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

[guitarguyvic]

It would not shock me if Ruff is back next year and we are doing all of this again.

Maybe a new crap goalie because I don't think Fitz is going to pay up in the offseason the like the two goalies that might be available that could help.

Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised about this either. As much as I trust Fitz to not make a dumb short sighted trade, I don’t trust him with coaching staff decisions. His hiring of Lindy in the first place, then letting Brunnette go and replacing him with a guy no one thinks highly of, and his apparent unwillingness to rock the boat after last season and even now with the glaring mediocrity behind the bench…these are really big red flags to me.

 

[Blackjack]

It would not shock me if Ruff is back next year and we are doing all of this again.

Maybe a new crap goalie because I don't think Fitz is going to pay up in the offseason the like the two goalies that might be available that could help.

I'm beyond Lindy at this point. I don't believe in the young core anymore either. That was an absolute dogshit team that they played, they should have won by three goals with John MacLean behind the bench.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Honestly I wouldn’t be surprised about this either. As much as I trust Fitz to not make a dumb short sighted trade, I don’t trust him with coaching staff decisions. His hiring of Lindy in the first place, then letting Brunnette go and replacing him with a guy no one thinks highly of, and his apparent unwillingness to rock the boat now…these are really big red flags to me.

Other teams saved their season after tossing their coach. The obvious move was to toss Ruff. If Greene shits the bed just as bad then it's even easier to move on from the whole staff in the offseason.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Man it's gonna get ugly at The Rock Thursday. It's going to be 95% blue in there.

Huge wake up call coming up top to bottom. Can't wait.

Even the worst of the worst days (08 playoffs) (14-15) it was a 50-50 split.

 

[BostonDevil]

The wakeup call isn't coming. Just like Hynes overstayed his welcome. Fitz is too much of a chickenshit to fire Lindy. Especially since Jack loves playing under Ruff.

This is what I don't understand - He loads up on long term deals over the summer, trades a younger guy for Toffoli and then watches the season slip away by waiting at least until this point without addressing the things that have plagued them since October.

It's gotta be the injury excuse, which means I don't anticipate any changes in the summer either

 

[theoptimist]

Mercer has value and should be shopped to improve this roster. Take the money you were about to give this kid and go find a 2/3C to play with Meier. This Haula/Lazar combination is for the birds.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Even the worst of the worst days (08 playoffs) (14-15) it was a 50-50 split.

Eh, it got to points where it was 65-35 NYR during those lean years. I actually think NYR fans will be scared to ruin their win streak or probably used their money on the SS tickets to where it'll be a 75-25% Devils crowd

 

[BostonDevil]

Mercer has value and should be shopped to improve this roster. Take the money you were about to give this kid and go find a 2/3C to play with Meier. This Haula/Lazar combination is for the birds.

Zegras

 

[Blackjack]

Mercer has value and should be shopped to improve this roster. Take the money you were about to give this kid and go find a 2/3C to play with Meier. This Haula/Lazar combination is for the birds.

You could improve the roster by trading Mercer for draft picks

 

[devilsblood]

Zegras

Nah.

 

[BostonDevil]

Nah.

Could work. 2 more years at $5.75M I'd give it a shot

 

[gsharpe]

Canucks fan in peace.

Excuse my ignorance (or don't, fair game) but I didn't see a fantasy thread on your section hf.

Anyway!

How about the Hughes brothers (Jack and Luke) for Petterson and Demko!

After this season of course. This a stupid idea of course. But what fun it would be if it actually happened.

 

[Oneiro]

Canucks fan in peace.

Excuse my ignorance (or don't, fair game) but I didn't see a fantasy thread on your section hf.

Anyway!

How about the Hughes brothers (Jack and Luke) for Petterson and Demko!

After this season of course. This a stupid idea of course. But what fun it would be if it actually happened.

Feel free to leave in peace as well.

 

[Devils Trap]

Canucks fan in peace.

Excuse my ignorance (or don't, fair game) but I didn't see a fantasy thread on your section hf.

Anyway!

How about the Hughes brothers (Jack and Luke) for Petterson and Demko!

After this season of course. This a stupid idea of course. But what fun it would be if it actually happened.

You are so right about it being a stupid idea.

 

[devilsblood]

Could work. 2 more years at $5.75M I'd give it a shot

Dude seems pretty flakey. I know he's talented but given our team plays very flakey, he's just not the kind of guy I'd bring in.

 

[guitarguyvic]

If there's anything this team needs less of, it's players like Trevor Zegras.

 

[Forge]

Canucks fan in peace.

Excuse my ignorance (or don't, fair game) but I didn't see a fantasy thread on your section hf.

Anyway!

How about the Hughes brothers (Jack and Luke) for Petterson and Demko!

After this season of course. This a stupid idea of course. But what fun it would be if it actually happened.

