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

[Brodeur]

A professional athlete who has to be told multiple times to get in shape? I'm not sure that's a good fit right now.

Tougher for some guys than others. I'd have to dig up the article, but I vaguely remember something with Ryan Miller where he didn't want to bulk up too much since he'd be sacrificing flexibility. But then there are cases like Robin Lehner where it's just a guy just being overweight.

Your comment also reminded me of this Skip Bayless op-ed from years ago where he blamed the NFL for Maurice Clarett not panning out. The NFL didn't let Clarett enter the 2004 Draft after he got kicked off Ohio State's squad. While waiting for that extra year, Clarett got out of shape and had issues with drugs/alcohol. That was the NFL's fault according to Bayless. And that was point where I tuned out anything he ever has to say.

 

[My3Sons]

Tougher for some guys than others. I'd have to dig up the article, but I vaguely remember something with Ryan Miller where he didn't want to bulk up too much since he'd be sacrificing flexibility. But then there are cases like Robin Lehner where it's just a guy just being overweight.

Your comment also reminded me of this Skip Bayless op-ed from years ago where he blamed the NFL for Maurice Clarett not panning out. The NFL didn't let Clarett enter the 2004 Draft after he got kicked off Ohio State's squad. While waiting for that extra year, Clarett got out of shape and had issues with drugs/alcohol. That was the NFL's fault according to Bayless. And that was point where I tuned out anything he ever has to say.

Bayless just says things to create controversy in my view. I doubt he believes a word he says.

 

[Guttersniped]

No you don’t have to take it that way. But it’s inevitable that some people will. I wonder about it and have seen a good deal of speculation about it and that’s why I think he should have found a better way to say it or not to have said it at all.

In particular I wonder if he’s frustrated with the Hughes brothers.

If some people take it that way then they’re misinterpreting it IMO.

I don’t see how he’s frustrated with the Hughes brothers.

Jack played with an injured shoulder and the Luke led the team in ATOI as a rookie.

Neither player is perfect but citation needed if you think “passionate, love the game and go to work every day” doesn’t describe the Hughes brothers.

You’re trying to read a lot into one sentence.

 

[glenwo2]

Here's the real reason Bratt can't participate :

He just doesn't feel like it.


But whatever the actual reason (whether it's an injury or what-have-you, that those doctors detected), I'm not against this.

 

[NJDfan86]

Trading down three spots to pick up a legit tandem goalie? That seems like reasonable value for us, but I have no idea why the Wild would do that.

Wild do have a pretty bleak cap outlook with the Parise/Suter buyouts eating ~$14m and a young goalie on an ELC ready to go - so moving up 3 spots and clearing Gustavsson's salary has some value. I do think that there is a pretty big drop-off in talent right where MN is supposed to pick as well.

As you said, It does seem unlikely that moving up to #10 from #13 would be the better return as opposed to just trading Gustavsson outright - unless the league opinion of him is lower than we would expect.

 

[Guttersniped]

Wild do have a pretty bleak cap outlook with the Parise/Suter buyouts eating ~$14m and a young goalie on an ELC ready to go - so moving up 3 spots and clearing Gustavsson's salary has some value. I do think that there is a pretty big drop-off in talent right where MN is supposed to pick as well.

As you said, It does seem unlikely that moving up to #10 from #13 would be the better return as opposed to just trading Gustavsson outright - unless the league opinion of him is lower than we would expect.

The Wild only have to gut out one more year of ~14m and then it drops to 1.67m.

Do they need to clear Gustavsson’s salary?

Fleury took 1m less with his extension, so they’re paying both 6.25m with Wallstedt on a ELC.

Having Fleury gives them depth next season and then Gus will play with Wallstedt the following year.

 

[Devils Trap]

The Wild only have to gut out one more year of ~14m and then it drops to 1.67m.

Do they need to clear Gustavsson’s salary?

Fleury took 1m less with his extension, so they’re paying both 6.25m with Wallstedt on a ELC.

Having Fleury gives them depth next season and then Gus will play with Wallstedt the following year.

I think they want Wallstedt playing big minutes next year

 

[Devils731]

I was going to post this in the Lindy to Buffalo area but it’s more of a comment on the Devils.

It will be interesting to see if Lindy runs some unique system when he’s there.

If he doesn’t, then I will half suspect Devils management likes to create complicated systems through too much collaboration. Too many cooks in the kitchen leading to too many good ideas and a system that is just too much.

If Lindy does run something unique while he’s there then they might blitz the Devils games 1 and 2 since they won’t have scouting on where the weaknesses are yet.

 

[NJDevs26]

I was going to post this in the Lindy to Buffalo area but it’s more of a comment on the Devils.

It will be interesting to see if Lindy runs some unique system when he’s there.

If he doesn’t, then I will half suspect Devils management likes to create complicated systems through too much collaboration. Too many cooks in the kitchen leading to too many good ideas and a system that is just too much.

If Lindy does run something unique while he’s there then they might blitz the Devils games 1 and 2 since they won’t have scouting on where the weaknesses are yet.

I was thinking something like that too, he’ll definitely have more autonomy on staff at least

 

[NJDfan86]

The Wild only have to gut out one more year of ~14m and then it drops to 1.67m.

Do they need to clear Gustavsson’s salary?

Fleury took 1m less with his extension, so they’re paying both 6.25m with Wallstedt on a ELC.

Having Fleury gives them depth next season and then Gus will play with Wallstedt the following year.

I didn’t say they need to clear it, I wasn’t using clear in that sentence to mean it’s a bad value contract that has to go - just that they wouldn’t need to retain and had an ELC replacement in house. Just think it’s an opportunity they might be able to use him to improve, that’s why I said they would probably get better value just moving him straight up.

