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

[Guadana]

I was very pro draft man but now im more strongly on the do the pick choice.

Im looking at the sens who tried to force the end of the rebuild, drafted role player Boucher and traded two of their high pick after. And now they are drafting in top-7. They are not young anymore to play for better draft, they are not good enough and not deep enough to fight for the play off spot. If they would save their three picks(and use 2021 pick for talent) and tried to sign players fro, the market, they could be much better team now. But they are not and it will not be easy for them to be really better.
Nemec, Luke, Mercer and Jack are really young, one more core piece will only help. Any other problem on the roster should be fix by trade of the lower assets or from the free market.

 

[RSeen]

I was very pro draft man but now im more strongly on the do the pick choice.

Im looking at the sens who tried to force the end of the rebuild, drafted role player Boucher and traded two of their high pick after. And now they are drafting in top-7. They are not young anymore to play for better draft, they are not good enough and not deep enough to fight for the play off spot. If they would save their three picks(and use 2021 pick for talent) and tried to sign players fro, the market, they could be much better team now. But they are not and it will not be easy for them to be really better.
Nemec, Luke, Mercer and Jack are really young, one more core piece will only help. Any other problem on the roster should be fix by trade of the lower assets or from the free market.

If we make a good pick, perhaps the player is not an impact player for 3-4 years, but at that point we may lose some pieces as all contenders do. Having a player come in on an ELC can help offset some losses and help extend our window.

 

[Guadana]

If we make a good pick, perhaps the player is not an impact player for 3-4 years, but at that point we may lose some pieces as all contenders do. Having a player come in on an ELC can help offset some losses and help extend our window.

Yeah, thats right. Having talent will help and will extend the window. If we want to make a trade for better player, we still have Holtz, Casey, later first round picks. Or free cap space and sign players from the market.
Sometimes I'm finding it little stupid from some teams to not giving extra 500k to the player you want from the market and spend great asset in the trade for ~same player.
Scoring isn't the problem, devils are 12th in scoring with all their injuries. Problem is depth and forechecking. Using good assets for this is crazy when there are Henrique, Blackwell, Bluger, Trenin, Martinook, Joshua Noesen etc on the market. Even Tatar for a fourth line role. Pick whatever you want.
Top 4 LD? More reasonable. But still late first or Holtz + will bring you some solid player. Even cheaper compensation if gm made good homework like Fitz did with Graves, Siegs and Marino.

Goalie? Thanks, no. Sorokin, Hellebuyck, Saros in this playoff - we should be blind to not see how things are going with them and who is outplaying them. Saros and Ullmark are in one year away from the market. Losing potential yoing top 4 LD or top 6 piece who will be under control for the next 7-10 years is just crazy. Especially in the strong top 12-top 15 draft.

So I really hope Fitz will not be in panic to deal this pick. Of course if Brady Tkachuk can be traded for 10th pick+Holtz+Casey but he will be not. They will not do it.

 

[Guadana]

Yeah, thats right. Having talent will help and will extend the window. If we want to make a trade for better player, we still have Holtz, Casey, later first round picks. Or free cap space and sign players from the market.
Sometimes I'm finding it little stupid from some teams to not giving extra 500k to the player you want from the market and spend great asset in the trade for ~same player.
Scoring isn't the problem, devils are 12th in scoring with all their injuries. Problem is depth and forechecking. Using good assets for this is crazy when there are Henrique, Blackwell, Bluger, Trenin, Martinook, Joshua Noesen etc on the market. Even Tatar for a fourth line role. Pick whatever you want.
Top 4 LD? More reasonable. But still late first or Holtz + will bring you some solid player. Even cheaper compensation if gm made good homework like Fitz did with Graves, Siegs and Marino.

Goalie? Thanks, no. Sorokin, Hellebuyck, Saros in this playoff - we should be blind to not see how things are going with them and who is outplaying them. Saros and Ullmark are in one year away from the market. Losing potential yoing top 4 LD or top 6 piece who will be under control for the next 7-10 years is just crazy. Especially in the strong top 12-top 15 draft.

So I really hope Fitz will not be in panic to deal this pick. Of course if Brady Tkachuk can be traded for 10th pick+Holtz+Casey but he will be not. They will not do it.

