Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - 2023-24 season part II

[NjDevsRR]

ugh, I hate that I hate it less now....

Funny how the initial marketing release made it look underwhelming. But a random picture with normal lighting makes it look solid

 

[My3Sons]

Vitek and Schmid were good last season so you can’t point to Blackwood last season.

My point, these bottom dwellers are doing much worse than us and are still getting serviceable goaltending. Its just not debatable. If Devils were playing still like they were in October and November then fine, I wouldn’t bring this up. But since late November the team improved (before the second melee of injuries), the goaltending really hasn’t


Edit: I also don’t understand why you would point to Blackwood going to a worse team and having a similar save % to back up your point. That means it’s assumed that Vitek and Schmid should have been better on our team this year and put in the same numbers. But that’s EXACTLY the point I am making, they have not been good enough (Vitek at least, Schmid was serviceable IMO) Devils are good enough to have .895-.905 goalies here.

At this point isn’t the sample size of the team with Jack and Nico both playing versus only one or neither playing big enough that it overshadows just the goalie carousel?

 

[NjDevsRR]

At this point isn’t the sample size of the team with Jack and Nico both playing versus only one or neither playing big enough that it overshadows just the goalie carousel?

Well sure but that’s not the discussion lmao

 

[Guttersniped]

Yeah and with the Devils - who are supposed to be a better team right? - Mackenzie had an .892 and .893 in his last two seasons with the team. He left to a different team - not even a good one! - and his stats improved.

Blackwood wasn’t healthy in his last two seasons.

He started 2020-21 off injured and played injured, which was publicly called “pain management” and included not practicing on off-days.

We were told Blackwood had never been healthier entering 2022-23 and he didn’t play more than 8 games in a row without getting injured. He had at least three injuries that season, two rather severe ones.

 

[My3Sons]

Blackwood wasn’t healthy in his last two seasons.

He started 2020-21 off injured and played injured, which was publicly called “pain management” and included not practicing on off-days.

We were told Blackwood had never been healthier entering 2022-23 and he didn’t play more than 8 games in a row without getting injured. He had at least three injuries that season, two rather severe ones.

Blackwood has all the talent in the world. Poor kid was just cursed his last few years with NJ.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Because it’s not about playing “worse” than those teams per se. This system they use in their own zone and for break outs is straight trash and kills goalies, as does the ridiculous propensity to allow the other team’s best players to just skate right in all alone with no within a mile because all this team seems to ever think about is moving east-west in the DZ and pinching constantly with no regard for the situation, everything else be damned. They have few options for playing any more responsibly even if they wanted to, and that’s by design.

There’s also the growing suspicions about the goalie coaching.

 

[glenwo2]

Holy shit, that piece of garbage was with Nike.




That make this real ironic.

Looks like Nike is trying some damage control.

I would hope that Nike executive got fired (and hope he gets prosecuted).

 

[My3Sons]

Because it’s not about playing “worse” than those teams per se. This system they use in their own zone and for break outs is straight trash and kills goalies, as does the ridiculous propensity to allow the other team’s best players to just skate right in all alone with no within a mile because all this team seems to ever think about is moving east-west in the DZ and pinching constantly with no regard for the situation, everything else be damned. They have few options for playing any more responsibly even if they wanted to, and that’s by design.

There’s also the growing suspicions about the goalie coaching.

All the things you say as well as those disputing your contentions can be true. None of this stuff is mutually exclusive. I tend to agree with you that Ruff’s system isn’t doing the goalies any favors and the the injuries and youth on defense exacerbates that but the goalies have issues as well .

 

[Bleedred]

There is significant evidence to suggest this year’s team doesn’t play well in front of the goalies.

There’s also significant evidence to suggest that this year’s goalies (I’m gonna say Vitek specifically, as he’s played almost 30 games. Daws has still only played about half as many as Schmid? Or a little over half?) have not played well.

The models would agree that Vitek hasn’t played as bad as his .885% would indicate behind an average team, but he’s also not playing nearly to the level expected.

And the expected save percentages have been below .900% all year, so I don’t think this is something all the injuries caused. At least not any of the recent injuries.

