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

[Eggtimer]

Ohhhh very interesting . Or at least I find it interesting . Looks like the Jets are imploding.
Dubois has said he is not signing long term in Winnipeg and wants to go to UFA …..

With Dubois / Scheifele /Wheeler on the outs … Hellbuyck has said he won’t stick around for a “re-tool” ( he said this previously , not in response to the Dubois news) .
Hellebuyck has also been critical of Winnipeg / Canada and COVID restrictions as his family is American and it was a bitch to visit them and have them visit .

I’d say the chances that Hellbuyck could be traded just increased . Not sure by how much but I’d say it went from about a 2% chance to at least possible .

The Devils are going to very very soon , if not already , going to be a sought after destination . With the kids and potential we have with more on the way with Luke and pick #2…. I have a strange feeling ( just like before we won this years lotto draft ) that we are going to have a very epic off-season .
As in some huge pieces coming in and some very good additions .

 

[Triumph]

That's really not true. They were only together for about 21 games in the first half. Mercer scored as much in the 2nd half as the first.

His last 10 games were a blemish for sure. He scored a goal in his last game but went 10 games without a point before that.

But in half's, he scored 22 points in his first 41 games. 9 goals and 13 assist

20 points in last 41 games. 8 goals and 12 assist.

Would've been nice if he ended the season a little stronger but a 42 point season season on a 27 win team in his first isn't bad at all

With Jesper Bratt or Jack Hughes at 5v5, Dawson Mercer was on ice for 37 goals for in 534 minutes. This is 4 goals/60, which would've been good for 14th in the NHL among th 410 forwards with 400 or more minutes 5v5. Without Jack Hughes or Jesper Bratt, Mercer was on the ice for 21 goals in 592 minutes, this goal scoring rate is 2.12/60, tied for 301st. But yeah, just keep parsing numbers your way, it makes a lot more sense.

 

[severian]

With Jesper Bratt or Jack Hughes at 5v5, Dawson Mercer was on ice for 37 goals for in 534 minutes. This is 4 goals/60, which would've been good for 14th in the NHL among th 410 forwards with 400 or more minutes 5v5. Without Jack Hughes or Jesper Bratt, Mercer was on the ice for 21 goals in 592 minutes, this goal scoring rate is 2.12/60, tied for 301st. But yeah, just keep parsing numbers your way, it makes a lot more sense.

Mercer putting up significantly better numbers playing with elite players isn’t exactly surprising. I’m not ready to write the kid off because he couldn’t singlehandedly drive play as a rookie on a crap team.

Ohhhh very interesting . Or at least I find it interesting . Looks like the Jets are imploding.
Dubois has said he is not signing long term in Winnipeg and wants to go to UFA …..

With Dubois / Scheifele /Wheeler on the outs … Hellbuyck has said he won’t stick around for a “re-tool” ( he said this previously , not in response to the Dubois news) .
Hellebuyck has also been critical of Winnipeg / Canada and COVID restrictions as his family is American and it was a bitch to visit them and have them visit .

I’d say the chances that Hellbuyck could be traded just increased . Not sure by how much but I’d say it went from about a 2% chance to at least possible .

The Devils are going to very very soon , if not already , going to be a sought after destination . With the kids and potential we have with more on the way with Luke and pick #2…. I have a strange feeling ( just like before we won this years lotto draft ) that we are going to have a very epic off-season .
As in some huge pieces coming in and some very good additions .

We’ve have had a ton of epic off seasons of late. I’ll gladly trade that for an epic regular season.

 

[JimEIV]

No - all I'd argue is that he didn't drive much offense on his own.

I fail to see anything about his season or his play that makes him better or more promising than Nico.

Mercer has better hands than Nico, he's a better shooter than Nico and he's more creative than Nico.

He was able to score a lot of different ways. He was able to beat goalie from outside with a shot, he mucked in some goals and finessed in tight areas.

He seems to have much more of an arsenal than Nico does and he has a never ending motor to go along with it.

I don't know how he'll progress but I like the possibilities. I wouldn't be surprised to see Dawson score more goals than Nico next season given the opportunity.

 

[Oneiro]

Mercer putting up significantly better numbers playing with elite players isn’t exactly surprising. I’m not ready to write the kid off because he couldn’t singlehandedly drive play as a rookie on a crap team.


