV'' or something? Either way it was f***ed.

PK “Sue-BAHN”

I actually remember Steve also saying it like that in his rookie year.

 

[Guttersniped]

I agree with you, but it does seem like Boston hates paying market rates for superstars. McAvoy is the only example I can even think of.

What super star has walked lately (edit: specifically from the Bruins)? The other players who sign don’t count because their contracts were great deals? It’s not like they would have traded Bergeron if he asked for more money.

They’ve kept the core that mattered. They’ve obviously shipped off a ridiculous number of young stars for… reasons, but that was different, I’m talking about the guys they want to keep.

I just don’t believe Pasta is necessarily thinking the team will start to suck, he could easily have a lot of belief in the organization. They didn’t make the playoffs the 1st two seasons he was there but they had 96 & 93 points and had won a Cup a few years earlier. They went to a Stanley Cup Final with him.

Maybe I’m wrong, I’m just assuming it eventually gets done. It makes too much sense. In the end both sides will bend a little, that’s how it works. I refuse to emotionally invest in the idea that we could get Pasta, why bother when you’re just going to be disappointed.

 

[Bleedred]

I did not like the Kulikov signing.

Well..... It's not that I didn't like it. I should say I was okay with it. It was fine, really. It was only one year.

But I definitely expected him to not be good. He was pretty good though.

But that will be 3 seasons ago in 23-24. He's gonna be 33 years old. 33 is older than it's probably ever been in this league. There's not even 100 guys playing in the league this year that are 33 or older. I can think of one defenseman that really fell off a cliff quickly, who played here the same year, as well as several before that. And he didn't even see 30 years old in the NHL.

With Brendan Smith already being signed for next year, there's really no need for Kulikov.

I feel like there's a lot of players who play here for a very brief period and look great while doing it, that people always hope will either get re-signed (even if they've been shipped off at the deadline) or come back after a couple of years.

I feel like Lee Stempniak was like that. I think most of us wanted him back, but then he got shipped off at the deadline. Then he signed a 2 or 3 year deal with Carolina, where he wasn't really healthy for a good portion of that deal. After he was shipped off at the deadline I think there was extensive talk until he signed with Carolina about bringing him back in free agency. I think there were even a couple calls for him to come back about a year or two later, kind of like what I'm seeing with Kulikov right now.

And if I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure we talked about Kulikov at some point fairly recently. It was probably still during the offseason. I'm not sure if someone was not happy that he got traded for so cheap to Anaheim and that we should have got him instead. I do remember some talk about it.

Oh and while I'm on the topic of how we hardly have ever sent a guy off at the deadline, only to re-sign him the following offseason, the one guy I can think of who we did that with was a guy I referenced way earlier in this post. Only he sat on the market almost the entire offseason before being signed even after camps started up.

 

[Guttersniped]

I loved Kulikov in NJ, he was found money and hated how Fitz gave him away for a garbage pick. But it's long since time to move on.

Kulikov was a UFA and he reportedly signed here in part because he wanted to play with Gusev. Why would he have wanted to finish the year here on a non-playoff team?

I have no idea why people think denying a UFA an opportunity to play in the playoffs would win his heart. It’s not like he was getting any younger, he would have wanted to be traded.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Kulikov was a UFA and he reportedly signed here in part because he wanted to play with Gusev. Why would he have wanted to finish the year here on a non-playoff team?

I have no idea why people think denying a UFA an opportunity to play in the playoffs would win his heart. It’s not like he was getting any younger, he would have wanted to be traded.

I think at that stage of his career another contract would have been what he really wanted, playing in the playoffs is appealing mostly as mechanism to get another contract. I mean it's maybe not that mercenary and pride is involved but those considerations are a huge deal. I assume Fitz didn't even ask what it would take to re-sign and just saw him as a stopgap, which is ok I get it.

 

[SJinNewJersey]

I would be very in favor of brining Kulikov back tbh.

You might have a case of loulamorielloism.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Arguing about Kulikov is not what I had on my bingo list this year.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

What super star has walked lately? The other players who sign don’t count because their contracts were great deals? It’s not like they would have traded Bergeron if he asked for more money.

They’ve kept the core that mattered. They’ve obviously shipped off a ridiculous number of young stars for… reasons, but that was different, I’m talking about the guys they want to keep.

I just don’t believe Pasta is necessarily thinking the team will start to suck, he could easily have a lot of belief in the organization. They didn’t make the playoffs the 1st two seasons he was there but they had 96 & 93 points and had won a Cup a few years earlier. They went to a Stanley Cup Final with him.

Maybe I’m wrong, I’m just assuming it eventually gets done. It makes too much sense. In the end both sides will bend a little, that’s how it works. I refuse to emotionally invest in the idea that we could get Pasta, why bother when you’re just going to be disappointed.

Gaudreau. Sorry that most Devils fans dont want to hear it, but that's reality. Want to go back a few more years? Tavares. These things happen.

The core will be gone or aging in 23 sans McAvoy.

If he doesn't think that team will be garbage by 24 then he's a dumb dumb.

I didn't ask anyone to get emotionally invested and I'm not either. But it's worth consideration in my view.

EDIT: Panarin, Bobrovsky, and I'm sure I could think of others.

These things happen every few years at least so I'm not sure why the notion of Pasta going the same way is so outlandish.

