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

[Hockey Sports Fan]

We finally get a good beat writer...and everything is behind a paywall. May have to at least do a trial to read this one.

Meanwhile, The Athletic has no beat writer and essentially zero coverage for the Devils and has added ads to the site, despite the original promise of it being ad free. The quality there is rapidly deteriorating.

What this should tell you is that not enough Devils fans read stuff to make Devils content look “economically viable.” I’d really recommend subbing for Novo’s work. It sends a clear message that there’s a market for Devils news.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Hickey is a great dude, hopefully he does terrific in camp

 

[Cheddabombs]

It's no Thomas Kaberle PTO but it's still good with me. Some more competition in camp on the left side where the 3rd pair spot is a bit more up in the air.

I still hope Okhotiuk can take it though

 

[NjDevsRR]

It's no Thomas Kaberle PTO

Cheeky.

 

[RangerDoggo]

What this should tell you is that not enough Devils fans read stuff to make Devils content look “economically viable.” I’d really recommend subbing for Novo’s work. It sends a clear message that there’s a market for Devils news.

The lack of beat writers has become enough of a problem that you've got fans in the comment sections getting pissy about how multiple teams don't have them anymore.

 

[Guttersniped]

The Athletic took venture capital money and spent it like a drunken sailor trying to build a user base they could sell. Now that they have sold it to the NY Times it's going to be cut to the bone. Ultimately I don't think the economics are there for mass market traditional sports reporting behind a paywall. I think the only thing that makes sense is uber-niche content behind paywalls that devoted fans will pay for because its the only way to get it (e.g. The Wrestling Observer, or JFresh's substack).

Yes, people are acting like this is a optional cash grab rather than an attempt to make the Athletic a functional model that can actually survive.

They have a bunch of actual professional writers with actual salaries, that’s expensive.

Lots of things that have tried to go without advertising have had to turn to that, it’s very hard to monetize written content beyond people begging on sites like Patreon.

I hate that they don’t have a Devils writer. Right now they’re likely more catering to the existing fanbases on the site by making sure those get more content. It is what it is.

But I’m realistic about the business model though and what will happen with sports coverage of it goes away. (I assume it will be even uglier and more barren.)

The whining about the betrayal of the ads is so grating.

I get that it’s disappointing but unless you’re a child you should be able to figure out why a website that sold stopped hiring a million people while being super cheap and ad free. They can’t charge a ton for it, they need ad revenue.

I’m not a super fan or something, they stole all these writers for a giant project that very well could go tits up or become a shell of itself and fire most of them. Until the latter happens though I will give them money.

People can not support them, it’s their money, but the whiny, wounded public I’m Flouncing Because Ads posts in the comment sections of articles is annoying.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Almost definitely just here to fill the minimum veteran rule for preseason games. As most PTOs are.

I can't imagine a situation where Hickey performs better enough than our young D to earn the 6/7 spot over one of them.

 

[Guttersniped]

It's no Thomas Kaberle PTO but it's still good with me. Some more competition in camp on the left side where the 3rd pair spot is a bit more up in the air.

I still hope Okhotiuk can take it though

 

[NjDevsRR]

The Atheltic is DEF worth the money. Incredible writers for any sport.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Yes, people are acting like this is a optional cash grab rather than an attempt to make the Athletic a functional model that can actually survive.

They have a bunch of actual professional writers with actual salaries, that’s expensive.

Lots of things that have tried to go without advertising have had to turn to that, it’s very hard to monetize written content beyond people begging on sites like Patreon.

I hate that they don’t have a Devils writer. Right now they’re likely more catering to the existing fanbases on the site by making sure those get more content. It is what it is.

But I’m realistic about the business model though and what will happen with sports coverage of it goes away. (I assume it will be even uglier and more barren.)

The whining about the betrayal of the ads is so grating.

I get that it’s disappointing but unless you’re a child you should be able to figure out why a website that sold stopped hiring a million people while being super cheap and ad free. They can’t charge a ton for it, they need ad revenue.

I’m not a super fan or something, they stole all these writers for a giant project that very well could go tits up or become a shell of itself and fire most of them. Until the latter happens though I will give them money.

People can not support them, it’s their money, but the whiny, wounded public I’m Flouncing Because Ads posts in the comment sections of articles is annoying.

Everyone complains about paying for content (either directly or indirectly with ads), but then act shocked when the content stops happening.

Do I get $70 a year worth of value from the Athletic? Probably not. Could I use throwaway emails to keep getting new subscriber discounts? Sure. But if I do that, and everyone else does that, then they don't pay their bills and they stop existing, and the $40-$50 of value I do get goes away. So I'll keep paying because I like to read Pronman and Wheeler, I like Goldman's articles when she does get the chance to focus on the Devils, and I like a lot of their writers for other sports. Would those writers get new jobs if the Athletic went under? Probably, but who is to say that would be covering what I read them for now?

