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

[Guadana]

I dont know how but I want a trade for Brock Nelson. Its a shame Lou will not start retool rebuild and will wait until Brock will taste the market.

 

[devilsblood]

I mean he does lead the whole team in goals by 4. What would a good fit be doing? And he’s been credited with 54 hits. Palat has 62, Timo 58, Mercer has 19.

Ya, probably not accurate to say he is not a good fit.

But while we complain about certain guys not being put in position to suceed, Toffoli get's nothing but the choicest assignments.

His most common linemates are Hughes and Bratt, by a wide margin. With Hughes he's starts his shift on a O-zone faceoff 3x's as often as a D-Zone faceoff. Top PP.


So yeah he scores goals, but he better given his usage, especially since he doesn't do much else.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

again, Sharangovich is shooting 5% above his career average this season. Nice player. I wish him well. But he wouldn't have 20 goals in NJ because he wouldn't be getting the same ice time.

 

[Triumph]

As has been said previously by other posters, Sharangovich was a healthy scratch after the Meier trade. He didn’t have a role here. His scoring evaporated, his ice time went down. He was a good PKer, but we have a lot of good PKing forwards. They tried him at center and it didn’t work.

There was nothing more here for him, which is a shame because I like the player. But it’s obvious that he lost his spot and wasn’t going to get it back.

The only reason people want to have this conversation is because of the insane injuries and regression of multiple forwards on this roster.

I don't think Sharangovich is a good penalty killer either, but he can create offense on the PK.

The people who are upset about the Sharangovich trade just forgot what trades are like - they had the 10+ years under Lou where a roster player wasn't dealt for another roster player and then the years where the team had little to no talent under Shero, and then the 'second rebuild' where the MO was trading for futures. Getting Toffoli for a 3rd and a roster player that you might've not even tendered a QO to is an enormous coup.

 

[devilsblood]

As has been said previously by other posters, Sharangovich was a healthy scratch after the Meier trade. He didn’t have a role here. His scoring evaporated, his ice time went down. He was a good PKer, but we have a lot of good PKing forwards. They tried him at center and it didn’t work.

There was nothing more here for him, which is a shame because I like the player. But it’s obvious that he lost his spot and wasn’t going to get it back.

The only reason people want to have this conversation is because of the insane injuries and regression of multiple forwards on this roster.

Ya Shara was not good last year, earned his way down, and then out, of the lineup.

The question though is did we give up on him too quickly? Especially if we think having his first child was a drag on his play.

 

[Blackjack]

Even as a Canadian I shake my head at these names. Moose Jaw and now I learn there is a place called Moose Factory?

Edit- I went down the Rabbit hole guys, Mooseland, Moosehorn, Moosehide, Moose River, Moose Lake, Moosehorn Bay, Moose Island, Moose Harbor, Moose Creek, Moose Brook.

I’m detecting a theme here but I can’t quite put my finger on it

 

[AfroThunder396]

I don't think Sharangovich is a good penalty killer either, but he can create offense on the PK.

The people who are upset about the Sharangovich trade just forgot what trades are like - they had the 10+ years under Lou where a roster player wasn't dealt for another roster player and then the years where the team had little to no talent under Shero, and then the 'second rebuild' where the MO was trading for futures. Getting Toffoli for a 3rd and a roster player that you might've not even tendered a QO to is an enormous coup.

Exactly, Toffoli had 70 points last year. His production was almost identical to what Bratt did last year.

Adding in the fact that he’s a veteran and a strong finisher - two traits that Fitzgerald clearly values highly - that trade was a slam dunk.

I get why people are frustrated with Toffoli, he looked terrible in December and January, but he’s still leading the team in goals. He has two hat tricks this season.

Sharangovich would never have provided that value to this team. He didn’t just suddenly blossom into some great player. He’s the same streaky guy from before, he’s just getting more PP time.

 

[Blackjack]

I could have scored 20 goals with Thornton feeding me in '06 lmao.

Obiously Cheechoo wouldn’t have scored all those goals without Thornton, but Thornton didn’t go anywhere, that was his first year on the team, and Cheechoo’s scoring dried up anyway.

Also, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski played on those Sharks teams and neither of them ever came close to 50 goals.

 

[JrFischer54]

Ya, probably not accurate to say he is not a good fit.

But while we complain about certain guys not being put in position to suceed, Toffoli get's nothing but the choicest assignments.

His most common linemates are Hughes and Bratt, by a wide margin. With Hughes he's starts his shift on a O-zone faceoff 3x's as often as a D-Zone faceoff. Top PP.


So yeah he scores goals, but he better given his usage, especially since he doesn't do much else.

it would be a pretty bold move to put your goal scorer in situations that wouldn't produce goal scoring.

