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

[Bcap88]

If they are grinding away that's really encouraging. That almost only happens when they are working towards common ground in the legal world. You don't grind away if you don't have some sort of framework in place.

Assuming framework is in place

Structure, bonuses, protection and I’m assuming timo wants close to his qualifying offer in terms of salary in year 1

 

[Bleedred]

old washed up sack of shit that had 2 goals, 4 assists in 5 playoff games this year?
old washed up sack of shit that had 16 goals, 39 assists for 55 pts in 72 games this year?
and 17 goals, 43 assists for 60 pts in 65 games a year ago?

That kind of offensive production is in line with Mercer and Bratt. So yeah if Mercer and Bratt are sacks of shit, so is Wheeler I guess.

He didn't have as bad of a season as I thought, but let's be serious. He's turning 37 years old. He's not as good as as Mercer or Bratt.

If you really expect him to be as good as them then I don't know what to tell you.

Bratt had 73 points in 82 games, Wheeler paced for 63 if he played 82. Bratt is better than Wheeler already.

Mercer was a 21 year old second year player and still wasn't outproduced by a whole lot by Wheeler and averaged over a half a minute less per game.

He's not the washed up sack of shit I initially made him out to be, but he's not as good as the players you mentioned and he's also not as good as Phil Kessel was in 2015 (before he started winning cups) either.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Forget Hellebuyck

We're gonna re-sign Blackwood for $1.5 million and he's gonna bounce back.

I've been telling @My3Sons this for years now. He can back me up. He never lets me forget about it.

Alright, who’s volunteering to do the wellness check on Bleed?

 

[My3Sons]

He didn't have as bad of a season as I thought, but let's be serious. He's turning 37 years old. He's not as good as as Mercer or Bratt.

If you really expect him to be as good as them then I don't know what to tell you.

Bratt had 73 points in 82 games, Wheeler paced for 63 if he played 82. Bratt is better than Wheeler already.

Mercer was a 21 year old second year player and still wasn't outproduced by a whole lot by Wheeler and averaged over a half a minute less per game.

He's not the washed up sack of shit I initially made him out to be, but he's not as good as the players you mentioned and he's also not as good as Phil Kessel was in 2015 (before he started winning cups) either.

Wouldn't Wheeler occupy the same overpaid veteran role currently taken up by Palat? Haula is the underpaid veteran looking to hang on. I'm not sure where Wheeler would fit in anyway.

 

[Stephen Gionta]

And on top of everything else he'll be 37. Highly doubt he'd keep up with our pace of play.

Wheeler can skate extremely well.

But yeah his age is definitely a concern. He is still worth the look. Leave no stone unturned.

 

[My3Sons]

If anyone is curious. A Russian blogger came to visit Yegor at the end of February. It came out yesterday.

Can @Guadana provide a bit of insight for those of us with a language barrier?

 

[Stephen Gionta]

Wouldn't Wheeler occupy the same overpaid veteran role currently taken up by Palat? Haula is the underpaid veteran looking to hang on. I'm not sure where Wheeler would fit in anyway.

I think the idea behind looking into Wheeler as a potential option for this team is that we lack offensive right handed forwards (Mercer is the only one), and we lack big bodied forwards. He fits the bill in both categories.

With the assumption that he can be had one a 1 year deal, (whether UFA signing if bought out, or trading for him) it's definitely worth digging into. With the resume he has over the course of his career, if it's not working out with him by game 40 of the season, you could flip him to another team. There's 30 other teams out there, someone will 100% be interested, especially if you retain salary.

 

[Nocashstyle]

Confident this will be done before draft day.

I think fitz wants all his chips in order come draft day

Even if they can’t get a deal done by draft day, 0% chance Meier gets traded, especially with the arbitration date likely another month away. Had Bratt not signed by now, yeah the days around the draft could have been very interesting for him.

But yeah, agreed. I’m sure Fitz wants to have this knocked off his “to-do” list before draft day so he can focus on working magic in other places. Even if he doesn’t make any moves on draft day, I’m sure he’ll be mingling with every other GM and planting some seeds.

 

[devilsblood]

Wheeler can skate extremely well.

But yeah his age is definitely a concern. He is still worth the look. Leave no stone unturned.

In his prime maybe. Can't imagine he's much more then an average skater these days.

Tend to think that was a factor in the lack of pushback the coach spoke of. Older slower player is going to have difficulties when the opposition shifts gears.

Anyways, I don't think this whole discussion is much more then board chatter, but Wheeler doesn't make much sense imo.

 

[Zippy316]

Everyone here hated Langenbrunner by the end but sometimes things don't work out the way a player thinks they will and they just need to go elsewhere. That said, I have zero interest in Wheeler at 50% retention.

A bought out Wheeler at 2 million or so would make a lot of sense (considering that he would be making 4.25 on a buyout).

Think he would be a nice balance to this forward group especially if Haula returns along with Palat. The defensive game is an issue, but most players on this team are quite strong defensively. Also at some point, you would think he wants a chance at winning a cup, I would hope he would buy in a little more defensively to do so.

Meier - Hughes - Mercer
Bratt - Hischier - Wheeler
Palat - Haula - Holtz/Clarke
Boqvist - McLeod - Bastian
Foote - Lazar

Part of me is also coming around a bit on the core leadership group. Seems like Hischier and company have gotten a real buy in from the team. We might be getting closer to the “take in problematic teammate” point.

 

[devilsblood]

I think the idea behind looking into Wheeler as a potential option for this team is that we lack offensive right handed forwards (Mercer is the only one), and we lack big bodied forwards. He fits the bill in both categories.

