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

[Guttersniped]

I keep forgetting UFA actually is tomorrow lol...figures one of the few times it's on a weekend is when we really aren't looking for jacksquat other than maybe a new fourth liner or two now.

You’ll find me with @Bad Goalie either celebrating or burning down the place over how they address the black hole at center in Utica.

 

[NJDevs26]

I don't think Blackwood quite understands his place within the professional game.

Well he's about to find out unless there is another Ron Hextall-type dumb GM

But really dude...you had THREE hideous seasons in a row and got healthy scratched for the entire playoffs. What the f*** are you quibbling about contract terms with a team that's probably giving you some games?

 

[Hisch13r]

Yeah maybe we're just comitted to running Lazar at C. Bring back Bastian, find a LW somewhere and that's a "nothing happening" line that I can live with

Keep Bo too and then they seem to love Foote so they can battle it out for 4LW and the other as the extra

 

[MasterofGrond]

Well he's about to find out unless there is another Ron Hextall-type dumb GM

But really dude...you had THREE hideous seasons in a row and got healthy scratched for the entire playoffs. What the f*** are you quibbling about contract terms with a team that's probably giving you some games?

good news for blackwood...

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Good job by San Jose to just walk away from Blackwood even after giving up a pick.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Apparently Duchene got bought out of NSH cause of his character, I wouldn’t mind him with how he’s a rush offense forward which plays into our system like a glove but I don’t want the youth to have a locker room cancer if true

 

[HugeInTheShire]

Not too worried about not qualifying McLeod, Bastian or Boqvist. I still think at least 2 re-sign in NJ but wouldn't be the end of the world if all 3 left.

 

[NJDevs26]

Yeah maybe we're just comitted to running Lazar at C. Bring back Bastian, find a LW somewhere and that's a "nothing happening" line that I can live with

We definitely forget about Lazar cause he got shafted by his visa issues, then a lineup crunch but Fitz definitely traded for him with the idea of playing a role on next year's team. And with Foote having the inside track to another roster spot, I wouldn't even mind seeing some turnover on the fourth line.

 

[bossram]

That BMW line was good for 2 months, sucked for a good 3 months then got their game back heading into the playoffs. Also pretty hard for a guy like Boqvist to look like anything when the coach had a hard on for that fourth line to the point he was scratching better players. Btw, did Lazar look out of place to you when he got in games? He didn’t to me where McLeod was a 1M-1.5M more of a difference

I think Mikey has way more "upside" than a guy like Lazar, and we saw that particularly in the playoffs. His speed alone can create some offense, and we know he has defensive/PK/faceoff utility. He is significantly better than Lazar. Bastian I like, but not super disappointed if he doesn't come back.

I don't think Mikey is coming back. Other teams will pay him.

 

[Guttersniped]

LOL good luck with that buddy

“I just want an opportunity to play” for certain amount of money apparently.

The goalie market is so bad I can’t see him being dumb keeping him from getting a job somewhere. (Probably.)

He’s f***ing dumb though.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Duchene could be good for us, but I think his skillset is a little superfluous. Not interested unless it's a steal, and I think he's gonna have a lot of suitors.

 

[bossram]

Not too worried about not qualifying McLeod, Bastian or Boqvist. I still think at least 2 re-sign in NJ but wouldn't be the end of the world if all 3 left.

I think Mikey is gone. If the Devils didn't want to pay the arb number, they're definitely not going to match the UFA offers he'll get.

 

[MasterofGrond]

We definitely forget about Lazar cause he got shafted by his visa issues, then a lineup crunch but Fitz definitely traded for him with the idea of playing a role on next year's team. And with Foote having the inside track to another roster spot, I wouldn't even mind seeing some turnover on the fourth line.

I like Lazar, think he's a 5on5 upgrade. Only issue would be the whole PK gonna be gutted without Graves/Sevs/Mikey.

 

[Darkauron]

Not a fan of Duchene. He is an asshole

 

[Hisch13r]

Duchene could be good for us, but I think his skillset is a little superfluous. Not interested unless it's a steal, and I think he's gonna have a lot of suitors.

He could probably be quite good next to 2 defensively responsible guys like Palat and Haula but yeah he’s going to get paid. If I’m shelling out money for anyone it’d be Sprong which also isn’t happening

 

[HugeInTheShire]

I think Mikey is gone. If the Devils didn't want to pay the arb number, they're definitely not going to match the UFA offers he'll get.

That's fine, he was good in the playoffs but he's really not worth the money he's likely to get.

 

[MasterofGrond]

If I was Mack, i'd be taking just a 1M x as many years as I could get contract.

not long for the league, bro, lock in some cash while you can

 

[Hisch13r]

I like Lazar, think he's a 5on5 upgrade. Only issue would be the whole PK gonna be gutted without Graves/Sevs/Mikey.

Bahl might be able to do enough of what Graves did. We could bring a 3RD who can PK. Then relying on Nico and Haula as the 2 PK centers seems perfectly fine to me. I don’t think it’ll be a huge downgrage

 

[Oneiro]

He's likely still very raw so I'm guessing we're taking the Foote approach there, but wonder if Filmon gets a look this year.

Forgot Thompson was still in the mix as well.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

 

[mdj12784]

Don La Greca is dead to me. In his ranking of area teams (all leagues) Devils 4th and rangers 1st. I don’t care that they’re two years removed from the finals. We beat them this past playoff’s, and we got BETTER! Utterly ridiculous…

 

[MasterofGrond]

Bahl might be able to do enough of what Graves did. We could bring a 3RD who can PK. Then relying on Nico and Haula as the 2 PK centers seems perfectly fine to me. I don’t think it’ll be a huge downgrage

Yeah, I have faith. Always just tough to lose a large chunk of what was a very effective unit.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I think Mikey has way more "upside" than a guy like Lazar, and we saw that particularly in the playoffs. His speed alone can create some offense, and we know he has defensive/PK/faceoff utility. He is significantly better than Lazar. Bastian I like, but not super disappointed if he doesn't come back.

I don't think Mikey is coming back. Other teams will pay him.

He’s better than Lazar but he’s not 1.5M better in my eyes, McLeod was great for us in the playoffs but that’s part of the issue we had in the playoffs. Our top 6 had their own issues with finishing, it has to be flipped if this team wants to win a Cup.

 

[SKNJD9]

1. Mcleod, Bastian, Boqvist all talking to Fitzy after signing their cheaper deals
   
   
   
   
   
2. [5:16 PM]
   

 

[bossram]

That's fine, he was good in the playoffs but he's really not worth the money he's likely to get.

If they think he's not worth it, fair enough.

But if they expect Lazar to replace him, they are almost certainly wrong. He is much worse.