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

[Unknown Caller]

Fiala would not come in as the Devils best offensive player. Hughes is the Devils best offensive player, with or without Fiala, and I'd also take Bratt over Fiala in terms of pure offensive skill.

Holtz is a very different player than Fiala, he's a pure finisher, though his passing is underrated and his all-around game is pretty solid.

The Devils do not have "too many 3rd liners", I'd say they have zero. Maybe Foote and Boqvist and Zetterlund develop into good 3rd liners next year. Tatar, Johnsson and Zacha are not good 3rd liners, because they collectively offer zero of the intangibles you would want from a good 3rd line. All three should be shipped out this off-season, though I wouldn't rule out Tatar sticking around one more year because he'll be really tough to move with that bad cap hit.

The very worst thing a still-building team can do is offer up the future for a very good-but-not-great player because they're impatient in the rebuild. The very worst thing. The Devils are going to trade this year's 1st round pick, which could be a potential great player -- a desperately-needed potential franchise RD like Jiricek or Nemec, or a forward with more upside than even Fiala like Slafkovsky or Nazar or Cooley.

And if things go south next year? I too have high hopes, but another goaltending implosion or major Hughes injury could lead to another lottery finish. Can we imagine if the Devils missed out on a generational talent like Conor Bedard or Matvey Michkov for... Kevin Fiala?

The Devils need to wait until they actually turn the corner until they deal futures for "nows", and the Devils have not turned that corner yet.

The last thing I'd like to add is that the Devils don't need "one more really good winger" to be a contender, they need a specific type of winger. The Devils were 3rd in the entire NHL last year in goals scored off the rush, but just 22nd in the league in goals scored off the cycle. We cannot understate how huge this discrepancy is. The Devils need a net-front presence and an interior presence in the crease and down low. Though Fiala is a good player in every offensive respect, he is more effective in space than in tight -- which makes him similar to most of the Devils offensive players. Though I agree with you Matt Tkachuks are not found on the trade market, why not make a run at Nichushkin? Even Niederreiter or Marchment would help in these respects, and NJ would not have to sacrifice major future assets in order to acquire them.

Look, if Minnesota wants to give up Fiala for a package of Mukhamadullin, Ty Smith and Pavel Zacha then I'm all for it. But signing Fiala to an offer sheet is a horrible idea -- Minnesota would take the NJ high draft picks and run away laughing. And trading a 1st round pick right now is equally shortsighted.

The Devils need to make a move for someone like Kevin Fiala to finally turn the corner. Nobody is saying to deal an unprotected 2023 1st for Fiala, so this has no impact on Bedard or Michkov. And Fiala is going to be moved before he's subject to an offer sheet.

Jiricek, Nemec and Slafkovsky are all nice prospects, but (1) there's no guarantee that the Devils will even be in position to pick one of them and (2) aside from maybe Nemec, they aren't can't miss prospects. They could very easily flop. It's also going to take years for any of them to make an impact, and the Devils need to start progressing now with their core entering their prime on reasonable contracts.

The Devils acquiring Fiala won't restrict them from going after a Nichushkin or Niederreiter or Marchment if they really wanted to. But that aside, how many of these third liners that get paid in UFA after a hot season or two are ever worth the contract? You're almost always paying for past performance and an aging player that falls off under an inflated cap hit. No thanks to chasing one year wonder Mason Marchment in place of the Fiala move.

And no team is ever getting Fiala for Mukamadullin, Smith and Zacha, nor should they. He's a legitimate star.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

The Devils need to make a move for someone like Kevin Fiala to finally turn the corner. Nobody is saying to deal an unprotected 2023 1st for Fiala, so this has no impact on Bedard or Michkov. And Fiala is going to be moved before he's subject to an offer sheet.

Jiricek, Nemec and Slafkovsky are all nice prospects, but (1) there's no guarantee that the Devils will even be in position to pick one of them and (2) aside from maybe Nemec, they aren't can't miss prospects. They could very easily flop. It's also going to take years for any of them to make an impact, and the Devils need to start progressing now with their core entering their prime on reasonable contracts.

The Devils acquiring Fiala won't restrict them from going after a Nichushkin or Niederreiter or Marchment if they really wanted to. But that aside, how many of these third liners that get paid in UFA after a hot season or two are ever worth the contract? You're almost always paying for past performance and an aging player that falls off under an inflated cap hit. No thanks to chasing one year wonder Mason Marchment in place of the Fiala move.

