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

[Xirik]

wow I have 12,666 likes. I'm a true Devils fan right now. Nobody Like me ever again!

 

[CalamityX23]

He was 2 years ago and it was great business. The playoff stuff I imagine is completely irrelevant as they’ll add guys that can bump him down. If he’s anywhere close to what he was then he’ll be a great add.

That was two years ago. In that stint, he avg about 15min of ice time but last year it dip to 12.

He's not 27 going on 29, he's 31 going on 33. Not trying to say he's a corpse in that sense but whatever positive impact on the ice he has left, IMO, is not what this team needs to get over the hump.

Maybe not end of the world if he's playing the bottom two lines but I fear that won't be the case and him playing in the top lines isn't going to propel this offense IMO.

Similar to Palat, as a fan still, his game feels more suited to the 3rd line. Give him top line minutes or roles, I don't think he'll meet expectations.

We all have opinions and thats what makes our discussions fun and exchanging, but if we(I obviously) looked at our team success two years ago, the unmatched speed element through the whole regular season was our biggest strength with the high end talent to actually put up goals on all 4 lines. Tatar was influential then when he could take the team to that level. Won't mention his playoff MIA act for now. Offensively we're ready to do more and need certain drivers to make it happen.

McCLeod was a big substraction that IMHO Fitz failed in replicating... Woods absence was felt when they realized, oh shizzzz our bottom forwards aren't really fast and engaging....

One of my biggest wants was DuClair was brings that missing speed element in both offense and avg defense but ability to forecheck with quality. Give me Duclair over Tatar right now(can't with him in NYI). Tatar ain't a finisher for the top 6 IMO nor he's a playmaker, we have those.

 

[Xirik]

@Camille the Eel

 

[Richer's Ghost]

wow I have 12,666 likes. I'm a true Devils fan right now. Nobody Like me ever again!

WOMP WOMP

 

[JimEIV]

I believe Jack took literally zero faceoffs after injury 2 so thats not surprising.

I genuinely don’t remember a stretch of games where I thought he was playing well last season. I’m not even kidding, I don’t remember one line “clicking”.

PK was bad when the games still mattered it felt like and then it did okay I guess. That wasn’t his issue last year.

PP2 was unspeakably bad and he has no business on PP1, so not sure what can be gathered from that.

I think usage had nothing to do with his poor play. He was just bad and didn’t deserve any bump in playing time or line mates.

He was excellent in the month of November.

He had 10 points in 12 games from 11/5 to 12/1. 6 goals and 4 assists.

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

I believe Jack took literally zero faceoffs after injury 2 so thats not surprising.

I genuinely don’t remember a stretch of games where I thought he was playing well last season. I’m not even kidding, I don’t remember one line “clicking”.

PK was bad when the games still mattered it felt like and then it did okay I guess. That wasn’t his issue last year.

PP2 was unspeakably bad and he has no business on PP1, so not sure what can be gathered from that.

I think usage had nothing to do with his poor play. He was just bad and didn’t deserve any bump in playing time or line mates.

Last year's team was one of the worst mishmash of issues the Devils have seen in a seriously long time; I cant look at a single player on the team last year and make any definitive statements about them from it

What I can say though is Mercer is clearly better than a 35 point player

 

[TrufleShufle]

Last year's team was one of the worst mishmash of issues the Devils have seen in a seriously long time; I cant look at a single player on the team last year and make any definitive statements about them from it

What I can say though is Mercer is clearly better than a 35 point player

Holtz won't score as many points in a Devils jersey as he did last year. You aren't trying hard enough.

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

Holtz won't score as many points in a Devils jersey as he did last year. You aren't trying hard enough.

Lmfao

I just hope Bahl doesnt go off for 300 hits or thatll be a funny look

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

He was excellent in the month of November.

He had 10 points in 12 games from 11/5 to 12/1. 6 goals and 4 assists.

In November he had the lowest xG% of all regulars and was outscored 11-6

 

[JimEIV]

In November he had the lowest xG% of all regulars and was outscored 11-6

Only 11? That's awesome. The team gave up 53 from 11/2 to 12/1 and got shut out once.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Only 11? That's awesome. The team gave up 53 from 11/2 to 12/1 and got shut out once.

The most of any forward.

 

[JimEIV]

The most of any forward.

I'm having a hard time believing this...where are you getting the monthly breakdowns?

His GA/60 is on the lower side of our team at 3.2....

Compared to Bratt 4.3, Timo 4.3 Nico 4 2, Toffoli 4.1, Jack 3.7

Nearly a goal less per 60 was scored at Even Strength while he was on the ice compared to any of our top 6 players

Hockey Reference On Ice stats

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I'm having a hard time believing this...where are you getting the monthly breakdowns?