We’ve have had a ton of epic off seasons of late. I’ll gladly trade that for an epic regular season.

No one's writing him off, everyone appreciates him and believes he'll be a smart, solid player for us.

Just pointing out that there's little basis for thinking he's shown anything more promising than what Nico did as a rookie (a year younger), let alone now. It's yet another flimsy hallucination from resident fisherboy.

And if he does become better than Nico, great problem to have.

 

[severian]

No one's writing him off, everyone appreciates him and believes he'll be a smart, solid player for us.

Just pointing out that there's little basis for thinking he's shown anything more promising than what Nico did as a rookie (a year younger), let alone now. It's yet another flimsy hallucination from resident fisherboy.

I just started posting again after a long hiatus. I haven’t kept up on the board drama.

 

[Triumph]

Mercer putting up significantly better numbers playing with elite players isn’t exactly surprising. I’m not ready to write the kid off because he couldn’t singlehandedly drive play as a rookie on a crap team.

I grant that following this thread and its arguments close is some form of mental illness, but I'm not writing Mercer off at all, because the great news is that the Devils should have Hughes and Bratt for years to come, and I think Mercer is going to be a real good player. There's some people on this board who insist that the Devils don't have any elite players and that they should be tearing this team down and sometimes you just have to take off their tinfoil hat and let them know what is what.

 

[Emperoreddy]

This Nico stuff is bunk and starting to approach trolling levels of nonsense.

I don't get where this narrative of our blue line being some super disaster is coming from, but then we are trying to throw a kid coming off his sophomore season into the trash which is typical HF impatience with player development curves.

Blue line isn't the issue

 

[JimEIV]

With Jesper Bratt or Jack Hughes at 5v5, Dawson Mercer was on ice for 37 goals for in 534 minutes. This is 4 goals/60, which would've been good for 14th in the NHL among th 410 forwards with 400 or more minutes 5v5. Without Jack Hughes or Jesper Bratt, Mercer was on the ice for 21 goals in 592 minutes, this goal scoring rate is 2.12/60, tied for 301st. But yeah, just keep parsing numbers your way, it makes a lot more sense.

He didn't score as much when he wasn't with the leading scorers? Who would'a thought.

 

[JimEIV]

I grant that following this thread and its arguments close is some form of mental illness, but I'm not writing Mercer off at all, because the great news is that the Devils should have Hughes and Bratt for years to come, and I think Mercer is going to be a real good player. There's some people on this board who insist that the Devils don't have any elite players and that they should be tearing this team down and sometimes you just have to take off their tinfoil hat and let them know what is what.

You think Nico is an elite level player?

I asked the question earlier, I'll ask it again... aside from Bratt who has been great, what is the best performance we've gotten from a drafted player in the last 8 years?

 

[goonybird]

Wednesday is apparently two for one night

 

[Triumph]

You think Nico is an elite level player?

How in the world would you get there from my post, unless you were just reading it in the worst faith possible? I don't mention Nico at all. That's because this isn't about Nico, it's about Mercer, who put up near-best in the league results with our top players (because our top players are amazing, elite-level players) and put up 4th line numbers without them.

 

[JimEIV]

How in the world would you get there from my post, unless you were just reading it in the worst faith possible? I don't mention Nico at all. That's because this isn't about Nico, it's about Mercer, who put up near-best in the league results with our top players (because our top players are amazing, elite-level players) and put up 4th line numbers without them.

Right...and Nico is not one of those elite level players and never has been not even shown flashes of it....but Mercer in the right circumstances has in only his first year...you don't have to jump far to the conclusion.

 

[Eggtimer]

Hello . Anyone interested at all that Hellebuyck just might become available after all ?
Or that a Devils marketing guy had his tweets removed about tweets about how there are some exciting new faces coming soon ? It can’t be a UFA as no one knows what is going on there . My guess is a trade is lined up or offer sheet(s) going out . Or maybe Gaudreau or Tkachuk signing / trade has had informal talks and will be announced as soon as it can be .



I just have a feeling this is going to be one hell of an off-season.

