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

[njdevils1982]

There really aren't any available. Paul Stastny, I guess, but why does he come here? Calle Jarnkrok can play center but he's been shifted to wing mostly. That's it. Trocheck and Copp are not 3rd line centers and won't sign for anything close to 3C money.

i read that and for a second i thought you wrote paul stanley..... then i had a laugh trying to picture him playing hockey

 

[Omar Little]

eh not sure I agree. The 2nd half of the season he played quite well, especially defensively which he was lacking up until that point.

Not saying I want him 100% there, but I don't think it would be THAT bad. Especially if you give him real wingers.

Stylistically I’m not sure he’s a fit. Honestly if Boqvist wants an NHL career he needs to take a quantum leap defensively, a quantum leap offensively (and be a 2C on another team), or go back to wing (and also maintain or improve his last season)

 

[OmNomNom]

Stylistically I’m not sure he’s a fit. Honestly if Boqvist wants an NHL career he needs to take a quantum leap defensively, a quantum leap offensively (and be a 2C on another team), or go back to wing (and also maintain or improve his last season)

he's the best 3C we've got currently, but definitely confident he could be a functional middle 6 winger. but if he's centering a grinding line, how much of a leap does he need to take (offensively or defensively)

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Stylistically I’m not sure he’s a fit. Honestly if Boqvist wants an NHL career he needs to take a quantum leap defensively, a quantum leap offensively (and be a 2C on another team), or go back to wing (and also maintain or improve his last season)

He needs a leap defensively to be a real solid 3rd liner. He already made a massive leap in most areas last season — he’s already a decent enough 3C.

 

[Mgd31]

Stylistically I’m not sure he’s a fit. Honestly if Boqvist wants an NHL career he needs to take a quantum leap defensively, a quantum leap offensively (and be a 2C on another team), or go back to wing (and also maintain or improve his last season)

A quantum leap offensively and defensively? What? How bad do you think Boqvist is and how good do you think other team's 3C's are?

 

[Saucerhead Tharpe]

I think Blackwood is a fine goalie. He has those stretches where it seems no pucks will get by him. My main criticism is it seems he has to be perfectly healthy to get those types of results. It's like once he gets dinged up a l'il bit, he goes from Blackwood to Wedgewood.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Can anyone give a reason why the Devils will be worse besides injuries?

The Devils had the worst goaltending in the league, lost their 1C and 1D for half of the year and had an anemic powerplay.

The Devils young core should get better at both ends of the ice as that's what happens as you age/get experience in the NHL.

Also, I can't see anyway that the Devils don't add a new goalie and a top6/9 forward at the minimum.

After the last two seasons it is easy to expect even worse this coming season.

Can see teams like the Islanders, Sabres and with Torts even the Flyers being improved while the Devils have done little to suggest any improvement.

Ruff allowing the assistants to take the fall while maintaining his own job sends a lousy message that there is zero accountability and that the players will be running the show.

Rumor has it players like Bratt and Severson will receive hefty raises despite the franchise's ineptitude and the Devils are tied to Hamilton, Hughes and Hischer for most of the decade regardless if they make the playoffs or not.

Where is there any incentive to do anything differently than they have the last three seasons?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

After the last two seasons it is easy to expect even worse this coming season.

Can see teams like the Islanders, Sabres and with Torts even the Flyers being improved while the Devils have done little to suggest any improvement.

Ruff allowing the assistants to take the fall while maintaining his own job sends a lousy message that there is zero accountability and that the players will be running the show.

Rumor has it players like Bratt and Severson will receive hefty raises despite the franchise's ineptitude and the Devils are tied to Hamilton, Hughes and Hischer for most of the decade regardless if they make the playoffs or not.

Where is there any incentive to do anything differently than they have the last three seasons?

the offseason hasn't even f***ing started yet....

 

[Hisch13r]

the offseason hasn't even f***ing started yet....

