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

[Hisch13r]

I was just thinking this team would go super saiyan if Mercer took his game to another level but maybe I should be grateful a 21 year old looks this good in the NHL.

I think he's already better than people realize. I honestly think he could be putting up like 65+ pts if he got consistent time with Jack/Bratt/Nico and was PP1. He also just doesn't pick up secondary assists.

Here he is compared to other 2019 and 2020 mainstays. He's first in 5v5 P1/60 and tied 2nd in 5v5 primary pts.

5v5 P/60

5v5 pts

Here they all are sorted by PP time

 

[Devs3cups]

43 games where we’ve allowed 4 GA or more last season (18x4GA, 12x5GA, 7x6GA, 3x7GA, 3x8GA).

 

[Blender]

I think he's already better than people realize. I honestly think he could be putting up like 65+ pts if he got consistent time with Jack/Bratt/Nico and was PP1. He also just doesn't pick up secondary assists. He's first in 5v5 P1/60 and tied 2nd in 5v5 primary pts.

Here he is compared to other 2019 and 2020 mainstays

5v5 P/60

View attachment 643530

5v5 pts

View attachment 643531

Here they all are sorted by PP time

View attachment 643532

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Yeah so any Meier/Mercer trade speculation should be shut down immediately as laughable.

 

[Devs3cups]

Yeah so any Meier/Mercer trade speculation should be shut down immediately as laughable.

Pretty much. I doubt that’ll happen anyways.

 

[Clam Jensen]

Bratt is 11th in Patrick Bacon's WAR model. Meier is 14th. They're 4th and 5th among wingers.

Bratt is 23rd in Dom's GSVA. Meier is 28th. They're 7th and 9th among wingers.

Jack is 4th in Patrick Bacon's WAR model. Nico is 26th. They're 3rd and 14th among centers.

Jack is 4th in Dom's GSVA. Nico is 34th. They're 2nd and 13th among centers.

Is Patrick Bacon Patrick Batemans overweight, pig loving, hockey analyzing alter ego?

 

[JimEIV]

43 games where we’ve allowed 4 GA or more last season (18x4GA, 12x5GA, 7x6GA, 3x7GA, 3x8GA).

Yeah so? We allowed 4 or more 14 times already this season.

Last year was a league that averaged 3.14. GPG. This year we're currently at 3.15.

League average team Save Percentage .906 is at a 23 year low this season, last season was .907

The average team is giving up almost 3 goals a game (2.94 this year 2.92 last year) we haven't seen this since the mid 1990's

Goaltending is completely irrelevant in this league... It's a scoring league right now. No team is winning regularly by giving up 2 goals with average scoring...and that is exactly what you would have needed to have any success last season with our 19th ranked scoring a hair below 3 per game.

 

[Guttersniped]

I think he's already better than people realize. I honestly think he could be putting up like 65+ pts if he got consistent time with Jack/Bratt/Nico and was PP1. He also just doesn't pick up secondary assists. He's first in 5v5 P1/60 and tied 2nd in 5v5 primary pts.

Here he is compared to other 2019 and 2020 mainstays

5v5 P/60

View attachment 643530

5v5 pts

View attachment 643531

Here they all are sorted by PP time

View attachment 643532

Why have Mercer on the PP1 when Tatar gives us four lefty forwards AND a guy who never f***ing produces on it *sigh*.

 

[JimEIV]

Why have Mercer on the PP1 when Tatar gives us four lefty forwards AND a guy who never f***ing produces on it *sigh*.

I don't understand the Mercer usage at all. Not on the PP, not 5v5, not at all.

It's almost like they are sandbagging him

I mean I suppose the logical in keeping him in the bottom 6 is to distribute the scoring but it seems really dumb to me.

Mercer should be the 2 RW on this team.

 

[Guttersniped]

2021-22: All the games where we gave up less than 3 goals (19)

2022-23: All the games so far where we gave up less than 3 goals (27)

 

[JimEIV]

2021-22: All the games where we gave up less than 3 goals (19)

View attachment 643551

2022-23: All the games so far where we gave up less than 3 goals (27)

View attachment 643552

I can't believe we lost two games giving up less than 3.

 

[Guttersniped]

I can't believe we lost two games giving up less than 3.

Both at home of course. (Reversing the home & away record would make this season near perfect. 19-3-2 in front of the paying customers would have been pretty sweet.)

 

[NJDevs26]

Yeah so? We allowed 4 or more 14 times already this season.

LOL wut...43 times in 82 games is over half of the games. 14 times in 49 games is less than 30%

Yes the goalscoring has gone up but the goals against has gone way down, no amount of obfuscating can hide that. The Devils have allowed 2.65 goals per game this year and 3.68 last year. Offense has zip, zilch and nothing to do with that. If you want to debate why the goals allowed has gone down by over one per game, have at it but the goals scored has gone up by less than .5 a game (2.99 to 3.47) while again, the goals allowed has gone down by more than one per game.