People can bitch about this all they want, but somebody has to pay salaries for writers, podcasters, and streamers or else they won't be able to do what they do anymore. If it keeps going the direction it has been, we will be left with nothing but team media. And as much as I appreciate what Amanda Stein provides, it's nice to have an reporter or two that can actually break news and provide insight aside from what the team wants to.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Everyone complains about paying for content (either directly or indirectly with ads), but then act shocked when the content stops happening.

Do I get $70 a year worth of value from the Athletic? Probably not. Could I use throwaway emails to keep getting new subscriber discounts? Sure. But if I do that, and everyone else does that, then they don't pay their bills and they stop existing, and the $40-$50 of value I do get goes away. So I'll keep paying because I like to read Pronman and Wheeler, I like Goldman's articles when she does get the chance to focus on the Devils, and I like a lot of their writers for other sports. Would those writers get new jobs if the Athletic went under? Probably, but who is to say that would be covering what I read them for now?

People can bitch about this all they want, but somebody has to pay salaries for writers, podcasters, and streamers or else they won't be able to do what they do anymore. If it keeps going the direction it has been, we will be left with nothing but team media. And as much as I appreciate what Amanda Stein provides, it's nice to have an reporter or two that can actually break news and provide insight aside from what the team wants to.

INDYCAR pushed all qualifying and practices to peacock. Amazing extra content in there as well. Only $5 a month and people BITCH about it. Like my god, the coverage is the best its ever been and it’s literally one less beer a month if you are someone who is pinching pennies. I don’t get it either man.

 

[Bleedred]

The Atheltic is DEF worth the money. Incredible writers for any sport.

My subscription is only a dollar a month for a year because I signed up when they were running a promotion around New Years.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

kind of doubt that outcome as none of the mentioned teams play in the atlantic.

Corrected. Thanks.

 

[MartyOwns]

The Atheltic is DEF worth the money. Incredible writers for any sport.

especially on black friday when they lower the price to a song and dance (i performed She Bangs)

 

[Nocashstyle]

My subscription is only a dollar a month for a year because I signed up when they were running a promotion around New Years.

Mine is too, but that’s because I went to cancel when Corey M left the Devils beat and the Athletic asked if $1 a month would change my mind. It definitely did lol.

 

[HBK27]

What this should tell you is that not enough Devils fans read stuff to make Devils content look “economically viable.” I’d really recommend subbing for Novo’s work. It sends a clear message that there’s a market for Devils news.

If that were the case, then they wouldn't bother covering the WNBA but they still do - including a "Style Rankings" column that they just posted yesterday that garnered a whopping 2 comments - both of which called out errors in the article.

There are several NHL teams without beat writers as well as MLB teams (I know at least the Brewers no longer have one).

 

[HBK27]

Yes, people are acting like this is a optional cash grab rather than an attempt to make the Athletic a functional model that can actually survive.

They have a bunch of actual professional writers with actual salaries, that’s expensive.

Lots of things that have tried to go without advertising have had to turn to that, it’s very hard to monetize written content beyond people begging on sites like Patreon.

I hate that they don’t have a Devils writer. Right now they’re likely more catering to the existing fanbases on the site by making sure those get more content. It is what it is.

But I’m realistic about the business model though and what will happen with sports coverage of it goes away. (I assume it will be even uglier and more barren.)

The whining about the betrayal of the ads is so grating.

I get that it’s disappointing but unless you’re a child you should be able to figure out why a website that sold stopped hiring a million people while being super cheap and ad free. They can’t charge a ton for it, they need ad revenue.

I’m not a super fan or something, they stole all these writers for a giant project that very well could go tits up or become a shell of itself and fire most of them. Until the latter happens though I will give them money.

People can not support them, it’s their money, but the whiny, wounded public I’m Flouncing Because Ads posts in the comment sections of articles is annoying.

Even without a beat writer for the Devils, I do still enjoy a lot of the content on The Athletic and I know about the financial issues they've been facing, which is why adding ads to the site really doesn't bother me that much. Yes, it was nice having it be ad-free, but it's not really that big of a deal to have to scroll through them and the quality of the content was the main reason I've subscribed in the first place. Still, they could've at least leveled with their readers instead of going on about offering a "premium ad experience" or however they put it in the article (which I can no longer seem to find anywhere). Initially, it is not that with huge black Chanel ads plastered on a white background, but again...this seems more like a necessity at this point to keep the site going versus some type of cash grab so I'll deal with it. Hopefully though the ads they do add in the future are not so glaring or frequent on the page (there were 6 I had to scroll through on Wheeler's article yesterday).

