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

[Whaddagoal]

I didn’t even hear about the oblique much less the shoulder…good lord. I shouldn’t laugh but it’s too ludicrous not to

The oblique was the weird injury he got in a game where he fell forward awkwardly and afterwards was holding his belly or was hunched over. Mid season at some point.

We all assumed then he had aggravated the injury from before. Turns out it was a totally new one - oblique.

Now we have shoulder on top of that. Crazy news.

How the hell is Timo going to workout hard this off-season like he said he would....

 

[tailfins]

It's a shame they couldn't get those bonus overages down. Really not sure why they took on Tanev's 25%. Unless they are trading for Markstrom this offseason and that was a favor he was doing for Conroy, it was a bad use of money if it cost them any dollars at all on next year's cap.

Agree fully. Very bizarre.

Almost screams that they need to hire someone who can be in charge of the cap.

 

[Xirik]

Meanwhile in Vegas and Colorado

FINAL CAP HIT

: $92,239,581​

FINAL CAP HIT

: $90,957,006​

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

People here had the audacity to bitch about Meier when anyone with eyes knew he was playing hurt lmao

 

[Blackjack]

NHL playoffs: when all the injured players on playoff teams are suddenly healthy, and all the healthy players on non-playoff teams are suddenly injured.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Again if you’re claiming that losing to the Sabres is worse because Ruff is the coach I don’t see it.

I’m not so emotionally fragile that it matters and I assume (hope?) the Devils players are the same. I don’t care if random people I don’t know are mocking the hiring.

We can lose those first 2 games and still end up having an excellent season. We can win them and miss the playoffs.

We won the last time we started the season in Europe, as part of a 4 game win streak, and then we went 27-41-10 the rest of year.

Starting the season with a few losses would create a “toxic atmosphere” but winning quickly cures that.

Our “home woes” were from the 17-21-3 record and only from that record, the team needs to do better at home. The atmosphere never was bad at wins or even close games.

Yeah, this team has lost so much the past decade, how does losing to Lindy twice in a different country somehow make it a tipping point for Fitz lmao. I swear some people on this board want to have their scenarios to come through to be even more self loathing with this team. They've lost to Buffalo in more embarrassing fashion before. The 2-0 blown lead just last month. the game where they started our slide in 17-18 where Hall's goal got called offside and they were one of the worst teams in the leagues that year (pretty sure they were).

NHL playoffs: when all the injured players on playoff teams are suddenly healthy, and all the healthy players on non-playoff teams are suddenly injured.

Another checkmark for the people who thought us squeaking into the playoffs would've done nothing with the injuries they had + atrocious coaching they had lol.

 

[Rhodes 81]

How will we afford my off-season super plan to sign Talbot, Lindholm, Henrique, Kulikov, Noesen, and Trinen now?

I even had contingencies for Tatar and Teravainen...

 

[Brodeur]

It's a shame they couldn't get those bonus overages down. Really not sure why they took on Tanev's 25%. Unless they are trading for Markstrom this offseason and that was a favor he was doing for Conroy, it was a bad use of money if it cost them any dollars at all on next year's cap.

Maybe somebody with a better understanding with how retention works can correct me, but I was assuming we were only on the hook for a prorated amount of Tanev's 25%. My ballpark estimation was 25% of the season remaining * 1.125 mil ~ 281K. The overage is a bummer but the Tanev portion doesn't seem like it would inhibit us that badly.

 

[glenwo2]

Doctor, Schmoctor...

Bratt simply said "F off, I want a break from Hockey."

 

[Guadana]

Henrique, Kulikov, Noesen, and Trenin now

That’s how.

 

[Billdo]

It's a shame they couldn't get those bonus overages down. Really not sure why they took on Tanev's 25%. Unless they are trading for Markstrom this offseason and that was a favor he was doing for Conroy, it was a bad use of money if it cost them any dollars at all on next year's cap.

It's really an exaggeration to say that but Schneider and Kuokkanens buyouts are off the books so it's fine in the end if the Tanev retention costs a couple hundred thousand.

 

[Triumph]

Maybe somebody with a better understanding with how retention works can correct me, but I was assuming we were only on the hook for a prorated amount of Tanev's 25%. My ballpark estimation was 25% of the season remaining * 1.125 mil ~ 281K. The overage is a bummer but the Tanev portion doesn't seem like it would inhibit us that badly.