 

[MauDevils]

Yeah so any Meier/Mercer trade speculation should be shut down immediately as laughable.

I just ignore stuff like that. Anybody suggesting Mercer doesn't understand how deadline deals work for a contender. Nobody is going to make a trade that plugs one hole and opens up another in their lineup.

 

[Camille the Eel]

I think he's already better than people realize. I honestly think he could be putting up like 65+ pts if he got consistent time with Jack/Bratt/Nico and was PP1. He also just doesn't pick up secondary assists. He's first in 5v5 P1/60 and tied 2nd in 5v5 primary pts.

Here he is compared to other 2019 and 2020 mainstays

5v5 P/60

View attachment 643530

5v5 pts

View attachment 643531

Here they all are sorted by PP time

View attachment 643532

I think Mercer should work on his shot in the offseason, the way Jack and Jesper Bratt and Hischier have said they worked on theirs as time went by.

Mercer gets a lot of really good looks from fifteen feet in and he's been shooting pucks with greatly increased velocity on those chances. But unfortunately missing the net, especially high, more often than not lately on those looks. If his accuracy was better he could easily have another 5 to 10 goals right now. The looks have been there. It's something players can and do improve and that I'm confident he will. Because boy is he ever getting some great chances. He's one who will battle for position, who likes the traffic, and who also has knack for being in the open spot for the others to set up. His positioning is about as good as any forward on the club, only Hischier is probably better at always being on the right side of the play.

 

[Hisch13r]

I think Mercer should work on his shot in the offseason, the way Jack and Jesper Bratt and Hischier have said they worked on theirs as time went by.

Mercer gets a lot of really good looks from fifteen feet in and he's been shooting pucks with greatly increased velocity on those chances. But unfortunately missing the net, especially high, more often than not lately on those looks. If his accuracy was better he could easily have another 5 to 10 goals right now. The looks have been there. It's something players can and do improve and that I'm confident he will. Because boy is he ever getting some great chances. He's one who will battle for position, who likes the traffic, and who also has knack for being in the open spot for the others to set up. His positioning is about as good as any forward on the club, only Hischier is probably better at always being on the right side of the play.

Whoever Jack worked with should be scooped up by the team

 

[JimEIV]

The Devils have allowed 2.65 goals per game this year and 3.68 last year. Offense has zip, zilch and nothing to do with that.

I 100% unequivocally disagree with that.

Goals scoring helps defense, more specifically playing with a lead helps defense...no question about it. The numbers show this over and over trailing after 2 is a bleak outlook in the NHL. Trailing after 1 period is not a whole helluva lot better. Playing with a lead is simply easier.

We fell down a bit since October and November but we are STILL 10th in the league in Time with a lead. Last year we were 28th. We never played with a lead last season. If you don't believe that doesn't effect GAA you're nuts.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I 100% unequivocally disagree with that.

Goals scoring helps defense, more specifically playing with a lead helps defense...no question about it. The numbers show this over and over trailing after 2 is a bleak outlook in the NHL. Trailing after 1 period is not a whole helluva lot better. Playing with a lead is simply easier.

We fell down a bit since October and November but we are STILL 10th in the league in Time with a lead. Last year we were 28th. We never played with a lead last season. If you don't believe that doesn't effect GAA you're nuts.

That’s surprising that we didn’t play with a lead much last season. Probably has nothing to do with the worst goaltending I’ve ever seen.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

last season: Worst 5 on 5 SV% in the NHL
this season: 8th best 5 on 5 SV% In the NHL

noooooooo that has nothing to do with it!!

 

[NjDevsRR]

Goaltending is completely irrelevant in this league...

Did you never leave that brewery? My god…

 

[Hisch13r]

Did you never leave that brewery? My god…

Damn why don’t we just play with a pulled goalie all game?

 

[JimEIV]

We are the 5th best team in the league in Time trailing...only Boston, Carolina, Dallas and Toronto have trailed less time in games.

And on top that! We are 24th in time tied....we score early and play with a lead this season.

That is a shit ton of pressure off the goalie and the defense.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Damn why don’t we just play with a pulled goalie all game?

Wow looking at the xGF% when you have a goalie pulled...you may be onto something...

 

[theoptimist]

Damien Brunner + BDE (2.5 mg) - P (5 mL) = Tatar

 

[NjDevsRR]

“Goaltending doesn’t matter”

I guess Domingue vs Shesterkin had ZERO impact in the last 2 games of that series…


MY GOD, what a take.