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

[Mgd31]

They're no longer on ELCs, so perhaps they're excused? Scanning other teams' rookie rosters and the older guys are usually on their 2nd organization and just trying to land an AHL spot (Colton Point, J.D. Greenway, etc): PTO: - 2022 NHL Training Camp Thread

Yea I thought of that after I posted

 

[SJinNewJersey]

Billy Jerry and Brody Crane sounds like a wrestling tag team.

 

[NJDevs26]

i’m especially worried what happens if Holtz doesn’t look NHL ready. Kid has plenty of time. Most of these guys do.

Holtz is gonna be the Devils version of Denzel Mims lol

 

[Xirik]

Well from that roster its not like we have any weapons among forwards outside of Holtz, I can see other teams focusing their efforts on him so its probably going to be a tough tournament for him.

 

[Guttersniped]

I actually didn't mind Vesey and thought he was a good PTO add from the moment that was announced. I think he was the last real PTO I got excited about since Lee Stempniak in 2015.

Hickey is in all likelihood just for Utica (until injuries happen) and that's fine. He played only 2 games in the NHL last year, 5 games in the NHL in 2020-2021 (he didn't play any AHL games that year, whereas he played 15 games in the AHL last year. and because he had no AHL games that year, I'm assuming he was a taxi squad regular in 2020-2021) and 0 games in the NHL in 19-20. I didn't realize he's only played 5 NHL games in the last 3 years, I figured it was a little more than that, but it's not.

I do wonder if Hickey is better than Colton White at the NHL level in 2022? If he is then it's probably not by much, but holy f*** did Colton White suck in the NHL.

I'd like to say we have enough intriguing depth in Utica that we don't need to be calling up guys like Hickey and White (who signed somewhere else this offseason and is no longer in the organization) as much anymore.

Colton White signed a 2 year deal with the Ducks so you won’t have him to verbally kick around anymore.

I don’t really care about Hickey. I just think PTOs are fine, conceptually?

What I’m saying is I was glad I was here to defend the honor of Professional Tryout Deals. It’s important work.

Looks like we fixed our 2015 draft mistake. Shipped out Zacha and picked up Senyshyn.

 

[Guttersniped]

If Senyshen doesn’t make the club out of camp, mightn’t we sign him to play in Utica?

We depleted Utica quite a lot by the end of last season - that was my impression anyway - and probably need to add some depth there. Over the course of a season there are injuries and call ups too.

Utica actually desperately needs the offense after losing De Leo and Greer on top of whoever potentially leaves the Comets for the Devils. They still could really use another scoring center too.

 

[Bleedred]

Colton White signed a 2 year deal with the Ducks so you won’t have him to verbally kick around anymore.

I don’t really care about Hickey. I just think PTOs are fine, conceptually?

What I’m saying is I was glad I was here to defend the honor of Professional Tryout Deals. It’s important work.

We've definitely had worse 7th defensemen than Colton White (Seth Helgeson says hello and Mark Fraser is the WOAT and there were a couple years where he was actually a regular until DeBoer got here and said that's enough of that. You and your fellow scrubini buddy (Pelley) go f*** off to the press box until I can convince Lou to ship your worthless asses outta here), but I remember thinking he was a mess from his first call up and thought he was merely just the next Burlon, Josh Jacobs, etc. He did get way more NHL games than either of them though, I don't think Burlon even got one. I know he didn't play any for us in the regular season.

 

[glenwo2]

Jesper, Jasper, Jisper, Josper, Jusper, and Filip

You forgot Steve, the black sheep of the family.

 

[Goptor]

We've definitely had worse 7th defensemen than Colton White (Seth Helgeson says hello and Mark Fraser is the WOAT and there were a couple years where he was actually a regular until DeBoer got here and said that's enough of that. You and your fellow scrubini buddy (Pelley) go f*** off to the press box until I can convince Lou to ship your worthless asses outta here), but I remember thinking he was a mess from his first call up and thought he was merely just the next Burlon, Josh Jacobs, etc. He did get way more NHL games than either of them though, I don't think Burlon even got one. I know he didn't play any for us in the regular season.

Fraser was better than OMG

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Fraser was better than OMG

Don't say things you can't take back.

 

[Eggtimer]

Ya forward group looks pretty underwhelming besides Holtz and maybe Foote.God I really hope Holtz pans out and Gritsyuk finds his way to NA sooner than later

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

any word on if these games will be streaming?

According to story I read last night all three games are streaming on the website.

 

[markog]

Well from that roster its not like we have any weapons among forwards outside of Holtz, I can see other teams focusing their efforts on him so its probably going to be a tough tournament for him.

Clarke?

 

[Guttersniped]

Meh. I'm too lazy to get good examples to support my point but to deny they are there is probably also reaching. How about this, if the current veteran depth isn't good enough - Tatar, Johnsson, Palat, Hamilton, Graves, Severson, Siegenthaler, Marino, Haula, Wood, and Smith, then a fringe forward who can only PK isn't going to move the needle enough to matter. I'm not against Vesey specifically but who do you take out of the lineup? The team already has too many forwards. Saying someone will get hurt is obvious but isn't that when you give Holtz or Thompson a couple of weeks? I agree a veteran should sit in the press box over a young player, but can't Tatar and/or Johnsson do that? Worst case scenario I'd rather Zetterlund sit in the press box instead of losing him on waivers. On defense if they want an extra vet to sit that's ok if none of the kids can play but I think Smith was signed hoping he'd be the guy to sit. There is also the issue that at this point they will have to LTIR Bernier to make cap space most likely. As you've pointed out that has negative consequences so how do you make any roster moves, not lose Zetterlund, and stay cap compliant? I'm seriously asking since I don't see how they do that right now without using LTIR.