With the assumption that he can be had one a 1 year deal, (whether UFA signing if bought out, or trading for him) it's definitely worth digging into. With the resume he has over the course of his career, if it's not working out with him by game 40 of the season, you could flip him to another team. There's 30 other teams out there, someone will 100% be interested, especially if you retain salary.

If we bring in Wheeler and he plays to the level that we then want to then trade him mid season, there is not going to be much of a market for him.

 

[devilsblood]

A bought out Wheeler at 2 million or so would make a lot of sense (considering that he would be making 4.25 on a buyout).

Think he would be a nice balance to this forward group especially if Haula returns along with Palat. The defensive game is an issue, but most players on this team are quite strong defensively. Also at some point, you would think he wants a chance at winning a cup, I would hope he would buy in a little more defensively to do so.

Meier - Hughes - Mercer
Bratt - Hischier - Wheeler
Palat - Haula - Holtz/Clarke
Boqvist - McLeod - Bastian
Foote - Lazar

I don't see a whole lot in his numbers which suggest he is a bad defender. Doesn't look like they use him much defensively but he's right in the middle of the pack on that team.

 

[Stephen Gionta]

If we bring in Wheeler and he plays to the level that we then want to then trade him mid season, there is not going to be much of a market for him.

When somebody with the track record of Wheeler doesn't have success in one destination, there will be a long list of general managers lining up to acquire him to see if he can have success with their group.

I think you underestimate the confidence of many GMs that think "their team" could be the team that will bring out the best in player X.

 

[My3Sons]

I think the idea behind looking into Wheeler as a potential option for this team is that we lack offensive right handed forwards (Mercer is the only one), and we lack big bodied forwards. He fits the bill in both categories.

With the assumption that he can be had one a 1 year deal, (whether UFA signing if bought out, or trading for him) it's definitely worth digging into. With the resume he has over the course of his career, if it's not working out with him by game 40 of the season, you could flip him to another team. There's 30 other teams out there, someone will 100% be interested, especially if you retain salary.

For a year at a reasonable cap hit without giving much up it's fine but if he gets bought out as has been reported on the main board, my guess is some team overpays him and NJ shouldn't be doing that.

 

[Guttersniped]

To Winnipeg - Blackwood, Vanacek
To New Jersey - Hellebuyck (25 or 50%), 2024 2nd

Winnipeg gets younger and cheaper, and they have their tandem for potentially several years since Blackwood is RFA and Vanacek has a few years under contract. We get a better goalie for less than we paid last year, and we can decide in a year (or during the year) to extend or not. Schmid would be in the tandem on the NHL team.

It won't happen, but hey.

Uh, let’s just say Jets fans have different expectations for the Hellebuyck return.

Is that 2nd in the right spot? They aren’t spending a 2nd for the opportunity to retain 3.75m in salary. (Helly makes 7.5m this year.)

 

[My3Sons]

Alright, who’s volunteering to do the wellness check on Bleed?

My youngest is headed there for freshman orientation in late July. I can probably check on him then.

 

[Better Call Sal]

If anyone is curious. A Russian blogger came to visit Yegor at the end of February. It came out yesterday.

I'd be curious to have a translation if they spoke on anything interesting at all.

 

[devilsblood]

When somebody with the track record of Wheeler doesn't have success in one destination, there will be a long list of general managers lining up to acquire him to see if he can have success with their group.

I think you underestimate the confidence of many GMs that think "their team" could be the team that will bring out the best in player X.

If this were a cheap pickup post WPG buyout, and he came here and stunk, I'd guess we'd just release him.

 

[Stephen Gionta]

If this were a cheap pickup post WPG buyout, and he came here and stunk, I'd guess we'd just release him.

Unlike the NFL, you can't just release players in the NHL.

 

[longislanddevil]

Not a fan of throwing big bucks to a goalie, especially one at age 30. 3-4 years? Sure. Anything past that, no thanks.

I’m not all that interested because…

IN SCHMID I TRUST!! I know it isn’t a big sample size but the kid has ice water in his veins and looks the part.

Besides….Mercer will need a new deal and at some point Luke/Nemec will command big $. Fitz has been an amazing GM because he is forward thinking. I don’t think Helly with the AAV he will command, is something Fitz will ne keen on.

 

[Hisch13r]

Not a fan of throwing big bucks to a goalie, especially one at age 30. 3-4 years? Sure. Anything past that, no thanks.

I’m not all that interested because…

IN SCHMID I TRUST!! I know it isn’t a big sample size but the kid has ice water in his veins and looks the part.

I think my max is like 8x4 or 7x5. I'm not taking a hardline stance on Schmid one way or the other. The majority of goalies are meh that can have runs of being great and then runs of being poor. I think it's much more likely he's that type of guy than a bonafide high end goalie you can rely on year over year.

 

[longislanddevil]

@Hisch13r

That’s as far as I’d go on Helly, as well. There will likely be some teams willing to go higher on the AAV and desperate ones that will go longer on term.

 

[Guadana]

Can @Guadana provide a bit of insight for those of us with a language barrier?

"I never played with better third line center than Nico".
"We drinked vodka with Okhotyuk behind the rink, but he left me, amma sad about it"
"New Jersey is what exactly you can see in Sopranos"
"I like part of Devils fans, for other part I am tolerant for"



In real life I`m watching it now. For now from everything I saw interesting, he is working more on his shot, on the training he hit the bar 7 times in a row

 

[Emperoreddy]

Fitz has earned the benefit of the doubt with me that if he decides to go in that direction with Helly, then I'll support it

 

[HersheyBob27]

Ok Rob.

Anytime clem