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

[Bcap88]

I don’t disagree although I don’t think anyone is necessarily untouchable. Maybe Hughes and that’s it. But in terms of the core pieces that we don’t trade unless we’re blown away, Mercer is definitely part of that.

I would also look at it from a versatility stand point. Let’s face it there’s injuries and not everyone’s top 6 is not going to play a full 82 games. Mercer is the guy who can play 1c,2c,1w and 2w and not lose a beat just from that aspect alone a guy like that is hard to replace. Now if someone like the flames come and offer tkatchuk for mercer straight up(they never would ) you as a team take that and run

I just can’t get behind the idea of packaging 2oa and mercer for a guy like fiala or Debrincat. You better be getting an absolute stud in return

 

[Billdo]

I would also look at it from a versatility stand point. Let’s face it there’s injuries and not everyone’s top 6 is not going to play a full 82 games. Mercer is the guy who can play 1c,2c,1w and 2w and not lose a beat just from that aspect alone a guy like that is hard to replace. Now if someone like the flames come and offer tkatchuk for mercer straight up(they never would ) you as a team take that and run

I just can’t get behind the idea of packaging 2oa and mercer for a guy like fiala or Debrincat. You better be getting an absolute stud in return

that was why I said Hischier in my first response. I'm not moving him unless it's an absolutely stupid return, like the kind that makes the receiving teams fanbase want the GM fired. It won't happen but I'm not trading him for anything less than a Draisaitl, Mackinnon, Makar type of guy.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Mercer is an absolute non-starter. And so is Nico but that should be (and is) obvious to most.

 

[JimEIV]

It’s simple. Jim despises Nico.

Despise is a much better word than hate. Though, I neither despise or hate Nico. I just think he's a good player, A nice piece for sure, but nothing that can't be found elsewhere.

And if you we are going to move one of the many top 6 175/80 lbs forwards to address other needs Nico would be top of my list to diversify the lineup.

 

[MWagg72]

I tried to look into subscribing to nj.com strictly for the new Devils content and the site is so bad I've been waiting for it to load for 10 minutes.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Despise is a much better word than hate. Though, I neither despise or hate Nico. I just think he's a good player, A nice piece for sure, but nothing that can't be found elsewhere.

And if you we are going to move one of the many top 6 175/80 lbs forwards to address other needs Nico would be top of my list to diversify the lineup.

It would be stupid to move Nico before Mercer.

We also don’t have a single player that plays like Nico or can play the role he does.
And he would be extremely difficult to replace. Not something can be easily found elsewhere.

He also works his ass off every game and is a good leader. And a very good player of course. Mercer is without a doubt more replaceable.

 

[goonybird]

Don't feed it lol

 

[theoptimist]

I made this before your follow up post and it didn’t work here. (This is with Bernier on the LTIR, so his salary doesn’t count as we’re capped out.)

I don’t know who or how the Tatar & Kuok trades were exactly supposed to go down but I dumped their full salaries anyway.

I used Evolving Hockey’s contract estimates, except with Wood. That’s his qualifying offer, I see you did the same. (They have Marchment pretty cheap here too.)

Not sure why you think Fiala is signing for that cheap when his ask to the Wild was 8m unless you plan on signing him to a shorter bridge deal.

There’s zero chance Subban takes 1.1m from us.

Then the problem is what do you do with Severson & Graves and when RFAs start needing raises (DeBrincat, Siegenthaler, Sharogovich, Mercer, etc)? Johnsson drops away but that’s 3.4m minus a roster player’s salary.

You can’t actually add all this salary (DeBrincat, Fiala, Marchment, top UFA goalie, etc) along with Hughes’ & Bratt’s raises.

The cap isn’t rising significantly for a few seasons and you just traded away the two of the most likely impactful cheaper players (Holtz, 2OA) while making it very hard to give RFAs raises.

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I do not want to see a Smith-Subban pairing ever again

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Nico is like the ultimate old school Devils forward. You’d think a geezer would appreciate him. But he must be moved because of his weight (??).

 

[Better Call Sal]

Nico is like the ultimate old school Devils forward. You’d think a geezer would appreciate him. But he must be moved because of his weight (??).

Well, if Lou drafted him…

 

[Emperoreddy]

Nico is like the ultimate old school Devils forward. You’d think a geezer would appreciate him. But he must be moved because of his weight (??).

Kid is a prototypical Devil that the culture crowd should be clamoring for.

It's dumb. So much Nico slander is wildly unfounded and exists solely because of who drafted him.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Kid is a prototypical Devil that the culture crowd should be clamoring for.