And no team is ever getting Fiala for Mukamadullin, Smith and Zacha, nor should they. He's a legitimate star.

Yes to all of this. Although I don’t think Minnesota needs to rush to trade him before an offer sheet because even the compensation on an offer sheet would be good. Although if it’s a decent team maybe not because those picks would be later.

But most of the teams that could afford to offer sheet him probably aren’t playoff teams and getting their 2023 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks would be some pretty nice compensation. Would be risky for the team offer-sheeting him as they would have to be very confident they won’t be in a lottery position next season.

We shouldn’t be offersheeting him. But if we can work a deal out even one that includes this years pick in the 5-7 range then I think we should.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

All aboard the Fiala train, the chemistry with Nico from the world Swiss tournaments is an added bonus. Get him and your top 6 is set for a decade plus.

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

Fiala would not come in as the Devils best offensive player. Hughes is the Devils best offensive player, with or without Fiala, and I'd also take Bratt over Fiala in terms of pure offensive skill.

Holtz is a very different player than Fiala, he's a pure finisher, though his passing is underrated and his all-around game is pretty solid.

The Devils do not have "too many 3rd liners", I'd say they have zero. Maybe Foote and Boqvist and Zetterlund develop into good 3rd liners next year. Tatar, Johnsson and Zacha are not good 3rd liners, because they collectively offer zero of the intangibles you would want from a good 3rd line. All three should be shipped out this off-season, though I wouldn't rule out Tatar sticking around one more year because he'll be really tough to move with that bad cap hit.

The very worst thing a still-building team can do is offer up the future for a very good-but-not-great player because they're impatient in the rebuild. The very worst thing. The Devils are going to trade this year's 1st round pick, which could be a potential great player -- a desperately-needed potential franchise RD like Jiricek or Nemec, or a forward with more upside than even Fiala like Slafkovsky or Nazar or Cooley.

And if things go south next year? I too have high hopes, but another goaltending implosion or major Hughes injury could lead to another lottery finish. Can we imagine if the Devils missed out on a generational talent like Conor Bedard or Matvey Michkov for... Kevin Fiala?

The Devils need to wait until they actually turn the corner until they deal futures for "nows", and the Devils have not turned that corner yet.

The last thing I'd like to add is that the Devils don't need "one more really good winger" to be a contender, they need a specific type of winger. The Devils were 3rd in the entire NHL last year in goals scored off the rush, but just 22nd in the league in goals scored off the cycle. We cannot understate how huge this discrepancy is. The Devils need a net-front presence and an interior presence in the crease and down low. Though Fiala is a good player in every offensive respect, he is more effective in space than in tight -- which makes him similar to most of the Devils offensive players. Though I agree with you Matt Tkachuks are not found on the trade market, why not make a run at Nichushkin? Even Niederreiter or Marchment would help in these respects, and NJ would not have to sacrifice major future assets in order to acquire them.

Look, if Minnesota wants to give up Fiala for a package of Mukhamadullin, Ty Smith and Pavel Zacha then I'm all for it. But signing Fiala to an offer sheet is a horrible idea -- Minnesota would take the NJ high draft picks and run away laughing. And trading a 1st round pick right now is equally shortsighted.

 

[StevenToddIves]

The Devils need to make a move for someone like Kevin Fiala to finally turn the corner. Nobody is saying to deal an unprotected 2023 1st for Fiala, so this has no impact on Bedard or Michkov. And Fiala is going to be moved before he's subject to an offer sheet.

Jiricek, Nemec and Slafkovsky are all nice prospects, but (1) there's no guarantee that the Devils will even be in position to pick one of them and (2) aside from maybe Nemec, they aren't can't miss prospects. They could very easily flop. It's also going to take years for any of them to make an impact, and the Devils need to start progressing now with their core entering their prime on reasonable contracts.

The Devils acquiring Fiala won't restrict them from going after a Nichushkin or Niederreiter or Marchment if they really wanted to. But that aside, how many of these third liners that get paid in UFA after a hot season or two are ever worth the contract? You're almost always paying for past performance and an aging player that falls off under an inflated cap hit. No thanks to chasing one year wonder Mason Marchment in place of the Fiala move.

And no team is ever getting Fiala for Mukamadullin, Smith and Zacha, nor should they. He's a legitimate star.

I respectfully disagree with a lot here.

