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

[JimEIV]

Thats why they dont call it catching, its fishing!

Yup. I go home without catching anything too often to be an expert

I've spent 8 hours on the water on the bow of a boat and never made a single cast...and I was asked by another fisherman, isn't that a hard day to get through?

I'm like are you kidding? I saw osprey, rays, turtles, sharks got to go in and out of thick mangroves where you feel like you're in a tunnel being some sort of smuggling pirate and I laughed my ass off with the people I was with... it's not always about the catching.

 

[TrufleShufle]

Yup. I go home without catching anything too often to be an expert

I've spent 8 hours on the water on the bow of a boat and never made a single cast...and I was asked by another fisherman, isn't that a hard day to get through?

I'm like are you kidding? I saw osprey, rays, turtles, sharks got to go in and out of thick mangroves where you feel like you're in a tunnel being some sort of smuggling pirate and I laughed my ass off with the people I was with... it's not always about the catching.

All ya gotta catch is a buzz and the day was a success.

 

[devilsblood]

With the complete lack of center depth and a new coach you figure he’ll be locked in as the 3C now and that stupid experiment can end.

They've been good together, especially in 22-23.

Haula as 3c probably makes more sense, but that doesn't mean Haula with Hughes doesn't make sense. Especially when Hughes literally, and not just figuratively, can't take faceoffs.

 

[JimEIV]

All ya gotta catch is a buzz and the day was a success.

I never drink while I'm fishing... sometimes in saltwater I'll take a beer for the ride in...but otherwise never drink while I'm fishing.

 

[Camille the Eel]

I think guys like Heinen or Sherwood would have also been good, cheap depth forward options and provided more versatility.

It doesn't sound like there was much league-wide interest in Heinen, other than VAN. But he is from the Vancouver area and when his agent found out there was interest from them on a multi-year deal, pretty much decided to sign there immediately. Looks like Sherwood and VAN were also mutual fits too.

Similar reasons are probably why they were able to sign Tatar reasonably cheaply. He wanted to come back anyway. Team offered him a deal. Done.

Haula will have to be the 3C for now. If he can't cut it, it will have to be something to get shored up mid-season.

Mercer could also see some spot duty at center if needed. He was drafted as a center after all and has played there occasionally. Keefe was known for widely patching lines together in Toronto. Also Bastian has played center occasionally when needed and Lazare mostly that position. Plus it’s still early and there are PTO’s whom we could see brought in. No reason to be very concerned about it I think.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Haula is an ideal 3C He doesn't have enough juice for the top-6 but can skate, plays special teams, is pretty good defensively, and can chip in 35-45 points a year.

 

[MartyOwns]

if JVR is still available, i'd like to bring him in on a PTO for 4C. i'm just not sure we have the room for him.

 

[theoptimist]

I do not believe Haula is a below average 3rd line center.

It's less about Haula and more about not having center depth or wing/center combos (like Boqvist, Sharangovich types from 22-23).

 

[Hisch13r]

if JVR is still available, i'd like to bring him in on a PTO for 4C. i'm just not sure we have the room for him.

JVR has never played center.

 

[theoptimist]

Haula has basically been a ~0.5 ppg center the last 2 years in NJ, I am not sure what more people expect out of a 3C? He also had the 2nd best CA/60 (behind Bratt), 2nd best xGA/60 (behind McLeod), and 3rd best xG% among forwards on the team last year.

None of us want him playing with Jack (consistently, or ever for that matter lol), but yeah.

Does it matter? You are presenting data for a player from a non-playoff team.

We need to develop another non-Hughes, non-Hischier group of forwards to get going. The hope is Mercer/Noesen/Tatar can be that next tier.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

It's less about Haula and more about not having center depth or wing/center combos (like Boqvist, Sharangovich types from 22-23).

I would like another center for sure. Whether it’s a good C for Utica or guy like Steven Lorentz to be the extra forward/4C (I think he’s FA still?).

But I don’t see Boqvist or Yegor as better fall back C options than someone like Mercer, and he stinks there too.

 

[MartyOwns]

JVR has never played center.

really? who am i thinking of

 

[JimEIV]

Stay relatively healthy and we'll be alright...10 games here or there for anyone we can manage.

It would be particularly nice if Jack got his first 80 or more game season this year

 

[MasterofGrond]

Jack will be playing 81 games and scoring 115 points

 

[Nocashstyle]

Jack will be playing 81 games and scoring 115 points

I can’t decide if it’s good or bad that the more outlandish part of this prediction is games played as opposed to points.

 

[MasterofGrond]

The game he misses, fwiw, is the last game of the season as we coast to 1st place in the metro by 5 points

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Does it matter? You are presenting data for a player from a non-playoff team.

We need to develop another non-Hughes, non-Hischier group of forwards to get going. The hope is Mercer/Noesen/Tatar can be that next tier.

so because the Devils missed the playoffs nothing that any player on the team did was noteworthy? That is a weird stance to take.

 

[TrufleShufle]

Yea downplaying Haula's stats because he was playing higher than he should on a depleted team is wrong, couldn't agree more. Same thing with Sharangovich playing where "he shouldn't be" and getting all those goals on a bad team and people downplaying it to defend the Toffoli trade. People have the weirdest takes to defend their views.

 

[Devils731]

Yea downplaying Haula's stats because he was playing higher than he should on a depleted team is wrong, couldn't agree more. Same thing with Sharangovich playing where "he shouldn't be" and getting all those goals on a bad team and people downplaying it to defend the Toffoli trade. People have the weirdest takes to defend their views.

The Sharangovich discussion is because he shot 17.3% for the year, not because he scored goals on a bad team.

I’ll bet against almost anyone shooting 17.3% and doing it as a repeatable thing, so the goal scoring was likely overrated due to that rather than Calgary being bad.

It was actually a bad season for him at generating even strength shots, he just scored more frequently in a fashion that likely was more random than repeatable.

 

[Ripshot 43]

I just wanna know what Lego set Sharangovich is buying next

 

[TrufleShufle]

The Sharangovich discussion is because he shot 17.3% for the year, not because he scored goals on a bad team.

I’ll bet against almost anyone shooting 17.3% and doing it as a repeatable thing, so the goal scoring was likely overrated due to that rather than Calgary being bad.

It was actually a bad season for him at generating even strength shots, he just scored more frequently in a fashion that likely was more random than repeatable.

Pretty sure that was your argument yea.

 

[Moist ReadOnly]

Jack will be playing 81 games and scoring 115 points

124

 

[JimEIV]

Sharangovich with 3 goals and 4 assists shorthanded this season is insane...

Coleman had 4 shortys himself this season...17 SH goals for Blake's career...9 came here with NJ.

But 8 shorthanded career Goals is pretty impressive for Sharangovich in 287 games... 14 career shorthanded points total.

 

[Guadana]

3C is a weakness. I’ve seen people adjust to say, well the league doesn’t have a 1/2C combo like the Devils. Sure, but Nico and Jack haven’t played full seasons together (close to full, but not all 82). We need both in the lineup.

I also think Danton Heinen is a better player than Tatar and wished we had brought him on. It’s possible we offered Heinen a deal but haven’t seen anything reported in the media.

Danton isn’t on the positive side of chances, I don’t him remember really. May be it’s his role Anyway overall it would be an option, may be even better than Noesen. Still didn’t watch him enough. And we don’t know may be we offered him something, may be for one year only.

 

[njdevils1982]

I just wanna know what Lego set Sharangovich is buying next