I’m sure they would love to have that Wallsted/Gustavsson combo after next year - hopefully there is enough time to go around next year.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I was going to post this in the Lindy to Buffalo area but it’s more of a comment on the Devils.

It will be interesting to see if Lindy runs some unique system when he’s there.

If he doesn’t, then I will half suspect Devils management likes to create complicated systems through too much collaboration. Too many cooks in the kitchen leading to too many good ideas and a system that is just too much.

If Lindy does run something unique while he’s there then they might blitz the Devils games 1 and 2 since they won’t have scouting on where the weaknesses are yet.

They have the same personnel for the most part as us, it's going to be the same shitty Lindy system we all know and hate.

 

[Devils731]

They have the same personnel for the most part as us, it's going to be the same shitty Lindy system we all know and hate.

I think the roster similarities will make Lindy going there interesting. If he chooses to run things completely differently then I think that gives us some insight on how much collaboration goes into the Devils on-ice system.

 

[Patrik26]

The 24-25 season is nowhere in sight and yet there's going to be a buildup of anxiety in here with the Ruff hiring and the first two vs Buffalo.

 

[Devs3cups]

Why are we caring about Ruff beating us in games 1-2 of the season? As if it means anything.

 

[Maine Fan]

Who is in goal for the Devils in game 2 of the 2024-25 Devils Playoff series?

 

[NJDevs26]

Why are we caring about Ruff beating us in games 1-2 of the season? As if it means anything.

Because there’s a lot of pressure on this group to prove two years ago was the new norm and not just a fluke, and there’s a lot of pressure on Fitz specifically to fix the issues that happened under two different coaches last year (not to mention pressure to get coach #3 right). If we start next season with Fitz’s third coach and it looks like nothing’s changed early the pressure mounts on everyone even more, especially with fan dissatisfaction being palpable late this season and adding to it the embarrassment of losing to a coach cast off by everyone here.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Who is in goal for the Devils in game 2 of the 2024-25 Devils Playoff series?

Yevgeni Stoppuckalov.

 

[Andre Palot]

Who is in goal for the Devils in game 2 of the 2024-25 Devils Playoff series?

The cremated remains of Jon Gillies because we ended up blowing our load on Tkachuk.

 

[JimEIV]

Because there’s a lot of pressure on this group to prove two years ago was the new norm and not just a fluke, and there’s a lot of pressure on Fitz specifically to fix the issues that happened under two different coaches last year (not to mention pressure to get coach #3 right). If we start next season with Fitz’s third coach and it looks like nothing’s changed early the pressure mounts on everyone even more, especially with fan dissatisfaction being palpable late this season and adding to it the embarrassment of losing to a coach cast off by everyone here.

I really wouldn't count Green as a coaching choice...I mean he was just a stopgap to stop the bleeding.

 

[NJDevs26]

I really wouldn't count Green as a coaching choice...I mean he was just a stopgap to stop the bleeding.

Fitz hired him as the associate to begin with, he had no connection to Lindy. Almost all of the associates have been bad (and Fitz choices) too except for Brunette and well, I don't really feel like having the argument that he wasn't in fact the main reason why we had 30 more points last year.

 

[ZYXWVUT]

I was thinking something like that too, he’ll definitely have more autonomy on staff at least

I wouldn’t be so sure about that.

 

[Guttersniped]

The 24-25 season is nowhere in sight and yet there's going to be a buildup of anxiety in here with the Ruff hiring and the first two vs Buffalo.

“A build-up of anxiety” lol

I DGIF, and I honestly don’t see why anyone would, l wish Ruff and the Sabres the best. I have a soft spot for both.

It would be both more embarrassing and objectively worse for us if no one wanted to hire our ex-coaches.

The Sabres have had 5 different head coaches between Ruff’s first run and Granato, none of them have gotten NHL head coaching jobs since. Only two got any head coaching jobs again, both in the AHL: Ron Rolston & Dan Bylsma.

That trend is noticeable to potential hires, the Sabres likely wouldn’t have had the easiest time attracting candidates. Luckily Ruff loves Buffalo, loves the Sabres and loves coaching, so he was an easy solution.

It only helps us with hiring to have an ex-coach jump to another NHL head coach job.

 

[NJDevs26]

“A build-up of anxiety” lol

I DGIF, and I honestly don’t see why anyone would, l wish Ruff and the Sabres the best. I have a soft spot for both.

It would be both more embarrassing and objectively worse for us if no one wanted to hire our ex-coaches.

The Sabres have had 5 different head coaches between Ruff’s first run and Granato, none of them have gotten NHL head coaching jobs since. Only two got any head coaching jobs again, both in the AHL: Ron Rolston & Dan Bylsma.

That trend is noticeable to potential hires, the Sabres likely wouldn’t have had the easiest time attracting candidates. Luckily Ruff loves Buffalo, loves the Sabres and loves coaching, so he was an easy solution.

It only helps us with hiring to have an ex-coach jump to another NHL head coach job.

What does it say that our last few coaches (Pete, Hynes, Lindy) have been hired immediately then lol, that other teams think our GM's are morons for letting them go? Even Nas got an assistant job next to Pete on a contending team.

 

[ZYXWVUT]

Thats my number 1 target. But they won't let him go. We have to overpay. Which I'm ok with

I thought I read somewhere earlier in the year there was rumblings of Dillon being interest in going to Vancouver as a UFA this summer since he’s from that area. If that’s the case, gimme the guy he would prob replace there, Zadorov. That’s the guy I want on the backend.

 

[MadDevil]

Who is in goal for the Devils in game 2 of the 2024-25 Devils Playoff series?

Bah gawd, that's Marty Brodeur's music!