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

[Billdo]

Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Hughes-Pesce
Dillon-Nemec

Markstrom
Allen

Is LIGHTYEARS ahead of anything we've had recently even when we went to the playoffs.

 

[sddev]

 

[Saugus]

After all the changes Fitz has made, I wonder if it was hard for them to find a picture with only guys who are still on the team.

 

[RNCDevil]

Who is soft now?
Hughes (soft as can be)
Mercer (pretty allergic to contact)
Hamilton (If I'm hustling I've done something wrong)
Luke (not soft but targeted; not sure where to place him)
Pesce (??)

I think that's it...
Bratt (actually battles more than you would think), Meier, Palat, Haula, Noesen, Lazar, Cotter, Siegs, Nemec, Dillon all seem tough to play against...maybe a Misyul call up

That's not a bad floater/compete team ratio I think.

Oh McDermid

 

[Emperoreddy]

Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Hughes-Pesce
Dillon-Nemec

Markstrom
Allen

Is LIGHTYEARS ahead of anything we've had recently even when we went to the playoffs.

That's a backend that can do some real damage IMO.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Who is soft now?
Hughes (soft as can be)
Mercer (pretty allergic to contact)
Hamilton (If I'm hustling I've done something wrong)
Luke (not soft but targeted; not sure where to place him)
Pesce (??)

I think that's it...
Bratt (actually battles more than you would think), Meier, Palat, Haula, Noesen, Lazar, Cotter, Siegs, Nemec, Dillon all seem tough to play against...maybe a Misyul call up

That's not a bad floater/compete team ratio I think.

Oh McDermid

As my Nico gently weeps…

“I’m tough too, damn it”

 

[Devil made me do it]

This blend of physicality and experience, coupled with our dynamic group of skilled players, the solid proven goalie and coach... that's the formula. Fitzy has seen the light. He has figured out the puzzle and this will only help going forward. The fitzy mold of the Devils is here.

 

[RNCDevil]

Holy

As my Nico gently weeps…

“I’m tough too, damn it”

Smokes. I cannot believe I forgot our Captain...not soft... Targeted but not soft

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Holy

Smokes. I cannot believe I forgot our Captain...not soft... Targeted but not soft

All good. And generally a good break down and point. I think Jack could be eventually a bit “targeted” as he gets more playoffs games. He spanked that jerk off Aho last playoffs.

I would put Mercer as a “hard nosed” even if he didn’t play as much last year. Nose could be a good influence on him.

 

[JimEIV]

Who is soft now?
Hughes (soft as can be)
Mercer (pretty allergic to contact)
Hamilton (If I'm hustling I've done something wrong)
Luke (not soft but targeted; not sure where to place him)
Pesce (??)

I think that's it...
Bratt (actually battles more than you would think), Meier, Palat, Haula, Noesen, Lazar, Cotter, Siegs, Nemec, Dillon all seem tough to play against...maybe a Misyul call up

That's not a bad floater/compete team ratio I think.

Oh McDermid

Another feisty player in the top 6 would be nice. I think our top 6 is missing another bigger player that can go to net and win battles to bookend Meier

 

[BostonDevil]

NHL on XM gushing over Devils moves in the last few weeks.

 

[NJDevs26]

NHL on XM gushing over Devils moves in the last few weeks.

Of course they are, Fitz went FULL old-school. I mean people that thought Lou was gone, his spiritual son is here now.

 

[britdevil]

Of course they are, Fitz went FULL old-school. I mean people that thought Lou was gone, his spiritual son is here now.

Fitz' signings are light years ahead of Lou's.

Remember when he tried to convince us that Rachunek would replace Rafalski? Lou's FA signings in the cap era here were f***ing pants.

 

[Oneiro]

I don't think they sacrificed too much of the hockey playing bit while adding size to the roster.

I guess you can call Pesce for Marino a wash with cap increases and if you've still got a fetish for Holtz, then you're mad. But otherwise, I feel like Fitz got his wishes without pissing off the quant guys too much.

The back half of the draft was way more brutal and dumb.

 

[NJDevs26]

Well Fitz doesn't have to get UBER desperate yet either the way Lou was at the end. Lou's FA signings weren't completely terrible until the team got older, lost more and more key pieces in FA and he started chasing his tail to replace them.

His draft this year after the first pick or two certainly jumped the shark Lou and Conte-style though and Lou rarely had a pick #10 the last two decades.

 

[Team Concept]

This blend of physicality and experience, coupled with our dynamic group of skilled players, the solid proven goalie and coach... that's the formula. Fitzy has seen the light. He has figured out the puzzle and this will only help going forward. The fitzy mold of the Devils is here.

Agree, but the only problem is that we didn't replace Toffoli's production today. We need one top 6 guy on either wing who chip in 55 points while being able to resign Mercer and Foote. We only have 7 million plus change left if we demote McDermind and/or DiSimone to Utica.