Yeah tell me about Saros and Ullmark when we see how Hellebuyck as vezina winner is ruling his team to the great success.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Out of the goalie options this summer, give me Markstrom. I'm not moving elite assets for a goalie who's at .907 for the playoffs. If we're committing that much term and money to a goalie, he better be lights out in that format as well. Markstrom might implode but at least it allows to re-assess the situation in a couple of years if he does suck. Saros is effectively nuking your window if he sucks.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Ranger fans being weirdly salty about Luke being a Calder finalist

You would think, that out of any fans in the league, Ranger fans would remember that only 1 team wins the Cup each year.

 

[devilsblood]

Watching the Boston-Toronto highlights from last night and Boqvist is all over them. Puck on his stick in the offensive zone, skating and creating.

Even though he was a bit player with us, I feel like he provided that speed, skating depth that was missing this year. (Losing Wood and McLeod factor in here as well).

Now he is the opposite of needing to get "tougher", but I think he's a guy who maintains the speed game as the 3rd line center and on whose wing you can then put some toughness.

Domi is in the highlights a bunch as well.

 

[ZYXWVUT]

Out of the goalie options this summer, give me Markstrom. I'm not moving elite assets for a goalie who's at .907 for the playoffs. If we're committing that much term and money to a goalie, he better be lights out in that format as well. Markstrom might implode but at least it allows to re-assess the situation in a couple of years if he does suck. Saros is effectively nuking your window if he sucks.

100%. This is where I am at. No Ullmark, no Saros.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Out of the goalie options this summer, give me Markstrom. I'm not moving elite assets for a goalie who's at .907 for the playoffs. If we're committing that much term and money to a goalie, he better be lights out in that format as well. Markstrom might implode but at least it allows to re-assess the situation in a couple of years if he does suck. Saros is effectively nuking your window if he sucks.

Not for nothing but using a 2 week sample size to make a judgment on any player is foolish

I'm not saying I want to trade huge elite assets for Saros, but yeah

 

[Better Call Sal]

Watching the Boston-Toronto highlights from last night and Boqvist is all over them. Puck on his stick in the offensive zone, skating and creating.

Even though he was a bit player with us, I feel like he provided that speed, skating depth that was missing this year. (Losing Wood and McLeod factor in here as well).

Now he is the opposite of needing to get "tougher", but I think he's a guy who maintains the speed game as the 3rd line center and on whose wing you can then put some toughness.

Domi is in the highlights a bunch as well.

He's playing well, and I'm happy for him. He was not playing nearly as well for us last year when he got his chances in the playoffs. Perhaps him getting a different opportunity and coming back from being waived at the start of the season was the kick in the pants he needed.

I'm still a fan of his, and I'm happy to see him play well.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Not for nothing but using a 2 week sample size to make a judgment on any player is foolish

I'm not saying I want to trade huge elite assets for Saros, but yeah

He was .907 in the playoffs career wise when I sent that last night, went up to .909 after last night. He's even lower than that this year at like .880

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

He was .907 in the playoffs career wise when I sent that last night, went up to .909 after last night. He's even lower than that this year at like .880

.909 would have been like 16th in the league this year for SV%, FYI. It really isn't bad.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

.909 would have been like 16th in the league this year for SV%, FYI. It really isn't bad.

I'm talking about his playoffs....., I know Saros is a good regular season goalie lol

 

[devilsblood]

He's playing well, and I'm happy for him. He was not playing nearly as well for us last year when he got his chances in the playoffs. Perhaps him getting a different opportunity and coming back from being waived at the start of the season was the kick in the pants he needed.

I'm still a fan of his, and I'm happy to see him play well.

It doesn't have to be him, it's just the speed aspect, and speed with the puck more specifically that's important.

It's a 3rd line role(think he is 4th line with Boston) so you're not getting a all around player who can skate really well.

I just think in general we applied pressure via speed from all 4 lines last year. Much less so this year, especially after McLeod was banned. I do think we needed to get tougher, but imo, the trick is getting tougher without losing that speed element.

 

[Better Call Sal]

It doesn't have to be him, it's just the speed aspect, and speed with the puck more specifically that's important.

