Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - 2023 offseason part II

[Devs3cups]

LET N.J. COOK
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@Devs3cups

 

[NjDevsRR]

Gosh, another beautiful day in Devilsland

And I saw Jack djing in my town lmao what a summer to be alive

 

[TBF1972]

Oh my sweet summer child, wait until we're down 2-0 in the first period of an October game and people start talking about trading Hischier for JT Miller.

like switching the 3rd line center has any lasting effect on our po chances.

 

[Nubmer6]

I don’t think Vitek really has any trade value tbh

Actually, he should. League average goalie isn't nothing.

But I really say he needs to be included as a cap dump.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Just dumb Sharks fans on the trade board

Not true at all. There were posters on this very board freaking out because this or that pundit speculated about Mercer being involved. Nevermind that these “experts” routinely throw ignorant shit at the wall and are more often than not wrong, especially when it comes to the devils.

 

[Andre Palot]

 

[Eggtimer]

I don’t think Vitek really has any trade value tbh

Not much value but we would almost have to include him to take on the cap hit of Helle . Plus Jets need a goalie that is moe reliable than what they would be left with.

 

[Devs3cups]

Fitz didn't mess around with the off-season checklist. We're all bored now.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Not true at all. There were posters on this very board freaking out because this or that pundit speculated about Mercer being involved. Nevermind that these “experts” routinely throw ignorant shit at the wall and are more often than not wrong, especially when it comes to the devils.

I didn't really see a ton of Mercer+ stuff here unless I was just oblivious when the conversation popped up. But I saw a ton of Sharks fans peddling it on the main board, it was basically us asking for Soderstrom from Arizona when the Hall rumors came up. Every fanbase does it so I don't blame Sharks fans in hindsight.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I didn't really see a ton of Mercer+ stuff here unless I was just oblivious when the conversation popped up. But I saw a ton of Sharks fans peddling it on the main board, it was basically us asking for Soderstrom from Arizona when the Hall rumors came up. Every fanbase does it so I don't blame Sharks fans in hindsight.

Soderstrom had a WHOLE lot less actual NHL success in 2019 than Mercer, though. Both might have been ridiculous asks but they're not on the same level of ridiculous ask, even if Timo had a lot more value than Hall at the time of the trade.

 

[Camille the Eel]

Not much value but we would almost have to include him to take on the cap hit of Helle . Plus Jets need a goalie that is moe reliable than what they would be left with.

I don’t know why Vitek is taking so much sh*t and has been apparently devalued. He had a very strong season for us, was durable and reliable (just what we needed), won more than 30 games (I think, haven’t checked but must have been close to that at least), made the saves he had to make night after night, and really looked good doing it a fair amount of the time. The best season by a devils goalie in several years and gave us what we needed. Yeah he had a crappy playoffs but still this is someone you hold on to. There’s no reason he can’t repeat the same kind of play this year and if you “dump” him there’s no guarantee you’ll get play that’s as good. Plus a good guy and a pleasure in the locker room, unlike a lot of goalies, who rightfully have the reputation for often being difficult.

 

[Bleedred]

I don’t know why Vitek is taking so much sh*t and has been apparently devalued. He had a very strong season for us, was durable and reliable (just what we needed), won more than 30 games (I think, haven’t checked but must have been close to that at least), made the saves he had to make night after night, and really looked good doing it a fair amount of the time. The best season by a devils goalie in several years and gave us what we needed. Yeah he had a crappy playoffs but still this is someone you hold on to. There’s no reason he can’t repeat the same kind of play this year and if you “dump” him there’s no guarantee you’ll get play that’s as good. Plus a good guy and a pleasure in the locker room, unlike a lot of goalies, who rightfully have the reputation for often being difficult.

The poster saying he has no value is a well-documented Blackwood fanboy, which is kind of their schtick. Which is probably why that poster doesn't like Vitek very much.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Soderstrom had a WHOLE lot less actual NHL success in 2019 than Mercer, though. Both might have been ridiculous asks but they're not on the same level of ridiculous ask, even if Timo had a lot more value than Hall at the time of the trade.

I guess that's fair but it was more so just the point that most fanbases ask for the moon for their stars.

 

[My3Sons]

The poster saying he has no value is a well-documented Blackwood fanboy, which is kind of their schtick. Which is probably why that poster doesn't like Vitek very much.

What are you talking about? @Bleedred who is the biggest Blackwood fanboy of any of us never said Vanacek had no value. You are way off on this one.

 

[NJDevs26]

I don’t know why Vitek is taking so much sh*t and has been apparently devalued. He had a very strong season for us, was durable and reliable (just what we needed), won more than 30 games (I think, haven’t checked but must have been close to that at least), made the saves he had to make night after night, and really looked good doing it a fair amount of the time. The best season by a devils goalie in several years and gave us what we needed. Yeah he had a crappy playoffs but still this is someone you hold on to. There’s no reason he can’t repeat the same kind of play this year and if you “dump” him there’s no guarantee you’ll get play that’s as good. Plus a good guy and a pleasure in the locker room, unlike a lot of goalies, who rightfully have the reputation for often being difficult.