Jeff Skinner?
Vladimir Tarasenko?
Adam Henrique?
Daniel Sprong?
Jack Roslovic?

 

[Emperoreddy]

You have Dmen who can PK and defend and you got Dmen who can dangle and score.

We got a good mix on our blueline.

I would really like one more skilled forward in the top 6, but Nosen adds a good mix of things for our bottom 6

 

[BostonDevil]

Of course they are, Fitz went FULL old-school. I mean people that thought Lou was gone, his spiritual son is here now.

I was actually thinking that Brian Burke may have been the ideal GM for this team over the last month.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Another feisty player in the top 6 would be nice. I think our top 6 is missing another bigger player that can go to net and win battles to bookend Meier

In the least alarming way possible, I have a feeling that player could be Noesen

 

[Goptor]

Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Hughes-Pesce
Dillon-Nemec

Markstrom
Allen

Is LIGHTYEARS ahead of anything we've had recently even when we went to the playoffs.

The defense is better than 2 years ago.

The defense should challenge for best in the league this year.

The defense will, by far, be the most expensive group in the league 2 years from now.

 

[Billdo]

The defense is better than 2 years ago.

The defense should challenge for best in the league this year.

The defense will, by far, be the most expensive group in the league 2 years from now.

I doubt they'll all be here tbh.

 

[JimEIV]

I gotta say.. I am falling back in love with Fitz.

Since Fitz took over in January of 2020. The job he's done with the defense has just been spectacular...Fitz has reinvented this defense at 3 times now...after coming in with worse than nothing..the defense was utter dog shit. .

We had no real defensive prospects. Certainly none in Binghamton... Josh Jacobs was probably the best NHL ready prospect in 2020... We had just gotten Bahl in the Hall deal so there was that...he was easily our best defensive prospect at the time. Okhotyuk was still junior with the Ottawa 67's that year.

The big club had Andy Greene, Damon Severson, PK Subban, Micro Mueller, Will Butcher, Sami Vatanen, Connor Carrick, Mat Tennyson.... how's that for a shit bomb...

He immediately traded Greene to the Islanders, Vatanen to Carolina... Brought in Kulikov and Murray in the off season for the 2020-21 season...He drafts Muk at #20 that year...reinvent part 1

At the end of the 2020-21 season he trades for Siegenthaler. He drafts Luke Hughes in 2021 at #4 overall and he signs Graves and Hamilton for the 2021-22 season. 2022 draft he drafts Simone Nemec #2 overall. Reinvent part 2

Summer of 2023 Severson and Graves walk...Luke and Nemec are added. Summer of 2024 drafts Silayev #10 overall and Pesce and Dillon are added ... Reinvent part 3.

This is incredible...just an incredible job at building through the draft while simultaneously supplementing through trades and Free Agency. Just a great job.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I gotta say.. I am falling back in love with Fitz.

Since Fitz took over in January of 2020. The job he's done with the defense has just been spectacular...Fitz has reinvented this defense at 3 times now...after coming in with worse than nothing..the defense was utter dog shit. .

We had no real defensive prospects. Certainly none in Binghamton... Josh Jacobs was probably the best NHL ready prospect in 2020... We had just gotten Bahl in the Hall deal so there was that...he was easily our best defensive prospect at the time. Okhotyuk was still junior with the Ottawa 67's that year.

The big club had Andy Greene, Damon Severson, PK Subban, Micro Mueller, Will Butcher, Sami Vatanen, Connor Carrick, Mat Tennyson.... how's that for a shit bomb...

He immediately traded Greene to the Islanders, Vatanen to Carolina... Brought in Kulikov and Murray in the off season for the 2020-21 season...He drafts Muk at #20 that year...reinvent part 1

At the end of the 2020-21 season he trades for Siegenthaler. He drafts Luke Hughes in 2021 at #4 overall and he signs Graves and Hamilton for the 2021-22 season. 2022 draft he drafts Simone Nemec #2 overall. Reinvent part 2

Summer of 2023 Severson and Graves walk...Luke and Nemec are added. Summer of 2024 drafts Silayev #10 overall and Pesce and Dillon are added ... Reinvent part 3.

This is incredible...just an incredible job at building through the draft while simultaneously supplementing through trades and Free Agency. Just a great job.

two days ago you said it would be impossible to replace Kevin Bahl and Brendan Smith


??????????

 

[Bcap88]

I will give fitz a ton of credit on two things: 1. If he says he’s going to upgrade something he usually tends to pull through and does exactly what he says he’s going to do

2. He has a short leash with players and if they aren’t performing he doesn’t hold onto them hoping they return to form. He recognizes this early before it’s too late

 

[JimEIV]

In the least alarming way possible, I have a feeling that player could be Noesen

Top 6? I hope not. Unless he's gotten so much better from what I remember