I’m going out on a limb and say we do at least one of the following :
1. Sign Johnny Gaudreau or Forsberg
2, Trade for a stud forward
3. Sign or trade for an elite goalie . Someone surprising like offsheeting Ottenger or Hellebuyck
4. Offer sheeting or trading for one of Kakko / Puljujarvi
5. Signing one or more of Marchment , Neiderrieder , Nichushkin ( doubtful on Nuke now )

 

[njdevils1982]

I might go to this:

go!

 

[SKNJD9]

Hello . Anyone interested at all that Hellebuyck just might become available after all ?
Or that a Devils marketing guy had his tweets removed about tweets about how there are some exciting new faces coming soon ? It can’t be a UFA as no one knows what is going on there . My guess is a trade is lined up or offer sheet(s) going out . Or maybe Gaudreau or Tkachuk signing / trade has had informal talks and will be announced as soon as it can be .



I just have a feeling this is going to be one hell of an off-season.

I’m going out in a limb and say we do at least one of the following :
1. Sign Johnny Gaudreau or Forsberg
2, Trade for a stud forward
3. Sign or trade for an elite goalie . Someone surprising like offsheeting Ottenger or Hellebuyck
4. Offer sheeting or trading for one of Kakko / Puljujarvi
5. Signing one or more of Marchment , Neiderrieder , Nichushkin ( doubtful on Nuke now )

I think he was just speaking in broad terms for the off-season as a whole. He said from his meetings with hockey ops they're gonna be agressive and feel the time is now to make the next level kind of moves.

I think that's all he meant

 

[My3Sons]

Maybe WPG will take Smith Zacha Johnsson and Kuokkanen for Hellyebuck. That’s four young NHL players for one guy with only two years left on his deal. Surely they can’t possibly turn that down?

Edit: if they want a veteran as well I’d reluctantly include Tatar since you have to give to get. That’s five players!! Five bona fide NHL players.

 

[Eggtimer]

I think he was just speaking in broad terms for the off-season as a whole. He said from his meetings with hockey ops they're gonna be agressive and feel the time is now to make the next level kind of moves.

I think that's all he meant

Still .. I think the potential is there for a perfect storm .
We have the cap space / assets / and at the point where we can and need to make a bunch of roster moves .
I can see us adding some major pieces here
Major as in Gaudreau or Tkachuk or possibly Hellebuyck . I know you guys think I’m over reacting and living in PS 5 NHL hockey land but I honestly think we have a massive off-season

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Nico was over a point per game player from February on last season. You’d think someone that bitches and moans about his lack of progression would care about. Nope. More moaning.

 

[njdevils1982]

Maybe WPG will take Smith Zacha Johnsson and Kuokkanen for Hellyebuck. That’s four young NHL players for one guy with only two years left on his deal. Surely they can’t possibly turn that down?

Edit: if they want a veteran as well I’d reluctantly include Tatar since you have to give to get. That’s five players!! Five bona fide NHL players.

now post it on the trade board

 

[SKNJD9]

Still .. I think the potential is there for a perfect storm .
We have the cap space / assets / and at the point where we can and need to make a bunch of roster moves .
I can see us adding some major pieces here
Major as in Gaudreau or Tkachuk or possibly Hellebuyck . I know you guys think I’m over reacting and living in PS 5 NHL hockey land but I honestly think we have a massive off-season

I def see one major pick up coming for sure. IDK if it ends up being Johnny or Tka, I hope though

 

[My3Sons]

now post it on the trade board

View attachment 561175

Sadly one of the insecure teens there will take me seriously.

 

[Triumph]

Right...and Nico is not one of those elite level players and never has been not even shown flashes of it....but Mercer in the right circumstances has in only his first year...you don't have to jump far to the conclusion.

Nico has never shown flashes of being an elite level player, also never had the makings of a varsity athlete

 

[JimEIV]

Nico has never shown flashes of being an elite level player, also never had the makings of a varsity athlete

Did you really just link to single goal highlight?

Where is my Eric Rasmussen toe drag between his own legs on a crossover spectacular goal link...I got point to make

 

[Billdo]

Check out the cool "What's the value of trading Nico Hischier?" on the main trade board. No spoilers on who's saying he's nothing but a "55 point center" in the thread.

Oh FFS what is the point of even doing that?