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

[JimEIV]

TOI is misleading in this case. McLeod, for example, got a lot of extra TOI when Nico and Jack were hurt. Those games where he was our 1C or 2C by default bumped his average up a lot.

I don't know if we will, or have, run a top-6 or top-9, but this season's TOI numbers with all the injuries jumbling lines and roles won't clarify it.

The Even Strength minutes were much more delineated in 2023

ES
Jack 16:33
Meier 15:02
Bratt 14:32
Nico 14:13
Mercer 13:56
Palat 13:52
Haula 13:31
Tatar 13:20
Sharangovich 12:20

 

[Nemec]

Someone told me that there are rumblings about a Taylor Hall trade to NJ? Is that legit?

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Someone told me that there are rumblings about a Taylor Hall trade to NJ? Is that legit?

I haven't heard anything like that. What would we even trade for him? Is he even a good player anymore?

 

[Darkauron]

Lmao yeah no we are not trading for hall

 

[Triumph]

Does Timo not play left wing when he's with Nico and Bratt?

He does, but people pretend he didn't.

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

If only Tom Fitzgerald posted on forums - maybe he could learn a thing or two from some of the infallible minds around here

Its a top-9, not a top-6, and the Devils have always been hard to play against

Someone hire us a real GM from this website or Reddit so we can start being good again

 

[MadDevil]

It was this bullshit Tweet...

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808592756341887406

 

[tailfins]

I don't think we did much to change the hardness/softness factor honestly. I think we just rearranged the furniture.

Dillion is a plus for sure but he's replacing Bahl who had 151 hits and 82 PIMs and killed penalties... Dillon is no doubt a significant upgrade but it's going to be at the same 3LHD slot doing the same exact thing albeit better and heavier. There is no wealth to spread here with this add. And it's still only 1 physical Dmen of 6. The one of 6 that probably will get 5th minutes.

Pesce for Marino does little to nothing in the hardness factor.

Over the last two years we lost Wood and McLeod and we are basically replacing them with Lazar and Noesen...I'm not sure we are gaining anything at all there, in fact it's probably a bigger loss than anyone is willing to admit.

But the real issue from my POV is softest part of the team has pretty much been exactly the same for a number of years... adding to the defense year after and shuffling bottom 6 forwards does not address the soft top 6 that gets the vast majority of the minutes. Meier definitely helps, but he hasn't been the force we need him to be since he's gotten here... I think a little more help is needed for guys like Jack and Bratt.

Edit: and I absolutely do believe PIMs are an indication of aggressiveness. Highly aggressive players take more penalties. And taking penalties because your aggressive and playing with an edge is absolutely not a bad thing. We need more of it.

IMO, he's talking to his team when he's doing these press conferences. He's telling Jack, Timo, etc. that he wants them to be more physical. That there's currently a softness to their game and he wants them to fix it.

From Fitz's actions, it's clear that physicality isn't the only thing he's looking for. At this point, this is Fitz's team.
- Of this year's signings, only Noesen and Dillon are physical. Pesce and Tatar are not.
- Fitz traded physicality in Bahl and Zetterlund when there may have been other options (Casey instead of Bahl; Holtz instead of Zetterlund)
- Fitz extended Meier and Bratt
- Fitz signed Hamilton and Palat, drafted Nemec (instead of Jiricek), etc.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

It was this bullshit Tweet...

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808592756341887406

What the hell?

 

[Xirik]

It was this bullshit Tweet...

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808592756341887406

how low effort. He has a NTC, He wants to stay here and took a pay decrease in order to do that. There is no way he would wave all that a way to play in Chicago.

 

[Triumph]

If only Tom Fitzgerald posted on forums - maybe he could learn a thing or two from some of the infallible minds around here

Its a top-9, not a top-6, and the Devils have always been hard to play against

Someone hire us a real GM from this website or Reddit so we can start being good again

Fitzgerald clearly thinks in terms of a top 9, even though he is saying top 6/bottom six - just look at the role that guys like Palat and Haula have had the last two years. Now the same can be said of McLeod and Lazar who moved up a fair amount from the 4th line to the 3rd line, but that is less common. Someone like Bastian has basically only played 4th line minutes the last two years.

When he says top six, he means 'plays with Hischier or Hughes'.

 

[Bcap88]

Hall has a shredded knee and makes 6 mil a year

lol

Mercer not filing for arbitration probably means it gets done sooner than later ?

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

Fitzgerald clearly thinks in terms of a top 9, even though he is saying top 6/bottom six - just look at the role that guys like Palat and Haula have had the last two years. Now the same can be said of McLeod and Lazar who moved up a fair amount from the 4th line to the 3rd line, but that is less common. Someone like Bastian has basically only played 4th line minutes the last two years.

When he says top six, he means 'plays with Hischier or Hughes'.

