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

[MadDevil]

I like the current "depth", though we are probably lacking a true 4th line center. The big issue now seems to be lacking a top 6 winger. I think Mercer could prove to be that, that's not too far fetched. Maybe Grits does too, but that would be tough to rely on.

I'm not too worried about the forwards (barring injuries of course) because I firmly believe Timo and Mercer are going to have good years. Combine that with Jack, Nico, and Bratt and if Tatar can find some of the old magic he had the top 6 should be okay. Or at least good enough to where Fitz can add a rental or maybe somebody longer term around the trade deadline. A healthy Dougie and Luke and Nemec with some experience under their belts should help the offense too.

Plus, with the defense and goaltending being improved we shouldn't have score 3+ goals every night to win.

 

[Forge]

I think you have to burn the ELC year to keep a good relationship with the player. Otherwise you risk the threat to stay in Russia or demand a trade; with a good relationship I don’t think you can delay signing him if he is contractually available.

From a cap perspective I think you’re correct though.

Might be trading him anyway if his ask is too much. Gusev got 4.5 immediately. I'm not sure that's a great fit for the devils in 25-26

 

[devilsblood]

Not a fan. I'd rather take that one elc year in 25-26 with Luke in the first year of his extension

If he has a big season I'm not sweating burning an ELC. Get him in here, and maybe save some draft picks that would go the other way in a trade for scoring winger.

 

[OmNomNom]

My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined

Iykyk

 

[Emperoreddy]

I'm not too worried about the forwards (barring injuries of course) because I firmly believe Timo and Mercer are going to have good years. Combine that with Jack, Nico, and Bratt and if Tatar can find some of the old magic he had the top 6 should be okay. Or at least good enough to where Fitz can add a rental or maybe somebody longer term around the trade deadline. A healthy Dougie and Luke and Nemec with some experience under their belts should help the offense too.

Plus, with the defense and goaltending being improved we shouldn't have score 3+ goals every night to win.

I'm also expecting more out of our power play under a new regime.

I'm really not too worried about our ability to score and like you said our ability to limit goals against should be vastly improved.

This team is much better built to hold a 1 goal lead, which last year's team couldn't do to save their lives

 

[RSeen]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808289144239444271

Would Grit be eligible to play in the playoffs?

 

[devilsblood]

I like Lazar at that spot. I thought he showed some good things last season.

Yeah, maybe I've bought too much into the "he's a much better winger" narrative.

 

[Nubmer6]

Would be a great year for Foote to take a step

Pun intended?

 

[Nubmer6]

Mercer is a realistic option for the top 6 the rest are not.

Edit: and neither is Haula because we really don't have another 3C option...so really your talking Black Hole Palat or Tatar that's ugly.

I know you wouldn't like it, but I very strongly believe Palat would work very well next to Hughes and Bratt. It's a combo we never used last year for whatever reason (Lindy) that just makes too much sense to me. Work the boards, retrieve picks, play solid D and let the other two do the scoring.

 

[DerekDevils30]

View attachment 891659

Green outlines are the 2nd on back to backs. Only 5 where they travel after playing which is a lot better than last year. 12 b2b's but the first one is neutral for both teams so no advantage either way. 1 where both games are at home, 2 where both games are on the road (March which is a grind).

Finishing with 6 of the last 7 at home could be huge.

I like seeing the western Canada trip is spaced out. No back to backs.

One weird quirk about the schedule I noticed is all 4 meetings with the Caps are in the first 2 months of the season and each meeting is in a Saturday night.

 

[Emperoreddy]

We set a franchise record in points with Tatar and Mercer on Nico's wing and Haula on Jack's.

And that was with a worse blueline and goalie tandem on paper then what we have today.

I think the team as a whole can make it work.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I know you wouldn't like it, but I very strongly believe Palat would work very well next to Hughes and Bratt. It's a combo we never used last year for whatever reason (Lindy) that just makes too much sense to me. Work the boards, retrieve picks, play solid D and let the other two do the scoring.

Palat is overpaid, but I think some people have gone overboard in painting him as a useless slug.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Bratt-JHughes-Mercer
Tatar-Hischier-Meier
Palat-Huala-Noesen
Cotter-Lazar-Bastian

I like these lines for opening night and Keefe has some flexibility to switch them up.

Huala can reunite with Jack and Mercer can move to 3C. Palat can move up to one of the scoring lines and Tatar down to 3LW.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Gotta reunite Tatar-Nico-Mercer imo opening night and see if they have any juice from the 22-23 year. Move away from it as soon it doesn't work, that also gives Jack the two best wingers on the team which would be an awesome sight.

