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

[MasterofGrond]

I really think the offense is going to take care of itself with less tierny/willman and a full year of dougie, plus unleashed luke/nemec not carrying bloated corpses up and down the ice as much.

I may be wrong and when I am I’ll be the first to hammer it, but I’d expect significantly better teamwide possession numbers next year.

 

[JimEIV]

I really think the offense is going to take care of itself with less tierny/willman and a full year of dougie, plus unleashed luke/nemec not carrying bloated corpses up and down the ice as much.

I may be wrong and when I am I’ll be the first to hammer it, but I’d expect significantly better teamwide possession numbers next year.

We're built for the regular season.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I didn't realize he was turning 30 this year. I think you're right on all.

Still, he got 34 NHL games last year. If he were in Anaheim, I think he'd get regular time. I could see Anaheim claiming him given their lack of right shot D. I thought he was a reasonable fill-in, so would love to keep him around.

Ya he has 38 career games though and there’s is a ton of fringe guys like him who have played some games and could be picked up by Anaheim. Given that it’s unlikely they would and it’s perfectly possible that no other team would give him a one way contract.

Last season was huge for him financially. Spent a large portion of the season in the NHL between Calgary and the Devils and probably made anywhere from 500-600K+.

But for more context. He has still only played 38 NHL games total over a 7 season career. Even with last season’s long NHL run he’s probably made about 300-350 on average over those 7 years. This year he’s guaranteed to be making more than double that at 775K. Financially that’s huge for a guy like him in setting him up for life after hockey.

When Fitz offered him that contract he probably didn’t need any convincing.

All of this is to say no one should feel bad for him as he’s probably ecstatic to have earned that one way contract. We should be happy for him if anything.

 

[MasterofGrond]

We're built for the regular season.

Good regular season teams tend to win in the playoffs. Every single time anyone has looked at it statistically, that’s been shown to be the case.

And we didn’t even make the playoffs last year, let’s not put the cart before the f***ing horse

 

[JimEIV]

Good regular season teams tend to win in the playoffs. Every single time anyone has looked at it statistically, that’s been shown to be the case.

And we didn’t even make the playoffs last year, let’s not put the cart before the f***ing horse

I was being mostly sarcastic

 

[dgibb10]

Tatar isnt the same Tatar as he was. Mercer should return to his 22-23 level but we dont know, at least yet. I believe he will. Palat and Haula are two years older too. So I believe its not a full step forward in terms of offense. But I think its a big step forward in defense and goaltending. So may be not so flashy offensive game, but should be more steady physical defensive game.

I'd agree with that.

Luke and Nemec are the xFactors. If neither has a good year, we're probably a playoff team, not too much more.
If 1 has a big leap, we're in a great spot.
If BOTH take a big leap, then we are potentially talking about a stanley cup, with 3 Star dmen, as well as Pesce, Dillon, and Siegs as a rock solid set of defensive dmen alongside them.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I was being mostly sarcastic

My bad, I’m sorry.

Hair trigger today (for things outside the internet, lol)

 

[Guadana]

I'd agree with that.

Luke and Nemec are the xFactors. If neither has a good year, we're probably a playoff team, not too much more.
If 1 has a big leap, we're in a great spot.
If BOTH take a big leap, then we are potentially talking about a stanley cup, with 3 Star dmen, as well as Pesce, Dillon, and Siegs as a rock solid set of defensive dmen alongside them.

Yeah, I like defense a lot and I think it will help. May be not win so much games but stabilize our game.

 

[JimEIV]

I think you are deliberately missing the meaning because you take it as he is saying those guys suck. He isn't say get them off the team or take them off the line because they are "easy to play against." He is saying add someone with strength to them. Compliment them.

I honestly thought that was completely understood?

 

[Bcap88]

Fitz added some more oomph to the bottom six and made the defense harder to play against

It was nearly impossible to address everything in one off season

 

[LaffyTaffy13]

Devs have had a great offseason. Likely will challenge for the presidents trophy. Just seeing tatar signing now. What is devs projected forward lineup/lines?

 

[njdevils1982]

We're built for the regular season.

oh the days not so long ago...

i got a two for one special today



[

 

[My3Sons]

You want to watch how they are performing on the ice?

How about karts races?

Like watching Verstappen run the McLaren off the track.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I think you are deliberately missing the meaning because you take it as he is saying those guys suck. He isn't say get them off the team or take them off the line because they are "easy to play against." He is saying add someone with strength to them. Compliment them.

