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

[Hischier and Hughes]

My guess is the market is over priced and or fitz doesn’t like some of the goalies available.

Fitz has done well with trades no reason to think this time will change

This would be the first season Fitzgerald is on the 'hot seat' in terms of needing a move not just making one he thinks works. Finding a goalie will be a seriously difficult task; one that he may very likely overpay for

No GM has ever gotten away with a win in every trade they made

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Shesterkin and Vasilvesky are both sporting a .899 save percentage.

They are both better than Vitek and they have a better GAA. This season like many have stated has been a strange one for goalies and their stats. Vitek doesn't straight up cost the team games like he did against Calgary every game , shit he was a big reason they beat the Avs. He just doesn't cut it as a starter and we need a legit one to play behind this young defense core. It's just crazy 2 former Vezina winners are struggling almost as bad as he is.

 

[Emperoreddy]

 

[Emperoreddy]

Pens lose in regulation to Wild. None of the teams NJ has to pass are all that good.

Some proper goaltending and NJ can put together a solid stretch here. The league is so mediocre which is why I have a tiny bit of hope left

We have to make a trade though. Fitz has to suck it up and go get Markstrom. It is what it is, and there really isn't going to be many better goalie options in the offseason.

It's that or just parade our current shit tenders out next year. Saros is both going to cost more and command a big new contract. There isn't anyone else worth it.

We want to contend, we got to do what we got to do.

 

[Ripshot 43]

We have to make a trade though. Fitz has to suck it up and go get Markstrom. It is what it is, and there really isn't going to be many better goalie options in the offseason.

It's that or just parade our current shit tenders out next year. Saros is both going to cost more and command a big new contract. There isn't anyone else worth it.

We want to contend, we got to do what we got to do.

The Flames are 1 point out of a WC spot while we are 5 points out. Why are they trading us their starting goaltender?

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Yeah what @ Markstrom when the Flames are in better spot to make the playoffs than we are, he's gonna be a summer trade if at all. You guys are going to get Jake Allen for a 4th and get the same shit goaltending just to realize it's the HC's awful system.

 

[Clam Jensen]

Glad to see others have given up on the season, it was clear in December #barrywasright

Those were some rough takes as is, but it’s even worse that you used your username as a hashtag.

 

[MartyOwns]

The hard truths:
-We lost the Toffoli trade
-We lost the Timo trade
-Palat’s contract was a disaster the day it was signed
-Timo’s contract has negative value
-Jack Hughes is injury prone
-Nico is one concussion away from Nolan Patrick
-Our 4C is going to prison
-We have the worst goalie in the league

Did I miss anything?

our pets heads are falling off

 

[Mgd31]

Yea Markstrom ain’t moving unless the Flames “flame out” in a month. And we need a goalie now. He’s not an option until the summer.

Yeah what @ Markstrom when the Flames are in better spot to make the playoffs than we are, he's gonna be a summer trade if at all. You guys are going to get Jake Allen for a 4th and get the same shit goaltending just to realize it's the HC's awful system.

I would take Jake Allen for a 4th

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Yea Markstrom ain’t moving unless the Flames “flame out” in a month. And we need a goalie now. He’s not an option until the summer.



I would take Jake Allen for a 4th

I mean the way I said it came off as I was being disingenuous but so would I, I just don't see the argument for a big goalie trade in season with Lindy+Rogalski around.

 

[Mgd31]

I mean the way I said it came off as I was being disingenuous but so would I, I just don't see the argument for a big goalie trade in season with Lindy+Rogalski around.

Neither do I

 

[Better Call Sal]

Boyle sounding the fire alarms for our goalie situation.

 

[theoptimist]

All that and somehow the team is still in a playoff chase.

Only thing we’re chasing is pavements

 

[JrFischer54]

I've been anti Markstrom given the rumored demands from Calgary. And my issues are his age, his contract, and, moreso earlier this year, his numbers from last year.

But aside from last year, he's been good for 8 years, including this year.

If you can get him without giving up Holtz, Casey or a first, then I'm definitely interested.

Interested? If we don’t have to give up any of that to get him it’s a fireable offense to not get him.

 

[Darkauron]

Markstrom sucks and if we trade for him it better be barely anything

 

[Guttersniped]

Markstrom sucks and if we trade for him it better be barely anything

If Calgary trades Markstrom, and I don’t think they will, it definitely won’t be for “barely anything”.

Calgary is always trying to compete, they aren’t going to make their team way worse and losing Markstrom will do that. Vlader sucks and is Wolf hasn’t done any in the NHL. This is a “retool” not a “rebuild”. (I’m not convinced they trade Hanifin either.)

This is why it’s very difficult to trade for a goalie this early in the season, or during the season in general. It’s hard to find teams that are willing to make that sacrifice.