1) Fiala is not guaranteed to be moved before he's subject to an offer sheet. The best case scenario for Minnesota -- aside from some ludicrous trade offer from a poor GM -- is an offer sheet from a team like NJ which would give them a top 6 overall pick plus a 2nd and 3rd round pick. This is Kevin Fiala after all, not Kirill Kaprizov or Matt Tkachuk.

2) The chances Jiricek, Nemec and Slafkovsky flop as prospects would have to be the same chances that Fiala falls back from his contract-year career-season and becomes a 60-65 point player next year. There's no guarantee of anything in the world of sports. All three of those draft-eligibles have a far higher upside than Fiala, and they will all be inexpensive and under team control for several seasons. I do agree there's no guarantee the Devils will get one of those three players.

3) The Devils do not need a Kevin Fiala to turn the corner. Sure, he would help -- he's a heck of a player. But he's a luxury. The Devils are already one of the elite NHL teams at scoring off the rush. But they can't score off the cycle because no one is screening the goaltender, banging home rebounds or deflecting pucks in the opposing nets. Again, one improbable statistical anomaly tells a big story -- the Devils were 3rd in the NHL at scoring off the rush last year, but 22nd at scoring off the cycle. This is the biggest discrepancy in the entire NHL for 2021-22 in either direction. Clearly, the Devils have no shortage of skill, but they do have a shortage of interior play.

It is my belief -- which everyone is free to dispute, of course -- that an NHL team is not better off simply getting a 80-point player instead of a 65-point player. I'd have to ask, what type of player are the two players? If the 65-point guy is offering they type of play your team lacks and the 80-point guy was offering more of what you already have, I'd say go for the 65-point guy, who is probably cheaper under the cap, anyway.

Kevin Fiala is a very good hockey player. But he does not have the dominate-every-shift upside of a Jiricek or Slafkovsky, who both potentially fill roles the Devils sorely need. Yes, there is no guarantee Jiricek becomes a star or that Slafkovsky becomes a star -- but these two are potentially far superior to Fiala, and I'm just not willing to take that chance. And although Nemec lacks that sort of dominant upside, he can become a two-way, offensively productive and defensively stalwart all-situations defender, which is still more valuable than Fiala. Because again, there's no guarantee Fiala signs a huge deal with the Devils and scores 82 points again next year, either. So, when weighing best-case scenarios, I'm going to go with the better best case scenarios.

Look, I get the impatience around here to turn the corner. But the Devils are close. Still, Kevin Fiala is a luxury, not a necessity. And the money you'll be paying him will detract from the money available to fill necessities. If Matt Tkachuk becomes available? Sure, I'll trade the #5 overall pick, no sweat. Tkachuk would immediately solve the Devils problems of producing offense down low and of being too easy to play against. But I'm not risking future cup contention on a quick fix which potentially will be damaging in the long run.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I respectfully disagree with a lot here.

1) Fiala is not guaranteed to be moved before he's subject to an offer sheet. The best case scenario for Minnesota -- aside from some ludicrous trade offer from a poor GM -- is an offer sheet from a team like NJ which would give them a top 6 overall pick plus a 2nd and 3rd round pick. This is Kevin Fiala after all, not Kirill Kaprizov or Matt Tkachuk.

2) The chances Jiricek, Nemec and Slafkovsky flop as prospects would have to be the same chances that Fiala falls back from his contract-year career-season and becomes a 60-65 point player next year. There's no guarantee of anything in the world of sports. All three of those draft-eligibles have a far higher upside than Fiala, and they will all be inexpensive and under team control for several seasons. I do agree there's no guarantee the Devils will get one of those three players.

3) The Devils do not need a Kevin Fiala to turn the corner. Sure, he would help -- he's a heck of a player. But he's a luxury. The Devils are already one of the elite NHL teams at scoring off the rush. But they can't score off the cycle because no one is screening the goaltender, banging home rebounds or deflecting pucks in the opposing nets. Again, one improbable statistical anomaly tells a big story -- the Devils were 3rd in the NHL at scoring off the rush last year, but 22nd at scoring off the cycle. This is the biggest discrepancy in the entire NHL for 2021-22 in either direction. Clearly, the Devils have no shortage of skill, but they do have a shortage of interior play.

It is my belief -- which everyone is free to dispute, of course -- that an NHL team is not better off simply getting a 80-point player instead of a 65-point player. I'd have to ask, what type of player are the two players? If the 65-point guy is offering they type of play your team lacks and the 80-point guy was offering more of what you already have, I'd say go for the 65-point guy, who is probably cheaper under the cap, anyway.