 

[Nubmer6]

I'm also expecting more out of our power play under a new regime.

I actually don't hold out too much hope that pur PP improves significantly. We're built as a rush team, not a cycling team. That's not conducive to having a good PP.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Wait we have more cap space left than I thought. We’ll have about 5M minus whatever Mercer gets. And anything Foote gets over minimum which hopefully isn’t much. But if Mercer comes in at 3.5 we’ll have almost 1.5 left. Plus potentially around 1.15 (could be more or less). So we have left ourselves some room for a decent retained deadline forward trade.

So we should have anywhere from 2-3M to work with when it comes to it. And Gritsyuk will be coming in.


Sending Tatar down at that point if it makes sense also saves another 1.15. Wouldn’t be too worried about him getting claimed on waivers and if he did it would give us more room. Unless he’s having a really good season.

 

[NjDevsRR]

We kinda have a Hurricanes type forward group with some more star power

 

[Nubmer6]

Wait we have more cap space left than I thought. We’ll have about 5M minus whatever Mercer gets. And anything Foote gets over minimum which hopefully isn’t much. But if Mercer comes in at 3.5 we’ll have almost 1.5 left. Plus potentially around 1.15 (could be more or less). So we have left ourselves some room for a decent retained deadline forward trade.

So we should have anywhere from 2-3M to work with when it comes to it. And Gritsyuk will be coming in.


Sending Tatar down at that point if it makes sense also saves another 1.15. Wouldn’t be too worried about him getting claimed on waivers and if he did it would give us more room. Unless he’s having a really good season.

I think Mercer gets over 4, but yeah, anything extra goes towards accruing TDL space (hopefully we don't get a ton of players on LTIR again).

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I think Mercer gets over 4, but yeah, anything extra goes towards accruing TDL space (hopefully we don't get a ton of players on LTIR again).

I’m not sure he does. If him and Foote don’t cost too much we should have enough flexibility to be able to make pretty much as big of a move as we’d like. That’s the main point of what I was talking about.

Maybe not quite as big as we like. Like probably not close to 10M

 

[Devil X]

I’m not sure he does. If him and Foote don’t cost too much we should have enough flexibility to be able to make pretty much as big of a move as we’d like. That’s the main point of what I was talking about.

Maybe not quite as big as we like. Like probably not close to 10M

We can also dump Bastian and clear 1.3 if needed.

 

[MadDevil]

Palat is overpaid, but I think some people have gone overboard in painting him as a useless slug.

I've said it before but if we're going to have a bad contract I'd rather it be on somebody like Palat. I think the "rings in the room" thing is often used to excuse bad contracts but there is something to having the right kind of vets and he's still a useful player. We still don't have a lot of guys who are good at doing the dirty work along the boards like he is. I just wish he was like 4 years younger to better match the timeline of the core.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

We can also dump Bastian and clear 1.3 if needed.

Ya if it’s comes to a big time acquisition him and Tatar could both be dump able and go the other way. You won’t want to mess up the room chemistry too much though. I’d probably just send Bastian through Waivers at that point.

 

[devilsblood]

I wouldn't be shocked to see Noesen, or even Cotter in the top 6. We've come all this way to get bigger and more physical. Given what is now a clear mantra are we going to roll out a flyweight top line?

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I wouldn't be shocked to see Noesen, or even Cotter in the top 6. We've come all this way to get bigger and more physical. Given what is now a clear mantra are we going to roll out a flyweight top line?

I can see Meier starting with Bratt/Jack even though we know Timo doesn't work with Jack but to give the second line of Tatar-Nico-Mercer a try to establish the 22/23 chemistry. I doubt they're as good as 22/23 and Timo will probably move to Nico's line and Mercer back up and pray till the TDL that they're in a playoff spot

 

[Nico Hischier]

I'm not too worried about the forwards (barring injuries of course) because I firmly believe Timo and Mercer are going to have good years. Combine that with Jack, Nico, and Bratt and if Tatar can find some of the old magic he had the top 6 should be okay. Or at least good enough to where Fitz can add a rental or maybe somebody longer term around the trade deadline. A healthy Dougie and Luke and Nemec with some experience under their belts should help the offense too.

Plus, with the defense and goaltending being improved we shouldn't have score 3+ goals every night to win.

I don’t think they could add anyone at the deadline with term unless someone is leaving. Luke’s extension will be next summer and nemec the summer after. They will have space to add someone on a expiring deal At the deadline so just a rental