It's dumb. So much Nico slander is wildly unfounded and exists solely because of who drafted him.

I thinks it’s largely because he’s a first overall pick who didn’t turn out like Matthews and Mcdavid. But most Devils fans love Nico.

 

[MartyOwns]

Don't feed it lol

i think i’m going to communicate strictly in gifs until the draft. i like working from home but jesus it’s boring.

 

[JimEIV]

i think i’m going to communicate strictly in gifs until the draft. i like working from home but jesus it’s boring.

I hate working from home so much.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

I just can’t get behind the idea of packaging 2oa and mercer for a guy like fiala or Debrincat. You better be getting an absolute stud in return

Can anyone think of a player that was actually traded in the cap era that they would trade 2OA and Mercer for? I am trying to think of one but am struggling to come up with a name.

 

[SKNJD9]

If 2OA and Mercer get shipped out and it isn't Tkachuk coming back I'll burn this place down

 

[Saugus]

i think i’m going to communicate strictly in gifs until the draft. i like working from home but jesus it’s boring.

If HF suddenly banned pictures and gifs, I'm pretty sure that would eliminate all posting from about half our regulars.

 

[MadDevil]

Mercer should be on the "untouchable" list.

My Untouchables would be HughesX2, Bratt, Mercer, 2022 #2 overall. That's it.

By HughesX2 do you mean both Jack and Luke? Wow, the disgrace has moved up in the world.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Half those guys are disposable .
Shara - keep , but if we have Holtz and Slafkovsky makig strides..
McLeod - replace with ELC or cheap veteran
Bastain - see McLeod
Severson - try to extend when first able to. If he wants too much , bu-bye
Seigs - keep
Smith - sooner he is traded the better
Blackwood - might just let him walk if he is not starter material

Some of you guys just want an all-star roster don't you. Bastian is a perfect 4th liner. Mcleod is a serviceable 4th liner, if he stays in that role. I agree if someone else emerges from the system and is as good, then replace him maybe.

 

[JimEIV]

I thinks it’s largely because he’s a first overall pick who didn’t turn out like Matthews and Mcdavid. But most Devils fans love Nico.

I hate when you guys say McDavid or Matthews like there is some kind of over the top expectation for a #1 overall

He's not better than any #1 overall forward in the last 40 years other than the obvious bust in Yakopov, Stefan, Daigle and Lawton.. RNH then Nico then Joe Murphy....that's literally the worst of the forwards taken #1 overall for the last 40 years...

So the "not McDavid or Matthews" thing is pretty ridiculous.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I feel like Mercer is so underrated if he’s even being thought of by anyone of knowledge to include in a trade for Fiala. Mercer is/is going to be a beast.

Mercer was incredible this season until he started getting fatigued with the long schedule. He's going to be a beast. I'm not looking to trade him at all.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I hate when you guys say McDavid or Matthews like there is some kind of over the top expectation for a #1 overall

He's not better than any #1 overall forward in the last 40 years other than the obvious bust in Yakopov, Stefan, Daigle and Lawton.. RNH then Nico then Joe Murphy....that's literally the worst of the forwards taken #1 overall for the last 40 years...

So the "not McDavid or Matthews" thing is pretty ridiculous.

- guy that was lauding 1st line forward Adam Henrique just yesterday

 

[JimEIV]

- guy that was lauding 1st line forward Adam Henrique just yesterday

#1 over after a 28 win season
vs
#82 overall after a 46 win season....

I'll take scenario #2 please

 

[AfroThunder396]

Mercer had scoreless streaks of 10 games and 9 games this year. He was terribly inconsistent, and considering he was chained to either Bratt or Hughes for pretty much the entire season I'm not sold on him being the answer.

His production after from Dec 1st until the end of the year was worse than Zacha's and just a hair better than Boqvist's. When he was asked to be the one to drive his own line he was not able to do it.

He's young and still developing. He'll be a very good top-6 player, but for a guy who is celebrated for his work ethic and two-way game he sure is really bad at consistency and defense.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Mercer had scoreless streaks of 10 games and 9 games this year. He was terribly inconsistent, and considering he was chained to either Bratt or Hughes for pretty much the entire season I'm not sold on him being the answer.

His production after from Dec 1st until the end of the year was worse than Zacha's and just a hair better than Boqvist's. When he was asked to be the one to drive his own line he was not able to do it.

He's young and still developing. He'll be a very good top-6 player, but for a guy who is celebrated for his work ethic and two-way game he sure is really bad at consistency and defense.

He's 20 years old jfc and it was his rookie season. Talk about unrealistic expectations.