Yeah but we're going to give our 2nd best player a raise which is going to sink us because said player is "small" and "one dimensional" and "can't defend" so said player sucks.

 

[Buggsy]

After the last two seasons it is easy to expect even worse this coming season.

Can see teams like the Islanders, Sabres and with Torts even the Flyers being improved while the Devils have done little to suggest any improvement.

Ruff allowing the assistants to take the fall while maintaining his own job sends a lousy message that there is zero accountability and that the players will be running the show.

Rumor has it players like Bratt and Severson will receive hefty raises despite the franchise's ineptitude and the Devils are tied to Hamilton, Hughes and Hischer for most of the decade regardless if they make the playoffs or not.

Where is there any incentive to do anything differently than they have the last three seasons?

So your argument is that because the Devils players have long term contracts, they have no reason to play better so they are content with losing? Doesn't that seem a bit dramatic/doom and gloom to you?

Also doesn't the assistants getting fired show accountability?

And your assumption is the Devils players are running the show because Jack said he likes Ruff?

Unbridled optimism is unwarranted due to our recent seasons. Unbridled pessism prior to the off season actually happening is dramatic.

Why don't we take an even keel wait and see approach and analyze the off season after it has begun/finished.

 

[Hisch13r]

So your argument is that because the Devils players have long term contracts, they have no reason to play better so they are content with losing? Doesn't that seem a bit dramatic/doom and gloom to you?

Also doesn't the assistants getting fired show accountability?

And your assumption is the Devils players are running the show because Jack said he likes Ruff?

Unbridled optimism is unwarranted due to our recent seasons. Unbridled pessism prior to the off season actually happening is dramatic.

Why don't we take an even keel wait and see approach and analyze the off season after it has begun/finished.

No. The sky is falling.

 

[NJDevs26]

How are the Isles improving replacing one of the best coaches in the league with a first timer, and how are they improving the old roster being capped out on long-term deals? What do the Sabres have to do with us?

And rumor has it Bratt and Sevo are getting ‘hefty’ extensions? Rumor from where, we don’t know the first thing about either guy’s negotiation although Bratt getting a hefty raise is common sense. You automatically have no value by association just because you’re on a bad team? Guess McDavid sucked for most of his career then. Severson is making over $4 million now, how hefty a raise can he really get?

Look I’m pretty negative too, at least in the sense of being a bigger skeptic than most here, but that kind of over the top stuff is just silly fatalism.

 

[MadDevil]

After the last two seasons it is easy to expect even worse this coming season.

Can see teams like the Islanders, Sabres and with Torts even the Flyers being improved while the Devils have done little to suggest any improvement.

Ruff allowing the assistants to take the fall while maintaining his own job sends a lousy message that there is zero accountability and that the players will be running the show.

Rumor has it players like Bratt and Severson will receive hefty raises despite the franchise's ineptitude and the Devils are tied to Hamilton, Hughes and Hischer for most of the decade regardless if they make the playoffs or not.

Where is there any incentive to do anything differently than they have the last three seasons?

If only we'd signed Tony DeAngelo and Evander Kane...

 

[My3Sons]

After the last two seasons it is easy to expect even worse this coming season.

Can see teams like the Islanders, Sabres and with Torts even the Flyers being improved while the Devils have done little to suggest any improvement.

Ruff allowing the assistants to take the fall while maintaining his own job sends a lousy message that there is zero accountability and that the players will be running the show.

Rumor has it players like Bratt and Severson will receive hefty raises despite the franchise's ineptitude and the Devils are tied to Hamilton, Hughes and Hischer for most of the decade regardless if they make the playoffs or not.

Where is there any incentive to do anything differently than they have the last three seasons?

What have the NYI and BUF done to be improved since the regular season ended? Other than Farabee having his neck rebuilt what have the Flyers done to get better beyond hiring Torts since the regular season ended? Those teams are every bit as likely to be good or bad as NJ. Let's see how the draft, free agency, trades, player development, and players getting older works out. Maybe those teams get better but I'm skeptical that anything substantive supports that right now.

