Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - 2023-24 season begins!

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Still very much a work in progress; particularly in his own end.

Gets himself in bad spots; hopefully he learns as his career goes forward.

Can have a nice career as a Keith Yandle-type offensive defenseman.

He has the potential to be much more than that.

you were wrong about Jack.
you were wrong about Bratt.
you will also be wrong about Luke.

 

[Nubmer6]

For those with a subscription:

Devils’ Jesper Bratt is better at ‘everything’ this season, says Lindy Ruff

Devils forward Jesper Bratt has 18 points in nine games this season.

www.nj.com

For those without, the headline just looks cool

 

[Better Call Sal]

I look forward to telling my son when he gets older that I was there for Jesper Bratt's first career game and NHL goal.

I do not look forward to telling my son that I was there for Jack's first career game and Goose's first NHL goal.

 

[Nubmer6]

I look forward to telling my son when he gets older that I was there for Jesper Bratt's first career game and NHL goal.

I do not look forward to telling my son that I was there for Jack's first career game and Goose's first NHL goal.

Who cares. I'd much rather you be able to tell him you were there when Bratt and Jack lifted the cup

 

[MasterofGrond]

i get real excited when jf12 bags a player

he's the jim cramer of devils hockey

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Devils pipe dream to use Nico as a third line center.
I believe Devils still should act like they want to sign next deal with him.

Fans tend to get way too caught up in the whole first, second, third line narrative.

On a team with the centers the Devils have, it doesn't make that much difference.

 

[Nubmer6]

Fans tend to get way too caught up in the whole first, second, third line narrative.

On a team with the centers the Devils have, it doesn't make that much difference.

I'm a firm believer in making lines from players who mesh, as opposed to just using stats to decide who's on the top lines.

 

[Oneiro]

Goaltending is the biggest issue with the team.

I guess it's a matter of what we'd be willing to give up for 1.5 years of Saros if Nashville fades. I don't see many options I like other than that one. Saros works for me because that's two runs in his prime and then you avoid the long term deal.

Would you do a 1st + Gritsyuk or Lenni? I feel like that's the sort of price that would be asked. I'd rather not move Casey.

Also, reading the Nashville board is kind of funny. A lot of them are anti-"tank" and make playoffs at all costs, like Poile seemed to be.

 

[NJDevils#4]

Mercer, Mercer. Wherefore art thou Mercer?

 

[Rhodes 81]

you were wrong about Jack.
you were wrong about Bratt.
you will also be wrong about Luke.

I've thought Luke has looked great, honestly he's exceeded my expectations of where he would be at already. But he definitely still has a moment or two a game. That is 100% expected from a young, offensively gifted D and he's usually been able to recover from them nicely, but let's not act like he hasn't been caught pinching or stickhandling at the blueline a few times. Like I've said before, special players get caught trying to do special things sometimes and you live with it, but it doesn't mean you don't hope they improve.

I very, very rarely agree with the poster you quoted and I don't really think I'm doing it here, either, but I don't think saying "He's already a nice offensive D but he has the potential to be much more than that" is the slam you guys are taking it as. I fully expect as he learns what risks he can and can't take at this level he will be one of the best D in this league. I've already seen less of that in game 9 than I did in game 2 or 3. That could happen as soon as this season, but that doesn't mean he's already there is all.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I've thought Luke has looked great, honestly he's exceeded my expectations of where he would be at already. But he definitely still has a moment or two a game. That is 100% expected from a young, offensively gifted D and he's usually been able to recover from them nicely, but let's not act like he hasn't been caught pinching or stickhandling at the blueline a few times. Like I've said before, special players get caught trying to do special things sometimes and you live with it, but it doesn't mean you don't hope they improve.

I very, very rarely agree with the poster you quoted and I don't really think I'm doing it here, either, but I don't think saying "He's already a nice offensive D but he has the potential to be much more than that" is the slam you guys are taking it as. I fully expect as he learns what risks he can and can't take at this level he will be one of the best D in this league. I've already seen less of that in game 9 than I did in game 2 or 3. That could happen as soon as this season, but that doesn't mean he's already there is all.

he said "he could be Keith Yandle"...I mean come on lol

of course a 20 year old in his 10th career game or whatever isn't perfect. But Luke has EXCEEDED my expectations and then some.

 

[Rhodes 81]

he said "he could be Keith Yandle"...I mean come on lol

of course a 20 year old in his 10th career game or whatever isn't perfect. But Luke has EXCEEDED my expectations and then some.

I read it as, "he's could already have Keith Yandle's career (which was pretty impressive at it's peak) but could be much more." Maybe I'm being too generous in interpretation. Just sometimes It seems like players are either saints or sinners around here and sometimes that gets a bit tiresome. Luke has been and will be even more awesome but he still needs to do the work to get there. I'm confident he will.

