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

[glenwo2]

Any goalie that comes here it is an absolute must that Rogalski is sent out of here first.

There’s not a goalie coach in the league more deserving of losing their job than him right now.

He’s already been here more years than Melanson got here.

Some goalie coaches last 20 years with an organization like Benoit Allaire, Bob Essensa and a few others probably close to that, but this needs to be the end of Rogalski.

He’s a plague that could be ended now, if Fitz would just make the damn call to end this disastrous experiment.

I still don't believe Fitz even knows he exists, let alone is employed by the Devils.

I wish one brave reporter would ask him about Dave Rogalski.

I bet he would say : "Who?" and we'd have our answer. LOL

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Hischier for Saros?

No one is seriously suggesting this - it's just my own musing. But, I might do that deal if I thought Mercer to step into Hischier's shoes.

lol what.

 

[Lou Bloom]

Hischier for Saros?

No one is seriously suggesting this - it's just my own musing. But, I might do that deal if I thought Mercer to step into Hischier's shoes.

Hischier is significantly more valuable than Saros.

 

[glenwo2]

FWIW, this is why Crawford retired...had nothing to do with leaving Chicago...

View attachment 818933

Thanks for that, HBK27.

Now I don't have any ill feelings toward Crawford leaving us high and dry that year.

It's just bad luck for us and even worse luck for him.

Glad to hear he's doing okay.

 

[MadDevil]

 

[glenwo2]

So Ruffs original system had the 3 forwards as interchangeable and it was done mostly to take some defensive responsibility off the centers.

Lazar mentioned that one of the tweaks is now treating the wingers and center separately. The center will now be asked to cover a lot of the ice while the wingers focus on just their side.

Small sample size but I haven’t noticed the Devils centers performing badly with the extra responsibility and the wingers appear to be performing better now that they can make decisions more quickly.

It also appears to me that the wingers play slightly closer to the wall and point when the play isn’t in their zone. I think that is helping with puck recovery and breakouts.

———————-

We will see how teams adjust to this change. I think the Devils were pre-scouted very well by the league and these changes address some of what the old systems weaknesses were. It will be interesting to see how teams change to adjust.

I don't think teams will be able to adjust.

Remember last season where we went through the entire season playing the way we did and no one could handle it until the playoffs came around.

Devils got scouted over the offseason by teams.

It will be the same this time around.

I have a good feeling about the Devils situation going forward....(but the key is to win Tomorrow)

 

[Xirik]

Players can have down years and still show growth in there game. So far Mercer hasn't shown that at all. He Need to have a really good last stretch of the season and perhaps the playoffs to see him as part of the "core".

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

No chance Nashville is moving Askarov. He’s going to be a key piece in their rebuild. 2 months ago we were salivating over Saros, now nobody wants him?

The window to win is now. Go get him. You can find a middle 6 forward that can fill the Mercer role elsewhere. He’s not a cornerstone piece.

The window is just opening you can't be serious....Time is now we might not even get to the playoffs....Mercer just turned 22 and hasn't looked out of place at all in the NHL he was a phenomenal pick and is a corner piece 2 3 years he will be light years better....Right now keep rolling as is unless the price comes down....If team makes it in and keeps playing disciplined hockey they will be a tough out....

Players can have down years and still show growth in there game. So far Mercer hasn't shown that at all. He Need to have a really good last stretch of the season and perhaps the playoffs to see him as part of the "core".

Lol you can't be serious the whole team has struggled....

 

[billingtons ghost]

Our fans love demanding that we trade for other players that aren't available. People saying they would rather have Saros when Hellebuyck was available and just days ago saying they wouldn't move Holtz for Markstrom, that he should be moved for someone like Saros.

Now Saros is potentially available and we want Askarov instead.

Actually, for the prices discussed, I'd rather see if Schmid or Daws playing behind a real defense could be as good or better.

 

[Xirik]

Lol you can't be serious the whole team has struggled....

I'm talking about an individual and not the team. I suggest rereading what I said

"Players can have down years and still show growth in there game"

I get that you are defensive after the last couple pages but there is no need to bite my head off.

 

[bossram]

A little visual. I think the wingers are actually more spread but this change just happened so hard to tell for sure.

The good part is they've switched to a more conventional DZ defence. Simplifies the reads/decision-making for everyone, and has far less risk than when the initial "Swarm" doesn't work.

Bad part is they should've made this switch two seasons ago.

 

[Billdo]

This coverage still leaves guys wide open on the other side of the ice IF they can thread the needle with a cross ice pass.

 

[guitarguyvic]

I can’t believe we are back to talking about trading Mercer. The kid is young, cost controlled, is a consistent producer even with his step back this year, has a killer motor, already plays exactly the type of game championship teams need, and will likely become even better in the next couple of years.

There is no goalie in this league that is enough of a difference maker as a single piece to be worth sacrificing that much for. This is nothing but simplistic “shiny object” syndrome, and I certainly hope that Fitz doesn’t suddenly do a 180 in his philosophy and buy into it.

 

[Billdo]

Hischier for Saros?

No one is seriously suggesting this - it's just my own musing. But, I might do that deal if I thought Mercer to step into Hischier's shoes.

