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

[Forge]

The rfa I'd like to target for a trade would be tolvanen, but I don't think Seattle has any issues bringing him back

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

0 interest in Necas. Not really what we need.

 

[Emperoreddy]

We do need to replace Toffoli

 

[TrufleShufle]

We do need to replace Toffoli

 

[MadDevil]

Part of me wants it to happen just to see the people who bitched about trading him turn on him the first time he has one of his cold streaks again.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

We do need to replace Toffoli

Playing Meier in his preferred position (both at rw and on pp1) suggests we don't need to replace Toffoli.

If we are looking up upgrade the top 6, we need a better LW/C hybrid that can play with Jack Hughes and push Huala down to 3rd line.

 

[Guadana]

We do need to replace Toffoli

Yeah, we don't need replace Toffoli, we need upgrade Haula or find good third line center.

 

[Mgd31]

I like the idea of trading for Buchnevich if possible.

 

[Triumph]

Meier was not played on RW much at all this season. I am not sure where people are getting this idea that he was moved.

Toffoli does need to be replaced because Meier and Hughes do not play well together and should never be on the same line. Now maybe that means Mercer and Hughes play together all the time, they have excellent results, but then who's their LW?

 

[devilsblood]

We do need to replace Toffoli

In what sense?

A goal scorer? A RW? Maybe just a top 6 guy?

Meier does replace him on the PP.

Can we say Mercer replaces him in the top 6? I guess. Does a team need all 6 guys in the top 6 to have high end offensive skill? I'd say no.

A guy with speed and physicality is a priority for me. Which is very different then the player Toffoli is.

And I hold out some hope that if Holtz is brought back, he takes another step towards being a guy you can play some bigger minutes.

 

[RSeen]

In what sense?

A goal scorer? A RW? Maybe just a top 6 guy?

Meier does replace him on the PP.

Can we say Mercer replaces him in the top 6? I guess. Does a team need all 6 guys in the top 6 to have high end offensive skill? I'd say no.

A guy with speed and physicality is a priority for me. Which is very different then the player Toffoli is.

And I hold out some hope that if Holtz is brought back, he takes another step towards being a guy you can play some bigger minutes.

I agree with adding speed and physicality. We need more depth and better bottom six pieces. If we go into the year with Palat and Mercer in top 6 roles and then look to make additions later in the year to push one of them down (i.e., trade deadline), that would be fine from my perspective.

Holtz, I'm ready to move on from, but he probably does not have much value He probably has to be in a top 9, if not top 6 role to be effective but I just can't seem him being an effect post-season player unless he improves significantly.

 

[Nubmer6]

And I hold out some hope that if Holtz is brought back, he takes another step towards being a guy you can play some bigger minutes.

I like him, but I'm just not sure where he fits in. I'm not sure he's going to be good enough defensively to be on Nico's line, who regularly goes against other team's top lines, and I feel like jack needs a more physical wing, especially if he ends up with Bratt as his other wing, which is a distinct possibility.

 

[BurntToast]

The Devils can use Toffoli. Having a extra 30 goal scorer never hurts.

But a what cost, at what term?

The other issue (which Toffoli got blamed for) is Toffoli’s usage. When the the lines or PP needed to change, Ruff refused to movie Toffoli, even when it was a hindrance to other players. It felt like he got star treatment (maybe in hopes of a discount), when he is a roll player on the Devils.

 

[devilsblood]

I agree with adding speed and physicality. We need more depth and better bottom six pieces. If we go into the year with Palat and Mercer in top 6 roles and then look to make additions later in the year to push one of them down (i.e., trade deadline), that would be fine from my perspective.

Holtz, I'm ready to move on from, but he probably does not have much value He probably has to be in a top 9, if not top 6 role to be effective but I just can't seem him being an effect post-season player unless he improves significantly.

Ya, and I think we can add that speed and physicality to the third line, and bump a guy like Palat up. I've mentioned Coleman a couple times, maybe that's not realistic, but he is the prototype.

I like him, but I'm just not sure where he fits in. I'm not sure he's going to be good enough defensively to be on Nico's line, who regularly goes against other team's top lines, and I feel like jack needs a more physical wing, especially if he ends up with Bratt as his other wing, which is a distinct possibility.

My hopes on Holtz is he continues to improve. I thought he took a big step last year to this year. It wasn't enough, but a big step nonetheless. Question now is, can he take another big step.

Interestingly with Holtz is, in addition to the defense and the board battles, he really lacks in skating and creating with the puck. Yes he can shoot, yes he can make some passes, but I imagine his exit's and entries are terrible. Rarely does much in zone either in this regard.

