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

[MartyOwns]

as long as he doesn’t say anything bad about bratt!1!

 

[NJDevs26]

Really don't get letting go Boqvist over McLeod or Bastian at this point.

Eh McLeod has a use, as much as faceoffs can be overrated here he's above average in that and PK work. Bastian has a use since he's one of the few physical players on the team and not a complete negative offensively. What's Boqvist's use...just being there and having slightly better offensive production than a specialized fourth-liner? It's not like he plays special teams or does anything above average.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

Someone needs to set this guy straight regarding the distinction between 4th line and bottom 6.

Anyone? Anyone?

Thats because the group of analytics-over-everything guys stick together and only call out everyone else and not each other. Imagine, the guy youre referencing parades around that bottom-6 and 4th line arent the same; yet when the most inconsequential player let go in the last few years is stated as such, hes nowhere to be found

I had quite a few responses to my 'another analytical-darling bites the dust' comment - and guess what? Each one who responded was one of said poster-group

Go figure... its almost like Boqvist was never good defensively nor PKd nor provided offense; yet he has people defending him and going to bat over a minimum-salary player. Is that normal outside a single superfan of Boqvists?

Or maybe.. just maybe... its because analytics supported another half-useless player like it always does and a select few parrot those stats to death

Imagine grabbing a guy from the greatest-NHL team ever and your one quarrel is we didnt keep a useless player whos now on a minimum-salary; wheres the old man yelling at a cloud gif when you need it

 

[Hisch13r]

Thats because the group of analytics-over-everything guys stick together and only call out everyone else and not each other. Imagine, the guy youre referencing parades around that bottom-6 and 4th line arent the same; yet when the most inconsequential player let go in the last few years is stated as such, hes nowhere to be found

I had quite a few responses to my 'another analytical-darling bites the dust' comment - and guess what? Each one who responded was one of said poster-group

Go figure... its almost like Boqvist was never good defensively nor PKd nor provided offense; yet he has people defending him and going to bat over a minimum-salary player. Is that normal outside a single superfan of Boqvists?

Or maybe.. just maybe... its because analytics supported another half-useless player like it always does and a select few parrot those stats to death

Imagine grabbing a guy from the greatest-NHL team ever and your one quarrel is we didnt keep a useless player whos now on a minimum-salary; wheres the old man yelling at a cloud gif when you need it

Do you go to therapy?

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I must’ve missed the part where Jesper Boqvist was some analytical darling.

He’s a nice little player and I wanted to keep him, but the analytics and eye test match up fairly well here. He’s okay.

 

[MadDevil]

Apologies if this was posted already.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Apologies if this was posted already.

It's fun to relive that Dawson stretch from February. He was scorching hot with Nico and Tatar.

 

[Andre Palot]

Nice that you’ve stayed here for the constant bitching back and forth in this fandom.

As is tradition.

 

[devilsblood]

I must’ve missed the part where Jesper Boqvist was some analytical darling.

He’s a nice little player and I wanted to keep him, but the analytics and eye test match up fairly well here. He’s okay.

Well that's apparently because we moved him in and out, and up and down the lineup.

Paula Haula Boq was really good but then we broke that up to squeeze in Timo. Or something like that.

Now I liked Boq, I also would have kept him, but like I've said, the team was clearly looking for something else in the playoffs, and we made moves this offseason to, in mgmt's mind, make us more of a playoff team.

I also think the "We should have kept Boq over McLeod and Bastian" argument just doesn't understand that usage is an actual thing.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Thats because the group of analytics-over-everything guys stick together and only call out everyone else and not each other. Imagine, the guy youre referencing parades around that bottom-6 and 4th line arent the same; yet when the most inconsequential player let go in the last few years is stated as such, hes nowhere to be found

I had quite a few responses to my 'another analytical-darling bites the dust' comment - and guess what? Each one who responded was one of said poster-group

Go figure... its almost like Boqvist was never good defensively nor PKd nor provided offense; yet he has people defending him and going to bat over a minimum-salary player. Is that normal outside a single superfan of Boqvists?

