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

[Guttersniped]

Moving Holtz in a deal for any sort of reliable middle/bottom 6 forward or defensive defenseman would be a good idea if there it a team out there that still believes in him to become a bonafide top 6 forward.

Some players that come to mind that could be acquired in a trade that involves Holtz are Colton Sissons, Conor Garland, Vasili Podkolzin, Carson Soucy, Jamie Oleksiak, Trent Frederic, Nino Niederreiter, Mason Appleton, Ryan Hartman, Freddy Gaudreau, Marcus Foligno, Jacob Markstrom, Jake Middleton.

Not seeing these guys moving:
Foligno - full NTC, 4 year extension starts 24-25
Hartman - full NTC, 3 year extension starts 24-25
Soucy - full NTC, 1 of the 2 dmen Van has signed for next season
Niederreiter - doesn’t have a trade clause but just signed a 3 year extension in Dec that starts in 24-25.
Sissions - I don’t see Nashville moving him for a winger, he’s basically their 2nd line center because they have no center depth.
Middleton - He’s dirt cheap, there’s no point in Minny trading him before the TDL if they don’t re-sign him.

Why tho?
F. Gaudreau - 15 team no trade list (also contract ends in 27-28 when he’s 35 & he’s bad now).

Maybe available? Also, why tho?
Appleton - will be a 29 yo UFA next off-season so maybe available, but RW & not good defensive numbers & not a PK guy.
Podkolzin - can he even stick in the NHL? Will he f*** off back to Russia soon?

Maybe available? (Sure, I guess, whatever)
Garland - not ideal, or particularly good value, but I like the little fella. Van needs more wingers, not less, but they’re tight on cap space.
Oleksiak - pricy and not sure Seattle would move a key defender for a winger when they’ll have 3 UFAs on defense next season to deal with.
Frederic - The idea of spending assets for a year rental of Trent Frederic makes me kind of sad but he’s not the worst player in the world.
Markstrom - yeah, I heard about this one.

 

[devilsblood]

Ruff tried to change the system a few weeks before he got fired. It was pretty much a desperation everyone plays defense system that didn't really have any way to create offense. Green stuck with the bandaid system of Ruff and the team was terrible because of that.

The PP was visibly bad. They had a lot of success making cross ice passes through the middle between Hughes/Bratt/Toffoli during the first 10 games. Teams caught on and took away the pass. Green still had the players trying to execute that pass all the way until the end of the season and it never worked. Not to mention the mess that was the 2nd pp, which did the same strategies as the first but did not have the personnel to pull it off. I guess having to scheme 2 different PPs was too much work for him.

I'd guess I'd have to check the timelines but I don't remember the Devils being as bad post Ruff adjustments, as they were once Green took over.

And yes the PP was bad, but again, a rookie at the point, and our best guy with a no good shoulder.

Take this as a slight defense of Green, who I thought stunk, but the PP lost some important personnel both completely(Hamilton) as well as partially(Jack).

 

[NJDevs26]

he isn't going to return a super huge amount and at the same time his price isn't going to come down a bunch from the trade deadline. so the devils basically just kicked the can down the road til the summer when they could've probably gotten him for the same price at the deadline which at that point he maybe helps us make the playoffs the kids get some valuable playoff experience. instead they dont play meaningful games for the last what about month of a season again.


i rather markstrom then either boston goalie markstrom fits our timeline where you get him in as a stop gap with allen and you hope by the time their contracts run out either daws or schmid are ready to step in at minimum a backup roll. the boston goalies just dont do it for me and you are buying super high


basically a vitek 2.0 attempt ? no thanks

He would not have made a hill of beans difference in making the playoffs last year, at least not from the deadline on. Allen/Kahkonen and Markstom’s numbers post deadline (and last year in general) were pretty negligible at best

 

[devilsblood]

He would not have made a hill of beans difference in making the playoffs last year, at least not from the deadline on. Allen/Kahkonen and Markstom’s numbers post deadline (and last year in general) were pretty negligible at best

Weren't Allen and Kahk actually significantly better then Markstrom post tdl?

I though Allen played well above his save % as well.

 

[MartyOwns]

I'm looking at this and holy shit PP2 was involved in a grand total of 2 goals all year once hamilton went down.

that can't be right, can it? holy shit

 

[MB3]

that can't be right, can it? holy shit

I know right?! They scored?! MORE than once?!?

 

[Stephen Gionta]

I remember the Holtz one timer off the feed from Nemec. I think against Montreal?