 

[AfroThunder396]

The thing with Fitzgerald is that he’s very good at recognizing the team needs and addressing them.

All the fans realized we needed to sell our vets and get draft capital. Fitz traded Coleman, Greene, and Zajac and got us some nice picks.

All the fans realized we needed to improve the defense. Fitz went out and got Hamilton, Graves, Siegenthaler, and Marino.

All the fans realized we needed to move on from stagnating young players like Zacha and Smith. Fitz shipped them out for great returns.

All the fans realized we needed veteran leadership. Fitz went out and got Haula, Palat, and Smith.

All the fans realized we had been overdrafting forward but hadn’t drafted defensemen very well. Fitz spent 1st round picks on Mukhamadullin, Hughes, and Nemec in consecutive years.

All the fans realized we needed to get tougher and more physical. Fitz traded for Meier.

All the fans realized we needed better shooters. Fitz traded for Toffoli.

All the fans realized we needed an upgrade at goalie. Fitz brought in Bernier, Crawford, Gillies, Hammond, and Vanecek.

Given his long track record of being remarkably in touch with the strengths and weaknesses of this team and how active he’s been in addressing those areas, I find it ASTONISHINGLY difficult to believe he doesn’t see the coaching and goaltending issues that are so obvious to all of us.

The fact that there are half a dozen other teams in the league with goaltending situations as bad or worse than ours that also haven’t made a moves should tell you a lot about the quality of goaltenders available and the prices those teams are demanding.

 

[Andre Palot]

The hard truths:
-We lost the Toffoli trade
-We lost the Timo trade
-Palat’s contract was a disaster the day it was signed
-Timo’s contract has negative value
-Jack Hughes is injury prone
-Nico is one concussion away from Nolan Patrick
-Our 4C is going to prison
-We have the worst goalie in the league

Did I miss anything?

Hard truth:
Barry Tallackson was a big bust

 

[Bleedred]

The thing with Fitzgerald is that he’s very good at recognizing the team needs and addressing them.

All the fans realized we needed to sell our vets and get draft capital. Fitz traded Coleman, Greene, and Zajac and got us some nice picks.

All the fans realized we needed to improve the defense. Fitz went out and got Hamilton, Graves, Siegenthaler, and Marino.

All the fans realized we needed to move on from stagnating young players like Zacha and Smith. Fitz shipped them out for great returns.

All the fans realized we needed veteran leadership. Fitz went out and got Haula, Palat, and Smith.

All the fans realized we had been overdrafting forward but hadn’t drafted defensemen very well. Fitz spent 1st round picks on Mukhamadullin, Hughes, and Nemec in consecutive years.

All the fans realized we needed to get tougher and more physical. Fitz traded for Meier.

All the fans realized we needed better shooters. Fitz traded for Toffoli.

All the fans realized we needed an upgrade at goalie. Fitz brought in Bernier, Crawford, Gillies, Hammond, and Vanecek.

Given his long track record of being remarkably in touch with the strengths and weaknesses of this team and how active he’s been in addressing those areas, I find it ASTONISHINGLY difficult to believe he doesn’t see the coaching and goaltending issues that are so obvious to all of us.

The fact that there are half a dozen other teams in the league with goaltending situations as bad or worse than ours that also haven’t made a moves should tell you a lot about the quality of goaltenders available and the prices those teams are demanding.

Spot on with everything.

I’m sure we will have seen the end of Vitek no matter what after year’s end. In fact, if Daws doesn’t show much and Schmid doesn’t then it around in the AHL, I can see none of these three goalies on the NHL team (at least at the start of the year) next year.

I do think Rogalski probably doesn’t make it out of this season, and I’m starting to think Ruff may not either.

With Jack back and the lineup getting as healthy as it will probably get at any point again this year (Siegenthaler is the only one still missing, other than Dougie who isn’t coming back and Smith who means nothing) I think if we see a lot of losses like Thursday night down the stretch, combined with games like the last one in Tampa before the break, Ruff is probably really in trouble.

Even if most of these losses feature 3 soft goals by the goalie that’s almost definitely on his own way out.

 

[Unknown Caller]

The thing with Fitzgerald is that he’s very good at recognizing the team needs and addressing them.

All the fans realized we needed to sell our vets and get draft capital. Fitz traded Coleman, Greene, and Zajac and got us some nice picks.

All the fans realized we needed to improve the defense. Fitz went out and got Hamilton, Graves, Siegenthaler, and Marino.

All the fans realized we needed to move on from stagnating young players like Zacha and Smith. Fitz shipped them out for great returns.

All the fans realized we needed veteran leadership. Fitz went out and got Haula, Palat, and Smith.