I agree with you on most of it but it was more than the playoffs, he definitely sagged down the stretch as well and looks like he's tapped out as a 1B, which is fine by me - especially with the contract he's on - assuming Schmid at some point in the near term grabs hold of the 1A, or they trade for Helle

 

[None Shall Pass]

Vitek also just finished his 3rd NHL season and beat his games played record by 10. Maybe he was just tired by the end of it.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Vitek also just finished his 3rd NHL season and beat his games played record by 10. Maybe he was just tired by the end of it.

I mean sure, but he did have a pretty decent break after being pulled early on in the Rangers series. I think it was mostly mental for him, so hopefully he can get that edge back.

 

[Bleedred]

I agree with you on most of it but it was more than the playoffs, he definitely sagged down the stretch as well and looks like he's tapped out as a 1B, which is fine by me - especially with the contract he's on - assuming Schmid at some point in the near term grabs hold of the 1A, or they trade for Helle

He had a pretty good run from about the last week of December through the all star break, where I think he got points in almost all of his games. Did he lose a game in regulation during that stretch? If he did it was maybe 1 or 2 at most. It wasn't like Blackwood's February 2020, but it was still pretty impressive and I think it was a larger game stretch than Blackwood's February of 2020.

It seemed after Blackwood came back from injury and threatened to take his job, especially after that win against Florida in the game I went to, he went back into beast mode after struggling for much of December before that. And then Blackwood had that game against Boston right before where he was pulled after 4 goals on 16 shots or something after 2 periods.

Now that I'm going over it, I do remember Vitek having a regulation loss in his first game of that stretch I speak of. It was a 2-1 loss to Boston, where we lost on some stupid deflection goal at the side of the net with under 5 minutes left in regulation.

I think from that point on to early February, he was pretty lights out, as well as October-November.

His December was pretty weak and his play from all star break onward was weak to meh. I honestly think it was just a....... get ready for it.......market correction. He wasn't really as good as his play in October-November and January, just like you know who wasn't really as bad as his first 9 games of 18-19. Nor was Vitek really as bad as his play from February onward, much like you know who wasn't really as good as his 20 games of .920% to end that season lol.

 

[None Shall Pass]

I mean sure, but he did have a pretty decent break after being pulled early on in the Rangers series. I think it was mostly mental for him, so hopefully he can get that edge back.

Yeah but getting a few days off after busting ass from October until June or whatever isn't going to solve that problem.

Ideally he can take the summer to regroup and maybe work on conditioning a little bit.

 

[Bleedred]

Vitek also just finished his 3rd NHL season and beat his games played record by 10. Maybe he was just tired by the end of it.

I could definitely buy this.

I also don't believe for a minute that the organization had any intentions of Vanecek playing 50 games or more going into that season. They were clearly banking on Blackwood and him splitting time or maybe one of them playing 45-46 games and the other playing over 30 games and hopefully Schmid (or Daws) having to play no more than maybe a handful.

I think they may be fine with him hitting 50 games this year if need be, just because he's already shown he can do it adequately, whereas he hadn't shown that before last season, but I think they'd also hope for the goalie with the most games played this year for us maxes out around 45-46.

 

[Bleedred]

I'm not in the least bit worried about Vitek's end of regular season slide. I just think it was the natural progression (market correction lol) of an average goalie's percentages evening out to something closer to league average than something considerably above league average, which is how he was playing up until February (also the December slide) of this past season. I'm not denying fatigue could have also played a role.

I'm a little worried about his playoff struggles, which are apparently a thing now, even in Washington, though the sample size is still pretty small on his career NHL playoff games played and I do think that was mental. We have seen guys sometimes not be able to come back from something like those beatings, at least not with the same team, though I think it's favorable that he will.

But I also do believe that management and maybe even the coaching staff is hoping he doesn't have to start playoff games for us again, but I think if he's hot then they also won't hesitate to try him in the playoffs again.

 

[Camille the Eel]

I agree with you on most of it but it was more than the playoffs, he definitely sagged down the stretch as well and looks like he's tapped out as a 1B, which is fine by me - especially with the contract he's on - assuming Schmid at some point in the near term grabs hold of the 1A, or they trade for Helle

When was that last shutout against Carolina at home, afternoon game I think? That was a brilliant game and was his apogee.

Gosh, goaltending is a thankless position. You are only as good as your last couple games, so exposed, every mistake crucial, the hero or the scapegoat. Few positions in sports more crucial (starting pitcher in game 7 of a series maybe ?).

 

[NJDevs26]

When was that last shutout against Carolina at home, afternoon game I think? That was a brilliant game and was his apogee.

Gosh, goaltending is a thankless position. You are only as good as your last couple games, so exposed, every mistake crucial, the hero or the scapegoat. Few positions in sports more crucial (starting pitcher in game 7 of a series maybe ?).

Mid-March but it was definitely an outlier late in the season, even before that people were screaming and yelling Schmid should be the starter. Particularly when he got destroyed the five or six games before that Carolina game, but he had two games off going into it and the hope was that the extended break helped.

 

[My3Sons]

When was that last shutout against Carolina at home, afternoon game I think? That was a brilliant game and was his apogee.

Gosh, goaltending is a thankless position. You are only as good as your last couple games, so exposed, every mistake crucial, the hero or the scapegoat. Few positions in sports more crucial (starting pitcher in game 7 of a series maybe ?).

Every NFL game is all about the QB in today’s game.

 

[BomaLightDevils]

When is the development camp?