Or maybe.. just maybe... its because analytics supported another half-useless player like it always does and a select few parrot those stats to death

Imagine grabbing a guy from the greatest-NHL team ever and your one quarrel is we didnt keep a useless player whos now on a minimum-salary; wheres the old man yelling at a cloud gif when you need it

I'll post this again because you didn't respond the last time.

Do you know who else were "analytic darlings" that people like myself told you would breakout before they did? Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt just to name a few. Siegenthaler too (though not even I imagined he'd be this good). I am wrong plenty (as are many others here), but you are just creating a weird situation that doesn't even exist tbh....because I don't even think Boqvist is an "analytic darling" lmao so I don't even know what you're talking about.

 

[devilsblood]

Eh McLeod has a use, as much as faceoffs can be overrated here he's above average in that and PK work. Bastian has a use since he's one of the few physical players on the team and not a complete negative offensively. What's Boqvist's use...just being there and having slightly better offensive production than a specialized fourth-liner? It's not like he plays special teams or does anything above average.

What Boq brought was high end skating. By letting him go, as well as Shara and Wood, while bringing in the likes of Taffoli and potentially Foote, makes us less much less of a skating team.


McLeod in addition to taking faceoffs, including a ton of d-zone faceoffs, and playing the PK, is also as good a skater as Boq, and much more physical.

 

[Rhodes 81]

I'm not a Pokemon nerd. Now if we're talking Star Wars I know plenty of useless nerd stuff. Hell, my username is half from the Devils and half from an obscure nickname a character had in an old EU book that used to be my username on multiple Star Wars forums back in the day (before I got tired of the constant bitching back and forth in that fandom).

EUmentioned.jpeg

 

[devilsblood]

Jack’s on ice numbers with and without Haula are practically identical. Haula’s irrelevant to Hughes and the dinosaur needs to recognize it.

No they are not.

Better across the board with Haula. CF%, SF% GF% xGF% all better.

Bubble boy just making stuff up.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

The more i look at how the roster’s shaping up, i really wouldn’t mind a 4th line of Tierney-Nosek-Bastian. Gives you a little bit of everything. Or maybe Nosek - McLeod - Bastian if McLeod isn’t in court or jail or something.

I think it’s certainly possible that one of the AHL guys looks great and grabs an NHL spot in camp, but i wouldn’t bet on it. I don’t think Foote has the skating to hang in the NHL for a full season and Thompson’s a wild card who could still end up with a bot-6 journeyman career or he could be in the German league by Christmas. And i don’t think Clarke has a chance at outplaying Holtz, though we’ll have to wait and see.

Lots of moving parts, but it’s nice for once that it’s all regarding bottom-6 and role-playing spots instead of “Will Josefson finally prove to be a better 2nd line center than The Ghost of Travis Zajac?”

 

[njdevil26]

The more i look at how the roster’s shaping up, i really wouldn’t mind a 4th line of Tierney-Nosek-Bastian. Gives you a little bit of everything. Or maybe Nosek - McLeod - Bastian if McLeod isn’t in court or jail or something.

I think it’s certainly possible that one of the AHL guys looks great and grabs an NHL spot in camp, but i wouldn’t bet on it. I don’t think Foote has the skating to hang in the NHL for a full season and Thompson’s a wild card who could still end up with a bot-6 journeyman career or he could be in the German league by Christmas. And i don’t think Clarke has a chance at outplaying Holtz, though we’ll have to wait and see.

Lots of moving parts, but it’s nice for once that it’s all regarding bottom-6 and role-playing spots instead of “Will Josefson finally prove to be a better 2nd line center than The Ghost of Travis Zajac?”

This is what I'm hoping for if McLeod is cleared.

Would be a very good line and having the ability for Nosek and McLeod to jump around the lineup for big faceoffs is a big deal.

 

[Guttersniped]

Will is, wait for it, Devils AGM and Utica GM Dan MacKinnon’s son.