So while I thought he was noticeably skating more trying to get after the play, especially on the forecheck, I don't think his skating was evident with the puck on his stick. I'd highlight that as an area of potential improvement.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

People also need to keep in mind that basically no team has 6 legitimate top 6 forwards. The Devils unquestionably have 4. If Mercer can bounce back, that would technically be 5.

I know it is kind of semantics, but I think one middle six and one bottom 6 forward in FA/trade will suffice. Like, if we could sign a Debrusk and a Joshua? That would round out the forward corps nicely.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

He may be #good

 

[NJDfan86]

Ya, and I think we can add that speed and physicality to the third line, and bump a guy like Palat up. I've mentioned Coleman a couple times, maybe that's not realistic, but he is the prototype.



My hopes on Holtz is he continues to improve. I thought he took a big step last year to this year. It wasn't enough, but a big step nonetheless. Question now is, can he take another big step.

Interestingly with Holtz is, in addition to the defense and the board battles, he really lacks in skating and creating with the puck. Yes he can shoot, yes he can make some passes, but I imagine his exit's and entries are terrible. Rarely does much in zone either in this regard.

So while I thought he was noticeably skating more trying to get after the play, especially on the forecheck, I don't think his skating was evident with the puck on his stick. I'd highlight that as an area of potential improvement.

Exit's yes, entires not nearly as problematic - not surprising because he skates OK once he gets moving but the first step is an issue which causes issues separating in the DZ. His zone entries were very productive for the Devils this season, the below average controlled entry was likely caused by all the dumping of the puck while playing those 4th line min but his zone entries lead to scoring chances at the 5th highest rate on the team.

Exits are likely to make or break him moving forward - if he can get closer to average then it would likely help his defensive results and firmly keep him in an NHL regular role.

 

[devilsblood]

People also need to keep in mind that basically no team has 6 legitimate top 6 forwards. The Devils unquestionably have 4. If Mercer can bounce back, that would technically be 5.

I know it is kind of semantics, but I think one middle six and one bottom 6 forward in FA/trade will suffice. Like, if we could sign a Debrusk and a Joshua? That would round out the forward corps nicely.

I'm wary of Joshua. Scored goals in the reg season and playoffs. Big physical guy. He likely get's paid pretty big. Someone posted his edge stats and he was uber slow. Don't like that combo.

He may be #good

At the very least it makes it easy, almost necessary actually, to include Schmid in a goalie upgrade trade.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I'm wary of Joshua. Scored goals in the reg season and playoffs. Big physical guy. He likely get's paid pretty big. Someone posted his edge stats and he was uber slow. Don't like that combo.


At the very least it makes it easy, almost necessary actually, to include Schmid in a goalie upgrade trade.

fair enough, just using him as an example. But I think that if we were able to get 2 guys of that caliber, the forward corps would be rounded out perfectly. I think a guy like Foegele or Debrusk would be great wingers for Jack.

 

[devilsblood]

fair enough, just using him as an example. But I think that if we were able to get 2 guys of that caliber, the forward corps would be rounded out perfectly. I think a guy like Foegele or Debrusk would be great wingers for Jack.

I really like Debrusk, think he'd be a great fit. Hope he doesn't cost too much. And hey if Joshua doesn't cost too much, I'd get over the fact that he's slow. Would like to add some speed elsewhere though to offset that.

But we target guys like this for some pretty obvious reasons, and unfortunately for us, those reasons will drive their prices up.

 

[NJDevs26]

I'm wary of Joshua. Scored goals in the reg season and playoffs. Big physical guy. He likely get's paid pretty big. Someone posted his edge stats and he was uber slow. Don't like that combo.


At the very least it makes it easy, almost necessary actually, to include Schmid in a goalie upgrade trade.

I was thinking just last night they're likely going to have to trade one of these goalies this offseason, can't have three of them clogging up the AHL, they're all too good for the ECHL at this point and Fitz doesn't seem to want any of them in the NHL this year.

 

[My3Sons]

Yeah, we don't need replace Toffoli, we need upgrade Haula or find good third line center.

Really? You see Hischier as a low end 3C now?

 

[Oneiro]

Don’t think it would work capwise w/ an extension or asset wise but Buchnevich is exactly the player we could use. Does everything and can play a retrieval game and get the puck back for Jack.

 

[britdevil]

fair enough, just using him as an example. But I think that if we were able to get 2 guys of that caliber, the forward corps would be rounded out perfectly. I think a guy like Foegele or Debrusk would be great wingers for Jack.

Wont DeBrusk just re-sign in Boston?

They only have Pasta and Zacha with multiple years left at forward.

 

[Forge]

I really like Debrusk, think he'd be a great fit. Hope he doesn't cost too much.

I think we are at the point of the year where we will start hearing about evolving hockey's contract projections, which are usually pretty good with regards to overall accuracy.

Haven't seen one for debrusk yet, but I'm just going to throw a dart and say something in the high 5's?