All the fans realized we had been overdrafting forward but hadn’t drafted defensemen very well. Fitz spent 1st round picks on Mukhamadullin, Hughes, and Nemec in consecutive years.

All the fans realized we needed to get tougher and more physical. Fitz traded for Meier.

All the fans realized we needed better shooters. Fitz traded for Toffoli.

All the fans realized we needed an upgrade at goalie. Fitz brought in Bernier, Crawford, Gillies, Hammond, and Vanecek.

Given his long track record of being remarkably in touch with the strengths and weaknesses of this team and how active he’s been in addressing those areas, I find it ASTONISHINGLY difficult to believe he doesn’t see the coaching and goaltending issues that are so obvious to all of us.

The fact that there are half a dozen other teams in the league with goaltending situations as bad or worse than ours that also haven’t made a moves should tell you a lot about the quality of goaltenders available and the prices those teams are demanding.

Fitz has generally been great, but he's on the precipice of burning a year of the team's contention window because he failed to address goaltending. Rolling Vitek out as long as they have is absolute malpractice.

We don't know what the prices are for the goalies on the market, but even if you had to go to the bargain bin for a period of time and claim a stop gap on waivers, that still would have been a proactive move to stablize the situation while you find a long term solution. He botched this one.

The absolute worst goalie in the NHL still getting the starter's load in February is inexcusable on so many levels.

Also, there are literally zero teams with a goaltending situation as bad or worse than ours. We have hands down the worst goaltending in the league. And when you add in the talent level of the roster and contention window of the organization, it's not even debatable.

 

[Guttersniped]

Also forgot to add that Calgary traded their 2025 1st to dump Monahan.

There’s a lot of convoluted conditions but the important part is that their 2025 1st only protected if it’s 1st overall.

So again, I see Tanev getting traded but who knows after that.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Fitz has generally been great, but he's on the precipice of burning a year of the team's contention window because he failed to address goaltending. Rolling Vitek out as long as they have is absolute malpractice.

We don't know what the prices are for the goalies on the market, but even if you had to go to the bargain bin for a period of time and claim a stop gap on waivers, that still would have been a proactive move to stablize the situation while you find a long term solution. He botched this one.

The absolute worst goalie in the NHL still getting the starter's load in February is inexcusable on so many levels.

Also, there are literally zero teams with a goaltending situation as bad or worse than ours. We have hands down the worst goaltending in the league. And when you add in the talent level of the roster and contention window of the organization, it's not even debatable.

People got too high on the supply of last year, this team is not even close to being a contender with Ruff as HC + incorporating two young studs on the defense. They weren't going to beat Florida, Canes, Boston this year anyway

Fitz has generally been great, but he's on the precipice of burning a year of the team's contention window because he failed to address goaltending. Rolling Vitek out as long as they have is absolute malpractice.

We don't know what the prices are for the goalies on the market, but even if you had to go to the bargain bin for a period of time and claim a stop gap on waivers, that still would have been a proactive move to stablize the situation while you find a long term solution. He botched this one.

The absolute worst goalie in the NHL still getting the starter's load in February is inexcusable on so many levels.

Also, there are literally zero teams with a goaltending situation as bad or worse than ours. We have hands down the worst goaltending in the league. And when you add in the talent level of the roster and contention window of the organization, it's not even debatable.

More hyperbole by you to get shock value of fans on this board.

2023-24 NHL Team Goaltending Stat Leaders - ESPN

ESPN is the place for NHL stats! Find a list of the Goaltending team stat leaders for the 2023-24 NHL Regular Season.

www.espn.com

Go sort the save percentage there and see who's worse than us, oh right, it's the Carolina Hurricanes who still have clawed their way to second in our division. This team is NOT GOOD outside of the goaltending either. Get it through your heads.

 

[Devs3cups]

People got too high on the supply of last year, this team is not even close to being a contender with Ruff as HC + incorporating two young studs on the defense. They weren't going to beat Florida, Canes, Boston this year anyway



More hyperbole by you to get shock value of fans on this board.

2023-24 NHL Team Goaltending Stat Leaders - ESPN

ESPN is the place for NHL stats! Find a list of the Goaltending team stat leaders for the 2023-24 NHL Regular Season.

www.espn.com

Go sort the save percentage there and see who's worse than us, oh right, it's the Carolina Hurricanes who still have clawed their way to second in our division. This team is NOT GOOD outside of the goaltending either. Get it through your heads.

Sad thing is the roster should be good. The goaltending and the system suck.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Sad thing is the roster should be good. The goaltending and the system suck.

They're fine long term, they're a very bad team this year and everyone is dying on the goalie sword when it's simply not true

 

[glenwo2]

They're fine long term, they're a very bad team this year and everyone is dying on the goalie sword when it's simply not true

Maybe this finally leads to Ruff getting the boot....