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

[Hisch13r]

So, when you guys say just take Wright and figure it out later, what exactly do you mean? Nico and Jack are both centers, period. Maybe they can try switching Wright to wing, is that what you're thinking of? I don't see him being satisfied just staying as 3C on a team forever.

Jack’s a center. I don’t think Nico on the wing would be too much of an issue and same goes for Wright. Shift Wright or Nico to wing if you need to. Or just run the 3 down the middle and move a guy up if you need to. Staal was playing 19 minutes a night as the 3C and they went to 2 SCFs winning 1. If Wright is there you sprint up there to take him and figure out how it works later

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

It would be hilarious if Nico actually ended up as the 3C in the future.

 

[My3Sons]

It would be hilarious if Nico actually ended up as the 3C in the future.

What do you mean in the future?

 

[McDuffz88]

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.

I agree with Jim on this one. Ruff has got to go. Unfortunately for us it won't be until mid season of next year when we miss the playoffs again & all the good coaches are gone.

 

[Forge]

Tampas top 4 forwards in even strength ice time this year include their top 3 centers:

Kuch
Point
Stamkos
Cirelli

In total ice time, killorn is 3rd, but the others fill out the top five. So again, their top 3 centers get top 5 ice time on the team. They are separated by 70 seconds.

It's not hurting anyone there. It was similar last year and they also got gourde quite a bit of time

People make too much of the "3c" designation. People move around, line ups shift, etc.

 

[LeedsMonster]

What do you mean in the future?

Right? He has to earn it first. Boq came on strong

 

[Bcap88]

So, when you guys say just take Wright and figure it out later, what exactly do you mean? Nico and Jack are both centers, period. Maybe they can try switching Wright to wing, is that what you're thinking of? I don't see him being satisfied just staying as 3C on a team forever.

Jack,nico,Wright down the middle and move mercer to wing permanently. All three will get there minutes

 

[MauDevils]

Jack’s a center. I don’t think Nico on the wing would be too much of an issue and same goes for Wright. Shift Wright or Nico to wing if you need to. Or just run the 3 down the middle and move a guy up if you need to. Staal was playing 19 minutes a night as the 3C and they went to 2 SCFs winning 1. If Wright is there you sprint up there to take him and figure out how it works later

It's the opposite for me. Nico is a center and Jack could easily play wing. Hell, Yegor is taking most of his faceoffs already anyway.

I'd have Wright center Jack.

 

[Bcap88]

It's the opposite for me. Nico is a center and Jack could easily play wing. Hell, Yegor is taking most of his faceoffs already anyway.

I'd have Wright center Jack.

Jack has looked terrible everytime he was placed on the wing. He also was over a ppg last year at center and I don’t think that’s something we should be messing with

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Pity the analytics team that gets sucks in by Puljujarvi guy is a slug. 14 goals with some of the linemates he had is a joke

Just admit you don't watch him play and move along.

 

[Sgt Brylin]

Give me Jack-Jesse-Juraj. Inject that right into my veins.

 

[JimEIV]

I admittedly haven't watched Pulijujarvi a ton, I did watch quite a bit of Edmonton's playoff games this year...I honestly don't get the fascination here with him.​

He looks very pedistrian to me.​

 

[WetWholphin]

Can we please get a goalie? I see no reason why we can’t be at least a bubble team next season if we get league average goaltending.

 

[glenwo2]

McLeod is going to jail, put Boqvist as 3C and sign some scrub who'll still be better than Moped Michael

Has there been an update to this?

 

[NJDevs26]

LOL nobody's going to jail since they settled the suit and have a confidentiality agreement. And we don't even know if he himself was involved (directly or otherwise) anyway. McLeod's got enough to worry about hockey-wise as it is, I'm still not sold on him as a long-term 4C. I guess points-wise he's fine but he just doesn't do anything for me.

 

[Bleedred]

McLeod is now on his second of NHL goalless streak of 30+ games.

I forgot what the exact number is, but I kept citing them before the season had ended.

He didn't score his first NHL goal until his 39th game in the league. He also had a 25 game goal drought starting late in the 20-21 season that carried over into the 21-22 season.

And then I think there was one other streak of 16 games without a goal in 20-21.

It's almost hilarious just how bad his goal scoring is.

 

[McDuffz88]

Remember that time we had Bratt locked up long term for under 7 mill? Good times.....that dude should be banned from social media after spinning those rumors.

 

[JimEIV]

McLeod is now on his second of NHL goalless streak of 30+ games.

I forgot what the exact number is, but I kept citing them before the season had ended.

He didn't score his first NHL goal until his 39th game in the league. He also had a 25 game goal drought starting late in the 20-21 season that carried over into the 21-22 season.

And then I think there was one other streak of 16 games without a goal in 20-21.

It's almost hilarious just how bad his goal scoring is.

McLeod isn't really an NHL player. If he wasn't a 1st round pick he would still be an AHL player. He could barely score in the AHL to boot

 

[Nocashstyle]

Listening to NHL Rumors Daily podcast. I’ve never listened before…and he is just a rumor mill, but over the past two years or so he has proven to have some legitimacy.

-he thinks Fitz once again is going to have the green light to spend this off-season and think Gaudreau to NJ makes a lot of sense.
-Braut (yep, not Bratt) negotiations don’t have much “traction” yet in talks, he wouldn’t be surprised to see Bratt’s name thrown around a ton and gauging his value around the league.
-The #2 pick is very much in play because the rebuild should be starting to turnover at this point and they need to take a step.
-Zacha and Blackwood are definitely available
-Jack’s comments probably made Ruff safe for another few months at least
-Devils are in probably in play for Husso but also very much keeping an eye on the Hellenbyuck situation. He also mention Primeau from MTL.

 

[Oneiro]

He's made correct calls on other franchises but for us, he's been a zero. I'd listen to him with some skepticism. He can't even pronounce the players' names correctly, held fast to an incorrect call that Ruff was a lame duck coach and has, like the Canadian media, shown absolutely no insight into the Devils future whatsoever.

 

[JimEIV]

I heard Kevin Weekes say something like a lot of teams are inquiring about Jesper Bratt...That doesn't seem good...I don't know if I am jumping to conclusions but my thought is "a lot of teams" don't inquire unless there is a for sale sign on the lawn?

Trading Bratt would be a mistake.

 

[goonybird]

Seems relevant that the NHL is investigating it. Might not amount to jail but could see it having an impact regardless. And he sucks so who cares.

 

[Nocashstyle]

He's made correct calls on other franchises but for us, he's been a zero. I'd listen to him with some skepticism. He can't even pronounce the players' names correctly, held fast to an incorrect call that Ruff was a lame duck coach and has, like the Canadian media, shown absolutely no insight into the Devils future whatsoever.

I believe he was one of the first to strongly link NJ and Hamilton.

He’s had misses in regards to NJ too, but again, he’s just a rumor guy. He clearly does have legit sources…to what extent, who knows?

 

[RSeen]

Jack has looked terrible everytime he was placed on the wing. He also was over a ppg last year at center and I don’t think that’s something we should be messing with

How large is the sample size with him at wing? Its likely very small. He could adapt to the wing.

 

[Triumph]

I believe he was one of the first to strongly link NJ and Hamilton.

He’s had misses in regards to NJ too, but again, he’s just a rumor guy. He clearly does have legit sources…to what extent, who knows?

Depends on when this happened. Once Philadelphia and Chicago made big moves for RHD in 'June', it really limited the field - I thought the Devils were 20% to get Hamilton at that point. Wouldn't take sources to start linking Hamilton and the Devils.