This is the raw dollar amount, yes, but that's not how the cap works - it is how the cap can work when you've 'banked' cap space, but the Devils had no banked cap space because they put Dougie Hamilton on LTIR. What I don't know is whether you can remove a player from LTIR even if they are still injured, or if that's just how the mechanism works that once a player is on LTIR, the only way to remove them from it is to return them to the active roster. Given that the Devils had more than Dougie's salary available to them after the trade deadline, I suspect this is what happened, but I'll have to look into it later.

 

[Zippy316]

This is the raw dollar amount, yes, but that's not how the cap works - it is how the cap can work when you've 'banked' cap space, but the Devils had no banked cap space because they put Dougie Hamilton on LTIR. What I don't know is whether you can remove a player from LTIR even if they are still injured, or if that's just how the mechanism works that once a player is on LTIR, the only way to remove them from it is to return them to the active roster. Given that the Devils had more than Dougie's salary available to them after the trade deadline, I suspect this is what happened, but I'll have to look into it later.

I have a feeling the killer for the Devils was Luke likely tapping into a ton of his bonuses. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hit close to the max of his bonus structure given how good his counting stats are this year along with a likely top 3 Calder finish.

It does seem that there should’ve been enough buffer there between Hamilton + Bastian. Not sure exactly how it works, but if teams like Vegas + Leafs aren’t on that list, I don’t see how the Devils would be.

 

[billingtons ghost]

People here had the audacity to bitch about Meier when anyone with eyes knew he was playing hurt lmao

Dude. Guy was invisible and flat out bad all over the ice. Shut it down, get healthy and let someone else play.

Frigging Halonen was better than broken Meier.

This team sucked with a healthy Meier.

Same thing with Hughes. If you're going to be 20% and a turnover machine, get your surgery, hit the weights this summer and be ready for the bell next year. Now we've got to see if he'll make training camp and maybe he's one preseason crunch in the boards away from missing another season.

 

[Cheddabombs]

How will we afford my off-season super plan to sign Talbot, Lindholm, Henrique, Kulikov, Noesen, and Trinen now?

I even had contingencies for Tatar and Teravainen...

Don't talk to me about my cap

 

[Guttersniped]

1.538 million cap penalty for Devils next year.

I am guessing Luke made a big chunk of his ELC bonuses, especially if he’s a Calder finalist. Nemec and Holtz probably also tapped into some of theirs.

Calder Finalist isn’t one of awards that gets them money, it’s every other one, if they qualify for B level bonuses.

Bonuses listed for 2023-24 on Cap Friendly
all A level & B level bonuses
Nemec 3.25m
Just A level bonuses
Luke 925k
Holtz 850k
Mercer 400k

"A" Level Bonuses

"A" Bonuses are worth $212,500 each, to a maximum of $850,000 (maximum 4 achieved). For signed starting in 2022, "A" bonuses are worth $250,000 each, to a maximum of $1,000,000 (maximum 4 achieved). They are achieved by each of:

Defensemen
-10 goals
-25 assists
-40 points
-Top four in Time on Ice among Defensemen (in total and/or per game) on team (minimum 42 games)
-Top three in +/- among defensemen on team (minimum 42 games)
-0.49 points per game (minimum 42 games)
-Top two among defensemen on team in blocked shocks
-End-of Season All Rookie Team
-All Star Selection
-All Star MVP

Luke: Assists, Points, Ice Time, points per game, (probably makes All-Rookie Team too)
Luke gets all of his 925k

Nemec: Ice Time, Blocked Shots
Nemec gets 500k (assuming he’s not on All-Rookie team)

Forwards
-20 goals
-35 assists
-60 points
-Top six in Time on Ice among forwards (in total and/or per game) on team (minimum 42 games)
-Top three in +/- among forwards on team (minimum 42 games)
-0.73 points per game (minimum 42 games)
-End-of Season All Rookie Team
-All Star Selection
-All Star MVP

Holtz: no bonuses

Mercer: goals, ice time
Mercer gets all of his 400k

"B" Level Bonuses

"B" Bonuses are worth a maximum of $2 Million (up to $2.5M for players drafted in 2022 and later), and the full amount of the bonus is awarded if any of the following is achieved:

-Forwards: Top Ten in NHL Forward Goals, Assists, points, or points per game (min 42 GP)

-Defensemen: Top Ten in NHL Defensemen Goals, Assists, points, ice time or points per game (min 42 GP) for Defensemen

-Win any of the following trophies: Hart, Selke, Richard, Conn Smythe, Norris

-1st or 2nd team All-Star

Only Nemec qualified for these this year.

Next season Luke’s bonuses are 1.85k, so he’ll qualify for this and very well could hit one of those top ten lists.