 

[Bleedred]

After the last two seasons it is easy to expect even worse this coming season.

Can see teams like the Islanders, Sabres and with Torts even the Flyers being improved while the Devils have done little to suggest any improvement.

Ruff allowing the assistants to take the fall while maintaining his own job sends a lousy message that there is zero accountability and that the players will be running the show.

Rumor has it players like Bratt and Severson will receive hefty raises despite the franchise's ineptitude and the Devils are tied to Hamilton, Hughes and Hischer for most of the decade regardless if they make the playoffs or not.

Where is there any incentive to do anything differently than they have the last three seasons?

Don't worry, we'll be able to sign David Rittich in just 19 more days.

 

[Goptor]

Don't worry. When the Devils sign

Phil Kessel
Loui Eriksson
Andrew Ladd
Anton Stralman
and Jay Beagle

They'll have enough winners on the team nobody can stop them.

 

[Hisch13r]

Don't worry. When the Devils sign

Phil Kessel
Loui Eriksson
Andrew Ladd
Anton Stralman
and Jay Beagle

They'll have enough winners on the team nobody can stop them.

Damn when did we bring back Lou?

 

[JimEIV]

I think Tortorella is going to do wonders for the flyers... There isn't much in Philly and you can't get blood from a stone but I'd bet that he pulls them out of the basement within two years

 

[JimEIV]

I also don't think Ruff is the right person for this job...

One of the things that confounded me was at the beginning of last season Ruff said something to effect that was time to start playing the right way and that learning was over..he said something like ice time would be cut for not playing the right way....and the exact opposite happened...the very exact opposite. It was a complete free for all.

 

[Rhodes 81]

How many times do we need to point out that statistically the team was better than several playoff teams last year, but was just absolutely sunk by bad goaltending and a bad power play that were both so bad it is almost statistically impossible that they're that bad again.

Are we just ignoring statistical probabilities?

 

[Bcap88]

Trade for Lehner?

Basket case coming off major surgery, don’t think it’s a good idea

I think Tortorella is going to do wonders for the flyers... There isn't much in Philly and you can't get blood from a stone but I'd bet that he pulls them out of the basement within two years

Bet he’s gone within 4

 

[njdevils1982]

What have the NYI and BUF done to be improved since the regular season ended? Other than Farabee having his neck rebuilt what have the Flyers done to get better beyond hiring Torts since the regular season ended? Those teams are every bit as likely to be good or bad as NJ. Let's see how the draft, free agency, trades, player development, and players getting older works out. Maybe those teams get better but I'm skeptical that anything substantive supports that right now.

well, jeannerat retired in buffalo. thats a massive improvement right there

 

[JimEIV]

Basket case coming off major surgery, don’t think it’s a good idea


Bet he’s gone within 4

Safe bet on gone in 4....I take the under actually. But I bet that they see improvement during that time.

 

[Csonked Out]

Why not just have Dawson Mercer as 3rd line center and roll 3 scoring lines with Mcleod centering the 4th line?

 

[Bleedred]

How many times do we need to point out that statistically the team was better than several playoff teams last year, but was just absolutely sunk by bad goaltending and a bad power play that were both so bad it is almost statistically impossible that they're that bad again.

Are we just ignoring statistical probabilities?

Yes but you see, the goaltending was only bad because of how bad the team played.

Jon Gillies would have looked like an NHL goalie on another team. It's not like he's already 28 years old and has had years and years to prove he belongs in the league.

Look how good Hammond played in 4 games over in Montreal? He even went undefeated. He was astronomically better than Carey Price was in the 5 games he played this year. Coincidence that a good veteran 34 year old goalie with 67 games to his name in the NHL looks really bad in the 7 games he played here?

And Blackwood? Go look up his AHL stats. It's not like he's ever had anything nearly as bad as an .892% season in the AHL or even an .882% season in the AHL.