Kevin Fiala is a very good hockey player. But he does not have the dominate-every-shift upside of a Jiricek or Slafkovsky, who both potentially fill roles the Devils sorely need. Yes, there is no guarantee Jiricek becomes a star or that Slafkovsky becomes a star -- but these two are potentially far superior to Fiala, and I'm just not willing to take that chance. And although Nemec lacks that sort of dominant upside, he can become a two-way, offensively productive and defensively stalwart all-situations defender, which is still more valuable than Fiala. Because again, there's no guarantee Fiala signs a huge deal with the Devils and scores 82 points again next year, either. So, when weighing best-case scenarios, I'm going to go with the better best case scenarios.

Look, I get the impatience around here to turn the corner. But the Devils are close. Still, Kevin Fiala is a luxury, not a necessity. And the money you'll be paying him will detract from the money available to fill necessities. If Matt Tkachuk becomes available? Sure, I'll trade the #5 overall pick, no sweat. Tkachuk would immediately solve the Devils problems of producing offense down low and of being too easy to play against. But I'm not risking future cup contention on a quick fix which potentially will be damaging in the long run.

Don’t have time answer right now or even read your entire thing but that second is ridiculously bad and straight up factually untrue. I’ll expand on this later when I have time.

 

[Drill]

Id like the Devils to stay away from Barry Trotz. I think were being built like a Colorado, Edmonton, Florida. These teams who score in transition a lot and focus more offensively

Though Id like an assistant who can have the defense be a simple, safe structure. Maybe even just a zone with always one man on for board pressure. Have the center play low for breakouts while the opposite winger of the play shifts in for the slot. I dont think having a point man open is as dangerous as it once was

 

[Wierzbowski426]

Against Fiala if we have to give up our first.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Id like the Devils to stay away from Barry Trotz. I think were being built like a Colorado, Edmonton, Florida. These teams who score in transition a lot and focus more offensively

Though Id like an assistant who can have the defense be a simple, safe structure. Maybe even just a zone with always one man on for board pressure. Have the center play low for breakouts while the opposite winger of the play shifts in for the slot. I dont think having a point man open is as dangerous as it once was

This board would have a conniption the second Holtz is eating popcorn in the press box and Nate Bastian is next to Hughes in the ECF game 7 loss

 

[Stephen Gionta]

My offer to Minnesota for Fiala is Holtz + Zacha.

I'm not giving up our 1st if it is in the top 6. I would need more coming back from Minnesota in that case.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I respectfully disagree with a lot here.

1) Fiala is not guaranteed to be moved before he's subject to an offer sheet. The best case scenario for Minnesota -- aside from some ludicrous trade offer from a poor GM -- is an offer sheet from a team like NJ which would give them a top 6 overall pick plus a 2nd and 3rd round pick. This is Kevin Fiala after all, not Kirill Kaprizov or Matt Tkachuk.

2) The chances Jiricek, Nemec and Slafkovsky flop as prospects would have to be the same chances that Fiala falls back from his contract-year career-season and becomes a 60-65 point player next year. There's no guarantee of anything in the world of sports. All three of those draft-eligibles have a far higher upside than Fiala, and they will all be inexpensive and under team control for several seasons. I do agree there's no guarantee the Devils will get one of those three players.

3) The Devils do not need a Kevin Fiala to turn the corner. Sure, he would help -- he's a heck of a player. But he's a luxury. The Devils are already one of the elite NHL teams at scoring off the rush. But they can't score off the cycle because no one is screening the goaltender, banging home rebounds or deflecting pucks in the opposing nets. Again, one improbable statistical anomaly tells a big story -- the Devils were 3rd in the NHL at scoring off the rush last year, but 22nd at scoring off the cycle. This is the biggest discrepancy in the entire NHL for 2021-22 in either direction. Clearly, the Devils have no shortage of skill, but they do have a shortage of interior play.

It is my belief -- which everyone is free to dispute, of course -- that an NHL team is not better off simply getting a 80-point player instead of a 65-point player. I'd have to ask, what type of player are the two players? If the 65-point guy is offering they type of play your team lacks and the 80-point guy was offering more of what you already have, I'd say go for the 65-point guy, who is probably cheaper under the cap, anyway.