Don't remember any other goals from PP2.

 

[devilsblood]

I remember the Holtz one timer off the feed from Nemec. I think against Montreal?

Don't remember any other goals from PP2.

I can't say I remember that one, or any other PP2 goal.

 

[Guttersniped]

Some real masochists in here, it takes a strong stomach to dig up the corpse of our PP’s sad fate.

The PP2 barely played. We (correctly) stacked up the PP1 so the PP2 didn’t produce much after Hamilton was gone.

That’s why it was annoying that it took so long to get Meier on the PP1 after he started scoring even strength again.

As you can see in the 2nd chart, Meier was moved up pretty late. (Game 60 was on 3/1.)

Our PP was stalling then too. It was f***ing annoying and it took the Toffoli trade to really make it happen. (TT’s last game for NJ was game 62 on 3/5.) Meier had 7 PP goals, and 10 PP pts, after the promotion.

But anyway, the PP2 didn’t play much.

Side Note: I’d really love to never see Palat on the PP again, because I’m convinced he will never produce again on it, but I’m just a lady full of crazy foolish dream like that.

Also, the lack of any viable net front presence on this team is (to me) the PP biggest weakness and it’s pretty glaring.

 

[Xirik]

Apparently only Lazar eats veggies at the teams "Make your own pasta" bar and Everyone else thinks he's gross and Luke stomach is a black hole.


Seems like Lazar has made it his mission to keep Luke humble.

Is stop and shop a big chain in the U.S?

 

[My3Sons]

Apparently only Lazar eats veggies at the teams "Make your own pasta" bar. Everyone else thinks he's gross and Luke stomach is a black hole.


Seems like Lazar has made it his mission to keep Luke humble.

Is stop and shop a big chain in the U.S?

He seems like a really good guy. Easy to root for a guy like that.

 

[Guttersniped]

Apparently only Lazar eats veggies at the teams "Make your own pasta" bar. Everyone else thinks he's gross and Luke stomach is a black hole.


Seems like Lazar has made it his mission to keep Luke humble.

Is stop and shop a big chain in the U.S?

It is in the Northern NJ/NY Tri-State area, not sure about the rest of the country. Well, I know it’s not in California.

I didn’t grow up with it though. (Pour one out for A&P and Pathmark.)

 

[Devils731]

Also, the lack of any viable net front presence on this team is (to me) the PP biggest weakness and it’s pretty glaring.

I think every offseason I end up picking a guy or two in my head that aren’t on PP1 and go “they should spend all offseason practicing being the net front guy on the PP”.

Anyone that got really good at it will be able to become a PP carrion, feasting on points generated by the other talented guys on PP1.

Foote, Bastian, Timo, and Nico all should have a thought about it.

Obviously Timo and Nico could have other roles on PP1 but Timo has to fight some other good wingers and Nico keeps getting stuck as the useless player in the slot that will never get the puck.

Foote and Bastian getting good at it would solidify their chances to stay in the NHL and make them probably a few million more dollars in their career.

Then every year nobody seems to have focused on it and the Devils have to make due with what they have.

——————-

Alternatively, PPs without a net front guy but with a behind the net guy instead are gaining in some popularity. With the Devils personnel, they may want to look into something more along those lines rather than a traditional umbrella setup.

 

[Nocashstyle]

Apparently only Lazar eats veggies at the teams "Make your own pasta" bar and Everyone else thinks he's gross and Luke stomach is a black hole.


Seems like Lazar has made it his mission to keep Luke humble.

Is stop and shop a big chain in the U.S?

It’s a northeast chain. I think as far north as Massachusetts and NJ is as far south as it goes. It’s one of the most common grocery stores in NJ, but Shop Rite is probably most common.

 

[Tynbomb]

Apparently only Lazar eats veggies at the teams "Make your own pasta" bar and Everyone else thinks he's gross and Luke stomach is a black hole.


Seems like Lazar has made it his mission to keep Luke humble.

Is stop and shop a big chain in the U.S?

It's pretty much all over CT, RI, MA, and a couple in NH

 

[Nocashstyle]

It's pretty much all over CT, RI, MA, and a couple in NH

 

[devilsblood]

I think every offseason I end up picking a guy or two in my head that aren’t on PP1 and go “they should spend all offseason practicing being the net front guy on the PP”.

Anyone that got really good at it will be able to become a PP carrion, feasting on points generated by the other talented guys on PP1.

Foote, Bastian, Timo, and Nico all should have a thought about it.