So both Ryan Fitzgerald and this guy leave the Flyers org and sign with their Dad’s org.

It’s not there isn’t space, particularly on the Thunder (especially for RHD), so I’m not complaining but it’s still kind of funny.

 

[glenwo2]

Apologies if this was posted already.

Seeing Miles Wood beat Hellebuyck....all of a sudden makes me NOT want him. lol

 

[RememberTheName]

All the nepo hires are starting to get really annoying, deserved or not.

 

[britdevil]

All the nepo hires are starting to get really annoying, deserved or not.

 

[R8Devs]

All the nepo hires are starting to get really annoying, deserved or not.

Jeremy brodeur and will mackinnon are going to mostly play in the ECHL -- hard to really care about that. If Fitz's son could return to pre-injury form that'd be good for Utica but none of these guys are taking spots from legitimate prospects nor do they take up NHL contract slots so it's whatever imo.

I'd be more annoyed if it was managerial hirings like this tho lol

 

[My3Sons]

All the nepo hires are starting to get really annoying, deserved or not.

It doesn’t send a great message

No they are not.

Better across the board with Haula. CF%, SF% GF% xGF% all better.

Bubble boy just making stuff up.

Bubble boy? Like the Moops?

 

[njdevils1982]

NEPO BABIES!

credit to @Guttersniped

 

[BronzeAgeDevilsFan]

Jeremy brodeur and will mackinnon are going to mostly play in the ECHL -- hard to really care about that. If Fitz's son could return to pre-injury form that'd be good for Utica but none of these guys are taking spots from legitimate prospects nor do they take up NHL contract slots so it's whatever imo.

I'd be more annoyed if it was managerial hirings like this tho lol

also, Fitz and Dan Mackinnon are good at their job (although I honestly have no idea what Brodeur does and if he's good at it or not) so i dont care about these signings.

i will mention it was weird that we just had to draft brodeurs son. like that was unnecessary but w/e

 

[Triumph]

Thats because the group of analytics-over-everything guys stick together and only call out everyone else and not each other. Imagine, the guy youre referencing parades around that bottom-6 and 4th line arent the same; yet when the most inconsequential player let go in the last few years is stated as such, hes nowhere to be found

I had quite a few responses to my 'another analytical-darling bites the dust' comment - and guess what? Each one who responded was one of said poster-group

Go figure... its almost like Boqvist was never good defensively nor PKd nor provided offense; yet he has people defending him and going to bat over a minimum-salary player. Is that normal outside a single superfan of Boqvists?

Or maybe.. just maybe... its because analytics supported another half-useless player like it always does and a select few parrot those stats to death

Imagine grabbing a guy from the greatest-NHL team ever and your one quarrel is we didnt keep a useless player whos now on a minimum-salary; wheres the old man yelling at a cloud gif when you need it

The reason I didn't address it is because Boqvist is one of the few players to whom bottom 6 is actually a worthwhile signifier - he receives 4th line ice time but generally plays on a higher line and is seldom used on special teams. He was also used plenty with the 4th line last year - he had 145 minutes with McLeod, 77 with Wood, and 23 with Bastian. Only Sharangovich had more time with McLeod among the non-4th liners and he was used in a similar-ish role at points during the year.

Boqvist was not ever an analytical darling. You just don't understand how a player who receives 10 minutes of ES ice time is unlikely to score very much, and when a player scores a decent amount with that sort of ice time it will still look kinda shitty. Maybe, just maybe, though, not everyone is totally wedded to numbers and some people like to see players who've grown up here also succeed here.

 

[Saugus]

All the nepo hires are starting to get really annoying, deserved or not.

This is how it has always worked. Honestly, Lou was even worse about it. Still is.

Though with how he's clinging onto the Islanders GM job, at this rate Chris is going to be waiting longer than Prince Charles for the top job.

But I agree, it's not a good look for an organization that usually makes decisions on merit and prides itself for such.