It's a 3rd line role(think he is 4th line with Boston) so you're not getting a all around player who can skate really well.

I just think in general we applied pressure via speed from all 4 lines last year. Much less so this year, especially after McLeod was banned. I do think we needed to get tougher, but imo, the trick is getting tougher without losing that speed element.

Personally, I think he's benefitting from having some heavies alongside him. Seems he's played with Beecher, Maroon and Frederic for the postseason so far, all very big boys. Brazeau as well. Have to imagine that helps him with having some more space to use those hands and speed.

Again, he's a player I really liked. Had we known the hammer would finally drop on McLeod, I don't think we would have let him go.

 

[devilsblood]

Personally, I think he's benefitting from having some heavies alongside him. Seems he's played with Beecher, Maroon and Frederic for the postseason so far, all very big boys. Brazeau as well. Have to imagine that helps him with having some more space to use those hands and speed.

Again, he's a player I really liked. Had we known the hammer would finally drop on McLeod, I don't think we would have let him go.

He and Maroon lead Boston across the board in terms of on ice numbers this playoffs. CF, SF xGF(over 75%), and a perfect GF.

But I think his fate was sealed in last years playoffs. Like Shara, he was not seen as part of the core, even a short term core.

I'd say maybe if Fitz would have known Ruff would get the boot then maybe, but I feel Fitz was very much aligned with Ruff in terms of needing bigger stronger guys.

 

[Devs3cups]

 

[ZYXWVUT]

I have been on the Zadorov train, but with his play in the postseason so far, I think his # in terms of money/term is skyrocketing. I could see someone going over $5 mil AAV on him.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I'm talking about his playoffs....., I know Saros is a good regular season goalie lol

again what mythical .920 playoff goalie a) exists and b) would be available?

I think if thats the line you're drawing, you're gonna be disappointed no matter what.

FYI Markstrom is a career .911 playoff goalie, so not really that different

 

[Triumph]

He and Maroon lead Boston across the board in terms of on ice numbers this playoffs. CF, SF xGF(over 75%), and a perfect GF.

But I think his fate was sealed in last years playoffs. Like Shara, he was not seen as part of the core, even a short term core.

I'd say maybe if Fitz would have known Ruff would get the boot then maybe, but I feel Fitz was very much aligned with Ruff in terms of needing bigger stronger guys.

He's going up against Toronto's 4th line primarily and Toronto's 4th line is awful, with Reaves holding the line down from doing anything.

I don't think McLeod being there or not being there had anything to do with the decision to move on from Boqvist. The issue isn't Boqvist, it's that the Devils system isn't consistently producing Boqvist-type players. This is where missing out on 2nd round picks in 2019 and 2020 hurt the team.

Boston probably won't keep him either. Teams tend to move on from guys like this pretty fast - it's just very hard to make it as a limited minutes ES player who doesn't play special teams and who has no physical dimension.

 

[Cheddabombs]

A coworker got me a Devils jersey, it's the nicest thing a coworker has ever done for me

 

[Better Call Sal]

A coworker got me a Devils jersey, it's the nicest thing a coworker has ever done for me

Wow, I wish my coworkers would do that.

 

[Devs3cups]

Vitek always seemed like a good guy/teammate. Wish him all the best.

 

[Oneiro]

Only lament Boqvist because of the team speed element.

And he would’ve gotten a lot more ice time with all these injuries and you could’ve made a definitive judgment on what he is. Maybe you can now but I’m still not so certain. I could see SEA taking him and then he ends up as a third line PKer.

 

[Unknown Caller]

again what mythical .920 playoff goalie a) exists and b) would be available?

I think if thats the line you're drawing, you're gonna be disappointed no matter what.

FYI Markstrom is a career .911 playoff goalie, so not really that different

Agreed. Also, the point of acquiring a Saros or Ullmark is not that you expect them to be an elite #1 goalie with ridiculous numbers in the playoffs. It's that you can't risk rolling the dice on another questionable tandem that can sink a season/playoff run with terrible goaltending.

With a Saros or Ullmark or Markstrom (combined with Allen), you're much closer to ensuring that you're at least getting respectable average goaltending for the prime years of your roster nucleus. That's all that matters.