Kevin Fiala is a very good hockey player. But he does not have the dominate-every-shift upside of a Jiricek or Slafkovsky, who both potentially fill roles the Devils sorely need. Yes, there is no guarantee Jiricek becomes a star or that Slafkovsky becomes a star -- but these two are potentially far superior to Fiala, and I'm just not willing to take that chance. And although Nemec lacks that sort of dominant upside, he can become a two-way, offensively productive and defensively stalwart all-situations defender, which is still more valuable than Fiala. Because again, there's no guarantee Fiala signs a huge deal with the Devils and scores 82 points again next year, either. So, when weighing best-case scenarios, I'm going to go with the better best case scenarios.

Look, I get the impatience around here to turn the corner. But the Devils are close. Still, Kevin Fiala is a luxury, not a necessity. And the money you'll be paying him will detract from the money available to fill necessities. If Matt Tkachuk becomes available? Sure, I'll trade the #5 overall pick, no sweat. Tkachuk would immediately solve the Devils problems of producing offense down low and of being too easy to play against. But I'm not risking future cup contention on a quick fix which potentially will be damaging in the long run.

You’re not getting Tkachuk for just the fifth overall pick, lol. Try like Holtz + first as a starting point. Also for all this talk that Tkachuk is a harder guy to play against, Tkachuk and Fiala have the same point per game in the playoffs while the former has played top line minutes and required to score his team and Fiala has been a second line scorer for his MIN/NSH teams. There’s pros and cons for both of these guys. Both would be amazing gets for NJD.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Don’t have time answer right now or even read your entire thing but that second is ridiculously bad and straight up factually untrue. I’ll expand on this later when I have time.

I'll look forward to your comments, as always.

But I'll make the pre-emptive statement that Juraj Slafkovsky and David Jiricek, particularly, have the potential to be rare and unique talents at the NHL level. More unlikely scenarios have to happen for them to fail than to succeed. This is why they will both be likely top 5 picks.

Kevin Fiala is certainly a very good hockey player. But he's not rare or unique, nor does he solve any of the Devils current areas of need -- which Slafkovsky (potential star power forward with a superior pure skill set to Fiala) or Jiricek (potentially physical, all-situations two-way RD with shut-down upside and a bomb of a shot) perhaps could. Nemec might lack the absurd upside, but also provides the safest floor as an all-situations, minute-munching, two-way mid-pair RD. I'd add that Jiricek's floor is not exactly low -- he's already an intimidating physical force who excels with and without the puck in the Czech men's league.

I would not trade Luke Hughes for Fiala either, as he also has rare and unique upside.

Like I said, if Minnesota wants a package around Mukhamadullin, Smith and Zacha? Then, fine. We can throw in a couple B-prospects if it helps, the Devils are loaded with future LDs and wingers. But the generally accepted rule is -- unless you're at the beginning of a rebuild -- you don't give up the runaway biggest talent in a big trade. And in Fiala for any of Slafkovsky, Jiricek or Nemec, the Devils would be doing exactly that.

 

[Guttersniped]

None of the Outsiders managed to break that one early

Well it helped that Lou said he didn’t discuss it with anyone and made the decision the by himself.

So some upper management and ownership would have learned about it and that’s it.

Most coach firings “whispers” are educated guesses and the hockey press worships Trotz at this point.

 

[Oneiro]

@StevenToddIves Have you watched Tkachuk this post-season? Do you really think this is a guy worth 10M+ against the cap? I like him a lot but if this is what he does at the most important part of the year and the contract he's going to get, no thanks. He's withered under pressure and hurt his team with stupid decisions. Which isn't to say Fiala is doing much either but to some people here getting 11 shots in four games is a gift to humanity.

I think this board is getting jumpy on prom night. The team is still pretty far away and no one wants to admit it. Actually disagree with both "camps" - the ones who think we just need to fix the goaltending to make noise and all is well and the ones who want to go nuclear and heavy.

Draft the kid this year, sign role players, sort through your young pool, fix the goaltending and stop trying to hit a home run for a B-tier winger in some effort to get "value" out of the initial part of Jack and Bratt's contracts.

 

[Monsieur Verdoux]

Look, I get the impatience around here to turn the corner. But the Devils are close. Still, Kevin Fiala is a luxury, not a necessity. And the money you'll be paying him will detract from the money available to fill necessities. If Matt Tkachuk becomes available? Sure, I'll trade the #5 overall pick, no sweat. Tkachuk would immediately solve the Devils problems of producing offense down low and of being too easy to play against. But I'm not risking future cup contention on a quick fix which potentially will be damaging in the long run.