Contract structure

If an entry-level contract has performance bonuses, the first $850K (up to $1M for players drafted in 2022) are "A" bonuses, and the remainder (to a maximum of another $2M or $2.5M for players drafted in 2022 or later) are "B" Bonuses. For example:

-If a contract has $1.1M in bonuses, the first $850K are "A" bonuses, and the remaining $250K are "B"

-If a contract has $500K in bonuses, they are all "A" bonuses. The player would get $212,500 each for the first 2 items achieved, and then $75,000 if a 3rd item is achieved.

Entry Level Performance Bonuses | Puckpedia

Entry Level Contracts are eligible for Performance Bonuses. There are two categories of Performance Bonuses: "A" Level Bonuses "A" Bonuses are worth $212,500 each, to a maximum of $850,000 (maximum 4 achieved). For players signed starting in 2022, "A" bonuses are worth $250,000 each, to a...

puckpedia.com

 

[britdevil]

Doctor, Schmoctor...

Bratt simply said "F off, I want a break from Hockey."

A source close to Bratt confirmed that he will be visiting a "medical professional" in Mauritius.

Dude. Guy was invisible and flat out bad all over the ice. Shut it down, get healthy and let someone else play.

Frigging Halonen was better than broken Meier.

This team sucked with a healthy Meier.

Same thing with Hughes. If you're going to be 20% and a turnover machine, get your surgery, hit the weights this summer and be ready for the bell next year. Now we've got to see if he'll make training camp and maybe he's one preseason crunch in the boards away from missing another season.

Hockey is pretty toxic with regards to injury.

There is an obsession to play as much as possible, even if it's detrimental to every party involved. It's weird.

 

[theoptimist]

That’s how.

What do you think Henrique signs for?

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Dude. Guy was invisible and flat out bad all over the ice. Shut it down, get healthy and let someone else play.

Frigging Halonen was better than broken Meier.

This team sucked with a healthy Meier.

Same thing with Hughes. If you're going to be 20% and a turnover machine, get your surgery, hit the weights this summer and be ready for the bell next year. Now we've got to see if he'll make training camp and maybe he's one preseason crunch in the boards away from missing another season.

Yes, I agree but people legit were spouting off as if he was going to be this player for the length of his contract. It was basically Dougie Hamilton all over again, Dougie's play dipped when he got hurt in 21-22. The same thing happened with Timo, the hoopla with Timo was borderline ridiculous.

 

[Guadana]

What do you think Henrique signs for?

I believe he would be cheaper if he will not win SC. So let’s hope oilers will lose as soon as they can. I believe he wants something like 3.5-4.5 for two years but you never know how much money some specific gm will be ready to pay.

 

[MartyOwns]

Dude. Guy was invisible and flat out bad all over the ice. Shut it down, get healthy and let someone else play.

Frigging Halonen was better than broken Meier.

This team sucked with a healthy Meier.

Same thing with Hughes. If you're going to be 20% and a turnover machine, get your surgery, hit the weights this summer and be ready for the bell next year. Now we've got to see if he'll make training camp and maybe he's one preseason crunch in the boards away from missing another season.

i long for the days when the worst thing we could say about our medical staff is that they were incompetent.

 

[Xirik]

A source close to Bratt confirmed that he will be visiting a "medical professional" in Mauritius.



Hockey is pretty toxic with regards to injury.

There is an obsession to play as much as possible, even if it's detrimental to every party involved. It's weird.

It's pretty weird given the fact in every other sport players are sitting games because of relative minor injuries

 

[billingtons ghost]

Yes, I agree but people legit were spouting off as if he was going to be this player for the length of his contract. It was basically Dougie Hamilton all over again, Dougie's play dipped when he got hurt in 21-22. The same thing happened with Timo, the hoopla with Timo was borderline ridiculous.

Yeah I concur. Absolutely ridiculous takes at times.

That said:
1 get traded for a lunch pail guy
2 sign mega contract
3 struggle a bit when you aren't hurt early in the season

People are ready to fret

Same with Bratt, right? He had a magnificent season this year.

I think a large part of it is that our entire core seems like it's not too robust. Esp if Bratt really is 'hurt' too... Btw Nico concussions and Jack shoulders, we've already got enough probs... If our toughest guy is banged up?

 

[McDuffz88]

Is Hughes going to get his shoulder injury or are we going to have to deal with him blowing out his shoulder again next year?

 

[britdevil]

Is Hughes going to get his shoulder injury or are we going to have to deal with him blowing out his shoulder again next year?

Are you asking if he had surgery?? Yes, it ended his season.