Of course - Im only being a prick about the fact that some are acting as if the top-6 (and being hard to play against) is a meaningless term when it isnt, whether teams aim for better or not

Jim isnt going to let up but the fact that the argument was strictly based on terms, and ones our GM has used (even if the players earn more top-9 minutes than he suggests) I thought was pretty silly

Fans on a forumboard are free to use the term top-6 and I dont see the need for the gatekeeping

 

[njdevils1982]

It was this bullshit Tweet...

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808592756341887406

tweet of an attention whore... really??!!

c'mon

...and i thought i had too much time on my f***ing hands.....holy shit

 

[Triumph]

Hall has a shredded knee and makes 6 mil a year

lol

Mercer not filing for arbitration probably means it gets done sooner than later ?

It does not mean that, Mercer was not eligible for arbitration. These deals usually take the longest.

 

[MartyOwns]

the whole top 6 vs top 9 debate is so dumb lol. top 6 bottom 6, that's the way it goes.

 

[Bcap88]

It does not mean that, Mercer was not eligible for arbitration. These deals usually take the longest.

Nvm thought he was arbitration eligible

 

[njdevils1982]

the whole top 6 vs top 9 debate is so dumb lol. top 6 bottom 6, that's the way it goes.

 

[Devil X]

Hall for Haula as the BS rumor suggested makes no sense given the makeup of this roster. We dont need another winger.

 

[Triumph]

Of course - Im only being a prick about the fact that some are acting as if the top-6 (and being hard to play against) is a meaningless term when it isnt, whether teams aim for better or not

Jim isnt going to let up but the fact that the argument was strictly based on terms, and ones our GM has used (even if the players earn more top-9 minutes than he suggests) I thought was pretty silly

Fans on a forumboard are free to use the term top-6 and I dont see the need for the gatekeeping

I don't like the term top 6 because it is not descriptive of how ice time is distributed on teams in general. The only forwards who will definitely play in the 'top six' are Hischier and Hughes. Bratt may also be one. Meier will play a lot there, but maybe not all the time. Someone like Palat could easily go back and forth. Teams generally play a top 9 of skill players and a bottom 3 of grinder types - occasionally due to injuries, players from the 4th line will play on the 3rd line, but that's not usually the way things are drawn up. Someone like Cotter, I expect to play on many different lines, including the 4th, but Lazar will play on the bottom-most line possible depending on injuries.

 

[AfroThunder396]

The idea of a top-6 came about when the 3rd line was a dedicated "checking line," the likes of a Madden-Pandolfo-Brylin line to match up against the opponents top line. Those don't really exist anymore. A good team needs at least three quality lines that can rotate in with a regular shift and be able to contribute both offensively and defensively.

 

[Devs3cups]

Fitz said the plan is for Haula to start at 3C in his presser believe.

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

The idea of a top-6 came about when the 3rd line was a dedicated "checking line," the likes of a Madden-Pandolfo-Brylin line to match up against the opponents top line. Those don't really exist anymore. A good team needs at least three quality lines that can rotate in with a regular shift and be able to contribute both offensively and defensively.

I don't like the term top 6 because it is not descriptive of how ice time is distributed on teams in general. The only forwards who will definitely play in the 'top six' are Hischier and Hughes. Bratt may also be one. Meier will play a lot there, but maybe not all the time. Someone like Palat could easily go back and forth. Teams generally play a top 9 of skill players and a bottom 3 of grinder types - occasionally due to injuries, players from the 4th line will play on the 3rd line, but that's not usually the way things are drawn up. Someone like Cotter, I expect to play on many different lines, including the 4th, but Lazar will play on the bottom-most line possible depending on injuries.

I agree with all of this from both of you

But the term, I think, can still be used when describing talents. I prefer middle-6 versus bottom-6 when discussing third liners, but top-6 for talents who majority play on the top two lines still suffices

Fitzgerald shows some of this when he says 'true top-6 players'; top-6 outside of that probably meant top-9, as was so pleasantly presented as 'rambling' - the fact that he didnt use it though I found humerous and flew in the face of this idea that top-6 is some archaic term when no team ever has a full top-6 anyhow

Some arguing top-6 over top-9 (positionally) insinuate its because of talent; in reality, teams are just more willing to rotate players than keep the same lines together for every shift of every game. Fit has risen above skill in assembling a team

If it was related to talent disparity, teams with six top-6 players would play their guys true top-6 minutes or leveled out top-9 minutes? Im of the belief theyd still be cycled and come in around top-9 minutes

 

[Comparison Ford]

i wonder who our PK forwards are going to be this year.

i know bastian and lazar took shifts last year, as did Haula and Nico etc. what do you guys think we should run with?

 

[JimEIV]

i wonder who our PK forwards are going to be this year.

i know bastian and lazar took shifts last year, as did Haula and Nico etc. what do you guys think we should run with?

Last year the top 4 forwards were Haula 1:59, Mercer 1:45, Hischier 1:22, McLeod 1:10/Lazar 1:06...Bratt also averaged a minute.

I would imagine it will stay similar?