I'd love to get Tkachuk. He is stylistically much better player for the Devils than Fiala. However, I'm not sure which one is better, Tkachuk with 10,5-11M contract or Fiala with 7-7,5M contract. I mean, you can get Fiala and Niederreiter or Nichushkin with same money you are paying to Tkachuk (okay, you probably need 1-2M more but...). And I'm pretty sure Tkachuk doesn't take any discount on his next contract.

I also think that you undervalue Fiala. Yeah, you are saying that he is a great player, but after that you downplay his skill set (or maybe I just misinterpret you). The Devils have a lot of good prospects, but they also need players that are a sure cases.

I would trade a 1st for Fiala, if Jiricek, Nemec and Slafkovsky are already selected. I'd also consider to trade Holtz for Fiala. Holtz can be a great player, and then that trade would look bad. But if he can't fix his skating, his value might drop and then we don't get anyone as good as Fiala.

 

[My3Sons]

@StevenToddIves Have you watched Tkachuk this post-season? Do you really think this is a guy worth 10M+ against the cap? I like him a lot but if this is what he does at the most important part of the year and the contract he's going to get, no thanks. He's withered under pressure and hurt his team with stupid decisions. Which isn't to say Fiala is doing much either but to some people here getting 11 shots in four games is a gift to humanity.

I think this board is getting jumpy on prom night. The team is still pretty far away and no one wants to admit it. Actually disagree with both "camps" - the ones who think we just need to fix the goaltending to make noise and all is well and the ones who want to go nuclear and heavy.

Draft the kid this year, sign role players, sort through your young pool, fix the goaltending and stop trying to hit a home run for a B-tier winger in some effort to get "value" out of the initial part of Jack and Bratt's contracts.

you've got two guys that look to be top line guys. You've got one bona fide second line guy. You've got two guys that probably pan out to be second line guys. You could use a true top line guy. Preferably one that compliments the other two small first line guys. You can move one of the potential second line guys on a third line if you can find two top six guys. You have a fourth line. The third line is a patchwork that didn't gel for the most part. So, do you try to build a third line and hope Shara and Mercer work in a top six? Do you try to add a couple of top six pieces and move Mercer to the third line? You have potentially decent top four defense when healthy. Goaltending is a total question mark right now. If the goalies get fixed you would think that the team would be an NHL .500 team or a bit better with no changes. With a decent add up front or a top goalie maybe they improve incrementally beyond that. With the right coach maybe they can improve incrementally beyond that as well? It's not simple.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

@StevenToddIves Have you watched Tkachuk this post-season? Do you really think this is a guy worth 10M+ against the cap? I like him a lot but if this is what he does at the most important part of the year and the contract he's going to get, no thanks. He's withered under pressure and hurt his team with stupid decisions. Which isn't to say Fiala is doing much either but to some people here getting 11 shots in four games is a gift to humanity.

I think this board is getting jumpy on prom night. The team is still pretty far away and no one wants to admit it. Actually disagree with both "camps" - the ones who think we just need to fix the goaltending to make noise and all is well and the ones who want to go nuclear and heavy.

Draft the kid this year, sign role players, sort through your young pool, fix the goaltending and stop trying to hit a home run for a B-tier winger in some effort to get "value" out of the initial part of Jack and Bratt's contracts.

There should have been a jump by this NJD team this year that got absolutely got caved in because of goaltending. Are there other factors such as coaching and the bottom 6 that need work? Sure, we legit got robbed of seeing any growth in the standings with the catastrophe that played out in net this year. Shayna from the Athletic said if we got average goaltending, we would've seen 11 more wins from this roster which would've been near CBJ instead of the bottom of the standings like we ended up.

 

[Eggtimer]

I respectfully disagree with a lot here.

1) Fiala is not guaranteed to be moved before he's subject to an offer sheet. The best case scenario for Minnesota -- aside from some ludicrous trade offer from a poor GM -- is an offer sheet from a team like NJ which would give them a top 6 overall pick plus a 2nd and 3rd round pick. This is Kevin Fiala after all, not Kirill Kaprizov or Matt Tkachuk.

2) The chances Jiricek, Nemec and Slafkovsky flop as prospects would have to be the same chances that Fiala falls back from his contract-year career-season and becomes a 60-65 point player next year. There's no guarantee of anything in the world of sports. All three of those draft-eligibles have a far higher upside than Fiala, and they will all be inexpensive and under team control for several seasons. I do agree there's no guarantee the Devils will get one of those three players.