I mentioned in another thread that LTIR rules are way complicated and make my head hurt, who knows what the team plans to do capwise. Well, specifically I don’t know.

I don’t think we waive Zetterlund and if we did I would question the decision making of team management. I don’t know what else to say there.

We don’t have a ton of offense waiting in the wings and he’s already shown he can be productive in the NHL. He can play almost anywhere in the line-up, is physical, forechecks like a madman, etc. He definitely won’t make it through waivers. It would be bad to lose him.

So waive someone else. Waiving Johnsson or Tartar buries 1.125m in the AHL and Zetterlund makes 750k. Seems like an easy choice if we have to choose between them.

Vesey was last year so I’m not sure what that has to do with this year. We don’t have to add a PK guy every off-season, but we really did when we lost lose several PK forwards at once (Zajac, Bastian, Palms) and had a historically bad PK unit.

We got Bastian back, Hischier has done a whole year of heavy PK duty, Sharangovich actually did a better job at it the second time (even if he’s still a bit iffy) and McLeod is even more experienced. I would love a PK stud but the situation isn’t as dire and it’s very crowded at forward. I assume they will break in a new guy like Mercer.

Hickey is defensive depth but he can go to Utica, he will presumably make it through waivers if signed. Hopefully we sign Senyshyn for Utica, they need his offense.

 

[My3Sons]

I mentioned in another thread that LTIR rules are way complicated and make my head hurt, who knows what the team plans to do capwise. Well, specifically I don’t know.

I don’t think we waive Zetterlund and if we did I would question the decision making of team management. I don’t know what else to say there.

We don’t have a ton of offense waiting in the wings and he’s already shown he can be productive in the NHL. He can play almost anywhere in the line-up, is physical, forechecks like a madman, etc. He definitely won’t make it through waivers. It would be bad to lose him.

So waive someone else. Waiving Johnsson or Tartar buries 1.125m in the AHL and Zetterlund makes 750k. Seems like an easy choice if we have to choose between them.

Vesey was last year so I’m not sure what that has to do with this year. We don’t have to add a PK guy every off-season, but we really did when we lost lose several PK forwards at once (Zajac, Bastian, Palms) and had a historically bad PK unit.

We got Bastian back, Hischier has done a whole year of heavy PK duty, Sharangovich actually did a better job at it the second time (even if he’s still a bit iffy) and McLeod is even more experienced. I would love a PK stud but the situation isn’t as dire and it’s very crowded at forward. I assume they will break in a new guy like Mercer.

Hickey is defensive depth but he can go to Utica, he will presumably make it through waivers if signed. Hopefully we sign Senyshyn for Utica, they need his offense.

I hope Fitz has the foresight to send Johnsson to Utica if need be but I’m skeptical he would do that to a veteran who isn’t completely broken down. The guy who probably should go to Utica for a bit is Tatar to help Nemec get settled in. Again I’m skeptical the team would do something g like that.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I'm tired of veteran depth that stinks.

 

[Triumph]

I hope Fitz has the foresight to send Johnsson to Utica if need be but I’m skeptical he would do that to a veteran who isn’t completely broken down. The guy who probably should go to Utica for a bit is Tatar to help Nemec get settled in. Again I’m skeptical the team would do something g like that.

Johnsson would not make it to Utica. Somebody would take him on waivers.

 

[HersheyBob27]

Johnsson would not make it to Utica. Somebody would take him on waivers.

Zero chance

 

[Devils731]

Zero chance

He makes next to nothing in real dollars and is an NHL player, I believe he would be picked up.

 

[McDuffz88]

Johnsson would not make it to Utica. Somebody would take him on waivers.

That's fine with me. Idc if we lose him for nothing.

 

[HersheyBob27]

He makes next to nothing in real dollars and is an NHL player, I believe he would be picked up.

Cap hit is more important than real dollars

 

[My3Sons]

He makes next to nothing in real dollars and is an NHL player, I believe he would be picked up.

I am not so sure. A better player in Rodrigues just signed for $2 mil. How many teams even have $3.4 mil in cap space and want to use it on a bottom six player.

 

[RangerDoggo]

LeGrand Coffee House Named 2022-23 Recipient of Devils Buy Black Program | New Jersey Devils

Presented by Prudential Financial, the Woodbridge company to be featured as helmet brand for Devils home games during 2022-23 season

www.nhl.com

If you’re going to have to use these abominable ads on jerseys and helmets, may as well do some good with it.

 

[Triumph]

I am not so sure. A better player in Rodrigues just signed for $2 mil. How many teams even have $3.4 mil in cap space and want to use it on a bottom six player.

There are three teams presently sitting very close to the cap floor - Anaheim (+4.9m), Buffalo (+1.8m), and Arizona (+1m). Acquiring Johnsson makes it easier for these teams to make trades at the trade deadline without having to take salary back or otherwise acquire salary. Johnsson is paid like a minimum salary player, so he would save these teams money if they would otherwise be under the cap floor if he weren't there.

 

[Lou is God]

LeGrand Coffee House Named 2022-23 Recipient of Devils Buy Black Program | New Jersey Devils

Presented by Prudential Financial, the Woodbridge company to be featured as helmet brand for Devils home games during 2022-23 season

www.nhl.com

If you’re going to have to use these abominable ads on jerseys and helmets, may as well do some good with it.

Awesome!