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

[MadDevil]

We've also known players to be less than forthcoming about their symptoms before, so who knows. It could have been something they thought they could rehab but ended up needing surgery. I remember thinking Timo's injury was going to go that route at one point.

 

[Bleedred]

We've also known players to be less than forthcoming about their symptoms before, so who knows. It could have been something they thought they could rehab but ended up needing surgery. I remember thinking Timo's injury was going to go that route at one point.

Fair enough. We just don't know, so I can't for sure shred the medical department.

The one guy they really seemed to force out there was Blackwood back in 2021-2022.

I do think they should have shut Jack down earlier, but that was almost definitely more of a managerial or player call than that of the medical department.

 

[My3Sons]

Fair enough. We just don't know, so I can't for sure shred the medical department.

The one guy they really seemed to force out there was Blackwood back in 2021-2022.

I do think they should have shut Jack down earlier, but that was almost definitely more of a managerial or player call than that of the medical department.

They only forced Blackwood out there because his specialty was immunology not orthopedics.

 

[NjDevsRR]

They only forced Blackwood out there because his specialty was immunology not orthopedics.

Our medical staff is GOAT

 

[Guttersniped]

Weird that he goes from his injury not really being ''Long term'' to then getting surgery, which happened fairly recently and not closer to when he last played in the middle of February.

I felt like this qualified as “long term”

 

[Bleedred]

I felt like this qualified as “long term”

But I remember right after he last played on February 10th the prognosis was much less severe. I do believe he even returned to practice briefly, but that part I may be imagining.

Actually, I’m remembering Ruff saying something about it not being long term. Then saying at some other point that he had some kind of setback. Or maybe he just said something that I took as meaning there was a setback.

Then Fitz said that about him not playing again this year on deadline day when he was traded.

 

[My3Sons]

But I remember right after he last played on February 10th the prognosis was much less severe. I do believe he even returned to practice briefly, but that part I may be imagining.

Actually, I’m remembering Ruff saying something about it not being long term. Then saying at some other point that he had some kind of setback. Or maybe he just said something that I took as meaning there was a setback.

Then Fitz said that about him not playing again this year on deadline day when he was traded.

Initially it was less severe. But as the days went by it became apparent that Vanacek wasn’t going to take his thumb out of his mouth and stretch out to stand up from that fetal position he was curled up in the corner of thr locker room where he kept muttering “Bleed is calling me out for not going to post game press conferences” over and over again.

And that picture of him on crutches? As soon as the season ended he needed to have his eyes removed so he wouldn’t be able to see you in his nightmares anymore.

 

[Triumph]

Hamilton's prognosis was also initually short-term. I don't think these are medical errors - I think the medical profession is filled with uncertainty and if there is any chance at all that a guy has a short-term injury, the team will say the player has a short-term injury.

 

[ndkjr70]

I want Mitch Marner.

Make it a toffoli type trade. Acquire him as a pure rental. If he walks, he walks. But his value will never, ever, ever, ever be this low again.

 

[njdevil26]

I want Mitch Marner.

Make it a toffoli type trade. Acquire him as a pure rental. If he walks, he walks. But his value will never, ever, ever, ever be this low again.

I wonder what it would take to get him...

The fanbase consistently wants him gone and says the most vile crap about him but I would bet any money that any possible mock trade we could come up with is not good enough.

He's even almost a PPG player in the playoffs which is where Leaf fans have the biggest problem with him.... but yeah it's worth taking a chance. He's putting up crazy points in a city where he's under the craziest microscope. Bring him to a market with considerably less pressure and who knows what would happen.

Leafs would have to retain... and I have no idea what players it would take...

 

[devilsblood]

Is it that surprising? This medical staff is an absolute joke.

It's not like he went to the Sharks and they immediately decided to have surgery.

 

[devilsblood]

Ehlers’ playoff production looks crummy for the same reason he’s never had more than 64 points in a season despite consistently being near the top of the p/60 lists every year: Winnipeg is a poorly run organization that doesn’t appreciate his talents.

Honestly the entire Winnipeg organization is a playoff no-show. Something’s rotten there and it’s been that way for awhile, and while i’d LOVE to see Ehlers get a chance on another team, i’m not sure he makes sense for the Devils.

That being said, if he does end up in Jersey i’ll be doing cartwheels.

His 5v5 numbers fall off a cliff relative to not just his numbers, but his team mates as well.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

His 5v5 numbers fall off a cliff relative to not just his numbers, but his team mates as well.

I agree his playoff production is pretty disastrous, but I think part of that comes back to how his coaches don't trust him and aren't interested in putting him in a position to succeed. Especially in the playoffs, coaches need to work with their players and prepare them so they can still be effective when things are going poorly. You gotta find a way to maximize your players' strengths when the intensity ramps up and the whistles go away.