3) The Devils do not need a Kevin Fiala to turn the corner. Sure, he would help -- he's a heck of a player. But he's a luxury. The Devils are already one of the elite NHL teams at scoring off the rush. But they can't score off the cycle because no one is screening the goaltender, banging home rebounds or deflecting pucks in the opposing nets. Again, one improbable statistical anomaly tells a big story -- the Devils were 3rd in the NHL at scoring off the rush last year, but 22nd at scoring off the cycle. This is the biggest discrepancy in the entire NHL for 2021-22 in either direction. Clearly, the Devils have no shortage of skill, but they do have a shortage of interior play.

It is my belief -- which everyone is free to dispute, of course -- that an NHL team is not better off simply getting a 80-point player instead of a 65-point player. I'd have to ask, what type of player are the two players? If the 65-point guy is offering they type of play your team lacks and the 80-point guy was offering more of what you already have, I'd say go for the 65-point guy, who is probably cheaper under the cap, anyway.

Kevin Fiala is a very good hockey player. But he does not have the dominate-every-shift upside of a Jiricek or Slafkovsky, who both potentially fill roles the Devils sorely need. Yes, there is no guarantee Jiricek becomes a star or that Slafkovsky becomes a star -- but these two are potentially far superior to Fiala, and I'm just not willing to take that chance. And although Nemec lacks that sort of dominant upside, he can become a two-way, offensively productive and defensively stalwart all-situations defender, which is still more valuable than Fiala. Because again, there's no guarantee Fiala signs a huge deal with the Devils and scores 82 points again next year, either. So, when weighing best-case scenarios, I'm going to go with the better best case scenarios.

Look, I get the impatience around here to turn the corner. But the Devils are close. Still, Kevin Fiala is a luxury, not a necessity. And the money you'll be paying him will detract from the money available to fill necessities. If Matt Tkachuk becomes available? Sure, I'll trade the #5 overall pick, no sweat. Tkachuk would immediately solve the Devils problems of producing offense down low and of being too easy to play against. But I'm not risking future cup contention on a quick fix which potentially will be damaging in the long run.

Totally agree. We have gatherEd talent and skill , now we need to fine tune the roster and supplement our stars / core.
Id rather have a very well rounded 65 point guy than a 85 point one demential guy at this point. And have more cap room left over to possibly have two of the 65 point guys or left over cap room .
I also think the potential of Jiricek or Nemen would overall help the team more so than Fiala . Yes Fiala is a very good player but I’d rather have another stud RHD to go along with Hughes and Hamilton . Winger is not as impactful , unless you get a Panarin or someone that drives play from the wing and those are rare.
Now if trading Holtz instead of the first rounder…. I’m not sure what to think.
I just don’t want to paint ourselves in a corner where we are capped out and our roster is constructed poorly.

 

[Eggtimer]

I'll look forward to your comments, as always.

But I'll make the pre-emptive statement that Juraj Slafkovsky and David Jiricek, particularly, have the potential to be rare and unique talents at the NHL level. More unlikely scenarios have to happen for them to fail than to succeed. This is why they will both be likely top 5 picks.

Kevin Fiala is certainly a very good hockey player. But he's not rare or unique, nor does he solve any of the Devils current areas of need -- which Slafkovsky (potential star power forward with a superior pure skill set to Fiala) or Jiricek (potentially physical, all-situations two-way RD with shut-down upside and a bomb of a shot) perhaps could. Nemec might lack the absurd upside, but also provides the safest floor as an all-situations, minute-munching, two-way mid-pair RD. I'd add that Jiricek's floor is not exactly low -- he's already an intimidating physical force who excels with and without the puck in the Czech men's league.

I would not trade Luke Hughes for Fiala either, as he also has rare and unique upside.

Like I said, if Minnesota wants a package around Mukhamadullin, Smith and Zacha? Then, fine. We can throw in a couple B-prospects if it helps, the Devils are loaded with future LDs and wingers. But the generally accepted rule is -- unless you're at the beginning of a rebuild -- you don't give up the runaway biggest talent in a big trade. And in Fiala for any of Slafkovsky, Jiricek or Nemec, the Devils would be doing exactly that.

