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

[Bleedred]

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.

Because Blackwood’s qualifying offer was going to be almost $3 million. The Sharks got him for just under $2.5 million.

Where do we cut costs on the roster to give Blackwood approximately $1.5 million more than Daws/Schmid?

And saying he’s better than Kallgren/Kinkaid implies we should have signed him for the AHL? There’s multiple reasons that wasn’t going to happen.

He was make $2+ million to play as the third goalie in the minors?

That’s also assuming no one claimed him off waivers when they sent him down after camp?

 

[Emperoreddy]

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.

Refuses to play Timo at RW or use him like the Sharks did.

Whatever that abomination of a Jack-Haula-Toffi line is

 

[Devs3cups]

No issue with what Fitz has built and done. Will be keeping a close eye on the coaching staff though. That’ll be telling.

 

[BurntToast]

Because Blackwood’s qualifying offer was going to be almost $3 million. The Sharks got him for just under $2.5 million.

Where do we cut costs on the roster to give Blackwood approximately $1.5 million more than Daws/Schmid?

And saying he’s better than Kallgren/Kinkaid implies we should have signed him for the AHL? There’s multiple reasons that wasn’t going to happen.

He was make $2+ million to play as the third goalie in the minors?

That’s also assuming no one claimed him off waivers when they sent him down after camp?

Or send Schmid to the minors with the intent to bring him or Daws up.

 

[Bleedred]

I still don’t understand how none of these times the lines are juggled that Timo doesn’t end up on the right side.

Or send Schmid to the minors with the intent to bring him or Daws up.



Or start Schmid in the minors.

Blackwood played himself off the team in game 82. Schmid played himself on to the team. The Rangers series sealed that.

This is complete and total hindsight after the fact.

Who honestly wanted Blackwood back (for $1.5 million more per year than Schmid) after last year so Schmid could start in the minors?

Some of you are really reaching for any reason to criticize certain moves.

 

[BurntToast]

I still don’t understand how none of these times the lines are juggled that Timo doesn’t end up on the right side.

This is why Fitz should get some of the blame. Pay a guy 9 mil to play RW and trade for a RW1. Toffoli doesn’t do much without Jack.

 

[Bleedred]

There’s enough things to complain about that we don’t need to find new things.

Like not bringing back Blackwood and forcing Schmid to start the year in the minors.

 

[kiwidevil]

Let's see how serious Mr Fitz is. He seemed to be on every second postcast/interview last season when things were going well. Now the teams barely scraping the bubble and there's some real decisions to be made and we only hear from him when he's signing an extension. Now there's 27 games left and only 1 real injury to 'lean on' , after his off-season upgrades. If this team doesn't start humming at last years rate, let's see if he allocates some responsibility.

 

[Killing Joke]

This team hasn’t had a 3 game in streak since the end of Dec. since then it’s been 2 wins here, a loss, a win, 2 losses, a win, a loss etc. but no 3 game win streaks in 2 months.

This team needed help all of Jan and Tom sat on his ass doing jack shit.

 

[BurntToast]

I still don’t understand how none of these times the lines are juggled that Timo doesn’t end up on the right side.


Blackwood played himself off the team in game 82. Schmid played himself on to the team. The Rangers series sealed that.

This is complete and total hindsight after the fact.

Who honestly wanted Blackwood back (for $1.5 million more per year than Schmid) after last year so Schmid could start in the minors?

Some of you are really reaching for any reason to criticize certain moves.

Schmid who played 20 games and Kallgren/Kindkaid as 3rd. This isn’t hindsight, nobody was happy with that situation. Some people were predicting that V would lose the starting position and Schmid would take over by half. Unfortunately, Schmid only played well for a handful of games. Before that he was terrible in the NHL. Plus, Daws had offseason surgery and you act like goaltending issues are a surprise.

 

[Bleedred]

Schmid who played 20 games and Kallgren/Kindkaid as 3rd. This isn’t hindsight, nobody was happy with that situation. Some people were predicting that V would lose the starting position and Schmid would take over by half. Unfortunately, Schmid only played well for a handful of games. Before that he was terrible in the NHL. Plus, Daws had offseason surgery and you act like goaltending issues are a surprise.

That doesn’t mean we should have signed a poorly performing and injury prone of 3 years goalie to be our backup/third goalie for $1.5 million more than the cap.

 

[NJDevs26]

Let's see how serious Mr Fitz is. He seemed to be on every second postcast/interview last season when things were going well. Now the teams barely scraping the bubble and there's some real decisions to be made and we only hear from him when he's signing an extension. Now there's 27 games left and only 1 real injury to 'lean on' , after his off-season upgrades. If this team doesn't start humming at last years rate, let's see if he allocates some responsibility.

This is my main issue with Fitz this year, even above the lack of accountability and sitting on his hands. Dude needs to realize leaders have to take both the praise and the criticism and not just hide in a bunker and take advantage of the media market to avoid having to answer for an underachieving season

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

NJ shouldn’t do anything until J Hughes gets his head out of his ass and/or gets surgery.

 

[Saint Beaurivage]

The GM allowed Ruff to hang around this team way too long. The Devils have a very powerful core of talent which includes the defense, no reason to second guess it. The team came unprepared, unmotivated and with a system that did not work against the Caps. The team was out-coached.

Having a subpar goaltender hurts but their star players should have overcome the aging Capitals.

Years ago the GMs were more visible to the public and would make comments on TV and radio. Nowadays they hide in their offices. Personally I think it is bad PR.

 

[theoptimist]

You could improve the roster by trading Mercer for draft picks

I’m done with teenagers.

 

[Call Me Al]

i’d rather trade toffoli for a first and put holtz in his place

 

[Billdo]

Last night might've been the most disappointed I've been with this team all year. I thought they'd build upon Saturday. To no show like that is just inexcusable. Ruff sucks but at the end of the day he's not playing. Guys just don't seem to have that fire. It's too late to think they'll turn it around.

 

[NJDevs26]

How many times have we said this season ‘they’ll build on this game!’ and it never happens?

 

[BurntToast]

It has to be a PR situation. Its pretty wild to have an outdoor game and the GM is a no-show. Brodeur has been doing all the public stuff since Fitz’s resigning. Brodeur tours stadium, Brodeur drops the puck, Brodeur goes down to sign the AHL goalie. I was anti-burn management for the handling of certain situations but Fitz’s actions since have been odd. Any news we get from about management are from a 3rd party source; “Fitz was sooo close to trading for goalie” but it fell through, just like the Devils inability to finish games.

 

[Call Me Al]

How many times have we said this season ‘they’ll build on this game!’ and it never happens?

after every pair of consecutive wins and yet…

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Jack has 17 points in his last 21 games. Horrific production.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Me still on the bandwagon.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Man I loved what Fitz did to completely turn the makeup of this team around two off seasons ago. But in hindsight his decisions last offseason have not worked out. Coupled with his shit coaching staff choices, inaction during this season of woeful underperformance, and lack of accountability/visibility in the midst of it all…it’s really starting to shake my faith in him.

 

[Billdo]

Man I loved what Fitz did to completely turn the makeup of this team around two off seasons ago. But in hindsight his decisions last offseason have not worked out. Coupled with his shit coaching staff choices, inaction during this season of woeful underperformance, and lack of accountability/visibility in the midst of it all…it’s really starting to shake my faith in him.

Well he did the praise parade in the summer so there's that.

 

[glenwo2]

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

Well that's exactly what he's doing right now.