Bowness is on record saying he'd rather lose in the playoffs playing his way than changing up his strategy. I think a lot of coaches might say something like that in private but you gotta be REALLY stubborn to say that in public. And it's not like Winnipeg is suddenly a playoff beast once Ehlers gets dropped a line or two and has his minutes cut.

 

[TrufleShufle]

I want Mitch Marner.

Make it a toffoli type trade. Acquire him as a pure rental. If he walks, he walks. But his value will never, ever, ever, ever be this low again.

I don't think it's possible so I'm not worried, but absolutely don't want him on the Devils with what it would cost, even if it is a "discount."

Don't get me wrong, had a powerhouse team in GM mode in EA NHL a few years back getting him on the Devils, but good players don't always equal good team in real life. We have enough of what he brings.

 

[Goptor]

I agree his playoff production is pretty disastrous, but I think part of that comes back to how his coaches don't trust him and aren't interested in putting him in a position to succeed. Especially in the playoffs, coaches need to work with their players and prepare them so they can still be effective when things are going poorly. You gotta find a way to maximize your players' strengths when the intensity ramps up and the whistles go away.

Bowness is on record saying he'd rather lose in the playoffs playing his way than changing up his strategy. I think a lot of coaches might say something like that in private but you gotta be REALLY stubborn to say that in public. And it's not like Winnipeg is suddenly a playoff beast once Ehlers gets dropped a line or two and has his minutes cut.

Bowness' coaching record reflects that ideology.

 

[devilsblood]

I agree his playoff production is pretty disastrous, but I think part of that comes back to how his coaches don't trust him and aren't interested in putting him in a position to succeed. Especially in the playoffs, coaches need to work with their players and prepare them so they can still be effective when things are going poorly. You gotta find a way to maximize your players' strengths when the intensity ramps up and the whistles go away.

Bowness is on record saying he'd rather lose in the playoffs playing his way than changing up his strategy. I think a lot of coaches might say something like that in private but you gotta be REALLY stubborn to say that in public. And it's not like Winnipeg is suddenly a playoff beast once Ehlers gets dropped a line or two and has his minutes cut.

Ehlers underperformed in the playoffs long before Bowness came on board.

This all sounds very similar to Tatar. Excellent regular season player 5v5, but his game didn't translate to the playoffs, fans here wanted to lay it on the coaches, but then we saw it with our own eyes and everyone wanted him gone.

Marner looks to be in a similar boat as well.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Does that seem too dissimilar from Bratt? Timo Meier also has pretty terrible playoff numbers and he's obviously not lacking in size or strength. I think if you can't find ways to get these guys productive in the playoffs (while also recognizing that almost all players become less productive in the playoffs), it's as much a fault of the coaching staff as the players themselves. And I think Ehlers is a special case of that considering his regular season numbers are so sterling.

 

[njdevils1982]

17 years since the last game at CAA

 

[devilsblood]

Does that seem too dissimilar from Bratt? Timo Meier also has pretty terrible playoff numbers and he's obviously not lacking in size or strength. I think if you can't find ways to get these guys productive in the playoffs (while also recognizing that almost all players become less productive in the playoffs), it's as much a fault of the coaching staff as the players themselves. And I think Ehlers is a special case of that considering his regular season numbers are so sterling.

Bratt and Meier still dominated 5v5 in terms of on ice numbers.

Ehler's did not(aside from his first playoff year where he was very good in terms of on ice, less so in terms of individual rates)

Ehler's also has a 37 game playoff sample spanning multiple seasons. Bratt basically has one season, Timo has one season with us, and a couple with SJ, his 5v5 numbers individual numbers in 18-19 were excellent.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Can we try and stay away from small soft forwards with huge contracts, please!

 

[MadDevil]

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I want Mitch Marner.

Make it a toffoli type trade. Acquire him as a pure rental. If he walks, he walks. But his value will never, ever, ever, ever be this low again.

His skating speed got slower this year which is something I'd probably stay away from because it shows injuries/age are starting to take a toll on him. @SteveCangialosi123, you've used those skating charts before on this board, can ya post Marner's if you can find it?

 

[RSeen]

I want Mitch Marner.

Make it a toffoli type trade. Acquire him as a pure rental. If he walks, he walks. But his value will never, ever, ever, ever be this low again.

That is not happening. He has a $10.9M cap hit and NMC. He is not going to be worth what it takes to get him either and consistently underperforms in the playoffs.

 

[My3Sons]

His skating speed got slower this year which is something I'd probably stay away from because it shows injuries/age are starting to take a toll on him. @SteveCangialosi123, you've used those skating charts before on this board, can ya post Marner's if you can find it?

Isn’t he 26-27?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Can we try and stay away from small soft forwards with huge contracts, please!

like?