Obviously Timo and Nico could have other roles on PP1 but Timo has to fight some other good wingers and Nico keeps getting stuck as the useless player in the slot that will never get the puck.

Foote and Bastian getting good at it would solidify their chances to stay in the NHL and make them probably a few million more dollars in their career.

Then every year nobody seems to have focused on it and the Devils have to make do with what they have.

——————-

Alternatively, PPs without a net front guy but with a behind the net guy instead are gaining in some popularity. With the Devils personnel, they may want to look into something more along those lines rather than a traditional umbrella setup.

On some teams that guy in the slot get's a ton of sog's. So is it a philosophy issue in NJ, or execution either from Nico himself or the teams inability to find him?

Also I think Timo as net front makes sense. Maybe not his ideal spot, but he's the best we have, and we have good options on the wings.

 

[Patrik26]

It is in the Northern NJ/NY Tri-State area, not sure about the rest of the country. Well, I know it’s not in California.

I didn’t grow up with it though. (Pour one out for A&P and Pathmark.)

Which are both no longer.

 

[Alex NJD]

But for context, here were Palat's PP points. All before Dougie Hamilton got hurt, all assisted by top tier players.
View attachment 874079

Here are Mercer's. 2 with hamilton, 1 on PP1 at the end of the year, and 2 that Holtz was involved in (those are nemec's only 2 PP points as well)
View attachment 874080
Here are Haula's
View attachment 874081
All before hamilton got hurt, 1 on PP "1" when Hughes and Hischier's lines were split.

I'm looking at this and holy shit PP2 was involved in a grand total of 2 goals all year once hamilton went down.


Neither Gritysuk or Heemanaho will be coming next year. He's still on his ELC, he has had a grand total of 1 year.

"If you ignore the part of the game holtz is elite at he struggles as a 22 year old"

I hear Alex Ovechkin also isn't good independent of his expected sniper role.

JFC that is horrid. The fact that both Haula and Palat finished the season on a stretch of likely 50 PP minutes without a single point makes me think we need another top6 winger who can actually generate offense

 

[njdevils1982]

Apparently only Lazar eats veggies at the teams "Make your own pasta" bar and Everyone else thinks he's gross and Luke stomach is a black hole.


Seems like Lazar has made it his mission to keep Luke humble.

Is stop and shop a big chain in the U.S?

does this guy ever stop smiling?

 

[TrufleShufle]

does this guy ever stop smiling?

I heard he did once, during the first half of watching this video.

 

[njdevils1982]

I heard he did once, during the first half of watching this video.

why did you just do that to me?! i love birds. also, part of my job is climbing down into sewer systems so seeing that breaks my heart.

edit: oh they were saved....nice!

 

[TrufleShufle]

why did you just do that to me?! i love birds. also, part of my job is climbing down into sewer systems so seeing that breaks my heart.

edit: oh they were saved....nice!

Lol now you understand what Lazar went through.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Some real masochists in here, it takes a strong stomach to dig up the corpse of our PP’s sad fate.

The PP2 barely played. We (correctly) stacked up the PP1 so the PP2 didn’t produce much after Hamilton was gone.

That’s why it was annoying that it took so long to get Meier on the PP1 after he started scoring even strength again.

As you can see in the 2nd chart, Meier was moved up pretty late. (Game 60 was on 3/1.)

Our PP was stalling then too. It was f***ing annoying and it took the Toffoli trade to really make it happen. (TT’s last game for NJ was game 62 on 3/5.) Meier had 7 PP goals, and 10 PP pts, after the promotion.

But anyway, the PP2 didn’t play much.

Side Note: I’d really love to never see Palat on the PP again, because I’m convinced he will never produce again on it, but I’m just a lady full of crazy foolish dream like that.

Also, the lack of any viable net front presence on this team is (to me) the PP biggest weakness and it’s pretty glaring.


View attachment 874289

View attachment 874291

Need a net front PP guy?

 

[woody footbreaker]

Apparently Devils will be heavily interested in Chandler Stephenson.

This person told me about the Ruff firing the night before it was announced, and also about the John Marino trade a few hours before it was announced publicly anywhere.

glad to hear that, as he should be nr.1 target upfront.

i cant find any other UFA quality centerman that brings exactly everything to table what the devils need. big, fast, good defensively, FO guy, netfront etc. and you could play him at wing too.

its exactly the player we need and he would give the new coach much more options to figure something out, so both top lines would become defensively sound