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

[Bleedred]

Yeah, let's be fair here. McLeod is definitely better than Lazar, if not by quite a bit

It doesn't mean I wanna sign him for something ridiculous, but I don't think Lazar is an easy plug in replacement for him.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Something like Boqvist-Lazar-Bastian would be fine. Boqvist could take up most of the center duties with Lazar taking draws.

I’d like to keep McLeod or add a solid 4th liner though.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

fitz has has a perfect offseason thus far

But not qualifying McLeod makes as little sense as can be

I agree with @My3Sons comments yesterday - if were fighting tooth and nail over 100k per player on the fourth line, then we f***ed up somewhere before then

McLeod's maximum QO was 1.2m - who are we possibly going to find whod produce ~25 points while being a top-5 faceoff taker and playing some of the heaviest minutes of any 4C in the NHL?

And lets not joke.. Lazar isnt replacing anybody lol the dude had five points in his last 64 games and has been a healthy scratch on his last three teams over four years

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

The Devils are a center needy team. They're not likely to have a better option in UFA either.

Anyone saying Lazar is an option there didn't watch him. He cannot be anything more than an emergency 4th line C.

Lazar has never played center for a full season. He is not an NHL level C.

If you're worried about your 4th line playing as much you are, then yeah of course Lazar is going to be an issue. If Lindy isn't a dumbass and plays his fourth line the right amount and doesn't make them try to have some catchy nickname of a month of decent play then Lazar is fine. If they're a really good team which we all expect then Fitz will probably add a more viable 4C come playoffs. I have next to no interest bringing back a faceoff ace that was bad most of the year and had a great playoffs. 25-30% of the year we were complaining about 4th line being a drag to the top 9 forwards and now we want to pay the center of that line lol

 

[Bleedred]

Lazar is a decent option, but should probably be the 13th forward.

And he was used exactly as such for the most part, while he was healthy.

His ability to produce points of any kind of as bad as McLeod's ability to produce just goals, but McLeod has had a much better go of scoring more actual points/assists than Lazar has in years now.

Yeah, I know, we don't need a 4th line that can score. That's what I always used to hear in the days we were rolling goons on the 4th lines haha.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Lazar is a decent option, but should probably be the 13th forward.

And he was used exactly as such for the most part, while he was healthy.

His ability to produce points of any kind of as bad as McLeod's ability to produce just goals, but McLeod has had a much better go of scoring more actual points/assists than Lazar has in years now.

Yeah, I know, we don't need a 4th line that can score. That's what I always used to hear in the days we were rolling goons on the 4th lines haha.

Not saying that per se but it doesn't have to be all Lazar, you can get good depth wingers to surround him and do the scoring of that line. If your 4th line isn't bleeding chances and just playing a safe game where the other team doesn't score either, then that's fine by me. We have more than enough to outgun teams in our top 9 + hopefully a goalie upgrade

 

[TF1970]

Really hope they don’t lose McLeod. And to a lesser extent Bastian. Indifferent on Boqvist TBH.

 

[Devils Trap]

fitz has has a perfect offseason thus far

But not qualifying McLeod makes as little sense as can be

I agree with @My3Sons comments yesterday - if were fighting tooth and nail over 100k per player on the fourth line, then we f***ed up somewhere before then

McLeod's maximum QO was 1.2m - who are we possibly going to find whod produce ~25 points while being a top-5 faceoff taker and playing some of the heaviest minutes of any 4C in the NHL?

And lets not joke.. Lazar isnt replacing anybody lol the dude had five points in his last 64 games and has been a healthy scratch on his last three teams over four years

You arent getting why Fitz doesnt want to QO McLeod then, he literally said it. Yes, McLeod MAX QO is 1.2 Million, but McLeod doesnt need and probably wont accept it. Since McLeod can go to arbitration, that gets hairy. Especially with deals like Kampf as a example used here.

So we could go into Arbitration, they award Mikey with 3 Million AAV and we are stuck with it no matter what.

This is Fitz just taking any chance out of this with the cap, its not about 1.2 Million.

 

[Mr Bojanglez]

by the way, I also think the "McLeod was great in the playoffs" stuff is overblown. He had a couple of key plays, and obviously the huge goal in game 7, but here are his ranks among our forwards that played in the playoffs at 5 on 5

CF%: 11th
xGF%: 11th
HDCF%: 12th

out of 14.

Plus Palat made that play. I think we were all just shocked he didn't screw it up. Similar thing happened late in the regular season... "oh wow McLeod showed agility"

 

[Bleedred]

What exactly are the qualifying offers for McLeod, Bastian and Boqvist? I'm not even sure what they are.

I'd have to believe that if Fitz could get something for Blackwood, who is worth nowhere near his qualifying offer, whereas these others guys are, and he didn't plan on signing these guys, then he probably would have traded as many of them as he could.

 

[Triumph]

If you're worried about your 4th line playing as much you are, then yeah of course Lazar is going to be an issue. If Lindy isn't a dumbass and plays his fourth line the right amount and doesn't make them try to have some catchy nickname of a month of decent play then Lazar is fine. If they're a really good team which we all expect then Fitz will probably add a more viable 4C come playoffs. I have next to no interest bringing back a faceoff ace that was bad most of the year and had a great playoffs. 25-30% of the year we were complaining about 4th line being a drag to the top 9 forwards and now we want to pay the center of that line lol

Everyone here just pretends 2022 didn't happen and that the Devils will never have injuries again. They have absolutely no center depth at all right now. Now they might go out and sign a 4th line C who isn't McLeod and a top AHL C and some of that is mitigated, but not only do they not have center depth, the guys who can kind of fill in at C last year like Sharangovich and Boqvist may be gone. It's Mercer and then that's it, and I don't love Mercer at C.

