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

[Hisch13r]

With the forwards currently I still have similar but bigger issues with the forward group I had last year. I liked the top 9 but felt the depth was lacking and we didn’t really have guys I’d feel comfortable with moving up. That’s more apparent with this group with worse depth and top 9

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Well, with Palat's contract that never stopped us from doing anything, if this is all we could do to finish out the roster, so be it.

I assume we sign Mercer + Foote and then trade Bastian to a team like Anaheim or anyone else needs to make the floor with a meaningless pick attached and roll into the year that way

With the forwards currently I still have similar but bigger issues with the forward group I had last year. I liked the top 9 but felt the depth was lacking and we didn’t really have guys I’d feel comfortable with moving up. That’s more apparent with this group with worse depth

Yeah, it seems like they wanted Marchessault and once they missed on him, they're just relying on their defense + Markstrom to get them to the deadline in a playoff spot and then make a move from there to shore up the offense. The top 9 should be good but agreed on depth

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Well, with Palat's contract that never stopped us from doing anything, if this is all we could do to finish out the roster, so be it.

I would look to add this guy.

He had the 12th highest xG impact in the whole league. The player?

Spoiler: .

Ondrej Palat

 

[Hisch13r]

I assume we sign Mercer + Foote and then trade Bastian to a team like Anaheim or anyone else needs to make the floor with a meaningless pick attached and roll into the year that way



Yeah, it seems like they wanted Marchessault and once they missed on him, they're just relying on their defense + Markstrom to get them to the deadline in a playoff spot and then make a move from there to shore up the offense. The top 9 should be good but agreed on depth

I’d really like one more add. I’ve thought we needed 3 forwards

 

[Emperoreddy]

I don't think our depth issue is all that unique compared to other top team's around the league. Same with cap gymnastics.

It's not ideal at all, but part of it is the price of super beefing up our blueline.

Fitz should be looking to sign some AHL centers that you could slot into an emergency 4th line role if needed.

But we are probably going to have to rent a center and that kind of deal might not materialize until closer to the deadline

 

[Rhodes 81]

Tatar-Hischier-Bratt/Mercer was an elite matchup line. I expect to see a lot of that again. He is a puck hound that accomplishes a lot of what a more physical forechecker would do just in a different style. This addition makes the top-9 good enough to piece it together until the trade deadline. We can figure out something else then. Hard to do much better than this with the space we had. The $5 million extra we spent turning Marino and Bahl into Pesce and Dillon needs to pay off to make up for the rest. I think it will, but I definitely would have hoped for a better forward addition this time last week than Tatar, Noesen, and Cotter. Here's hoping it works out.

There's also an alternate reality where Tatar accepts our deal last year and we never traded for Toffoli. Who knows if that one is better or worse.

 

[Hisch13r]

I don't think our depth issue is all that unique compared to other top team's around the league. Same with cap gymnastics.

It's not ideal at all, but part of it is the price of super beefing up our blueline.

Fitz should be looking to sign some AHL centers that you could slot into an emergency 4th line role if needed.

But we are probably going to have to rent a center and that kind of deal might not materialize until closer to the deadline

Even if you want to say the overall depth isn’t lacking the center depth unquestionably is

Tatar-Hischier-Bratt/Mercer was an elite matchup line. I expect to see a lot of that again. He is a puck hound that accomplishes a lot of what a more physical forechecker would do just in a different style. This addition makes the top-9 good enough to piece it together until the trade deadline. We can figure out something else then. Hard to do much better than this with the space we had. The $5 million extra we spent turning Marino and Bahl into Pesce and Dillon needs to pay off to make up for the rest. I think it will, but I definitely would have hoped for a better forward addition this time last week than Tatar, Noesen, and Cotter. Here's hoping it works out.

There's also an alternate reality where Tatar accepts our deal last year and we never traded for Toffoli. Who knows if that one is better or worse.

I think that line with Meier should be great too.

