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

[Bleedred]

The one gem was Corey Masisak for the athletic, who of course was moved to another beat at the earliest convenience.

He may have been okay. I admittedly didn't follow him much.

I got a cheap subscription to the athletic for a year or two, which was initially $1 a month. I figured for $1 a month it's fine. Then they re-upped me for $2 a month the next year, which was fine. Then they were gonna re-up me for $7 a month the next year, so I dropped it. I didn't read it enough for $7 a month.

And I can't remember if he was still with us when I first signed up, though I do remember the team they moved him to was the Sharks. I'm not even sure if he's still there or not.

And longtime reporter and sometimes even TV analyst for the Sharks Kevin Kurz was their writer for the athletic and I think he got moved to the Islanders and moved out to Long Island, which brought Corey to San Jose.

From what I remember, Corey was replaced with a girl who also covered the Rangers, because I guess they didn't feel we were worth it to have a writer exclusive to us for their publication lol.

 

[Nocashstyle]

I really hope he's at least halfway decent. We had no one decent between Tom Gulitti and Ryan. Actually, Andrew Gross may have been halfway decent, but he wasn't well received here because the shoes he had to fill for Tom were way too big and he was his successor. And we were used to getting LOTS of coverage from TG, but it dropped off considerably with AG.

And then it went down to almost nothing with Abby and whoever else afterwards. And the coverage we got from the Ledger people was no count. Even when Rich Chere was there. The people covering us for the athletic and other publications were also assigned to cover the Rangers or other teams.

They already named the successor (and I already forgot his name) and I went to his twitter yesterday (which I usually can't someone's page because I do not have a twitter account and won't make one, and now you need an account just to look at tweets) and it looked like it had been a while since he posted.

Andrew Gross was a lot better than people give him credit for. Abbey, on the other hand…it was very clear that any type of Devils-related reporting or articles were the bare minimum out of obligation. She was about two days late with everything too. She prioritized the Mets offseason more than the Devils in season.

 

[Guadana]

Was not a fan of Novo. For me his questions were obvious from question and answer perspective, he tried to bait and create clicks. And most of his content was behind paywall. He was never really dive into the team and always talk about it from the beginning. Im okay, it is his career so I will never cry about him, good luck, it was his step.

Would be great to find writer who understand sport better.

 

[Nocashstyle]

I forgot about Chris Ryan. He was solid too.

 

[Saugus]

TG is still the best Devils beat writer we have had.

It always amused me how salty Rich Chere would get any time someone pointed that out. Probably because he knew it was true.

 

[The Grinder]

TG is still the best Devils beat writer we have had.

It always amused me how salty Rich Chere would get any time someone pointed that out. Probably because he knew it was true.

TG was/is a legend. We were truly spoiled. After a solid win or big development I would get pumped to read his blog.

And if you notice he always pumps the devils when he can and picks them to win in any matchup. He is still one of us.

 

[Better Call Sal]

TG was the OG. His blog was the best.

 

[Darkauron]

I still have TG's old website as my 2nd favorite on my browsers favorite bar. Good times.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Having a beat guy is better than having no beat guy, so I'll always appreciate Novo for being there. But his coverage was never anything of substance.

It's pretty obvious that he was approach to the job was to make it look like he was asking important questions while actually making bottom of the barrel content. He basically just read fan tweets at people and then acted like he was some kind of people's champion investigative journalist.

 

[glenwo2]

TG was the OG. His blog was the best.

The Fire and Ice blog, I think it was called.

 

[NJDevs26]

The Sheldon Keefe season ticket holder Q and A from earlier tonight

 

[njdevils1982]

The Sheldon Keefe season ticket holder Q and A from earlier tonight

will watch later tonight (on youtube 1.5 speed)

... thanks

 

[BostonDevil]

Enough of this summer BS, start the season already!!

 

[NjDevsRR]

Enough of this summer BS, start the season already!!

 

[Blackjack]

Ryan gonna join Jimmy Hoffa under the end zone. (Yes, I know it’s a different stadium now. Shut up.)

 

[Devils731]

Brett Pesce Talks Devils Roster, Sheldon Keefe & More

I wasn’t sure if this quote from Pesce had been posted. It’s a good old boys league, obviously money talks loudest but your informal network of relationships is huge too.

——————

"My agent, Judd Moldaver, is super close with Keefe and has had nothing but good things to say. To be honest, that also influences your decisions, too," Pesce said. "If the coach has a good reputation, it makes your life a lot easier to play for him, and you will want to play for him. (Keefe and I) have had some conversations about how we are both kind of doing this together as the new guys."

 

[MasterofGrond]

Yeah and that type of thing is why I’m not gonna be mad about the Fletcher thing. Guy is a long-standing executive. Never know when a guy he knows or a relationship he has makes something work. sometimes you gotta work within the old boys club you have.

 

[Devs3cups]

Where Mercer deal

 

[Devils731]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1821922740045021184

Adding to the early post on this, NHLPA has some more info.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Yea I don't believe that at all

 

[Brodeur]

TG was great, but I was annoyed with one post during the 2012-13 lockout. Team Sweden sent out its preliminary WJC camp roster and some Devils posters were alarmed that Adam Larsson wasn't included. TG tweeted out something like "he wasn't invited" which fed to some fans' paranoia about how far Larsson's stock had dropped in just a year since other guys from the 2011 Draft class were going to the WJC.

But Larsson wasn't invited because he wasn't eligible as a late 1992 birthday. As I remember it, TG was a little defiant and maintained that Larsson wasn't invited due to merit before eventually retracting.

 

[13BearerOfHope]

Do I need to go up to Neufundland or whatever it’s called to put that Mercer signature under a new contract? What’s the holdup Fitzmeister?

 

[Bleedred]

Do I need to go up to Neufundland or whatever it’s called to put that Mercer signature under a new contract? What’s the holdup Fitzmeister?

Some of you just don't remember. This is quite normal for a player like Mercer coming off his ELC.

These RFA contracts tend to drag out sometimes into September for players like Mercer. It happened with Bratt after his ELC expired (only that was in January because it was the covid season), it happened with Severson, it happened with Henrique.

It may have even happened with Zacha, but I don't honestly remember.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Where threat of Mercer playing in Brampton

 

[Bleedred]

Where threat of Mercer playing in Brampton

That's right!

THAT'S EXACTLY when Zacha re-signed after his ELC ended.

I should have remembered that. And that one went down to like a day or two before players reported for camp. Maybe the day before?