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

[TheUnseenHand]

I just want to know if Nemec is alive and what year we will see Luke again.

 

[MasterofGrond]

If we Frankenstein luke and Simon together would we have a functional defenseman

 

[Patrik26]

I just want to know if Nemec is alive and what year we will see Luke again.

Milk cartons are being printed up for distribution within the week.

 

[JimEIV]

If Mercer proved he could play C, he'd be getting a longer term deal and the team would have done different things this offseason most likely to fit in his deal. .

If he could play center we would of done things differently this off season?

What center did we add this off season?

Your premise makes no sense. We didn't add a center and added 3 wingers.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

If he could play center we would of done things differently this off season?

What center did we add this off season?

Your premise makes no sense. We didn't add a center and added 3 wingers.

My hypothesis is if he could play center he'd be considered a core member of the team and they'd want to extend him long term. I think the team wanted to add a center in UFA but felt priced out and prioritized the defense instead. I also think they were planning on getting Helenius in the draft who could have possibly competed for a job as early as this year, but Silayev dropped so again they went Defense.

The lack of center depth is the biggest issue for this team's playoff chances this year for sure, and will have to be addressed at some point.

 

[JimEIV]

My hypothesis is if he could play center he'd be considered a core member of the team and they'd want to extend him long term. I think the team wanted to add a center in UFA but felt priced out and prioritized the defense instead. I also think they were planning on getting Helenius in the draft who could have possibly competed for a job as early as this year, but Silayev dropped so again they went Defense.

The lack of center depth is the biggest issue for this team's playoff chances this year for sure, and will have to be addressed at some point.

Those are fair assumptions but I don't see how we would've done anything different in the off season. The money went primarily to goaltending and defense.... Then suring up the bottom 6.

Center depth is certainly an issue to be addressed but this off season was almost entirely about Defense and getting a little more grit....I don't think that would have changed regardless of what Mercer did.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Those are fair assumptions but I don't see how we would've done anything different in the off season. The money went primarily to goaltending and defense.... Then suring up the bottom 6.

Center depth is certainly an issue to be addressed but this off season was almost entirely about Defense and getting a little more grit....I don't think that would have changed regardless of what Mercer did.

Yeah the basic moves are the same I think, just a matter of how much you earmark for a Mercer extension and what happens next as a result cause a long term deal is more costly than a bridge.

Does it mean for example they keep Marino and don't pay Pesce? Idk, just guessing and I haven't done the math.

Edit: more maybe trade Marino and try and find an even cheaper RHD like Miller, Idk there's a domino effect.

 

[britdevil]

I miss the weekly Zajac arguments, where's Tundra?

Frozen out.

 

[tailfins]

Yeah the basic moves are the same I think, just a matter of how much you earmark for a Mercer extension and what happens next as a result cause a long term deal is more costly than a bridge.

Does it mean for example they keep Marino and don't pay Pesce? Idk, just guessing and I haven't done the math.

Edit: more maybe trade Marino and try and find an even cheaper RHD like Miller, Idk there's a domino effect.

I think Dillon is the guy they don't sign / go cheaper on. I also think they go cheaper on Tatar. Between the two, I think there's probably $1.5 million - $2 million in potential savings.

That gives you enough to sign Mercer at $6.5.

I just don't think they can do that if Mercer can't play center though. Like it or not, they've tied up $22.5 million between Meier, Bratt, and Palat. It's more if Jack's actually a winger. They can't sign a another expensive winger and then potentially still need to shop for a C.

 

[Saugus]

If we Frankenstein luke and Simon together would we have a functional defenseman

We'd also have some spare parts left over.

Cobble those together and we could probably build a better defenseman than MacDermid.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

We'd also have some spare parts left over.

Cobble those together and we could probably build a better defenseman than MacDermid.

Probably?

 

[dgibb10]

We'd also have some spare parts left over.

Cobble those together and we could probably build a better defenseman than MacDermid.

Is that how Brendan Smith was created?

I think Dillon is the guy they don't sign / go cheaper on. I also think they go cheaper on Tatar. Between the two, I think there's probably $1.5 million - $2 million in potential savings.

That gives you enough to sign Mercer at $6.5.

I just don't think they can do that if Mercer can't play center though. Like it or not, they've tied up $22.5 million between Meier, Bratt, and Palat. It's more if Jack's actually a winger. They can't sign a another expensive winger and then potentially still need to shop for a C.

Jack isn't a winger.

 

[njdevils1982]

Is that how Brendan Smith was created?

brendan smith is an all time devils legend if only for his absolute demolishing of bedard

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Remains to be seen, tbh. If Stillman turns into a good 4th line player (he probably won't) is that a worse pick than taking mcleod a good 4th line player (at his peak) 17 picks earlier?

Knowing what we know now, sure it's a less defensible pick, but half the story remains to be written. And far less likely things have happened than former low 1st overall pick breaks out into good bottom 6 player after age 21.

