Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - camp edition

[glenwo2]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1836851049602167215

Always a sound philosophy.

You sure he wasn't referring to Agents like Bratt's?

 

[glenwo2]

I'm a sucker for sayings like this.

"Hard work beats skill when skill doesn't work hard" is another classic coach line.

Can i just say that Johnathan is one big boy? He looks like he could play for a Football team. lol

 

[MadDevil]

Timo was with Jack and Bratt today?

#FireKeefe

 

[Zippy316]

The forward depth is a little underrated IMO, and I think it's mostly due to pessimism after last season's absolute trainwreck.

The Devils have:
4 unquestionable top line players in Jack, Bratt, Meier, and Hischier;
4 unquestionable middle-6ers in Haula, Palat, Mercer (any day now ), and Tatar;
3 unquestionable bottom-6ers in Noesen, Lazar, Cotter (will be a fan favorite by December mark my words);
and then there's Bastian, Foote, and MacDougal or whoever who are almost certainly capable of playing NHL minutes even if it might not be pretty.

That's 14 forwards who could take a shift and not make me instinctively pull up a draft lottery simulator. And then there's Willman, Squires, Stillman, Labanc, all likely capable of handling a cup of coffee without checking the latest prospect rankings. Considering Toffoli, Holtz, Tierney, and Nosek all left for greener pastures, I think the depth could be a LOT worse.

The one thing I kind of like after the Bastian/Foote/MacDermid group is that the rest of the AHL guys are that hungry energy forward type.

Either Stillman, Schmelzer, Laberge, Bowers, Hartman, and Halonen are all at that AHL/NHL bubble where they could bring some energy for a few games on the fourth line in a pinch.

The only thing missing is a young skill guy that could maybe jump into the top six. We lack some skill on the AHL. If it’s an option, might be nice to potentially sign Labanc for the AHL team for that reason. I suppose Gritsyuk is also that player in theory too when his KHL season ends.