The Devils appeared worn out in the playoffs. They should be rolling 4 lines in most situations to keep the top lines fresher. They had the ability to do that last year and there is no compelling reason why that shouldn't be true this year; they have the money to pay a competent 4th line.

Don't attribute things to me that I didn't say. I did not complain about the 4th line. Other people here do because they make it their obsession to do so. The 4th line is the 4th most important line, but when it is a big territorial drag, it does affect the rest of the lineup.

Anyway, I think this will all be moot tomorrow when McLeod and Bastian re-sign.

 

[Mgd31]

I think McLeod and Bastian are back but we lose Boqvist. Ruff doesn’t really like him and I can easily see him going elsewhere

 

[My3Sons]

fitz has has a perfect offseason thus far

But not qualifying McLeod makes as little sense as can be

I agree with @My3Sons comments yesterday - if were fighting tooth and nail over 100k per player on the fourth line, then we f***ed up somewhere before then

McLeod's maximum QO was 1.2m - who are we possibly going to find whod produce ~25 points while being a top-5 faceoff taker and playing some of the heaviest minutes of any 4C in the NHL?

And lets not joke.. Lazar isnt replacing anybody lol the dude had five points in his last 64 games and has been a healthy scratch on his last three teams over four years

Somebody has to play fourth line minutes. They are going to pay something for them. The team has $10 mil in space left. They do need a genuine third line wing to play with Haula and Palat. Maybe the plan is to get a legit wing and just pay ELC or league minimum for fourth liners? Just a bit confusing.

 

[My3Sons]

You arent getting why Fitz doesnt want to QO McLeod then, he literally said it. Yes, McLeod MAX QO is 1.2 Million, but McLeod doesnt need and probably wont accept it. Since McLeod can go to arbitration, that gets hairy. Especially with deals like Kampf as a example used here.

So we could go into Arbitration, they award Mikey with 3 Million AAV and we are stuck with it no matter what.

This is Fitz just taking any chance out of this with the cap, its not about 1.2 Million.

That makes sense. Hopefully it gets done at a number both can live with. My guess is someone overpays for McLeod tomorrow.

 

[Normal Devil]

You have to wonder if Fitz is monitoring some things in regards to McLeod. I'd like to have him back if he's cleared of some things. The Devils probably don't want the PR problems if things don't break right there.

 

[Lou is God]

One big positive I think for McLeod was the playoffs, I thought he really stepped up his game.

 

[Triumph]

You arent getting why Fitz doesnt want to QO McLeod then, he literally said it. Yes, McLeod MAX QO is 1.2 Million, but McLeod doesnt need and probably wont accept it. Since McLeod can go to arbitration, that gets hairy. Especially with deals like Kampf as a example used here.

So we could go into Arbitration, they award Mikey with 3 Million AAV and we are stuck with it no matter what.

This is Fitz just taking any chance out of this with the cap, its not about 1.2 Million.

Kampf is not a relevant arbitration comparable as his deal was signed as a UFA.

 

[beekay414]

From the grit talk to faceoffs. What's on the menu tomorrow boys?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

From the grit talk to faceoffs. What's on the menu tomorrow boys?

Stephen Gionta discourse

 

[My3Sons]

From the grit talk to faceoffs. What's on the menu tomorrow boys?

Grit is overrated. You know what isn’t overrated? Sociopathic violence. Not hockey fighting. Genuine unconscionable stick wielding cheap shots are the way to go. The league doesn’t care about the players and the players don’t care about themselves. The league rewards cheap shots so why not take advantage? If NJ wants to win they’d add a line of guys who just bludgeon and shank guys.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

So right now we're sitting at ~$10.2 million in space with 16 players signed (9 F, 5 D, 2 G)

Bahl's QO is ~$787k I think. So if he takes that, we have ~$9.4 million in space with 9 F, 6 D, 2 G

wonder if Fitz is holding out to maybe have one more addition of a guy making a few mill/year.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

From the grit talk to faceoffs. What's on the menu tomorrow boys?

Always got room for some tasty faceoff talk.

 

[jkrdevil]

Stephen Gionta discourse

Just take him off the PK already.

 

[RememberTheName]

I really would like to see at least McLeod back. His skillset is hard to find amongst fourth-liners. I cannot imagine any reason we wouldn't want to bring him back... it's not like we have people waiting in Utica pressing for his spot. That's actually an underrated situation to watch tomorrow, last year we did a horrendous job signing some vets to play in Utica and our offense suffered because of it, I'd like to see us sign some real solid AHLers to continue to help our young guys grow offensively.

Does anyone know the contract situation with Bardakov? Any chance he comes over this year?

From the grit talk to faceoffs. What's on the menu tomorrow boys?

I'd love to throw back to one of DD's favorite topics... Jacob MacDonald.

 

[beekay414]

I think it's less about not wanting McLeod back and more wanting him back at a certain rate.

I'd love to throw back to one of DD's favorite topics... Jacob MacDonald.