Not for me. I can't move Luke Hughes for a goalie and even if EP is better than Jack, the contract he's going to sign is going to even that out. EP is going to cost like 30% more

Edit

I take that back. He's going to be like 50% more lol

 

[My3Sons]

Canucks fan in peace.

Excuse my ignorance (or don't, fair game) but I didn't see a fantasy thread on your section hf.

Anyway!

How about the Hughes brothers (Jack and Luke) for Petterson and Demko!

After this season of course. This a stupid idea of course. But what fun it would be if it actually happened.

Jack is on a rough par with Petterson and will be less expensive after Pettersson’s extension. Luke is on an ELC. It’s not really a fit.

 

[BostonDevil]

If there's anything this team needs less of, it's players like Trevor Zegras.

Yeah, sure, but there are not many young, high skill, 2Cs on the market.

No Henrique

Canucks fan in peace.

Excuse my ignorance (or don't, fair game) but I didn't see a fantasy thread on your section hf.

Anyway!

How about the Hughes brothers (Jack and Luke) for Petterson and Demko!

After this season of course. This a stupid idea of course. But what fun it would be if it actually happened.

This is cute. Kinda like how we had one good year and wanted to get Quinn.

I don't think so

 

[My3Sons]

Yeah, sure, but there are not many young, high skill, 2Cs on the market.

No Henrique

Is Zegras a wing or center? He’s sort of redundant with Jack and Bratt and Holtz

 

[BostonDevil]

Is Zegras a wing or center? He’s sort of redundant with Jack and Bratt and Holtz

Who is that third person you mentioned? I'm not familiar with that name. Does he actually play for the Devils? I know we drafted him and he's somewhere in the system but I can't remember ever seeing him on the ice

I'm not a huge fan either, but I would be more willing to give him a shot at his age and cap hit than other options

 

[guitarguyvic]

Lindy has basically handled every single thing wrong this season:
- Refused to recognize performance issue with Vitek and continued to give him vast majority of starts.
- Once he finally stopped playing Vitek, he now goes polar opposite and runs Daws into the ground.
- Waits ~50 games before adjusting system despite obvious changes being necessary months ago due to inexperienced personnel and injuries.
- Alters the defense lineup at a time when it's finally starting to look better because of the system changes, in favor of re-inserting a vet who is no longer amongst the best 6 D on the roster.
- Makes that decision even worse by moving a struggling rookie to his off side next to that scrub.
- Keeps putting out the exact same powerplay units and strategy despite changes being necessary weeks ago already.
- Continues to relegate Holtz to the fourth line/five minutes a game despite his very good production and progress amidst this team struggling overall.
- Incapable of putting together and maintaining successful line combinations.
- Questionable usage/deployment of the team's highest paid forward.

I'm definitely missing more.

 

[BurntToast]

Any good vibes is wasted away by the fact this team can’t string along multiple wins.

This team has played a full 60 minuets, maybe once, and lost that game (Carolina).

I think Fitz might be worse than Lindy. I get the gripes for Lindy, but the roster construction this offseason was terrible. I wasn’t completely sold on the Toffoli trade. The Devils just got Timo in a huge trade, then signed him to a mega contract. To then get Toffoli, put him on PP1 and relegate Timo to the 3rd line?! Nico’s line is the only one that plays defense currently. Jack’s line is a mess and the 3 line has been a disaster. He was taking risks at both defense and goaltending, and still decided to shake up the offense, adding additional risk.

Why not keep Blackwood? He isn’t perfect but he was better than Kallgren/Kinkaid.

We won’t even go into the handling of the 4th center fiasco.

Edit: Seriously, where the F*ck has this guy been. Biggest stage for the Devils and Brodeur is doing PR. Fitz had a grand old time doing interviews over the summer and now you can’t find the guy.

 

[glenwo2]

Any good vibes is wasted away by the fact this team can’t string along multiple wins.

This team has played a full 60 minuets, maybe once, and lost that game (Carolina).

I think Fitz might be worse than Lindy. I get the gripes for Lindy, but the roster construction this offseason was terrible. I wasn’t completely sold on the Toffoli trade. The Devils just got Timo in a huge trade, then signed him to a mega contract. To then get Toffoli, put him on PP1 and relegate Timo to the 3rd line?! Nico’s line is the only one that plays defense currently. Jack’s line is a mess and the 3 line has been a disaster. He was taking risks at both defense and goaltending, and still decided to shake up the offense, adding additional risk.

Why not keep Blackwood? He isn’t perfect but he was better than Kallgren/Kinkaid.

We won’t even go into the handling of the 4th center fiasco.

Cue the inevitable @Bleedred response :

 

[Emperoreddy]

If there is a move to be made to better this team now and next year, you make it.

Last thing Fitz should be doing is sitting on his hands