I do think Vitek will more than likely improve when he leaves this team. He’s too far gone with this team. He was probably always going to be after last year’s playoffs, but I thought he deserved the benefit of the doubt coming into this year. Not anymore does he deserve it.

I’m pretty sure moneypuck has the expected team save percentage this year as being lower than any of the previous Ruff years.

 

[guitarguyvic]

All the things you say as well as those disputing your contentions can be true. None of this stuff is mutually exclusive. I tend to agree with you that Ruff’s system isn’t doing the goalies any favors and the the injuries and youth on defense exacerbates that but the goalies have issues as well .

Yes their "issues" are that they are average (at best) but they have to be rock stars in this ridiculous system and the guy coaching them is suspect as hell at this point.

 

[My3Sons]

Yes their "issues" are that they are average (at best) but they have to be rock stars in this ridiculous system and the guy coaching them is suspect as hell at this point.

I don’t think too many posters disagree with that in a broad sense.

 

[Devilsgrl35]

Finally a picture of the jersey with normal lighting. I like it
View attachment 811639

Do any of them happen to play defense or goalie?

 

[mdj12784]

Holy shit, that piece of garbage was with Nike.




That make this real ironic.

Just when I didn’t think could I HATE that company anymore…

 

[njdevils1982]

ugh, I hate that I hate it less now....

i was desouring and sweetening on them last night but going back to my first impression of nope.

then again, it may grow on me... trying to give it a chance even though it's a cookie cutter trend with the tone look for teams with more than two colors

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

Turcotte has been very good in the AHL this year. He plays a very good two-way game and can skate the lights out. The Devils have certainly lost a lot of team speed over the past two years, and Turcotte would inject that in the 4th line.

My trade scenario was simply a general guideline to give people the idea of a general cost.


It wouldn't take too much in my opinion. Turcotte is buried on the LA depth chart and the Kings haven't seemed to prioritize his development.

He has shown better for sure ....Good point for much needed center depth .....Just not Misyul and I'm good taking a trade on him.....

 

[TrufleShufle]

i was desouring and sweetening on them last night but going back to my first impression of nope

Idk, the lighting helps the black pop more, actually excited to see how they look on the ice under the lights.

 

[NjDevsRR]

5 pts back of Flyers for 3rd in Metro with 4 games in hand

 

[Oneiro]

I like them. The design is mildly weird but alluring.

 

[Emperoreddy]

5 pts back of Flyers for 3rd in Metro with 4 games in hand

Get two points tonight and catching the Flyers is 100% on

 

[Bone Density]

For people who want to learn more about the case. Here is a 50 min video on it.

Thanks for sharing! I wish everyone would watch this. Especially those on the mainboard proclaiming: "We really don't know what happened!" or basically calling that young woman a you know what. "I have two daughter myself, BUT" kinda stuff. Just vile.

On a more positive note, the Stadium Series sweaters are growing on me. Very niceee.

 

[None Shall Pass]

It's all over reddit and twitter. No one deletes anything there, because they are not covering up for anybody. All names for every person involved are there including pictures. The "old gentlemen" is named and associated with NIKE Canada, and etc. All info, exactly what each person did.

Turns out M. McLead is not a 10 minute guy. No chance now.

Can you DM a link? I can't find anything specific other than this video being posted.

Same. I can't find it at all.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Same. I can't find it at all.

He is probably just going off the reddit discussions based off that 42 minute video and connecting the dots. 5 players were being investigated for sexual assault according to London police last year, we now have five players who took a leave of absence. So one could assume McLeod isn’t the “ten min” person based on those dots.

The nike employee is a new tidbit of info.

Thats everything anyone knows and could attempt to assume, we all wait til the press conference on the 5th

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I don’t think too many posters disagree with that in a broad sense.

The constant bitching about wanting a goalie trade disagrees.

 

[My3Sons]

The constant bitching about wanting a goalie trade disagrees.

Again the defense and goalies can both be bad

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Again the defense and goalies can both be bad

Again, if people agree that our goalies are at best average, then trading for another average goalie does absolutely nothing. They clearly don't think our goalies are average.