Unfortunately though, the quality of the site has gone down - certainly more so for fans of teams that no longer have a beat writer. I get that there may be financial reasons for the move, but does it really have to be all or nothing? Even when Masisak was covering the team, he gave us at most 2-3 articles a week - which (unless I'm really underestimating how much time goes into this), really doesn't seem like much work for a full time position outside of the occasional deeper breakdowns with videos included. I'm just very pessimistic regarding our team's coverage this season, but will see how it goes as I think my sub runs through February. There are other issues I have with The Athletic, but overall it's still worth subscribing at this point - I do enjoy the amount of coverage they have for NHL prospects and am looking forward to the season previews by Dom coming up in the next few weeks. Those now remind me of when I was unemployed one summer a few years back - I'd go for a run on some trails near my house each morning with my dog and there was a spot on top of some large rocks where we would rest for a while and get some water and I'd look at the latest team previews (since 2 were released each day) on my phone for a bit before we'd make our way back to the car.

 

[My3Sons]

So Bratt is now probably $8.250 mil per to sign on a long term deal. If Bratt was open to a long term deal at say the Fiala rate and Fitz tried for something like $7 even it's now going to cost a bit more. We can thank St. Louis (I know Ottawa Buffalo and some others gave away money but for the most part they were centers). Kyrou is a pretty good comp for Bratt if you look at it. If Bratt gets off to a good start that only reinforces his asking price. I would love to know what the discussions were with NJ before arbitration. If Bratt is just unwilling to do anything but sign through his RFA years than so be it but if he was willing to sign long term then NJ missed the train.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Really worth a read

Marty never played for St. Louis. I didn't realize NJ.com started writing fiction pieces. Odd choice.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Marty never played for St. Louis. I didn't realize NJ.com started writing fiction pieces. Odd choice.

i think it’s one of those berenstain/berenstein things

 

[Zippy316]

So Bratt is now probably $8.250 mil per to sign on a long term deal. If Bratt was open to a long term deal at say the Fiala rate and Fitz tried for something like $7 even it's now going to cost a bit more. We can thank St. Louis (I know Ottawa Buffalo and some others gave away money but for the most part they were centers). Kyrou is a pretty good comp for Bratt if you look at it. If Bratt gets off to a good start that only reinforces his asking price. I would love to know what the discussions were with NJ before arbitration. If Bratt is just unwilling to do anything but sign through his RFA years than so be it but if he was willing to sign long term then NJ missed the train.

Long-term he was looking at 6.5-7 this past off-season. Career to date, I can’t see how the Devils would be comfortable giving him more than Hischier. They may regret it next off-season, but they would have to be completely convinced Bratt was the real deal to start going higher than 7.

It makes sense for both sides to play out the next year. Bratt’s value will likely be crystal clear by the end of next year. He’s either going to be looking at Hughes deal or he’s probably going to be 6-6.5 on a shorter term if he regresses a bit.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

The lack of beat writers has become enough of a problem that you've got fans in the comment sections getting pissy about how multiple teams don't have them anymore.

somehow i have a feeling that the new york times does not care

 

[Triumph]

If that were the case, then they wouldn't bother covering the WNBA but they still do - including a "Style Rankings" column that they just posted yesterday that garnered a whopping 2 comments - both of which called out errors in the article.

There are several NHL teams without beat writers as well as MLB teams (I know at least the Brewers no longer have one).

This is a false dichotomy - the Athletic may see more value in covering the WNBA as a league. I'm confident there are far fewer Athletic writers writing about the WNBA than the NHL.

Unfortunately though, the quality of the site has gone down - certainly more so for fans of teams that no longer have a beat writer. I get that there may be financial reasons for the move, but does it really have to be all or nothing? Even when Masisak was covering the team, he gave us at most 2-3 articles a week - which (unless I'm really underestimating how much time goes into this), really doesn't seem like much work for a full time position outside of the occasional deeper breakdowns with videos included.

You are underestimating how much time went into his pieces. Masisak attended most practices as well. He also did much longer pieces on Nico Hischier and Blake Coleman that involved him traveling. The Athletic was founded with the idea that there was a certain class of sports fan that was not being served by the traditional sportswriting model of game recaps and the occasional feature/opinion piece. I'm hoping they're still right.

 

[RangerDoggo]

The Athletic was founded with the idea that there was a certain class of sports fan that was not being served by the traditional sportswriting model of game recaps and the occasional feature/opinion piece. I'm hoping they're still right.

I hope so too, but it's also abundantly clear that there's no money in that. Insofar as the current online ad model works (it doesn't), it makes recaps and agitating opinion pieces the most viable model.

 

[My3Sons]

Long-term he was looking at 6.5-7 this past off-season. Career to date, I can’t see how the Devils would be comfortable giving him more than Hischier. They may regret it next off-season, but they would have to be completely convinced Bratt was the real deal to start going higher than 7.

It makes sense for both sides to play out the next year. Bratt’s value will likely be crystal clear by the end of next year. He’s either going to be looking at Hughes deal or he’s probably going to be 6-6.5 on a shorter term if he regresses a bit.

I think what you are saying is what Fitz thought headed into the offseason. Then the market changed. Teams gave out big money for one year of production. Not all of it comporable but enough of it is to see where a long term deal would be demanded from Bratt’s agent.