You need to find a different outlet for these outlandish musings.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I can’t believe we are back to talking about trading Mercer. The kid is young, cost controlled, is a consistent producer even with his step back this year, has a killer motor and plays exactly the type of game championship teams need.

There is no goalie in this league that is enough of a difference maker as a single piece to be worth sacrificing that much for. This is nothing but simplistic “shiny object” syndrome, and I certainly hope that Fitz doesn’t suddenly do a 180 in his philosophy and buy into it.

thats absurd lol so you're saying you wouldn't trade Mercer for Sorokin? or Demko? or Oettinger?

 

[Billdo]

I can’t believe we are back to talking about trading Mercer. The kid is young, cost controlled, is a consistent producer even with his step back this year, has a killer motor and plays exactly the type of game championship teams need.

There is no goalie in this league that is enough of a difference maker as a single piece to be worth sacrificing that much for. This is nothing but simplistic “shiny object” syndrome, and I certainly hope that Fitz doesn’t suddenly do a 180 in his philosophy and buy into it.

This to me is his biggest draw at the moment. Teams need young guys who contribute on the cheap while their superstars are paid.

This second part though is ridiculous. There are at minimum 3 goalies I'd trade Mercer for in a second. You could argue up to 5-6-7. Hellebyuck, Sorokin, Shesterkin are no brainers.

 

[guitarguyvic]

This to me is his biggest draw at the moment. Teams need young guys who contribute on the cheap while their superstars are paid.

Yes teams do need that. Including the NJ devils.

This talk is insanity to me. The golden knights won a Stanley cup last year with a goalie no one had ever even heard of beforehand.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I'm peddling Mercer to Boston on a razor scooter if we get Swayman. There's 3-4 untouchables on NJ, Jack Luke Nemec and Nico. Everyone else has a price, sorry

 

[bossram]

I think he's definitely going to come close to 7.


Have to watch Seth Jarvis and see what happens there. I think that's a close comparable.

I think it would behoove NJ to get in on Mercer before Jarvis is signed. Based on how CAR operates, they will look to go long-term with Jarvis.

And I don't think that makes sense for NJ. I think it benefits NJ more to go short-term with Mercer and keep the cap hit down. Align the deal with Nico's - this is their contention window.

They can re-evaluate the direction of the club at that point.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Yes teams do need that. Including the NJ devils.

This talk is insanity to me. The golden knights won a Stanley cup last year with a goalie no one had ever even heard of beforehand.

Issue is its a crap shoot. You don't know which unknown goalie is going to turn into a gem or is a pumpkin.

That level of uncertainty can tank seasons and cost people their jobs. You can't rely on that

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

Our fans love demanding that we trade for other players that aren't available. People saying they would rather have Saros when Hellebuyck was available and just days ago saying they wouldn't move Holtz for Markstrom, that he should be moved for someone like Saros.

Now Saros is potentially available and we want Askarov instead.

Yeah and then we have fans who want to deal all of our young guys who we went through years of rebuilding for..Calling for trades that most times don't bring cups....

 

[bossram]

NHL goalies are like nfl running backs

Use them in their prime, let them walk, replace them with a cheaper option, rotate them 50/50

Yep. And this is the path NJ already committed to. No sense re-orienting the roster to accommodate a big ticket goalie that might still fall on their face anyway.

Do what Vegas did and keep taking flyers on 3-4 cheapo goalies and see if one sticks.

This coverage still leaves guys wide open on the other side of the ice IF they can thread the needle with a cross ice pass.

It's pretty much the same as many other team's DZ coverage. If there is a change of side, the weak-side winger can flex out and apply pressure quickly.

Lindy's old system had the weak side winger basically holding the low slot. It was too hard to also do the job of covering the weak side, and deciding when to make the switch.

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

I can’t believe we are back to talking about trading Mercer. The kid is young, cost controlled, is a consistent producer even with his step back this year, has a killer motor, already plays exactly the type of game championship teams need, and will likely become even better in the next couple of years.

There is no goalie in this league that is enough of a difference maker as a single piece to be worth sacrificing that much for. This is nothing but simplistic “shiny object” syndrome, and I certainly hope that Fitz doesn’t suddenly do a 180 in his philosophy and buy into it.

Well said!

 

[JK3]

Hoooooo boy we got some goalie fever goin on in here, take a cold shower.

 

[bossram]

Issue is its a crap shoot. You don't know which unknown goalie is going to turn into a gem or is a pumpkin.

That level of uncertainty can tank seasons and cost people their jobs. You can't rely on that

You also don't know if an established goalie will turn into a pumpkin. Goalies are voodoo. Markstrom was awful last season. Shesterkin has been bad this season. Oettinger has been pretty bad.

I could easily say "you can't rely on that" too.

Do what Vegas did. Make a bunch of bets on some guys who might fit your system (last year they ran, Thompson, Brossoit, and Hill as their starters in certain stretches). See if someone sticks.

For this season and the last, Fitz hasn't really done that. He made one bet (Vanececk) and paid him too much. Then threw some raw rookies with barely AHL experience to start meaningful games.