 

[bossram]

I was against it, but I am warming up to the idea if you can get him on a fair deal

you also did not have Luke Hughes in your lineup, and he will 99% be in NJ next year

I was the #1 Graves hater, but I am coming around to re-signing him too. I think they need to keep another defensive, big/physical presence in their top-four and not just anoint Luke for that spot.

If it's something around $4M x 4 years, that's fine.

 

[Devils731]

I was the #1 Graves hater, but I am coming around to re-signing him too. I think they need to keep another defensive, big/physical presence in their top-four and not just anoint Luke for that spot.

If it's something around $4M x 4 years, that's fine.

When I think of Graves I don’t think of defense or his size that he doesn’t use.

His calling card is his volume shooting and being active in the neutral and offensive zones.

I think Graves is a decent NHL defender but I won’t be upset is the Devils just ride out his contract as the most valuable way to use him.

 

[NJDevs26]

What super star has walked lately? The other players who sign don’t count because their contracts were great deals? It’s not like they would have traded Bergeron if he asked for more money.

There's some examples that have been named in this thread...and a lot more of guys who get traded because they won't sign (Thachuk, Debrincat, etc). Yes the Crosbys and McDavids generally don't walk and I don't really expect Pastrnak to either, but the Bruins stars have seemingly been on year-to-year deals for a while, as if they don't want to be anywhere near dodge when the thing finally blows up.

 

[bossram]

When I think of Graves I don’t think of defense or his size that he doesn’t use.

His calling card is his volume shooting and being active in the neutral and offensive zones.

I think Graves is a decent NHL defender but I won’t be upset is the Devils just ride out his contract as the most valuable way to use him.

That's what he was coming from COL and last season with NJ - and was exactly why I really did not like him. You don't want him doing that stuff. He's not that good at it and you'd rather have guys like Dougie shooting and obviously Jack/Bratt carrying in transition.

But this season I've noticed less of the faux Bobby Orr play and more of a commitment to playing simple hockey. He's been effective in a primary shutdown role with Marino.

I don't really have a problem with letting him walk, but I think it's a real mistake if people are pencilling in three of Luke/Nemec/Bahl/Ok in the starting lineup next season. They need another defensively-minded veteran around.

 

[Guttersniped]

Gaudreau. Sorry that most Devils fans dont want to hear it, but that's reality. Want to go back a few more years? Tavares. These things happen.

The core will be gone or aging in 23 sans McAvoy.

If he doesn't think that team will be garbage by 24 then he's a dumb dumb.

I didn't ask anyone to get emotionally invested and I'm not either. But it's worth consideration in my view.

I was referring players specifically on Boston, not just any team. Players take pride playing for that team, a chance to retire a Bruin has cachet.

Canadian teams have a harder time keeping players and Calgary was a different situation. They had a very successful season but they’ve been a bubble team that had been in & out of the playoffs.

And Gaudreau was a US player that wanted to live back East and specifically desperately wanted to play for the Flyers. The Islanders not keeping a star player isn’t exactly a shocker either.

Obviously letting him get this close to UFA adds risk but even then guys have ended up staying out. Stamkos. Landeskog.

In the end, I guess who knows? They aren’t trading him at the TDL even if he remains unsigned, not unless shit goes very very wrong for them in the next few months.

I don’t have a lot of pressing July 1st plans right now for the team with any players.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

I was referring players specifically on Boston, not just any team. Players take pride playing for that team, a chance to retire a Bruin has cachet.

Canadian teams have a harder time keeping players and Calgary was a different situation. They had a very successful season but they’ve been a bubble team that had been in & out of the playoffs.

And Gaudreau was a US player that wanted to live back East and specifically desperately wanted to play for the Flyers. The Islanders not keeping a star player isn’t exactly a shocker either.

Obviously letting him get this close to UFA adds risk but even then guys have ended up staying out. Stamkos. Landeskog.

In the end, I guess who knows? They aren’t trading him at the TDL even if he remains unsigned, not unless shit goes very very wrong for them in the next few months.

I don’t have a lot of pressing July 1st plans right now for the team with any players.

Panarin, Bobrovsky, Gaudreau didn't go to the east coast, and why are you discounting Tavares?

Ray Bourque and Chara say that team can take their cache and shove it.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I thought he was great during that stretch in his role.

Me too. Not better than Graves for sure, but if we were looking for a Smith clone ..

 

[Guttersniped]

Panarin, Bobrovsky, Gaudreau didn't go to the east coast, and why are you discounting Tavares?

Ray Bourque and Chara say that team can take their cache and shove it.

I don’t understand your point about the East Coast and those players at all. Is that sarcasm? I don’t get it. What are you debating?

I was only talking about Bruins, I just worded poorly. I so actually don’t care about Tavares.

Tavares played for the Islanders when they were mostly a complete f***ing mess while Boston is one of the best run organizations in the NHL.

Boston let Chara walk, similar to what we did with Brodeur, because he was old and they wanted to move on. Was it the right move? I don’t really care. Bourque agreed to a trade to go ring hunting over two decades ago.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

If Vrana gets us we should 100% claim him.

We can figure the rest of from there whatever is necessary.

Never mind. Not sure that’s feasible.

If there was a reasonable way to fight eit out cap-wise we should do it

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Send him up

 

[Devils731]

Send him up

Defenseman Geertsen is even more painful than forward Geertsen