What about the possibility of tradig Holtz instead of the first rounder ?
Sorry if you commented on that situation already. Curious what your take would be on that.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I highly disagree with the mindset that you need to wait to turn the corner to finally make moves. With a team that has a bunch of kids, you'll be waiting forever short of having mcdavid level of skilled kids. It's just not realistic. We have the core, we need to start adding to them. If we had a competent goalie this past season, we would've been closer to playoffs, guaranteed. Is that not the sign to start making moves? My priorities would be getting a goalie, then 1 #1 winger, then some veteran middle 6 players who know how to win. It's a lot but that's what gm's get paid for

I have 0 idea what's the situation on Hellebuyck, but he'd be my primary target. Same with Forsberg, no idea what's going on with him but if he hits ufa, i'd target him hard.

 

[Team Concept]

Jeez the Islanders just fired Trotz. Would he be someone the Devs should be interested in? He might help with a defensive structure for this team.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I highly disagree with the mindset that you need to wait to turn the corner to finally make moves. With a team that has a bunch of kids, you'll be waiting forever short of having mcdavid level of skilled kids. It's just not realistic. We have the core, we need to start adding to them. If we had a competent goalie this past season, we would've been closer to playoffs, guaranteed. Is that not the sign to start making moves? My priorities would be getting a goalie, then 1 #1 winger, then some veteran middle 6 players who know how to win. It's a lot but that's what gm's get paid for

I have 0 idea what's the situation on Hellebuyck, but he'd be my primary target. Same with Forsberg, no idea what's going on with him but if he hits ufa, i'd target him hard.

Big difference between Hellebuyck and Fiala. Devils are desperate in goal. They are not desperate for a top 6 LW -- they have Bratt and Sharangovich now, with Gritsyuk likely just two years away.

 

[Oneiro]

you've got two guys that look to be top line guys. You've got one bona fide second line guy. You've got two guys that probably pan out to be second line guys. You could use a true top line guy. Preferably one that compliments the other two small first line guys. You can move one of the potential second line guys on a third line if you can find two top six guys. You have a fourth line. The third line is a patchwork that didn't gel for the most part. So, do you try to build a third line and hope Shara and Mercer work in a top six? Do you try to add a couple of top six pieces and move Mercer to the third line? You have potentially decent top four defense when healthy. Goaltending is a total question mark right now. If the goalies get fixed you would think that the team would be an NHL .500 team or a bit better with no changes. With a decent add up front or a top goalie maybe they improve incrementally beyond that. With the right coach maybe they can improve incrementally beyond that as well? It's not simple.

I'm not against Fiala or Tkachuk, though depends on the price for the latter. I won't bitch about a top 5 1st for Fiala swap - he's a good player - but I question going for certainty now vs. what's offered by a top 5 pick. I think we can do better than both by biding our time - I'd much prefer to make a Stone / O'Reilly / Hossa-type move up front - but I realize that's a hard sell and clearly the core guys and fans want additions.

A reasonable goal is to be in the hunt or in a wild card spot next year and yeah, I think getting Nico/Jack help on the wing is a part of that. But don't know that you need to give up a top 5 pick to do it. This team is still not very good and frankly, I think we're still in the accumulation phase. Bitter pill to swallow for some, I guess.

Ninja edit: That being said, I do think when it turns, it will happen fast.

 

[StevenToddIves]

What about the possibility of tradig Holtz instead of the first rounder ?
Sorry if you commented on that situation already. Curious what your take would be on that.

I don't build a package around Holtz. Fiala is just too much of a luxury to be giving up high-end futures. Devils need G, they need RD, they need RD, they need a 3rd line, they need more interior forwards and more physical players capable of playing in the top 9. Maybe some of these can be addressed from within, but not all. Let's draft these guys and develop them -- and then if the Devils start turning the corner next year, we can talk about trading future picks or prospects from areas of depth.

 

[My3Sons]

I'm not against Fiala or Tkachuk, though depends on the price for the latter. I won't bitch about a top 5 1st for Fiala swap - he's a good player - but I question going for certainty now vs. what's offered by a top 5 pick. I think we can do better than both by biding our time - I'd much prefer to make a Stone / O'Reilly / Hossa-type move up front - but I realize that's a hard sell and clearly the core guys and fans want additions.

A reasonable goal is to be in the hunt or in a wild card spot next year and yeah, I think getting Nico/Jack help on the wing is a part of that. But don't know that you need to give up a top 5 pick to do it. This team is still not very good and frankly, I think we're still in the accumulation phase. Bitter pill to swallow for some, I guess.

I'm much more interested in the goalie for now. Fix that and then see what the cap and tradeable picks/players looks like and go from there.