I deliberately reject the meaningless phrase. You use the phrase to suggest Jack Hughes isn’t the main focus of an entire team’s game plan and a nightmare for defenders, I’m not engaging. “our top 6 is loaded with little soft easy to play against guys”. “Little league” GTFO

 

[TrufleShufle]

I deliberately reject the meaningless phrase. You use the phrase to suggest Jack Hughes isn’t the main focus of an entire team’s game plan and a nightmare for defenders, I’m not engaging. “our top 6 is loaded with little soft easy to play against guys”. “Little league” GTFO

Saying I use the phrase to suggest that, is showing you aren't understanding at all what's being said, I'm trying to tell you that's not what is being said at all. That's fine. No need to engage.

Feel free to reject it, but I was just trying to explain what was meant because it seem to really upset you and figured I could calm your nerves a bit, seems I did the opposite. My bad.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I think you are deliberately missing the meaning because you take it as he is saying those guys suck. He isn't say get them off the team or take them off the line because they are "easy to play against." He is saying add someone with strength to them. Compliment them.

He should just say that then. He’s calling them little leaguers and using stupid vague buzz phrases that supposedly don’t actually mean what the words within them mean.

 

[TrufleShufle]

He should just say that then. He’s calling them little leagues and using stupid vague buzz phrases that supposedly don’t actually mean what the words within them mean.

K, I'll let him know.

 

[Hisch13r]

I really think the offense is going to take care of itself with less tierny/willman and a full year of dougie, plus unleashed luke/nemec not carrying bloated corpses up and down the ice as much.

I may be wrong and when I am I’ll be the first to hammer it, but I’d expect significantly better teamwide possession numbers next year.

It looks worse than it did going into last year. It’s not like we expected to have to play those guys as much as we ended up. We’ll probably be healthier but we’re worse going in so still could have similar issues. I think the biggest factor in improved numbers will probably be coaching rather than the improved personnel. We shouldn’t have been as bad as we were last year with that personnel but Lindy with no Brunette proved to be disastrous

 

[TheUnseenHand]

It looks worse than it did going into last year. It’s not like we expected to have to play those guys as much as we ended up. We’ll probably be healthier but we’re worse going in so still could have similar issues. I think the biggest factor in improved numbers will probably be coaching rather than the improved personnel. We shouldn’t have been as bad as we were last year with that personnel but Lindy with no Brunette proved to be disastrous

Well, and injuries. It was a catastrophic injury year.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I'm not a fan of what I'm seeing on paper for our bottom 6 and overall team speed/scoring depth....

early now but I don't see it IMO.

thank u for letting us know

 

[Hisch13r]

Well, and injuries. It was a catastrophic injury year.

I mean yeah sure that played a role but I think the role it played is way over exaggerated. It’s not like they looked good at the start of the year. They looked like shit before the injuries piled up and they looked like shit after they got healthy (sans Dougie) at the end of the year.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Saying I use the phrase to suggest that, is showing you aren't understanding at all what's being said, I'm trying to tell you that's not what is being said at all. That's fine. No need to engage.

Feel free to reject it, but I was just trying to explain what was meant because it seem to really upset you and figured I could calm your nerves a bit, seems I did the opposite. My bad.

Follow the conversation. I suggested you can throw Palat in a complementary role next to Nico and the line will work fine. Is he not “harder to play against” (your definition) than Rodrigues? He wasn’t using the phrase in that way.

He’s saying we’re flatly not good enough to have a player like that in a supporting role. They’re “beastly”, we’re little league. He even said Palat was “done” in another post. Doesn’t sound at all like what you’re saying.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Nico, Jack and Bratt are soft and easy to play against. Just the truth.

Meier is not... but if you can clone him and get him on two different lines that would go a long way.

Team is definitely good enough to make the playoffs but our top 6 is still very flawed and will be super easy to shutdown in the playoffs.

the Defenseman we just signed said one of the reasons he chose to be here was so he didn't have to play against those 3 guys specifically anymore. Is he lying?

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I mean yeah sure that played a role but I think the role it played is way over exaggerated. It’s not like they looked good at the start of the year. They looked like shit before the injuries piled up and they looked like shit after they got healthy (sans Dougie) at the end of the year.

Yeah I don't disagree.

 

[JimEIV]

The Little League comment was in comparison to Florida... and they are.

All according to Hockey Reference

Jack Hughes 5'11 - 175
Jesper Bratt 5'10 -175
Nico Hischier 6'1 -175*. If you don't like the listing write Hockey Reference.



Matthew Tkachuk 6'1 - 201
Alexander Barkov 6'3 - 215
Sam Reinhart 6-2 - 193

214'' vs 222''
525 lbs vs 609 lbs

We giving up 8'' and 84 lbs in just 3 guys...... f***ing little league