As of right now, Stillman is the worse pick. Mcleod was at least producing as a prospect and had some standout qualities. Stillman hasn't really shown anything yet.

 

[The Wumpus]

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

New season, lets goo

 

[JimEIV]

As of right now, Stillman is the worse pick. Mcleod was at least producing as a prospect and had some standout qualities. Stillman hasn't really shown anything yet.

Stillman in his first pro season just had as many AHL goals in 54 games as McLeod did in 108 AHL games over parts of 3 years....

I'm not shilling for Stillman but McLeod was a garbage pick for a relatively high first rounder

 

[glenwo2]

Bet on himself.

Let's hope he gives the best 2 or 3-years of his career here.

 

[bossram]

Mercer's most common linemates this season were Nosek and Palat...his 5v5 time was barely different from last year and his increased ATOI was almost entirely from being the #2 PK forward in minutes on the team. It's impossible to argue he wasn't put in a much more defensive posture this season.

He was truly in a bottom 6 role and mainly with more defense oriented players virtually all season with the exception of getting to play a little bit of time with Jack and with an injured Meier for a good clip who couldn't score for more than half the year ...the half he played with Mercer.

His goals per 60 were barely different this season .9 from last 1.1....that's with playing a majority of his time with complete stiffs offensively.

His secondary assists were hardly different this year from last year...and the real difference was primary assist disappeared...how was going to get those playing with Nosek, Palat and Lazar?

It's quite ironic that the claim is Dawson should not be offered a long term contract because he had a down year....yet the largest obstacle in a long term deal is largely Tatar's 1.8...who is coming of a horrifically bad, career worse bad year....go figure?

I don't get the griping over a Mercer deal.

Was his usage ideal for him? No. Did he generally play well enough to overcome that and demonstrate his value? Also no.

A bridge deal is obvious and probably ideal for both sides. Mercer doesn't really want to lock in long-term coming off his worst season. And the Devils have allocated their cap space elsewhere, they can't afford to sign him long-term.

A 2-3 year bridge deal between $3-4M is coming and was the obvious outcome from the beginning. Both sides are haggling over a couple hundred thousand, knowing they can still hold out for more before camp starts.

 

[Lou Bloom]

No it isn’t, and no it isn’t.

and you proved my point by comparing Stillman to low-upside, questionable skill forwards taken in the second and third rounds. Stillman wouldn’t nearly be the hot topic he is if he were taken 58th or 75th overall.

You say it isn't but I gave you two examples of players who were projected as grinder types that were rated pre draft as late round picks that went on to become much more than bottom 6 grinders. So what reason pre draft was there to say Stillman was cemented as a 4th line ceiling?

Those players were also projected to go in the late rounds - UDFA range, compared to Stillman who was projected to go around the mid 2nd-3rd round range. Those players would also go 1st round in a redraft of their respective draft classes.

I'm not even arguing that Stillman was a good pick, I just think making blanket statements like "bad process" or "4th line ceiling" is vapid criticism.

 

[MadDevil]

not again please...

This is all gonna be funny after he signs a bridge deal, bounces back, and then signs a longer term extension in 2 or 3 years, at which point the argument will probably be that he's asking for too much.

 

[JimEIV]

This is all gonna be funny after he signs a bridge deal, bounces back, and then signs a longer term extension in 2 or 3 years, at which point the argument will probably be that he's asking for too much.

Of course he's going to sign a short term deal...there is no other option. They are going to steal from him for two or three years so Luke can get paid. That's what's happening.

 

[MartyOwns]

Of course he's going to sign a short term deal...there is no other option. They are going to steal from him for two or three years so Luke can get paid. That's what's happening.

yeah it's almost like we have a bunch of good players now or something. mercer can take what's offered or f*** off as far as i'm concerned

 

[JimEIV]

I don't get the griping over a Mercer deal.

Was his usage ideal for him? No. Did he generally play well enough to overcome that and demonstrate his value? Also no.

A bridge deal is obvious and probably ideal for both sides. Mercer doesn't really want to lock in long-term coming off his worst season. And the Devils have allocated their cap space elsewhere, they can't afford to sign him long-term.

A 2-3 year bridge deal between $3-4M is coming and was the obvious outcome from the beginning. Both sides are haggling over a couple hundred thousand, knowing they can still hold out for more before camp starts.

I think it's a lot more consequential than a couple of hundred thousand....we wouldn't be hours before training camp opens with no deal for couple of hundred thousand.

I think this more about position himself to not get screwed twice... he's getting screwed this time no matter what....but if he has to compete for dollars with Nemec and or Nico in the next ho around he's going to get screwed twice

 

[MadDevil]

Of course he's going to sign a short term deal...there is no other option. They are going to steal from him for two or three years so Luke can get paid. That's what's happening.

"Steal from him"



Also, who is more important to the long term success of this team, Mercer or Luke?