His GA/60 is on the lower side of our team at 3.2....

Compared to Bratt 4.3, Timo 4.3 Nico 4 2, Toffoli 4.1, Jack 3.7

Nearly a goal less per 60 was scored at Even Strength while he was on the ice compared to any of our top 6 players

5 on 5. At all strengths it was 16.

We gave up 6 empty net goals in November and I believe led the league by a mile in that category on the year. That’s where lots of the GAs are coming from if you’re just looking at raw all situation stats.

 

[Nubmer6]

wow I have 12,666 likes. I'm a true Devils fan right now. Nobody Like me ever again!

How many are from @Its Always Sundstrom ?

 

[Xirik]

How many are from @Its Always Sundstrom ?

That's private!

 

[dgibb10]

I'm having a hard time believing this...where are you getting the monthly breakdowns?

His GA/60 is on the lower side of our team at 3.2....

Compared to Bratt 4.3, Timo 4.3 Nico 4 2, Toffoli 4.1, Jack 3.7

Nearly a goal less per 60 was scored at Even Strength while he was on the ice compared to any of our top 6 players

Hockey Reference On Ice stats
View attachment 893942

Empty netters, we let in like 24 of them. That's Luke, Toffoli, Jack, Nico, Bratt, Hamilton, Meier getting hammered by that

Use evolving hockey Even strength numbers if you want a better picture

We know timo had an awful 2023, absolutely dragging his numbers down.

As you can see from Bratt and Nico, they are producing immense amounts of offense to make up for it.

Bastian and Nosek just suck ass

 

[RNCDevil]

Holy crap. I forgot about Nosek. He is now a Panther. I thought he was actually ok during the final, dismal stretch.

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

Holy crap. I forgot about Nosek. He is now a Panther. I thought he was actually ok during the final, dismal stretch.

I also thought hed have been fine with Lazar and Cotter; but I also like the idea of seeing Bastian under Keefe, so Im okay with it (Bastian better get a shot in camp)

 

[jkrdevil]

I don’t mind giving Meier on the 3rd line a try. It sucked last year but that’s because he sucked. He shouldn’t be that bad again. I also don’t mind Bratt on the 3rd line. If we were to add another top 6er at the deadline or Gritsyuk ends up being really good with Jack I think you could even throw both of them together on the 3rd line with Haula in the middle. Meier-Hughes yeah should never be together 5v5.



The “debate” comes from him not being that at all last year so he shouldn’t be paid like that

He spent most of last year not as a top-6 wing next to Nico or Jack but a down the lineup trying to be a driver of his own line that didn’t work. As I said it adds clarity to what he is and isn’t. I think you bridge him, but you don’t move him out.

 

[Bleedred]

I also thought hed have been fine with Lazar and Cotter; but I also like the idea of seeing Bastian under Keefe, so Im okay with it (Bastian better get a shot in camp)

Bastian may actually get shot in camp. Guy has missed 40% of the games the last two years.

 

[Ripshot 43]

wow I have 12,666 likes. I'm a true Devils fan right now. Nobody Like me ever again!

If we truly love you we can go and take back our likes to get you back to 12,666

 

[glenwo2]

I love debate...my mind has been changed on plenty of things here from well made arguments...makes you better.

You think we're supposed to all sit here and agree and not challenge opinions?
Let's all talk about flowers and ponies? Nah.

What about fish? You're the expert fisherman here.

 

[njdevils1982]

What about fish? You're the expert fisherman here.

angling, archery and an antagonist....the man is a savage.

and that's why we all love him here

 

[glenwo2]

Bastian may actually get shot in camp. Guy has missed 40% of the games the last two years.

Then he better wear a bulletproof vest.

 

[Guttersniped]

"It's the best we have though"

Translation-believe it whole heartedly and defend it to death, anyone who says it has flaws, "just doesn't understand it, lol." Then they come up with the new best thing and that way of looking at stats becomes outdated and useless "lol, still using that?!" Rinse repeat.

Mercer 23-24

Bluntly, what do we see here?

Broadly, everything went really well for him in 22-23 and didn’t last season (except shorthanded).

His offense should bounce back. Most forwards took a hit defensively, because we were a f***ing mess a lot, so the dip there isn’t a shocker. Again, I expect improvement.

He had 4 PP goals, and Hamilton had assists on 2 of them. I will say this about the post-Dougie PP2, it was consistent. (No one ever scored on it ever.)

He did better on the PK last season while playing a larger role on it.

And he takes very few penalties but doesn’t draw them either.

This isn’t peering into Mercer’s soul, and exposing his essential nature, but it isn’t wrong.