 

[Guadana]

Fans tend to get way too caught up in the whole first, second, third line narrative.

On a team with the centers the Devils have, it doesn't make that much difference.

Good teams using dominant lines and lines who can survive. Because it’s about outplaying opponents.

 

[Ripshot 43]

helps that he’s playing center to bratt who has 7 points in these 2 games

Who’s he trying to be?!? Pavel Zacha?

 

[NJDevs26]

helps that he’s playing center to bratt who has 7 points in these 2 games

Yeah I mean Bratt made the corpse of Andreas Johansson look like a first liner for a month too

 

[guitarguyvic]

Admittedly thought they'd fall off huge this year. This is a team that just knows how to win regular season hockey games. Tremendous structure and team defense. What we've seen is this doesn't always translate in the POs.

That aspect of the game translates great. I think their issue in the playoffs would be more about them not having that center depth and relying too much on Marchand/Pasta for offense. It’s jus amazing to me that it doesn’t seem to matter at all in the regular season.

 

[Oneiro]

Boston is just the new version of us after Nieds left, pre-Kovy.

 

[JrFischer54]

Goaltending is the biggest issue with the team.

I guess it's a matter of what we'd be willing to give up for 1.5 years of Saros if Nashville fades. I don't see many options I like other than that one. Saros works for me because that's two runs in his prime and then you avoid the long term deal.

Would you do a 1st + Gritsyuk or Lenni? I feel like that's the sort of price that would be asked. I'd rather not move Casey.

Also, reading the Nashville board is kind of funny. A lot of them are anti-"tank" and make playoffs at all costs, like Poile seemed to be.

gotta give to get. dont care about a long term deal or how he would regress at this age that age. if the devils feel hes the guy they need then go out and get him window is now

 

[Better Call Sal]

Saros is definitely the only guy out there I’d pay a premium price for.

None of the other goalies that are in the upper echelon of the league are likely going to be available. And even Saros is not necessarily on the block.

 

[Saugus]

No, McLeod isn't suddenly becoming a top 6 center. He's doing a good job filling in while Nico is out, but this won't last.

We can continue to enjoy watching him set up Bratt to go do crazy shit, though.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Saros is definitely the only guy out there I’d pay a premium price for.

None of the other goalies that are in the upper echelon of the league are likely going to be available. And even Saros is not necessarily on the block.

If we could get Saros for two runs I do it, but we're also a lot shorter on good B tier trade chips than we were this time last year. If we want to make a move like that, it's probably going to cost something that hurts now. The only really attractive piece we have that we might realistically part with is Casey (or Holtz, still, but then we need to add a forward too).

It's more realistic that we throw a 3rd round pick at whatever rando expiring contract is having a good year on a bad team at the deadline. I don't know what Chicago's plans in goal are long term, but Mrazek could be a target there. There's also the chance that Fitz looks at options like that and prefers to just stick with what we've got.

 

[Guttersniped]

Goaltending is the biggest issue with the team.

I guess it's a matter of what we'd be willing to give up for 1.5 years of Saros if Nashville fades. I don't see many options I like other than that one. Saros works for me because that's two runs in his prime and then you avoid the long term deal.

Would you do a 1st + Gritsyuk or Lenni? I feel like that's the sort of price that would be asked. I'd rather not move Casey.

Also, reading the Nashville board is kind of funny. A lot of them are anti-"tank" and make playoffs at all costs, like Poile seemed to be.

Trotz has said he has no interest in moving Saros. After he started dumping bodies this off-season he named the three difference makers he wasn’t moving: Josi, Forsberg and Saros.

He was willing to move Askarov in a package for a top 2023 pick at the draft so Trotz might not be penciling Asharov in as Saros’ immediate replacement.

And anti-rebuilding wasn’t a Poile thing, it’s an ownership thing, so they’ll be trying for a retool.

The package you suggest sounds more like what it would take to get Saros next off-season or maybe even the 2024 TDL.

It’s pretty underwhelming for a year and half of Saros, particularly since our 2024 1st might go to San Jose.

If they trade Saros then it’s more of a rebuild and a 23 year old Gritsyuk wouldn’t make that much sense for them.

Hameenaho could gain a bit of value at the U20, so maybe.

I don’t think he gets traded.

 

[haak84]

McLeod could become our mad dog madden if he develops a little bit of a scoring touch. A gamer, kills penalties, strong on the powerplay, and he can slide up and down the lineup.

Also, I have no idea how Nate dog stayed on his feet and emerged to the front of the net on that first goal.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

new agenda....HOLTZ VS LAF DEBATE

Holtz: 9 GP, 10:14 ATOI, 3 goals, 1 assist, 14 shots
Laf: 10 GP, 16:01 ATOT, 4 goals, 0 assists, 14 shots

 

[Rhodes 81]

Our bust has a better points/60 than theirs. checkmate