I agree with all of this, I just am unsure doing those things I highlighted will be as easy to do as we all expected/expect. The thinking was always "NJ got the hard part out of the way: they acquired elite young talent signed to team friendly contracts." This year has been eye opening in terms of how important it is to have a strong supporting cast, that plays in a way that supports that core and how you want to play.
The season really died with McLeod got arrested imo. He was a guy who never scored a ton so he was deemed a borderline replacement level guy in the offseason, but he played with pace and could go into corners and the dangerous parts of the offensive zone. Replacing him will not be easy, there really aren't that many guys that play at his speed and with his size. NJ will have to pick one or the other (e.g. Nosek versus Boqvist).
I just see adding all those things as being hard and/or expensive. NJ will have to do things like take Markstrom's full cap hit, or give Zadorov or Trenin a contract that makes us wince. It will be worth it, the time is now, but get ready.
It’s not been garbage time since January, we still had a real chance at the playoffs way after that.
We played meaningful games in February, and due to the playoff race being so weak, in March too. We just lost too many of those meaningful games.
Not saying anyone had to like it, or enjoy it, but that’s different than being out by Dec.
Look I know there were other issues but if you had told any of us before the year that Vanecek and Schmid would both be off the team by the deadline, Hamilton would only play 20 games, and 3 of our top 4 forwards would miss significant time/play hurt most of the year I don't think any of us would have liked our chances regardless of all the other shit that went wrong.
Doesn't mean there isn't work to do, and I definitely think some additional veteran leadership is needed after watching the team just sort of quit in March despite still being in the race, but I don't think it's fair to judge the long-term outlook of the core off of this season.
They should have the makings of a decent third line with Haula and Palat but it just doesn't seem to coalesce. They really need Mercer to rebound and Holtz to take a step forward next season.
The Devils themselves half treated it like garbage time once they sold off at the deadlineIt’s not been garbage time since January, we still had a real chance at the playoffs way after that.
We played meaningful games in February, and due to the playoff race being so weak, in March too. We just lost too many of those meaningful games.
Not saying anyone had to like it, or enjoy it, but that’s different than being out by Dec.
A relatively normal season in terms of injuries and goaltending being even mediocre would definitely go a long way. It's also true that a healthy core playing well makes the supporting cast job's easier, e.g. the PP scores goals your even strength time is easier.Eh, the only top guy that avoided injury was Bratt. In addition to the obvious, Marino seems like he's been beat up all season, Haula came into the year hurt, Siegenthaler got injured twice. It's just been a really tough year for player health, in addition to everything else.
Losing McLeod hurt and he would've been fine playing the systemless jumble the Devils are doing right now.
Porque no los dos? veteran doesn't automatically mean slow or bad.What is the point of a guy like Palat then? His entire existence to this team is for moments like that. You can't just burn assets on that, I much rather use it on shoring up the bottom 6 than vet depth to guys who are slower
I think those two with a strong third would perform well over the course of a season, but they both spend a lot of time playing top 6 minutes when they really shouldn't. This is why adding a 2nd line center is the most important skater addition for me. Someone who can be the new Haula playing with Hughes interchangeably as a C/LW but also still provide good offensive production even when they're not with Hughes or Bratt or whoever. There's a decent number of potential UFAs that could fit the bill, just have to hope one of them is willing to sign a contract that works for usThey should have the makings of a decent third line with Haula and Palat but it just doesn't seem to coalesce. They really need Mercer to rebound and Holtz to take a step forward next season.
Eh, the only top guy that avoided injury was Bratt. In addition to the obvious, Marino seems like he's been beat up all season, Haula came into the year hurt, Siegenthaler got injured twice. It's just been a really tough year for player health, in addition to everything else.
Losing McLeod hurt and he would've been fine playing the systemless jumble the Devils are doing right now.
Porque no los dos? veteran doesn't automatically mean slow or bad.
The good:
The bad:
- The stadium series game rocked.
- Timo rocked.
- Luke and Nemec went from "elite prospects" to "foundational core pieces"
- Jack was f***ing filthy before his injury. He's an all-star while injured. Insane.
- Nico, Jesper, all had good seasons.
What can (and will) improve to get this team back to a Cup Contender:
- Dougie being injured sunk the season before we knew it.
- Dawson Mercer went from "promising fringe first line player" to "3rd liner at best?"
- Ondrej Palat is already a bad hockey player, and we have him for 4 more years at $6 per.
- The coaching and the goaltenders were devastating. I've never hated coaches more than Lindy and Travis, and I've certainly never hated goaltending quite as much as Vitek Vanecek.
- Even with everything listed above, this is a playoff team if they just got not-horrific injury luck from everyone else. Jack, Nico, Timo all missing significant time sunk the team. That won't happen every year. It likely won't ever happen that bad again.
- John Marino and Jonas Siegenthaler going from "important ancillary pieces" to "oh my god, these guys stink" was a shock and a disappointment.
- Alex Holtz usage was frustrating, but his production when he was being used was disappointing. Needed a step up from him and we really didn't get it (through his own fault or otherwise).
- The 4th line being a revolving door of useless players making useless plays, just one season after having a fringe-30 goal scorer getting health bombed. That was a shock to the system.
My excitement for the future has not taken a hit, even if the season was a failure. Let's go find our coach and let's run this shit back.
- No more league-worst goaltending.
- No more league-worst coaching.
- No more league-worst injury luck.
- No more "key 3rd line center and locker room leader being kicked out of the sport for being a sex offender."
- Positive regressions to the mean for Marino, Siegenthaler
- Step-up prove it season from Dawson Mercer
- The addition of 2-3 bottom-6 players via UFA.
- The addition of 1-2 bottom-4 solid veteran defenseman via UFA.
- Either the addition of 1 solid but unspectacular goalie, or the addition of a true game-breaking goaltender.
I think the issue here was not getting the proper McLeod replacement if you had an inkling of what was gonna come with Team Canada. Getting Nosek to replace him if something did come down from that investigation is like putting a square peg in a round hole
I’m guessing he’s still top 40 in the league for 5 on 5 goal scoring per minute. He has good production for the minutes he gets, especially considering his linemates much of the time.Alex Holtz usage was frustrating, but his production when he was being used was disappointing. Needed a step up from him and we really didn't get it (through his own fault or otherwise).
I think that's unfair. He literally went head and shoulder first into the boards. Any player gets hurt there lol.Ultimately, literally everything else aside, this entire organization is riding on Jack Hughes being able to stay healthy. Coming into the year I wouldn’t have called his ability to do that in question, but now I think we have to.
We can’t have our best player hobbled or on the shelf every year. He stayed healthy last year and surprise, surprise, we were a good team (yes of course there are other variables here). Hopefully the surgery that he hasn’t gotten up to this point solves it all.
let’s just hope we lose out from here and pick up a really nice piece at the draft. i’m rooting for the avs now
I'm rooting for whoever plays the rags and the lamoriellos.