 

[devilsblood]

I don't think Sharangovich is a good penalty killer either, but he can create offense on the PK.

The people who are upset about the Sharangovich trade just forgot what trades are like - they had the 10+ years under Lou where a roster player wasn't dealt for another roster player and then the years where the team had little to no talent under Shero, and then the 'second rebuild' where the MO was trading for futures. Getting Toffoli for a 3rd and a roster player that you might've not even tendered a QO to is an enormous coup.

Nah, I think people are upset because they traded a young guy off a bad year for a 31 year old who is dreadfully slow.

Now we have to decide whether to sign that 31(soon to be 32) year old to what will certainly be a bad contract.

This trade is a bit of the epitome of Fitz not putting an emphasis on speed at fwd.

 

[HBK27]

DeSimone's is probably like "I can buy a ticket and sit in the crowd to watch the game and it'll be the same experience. If they're not going to play me, then put me back on waivers!"

I don't feel too bad for the guy...he's at least collecting a paycheck at a $775,000 salary while being a healthy scratch in NJ versus a $325,000 rate if he were down in the AHL. Still, I'm sure he'd like to be playing. Still a bit odd he didn't get a shot last game with Marino out. I get wanting to have extra depth though. Something may have to give if Foote is ready to go soon...though I suspect they'd give him an AHL conditioning stint before activating him.

 

[devilsblood]

it would be a pretty bold move to put your goal scorer in situations that wouldn't produce goal scoring.

Well we do it with certain guys.

But you also hope those guys can produce in something other then the perfect scenario. Holtz has. Meier and Mercer not so much.

 

[RNCDevil]

The Shara-first-child theory is the one that resonates with me. I do think it affected him, especially as a relatively new immigrant.

Timo, looking meh, Mercer regressing, goaltending, injuries, rookie defense, forcing Smith to play, Siegs and Marino regression, a slower overall team with Slow-sek and Slow-folli (what it writes iteself)...it's just a lot to overcome.

Hopefully the win tonight and Saturday (I'm heading to Pru for my first game).

 

[devilsblood]

I think some Flames fans who think a goalie is worth that much are crazy.

There is a contingent here, and I hang with that group at times, that thinks our goalies have sunk our season. Or at least are a huge factor in our disappointing season.

So we are willing to pay up, but is a 34 year old, with that much AAV the next two years, the right target?

 

[Devs3cups]

 

[devilsblood]

DeSimone's is probably like "I can buy a ticket and sit in the crowd to watch the game and it'll be the same experience. If they're not going to play me, then put me back on waivers!"

Would he rather play in the AHL or practice in the NHL?

At 29 years old, with a total of 27 career NHL games, it's probably the latter.

Not sure if he makes more money watching NJ play then he would playing for Utica.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

lol you guys are just never happy anymore lol lets just keep vitek at this point i say

That would be the best option for the rest of this season for sure. Unless someone would take him off our hands for future considerations or something.

 

[Mgd31]

Hopefully it will translate into more wins at some point.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Ya Shara was not good last year, earned his way down, and then out, of the lineup.

The question though is did we give up on him too quickly? Especially if we think having his first child was a drag on his play.

Considering we gave up on Holtz before he ever even had a chance, I'd say it's quite likely the coach at least gave up on Rango too early.

 

[Andre Palot]

Obiously Cheechoo wouldn’t have scored all those goals without Thornton, but Thornton didn’t go anywhere, that was his first year on the team, and Cheechoo’s scoring dried up anyway.

Also, Patrick Marleau and Joe Pavelski played on those Sharks teams and neither of them ever came close to 50 goals.

I don't know. Nick Palmeri couldn't score 50 with prime Parise feeding him

 

[Devs3cups]

Hopefully it will translate into more wins at some point.

4-3-1 since the Colorado game. Need to go on some sort of streak here… Not counting on it though.

 

[Call Me Al]

i’m not upset about the sharangovich trade even though i don’t see toffoli as a long term piece. if we flip him for a first and effectively turn sharangovich into a 1st round pick i will consider that a home run trade. come on fitz

 

[JK3]

The best comment is “So they are teaching them what we teach to our 11/12 year olds.”

 

[Mgd31]

4-3-1 since the Colorado game. Need to go on some sort of streak here… Not counting on it though.

That's what I mean. Still .500 since the change was implemented. Need to get results.

 

[Blackjack]

i’m not upset about the sharangovich trade even though i don’t see toffoli as a long term piece. if we flip him for a first and effectively turn sharangovich into a 1st round pick i will consider that a home run trade. come on fitz

I don’t think Toffoli is returning a 1st. I’d take a 2nd and a decent prospect.