 

[HersheyBob27]

If he isn't dumped in the summer they probably try to find someone to take him in season to clear room for a deadline move

Mark me down as thinking that Nate has a career year incoming. Losing all last summer of training because of shoulder rehab kind of torpedoed his year. Having friend McLeod plucked from the team didn’t help either

 

[Emperoreddy]

Even if you want to say the overall depth isn’t lacking the center depth unquestionably is



I think that line with Meier should be great too.

I straight up said if was lacking but we are capped out. A rental is probably the only way to add a true NHL forward and won't happen unless someone is on LTIR or if we send a contract out

 

[NjDevsRR]

In before Noesen 30 goal season

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

You can save this for when Lazar scores

View attachment 891429

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Getting Taylor Hall at the deadline will break this board

 

[AfroThunder396]

Honestly they should have brought back Nosek, I get that he struggled but he was really valuable once he got healthy. Would have been cheap.

Maybe he wanted a fresh start somewhere. Or maybe Dano requested they not have Nosek and Noesen on the same team, idk.

 

[R8Devs]

Getting Taylor Hall at the deadline will break this board

We were a Boqvist away from all time great vibes

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Honestly they should have brought back Nosek, I get that he struggled but he was really valuable once he got healthy. Would have been cheap.

Maybe he wanted a fresh start somewhere. Or maybe Dano requested they not have Nosek and Noesen on the same team, idk.

Or maybe he just wasn’t nearly good enough to waste another roster spot on.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Or maybe he just wasn’t nearly good enough to waste another roster spot on.

He was. Good enough for the champions. League min center and PK option. A no brainer.

 

[Monsieur Verdoux]

Actually, Noesen with Jack and Bratt may be crazy enough to work

He can skate, big body to get pucks and crashes the net. Also provides protection for those two

Or am I just wildn’?

Actually, Noesen isn't particularly good skater. He said that himself.

 

[Hisch13r]

If nothing else I’d like Nylander as an extra who can fill in for the top 6 if one of the scorers goes down. Would prefer to try that out over just moving a 3rd liner up

 

[JimEIV]

Noesen Hughes Bratt
Palat Hischier Meier
Tatar Haula Mercer
Cotter Lazar Bastian
Foote Macdermid

Frick it, first line Noesen and he pots 35 with those two

Need an Oprah gif passing out 4th liners...

A 4th liner for every line!

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Some center depth would be nice if we could manage that somehow. Only way that’s possible now is through a trade or if they’re willing to send someone to the AHL (MacDermid, Bastian). Could have up to 2M in space if they do so, depending on Foote and Mercer’s contracts.

Otherwise as things stand


Bratt Hughes Mercer
Tatar Hischier Meier
Palat Haula Noesan
Cotter Lazar Bastian
(Foote, MacDermid)

Siegenthaler Hamilton
Hughes Pesce
Dillon Nemec
(Kovacevic)

Markstrom
Allen

Need an Oprah gif passing out 4th liners...

A 4th liner for every line!

Stop baiting again there’s not a single 4th liner in that top 9.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

He was. Good enough for the champions. League min center and PK option. A no brainer.

Could care less who signed him just glad it wasn’t us. There’s a reason his value went down and he’s league min now.

I could also care less if he’s a center and plays PK if he completely sucks.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Could care less who signed him just glad it wasn’t us. There’s a reason his value went down and he’s league min now.

I could also care less if he’s a center and plays PK if he completely sucks.

Ok, you don’t care. Very fine C depth for league minimum.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Pull the Vegas trick if someone gets hurt, LtIR them then go trade for another center and hold that person out until the playoffs

 

[TrufleShufle]

Pull the Vegas trick if someone gets hurt, LtIR them then go trade for another center and hold that person out until the playoffs

Perfect year to do it too, the league needs a team to sacrifice to let everyone know they are serious this time.

 

[None Shall Pass]

Yeah our C depth is awful at the NHL and AHL level. An actual 3C was at the top of my offseason wishlist after a goalie.

Still time for a trade unless they keep Haula at 3C all season.