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

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Last I checked we are halfway through the season and he has 8 goals and 17 points. But I know you can't read.

Miles Wood 2 goals in his last 34 games played. Sorry, a LITTLE LESS than half the season.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Simplify the Jack Adams trophy and consider it as success on some level, whether it's "surprise success" or "outright success." That's the only point. You need good goaltending to get somewhere.

Or you could also look at cup and conference finalists and how many of them are Vezina winners or, expanding out to include guys like Bishop/Lehner, how many are runners up. You cover way more than the lion's share of those appearances with just two criteria: Vezina winner or runner up. Few exceptions include Bobrovsky and Kuemper, and the latter posted a .921 when he won it all.

Either that or a coach gets the team to play well enough to make your average eg Nedjelkovic goaltender look great.

I think more of Trotz's system than I think Lehner, Greiss, Varlamov, and Sorokin are so superb they allowed Trotz to win the Jack Adams.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Miles Wood 2 goals in his last 34 games played. Sorry, a LITTLE LESS than half the season.

Mercer, Sharangovich, Tatar: 3g in the last 20
Boqvist, Haula, Bastian: 2g in the past 20
Zetterlund, Mcleod: 1g in his last 20.

So that's pretty much the bottom 9 not scoring.

Don't think it's a unique Wood problem, but continue with your bias.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

It’s far from certain. NRD who is very good with this stuff said that talks haven’t really moved on Meier yet, it’s just preliminary kicking tires. He also confirmed the Devils have checked in on Horvat and Kane, but talks haven’t progressed anywhere yet. This place is going to meltdown when Buffalo gets Meier.

NRD’s podcast also claimed that Fitz was more interested in “shoring up the defense” with someone like Matthias Ekholm, which shows they make stuff up and aren’t very good at it, considering a $6 million 32 year old defenseman is the last thing the Devils want or need.

 

[Triumph]

Mercer, Sharangovich, Tatar: 3g in the last 20
Boqvist, Haula, Bastian: 2g in the past 20
Zetterlund, Mcleod: 1g in his last 20.

So that's pretty much the bottom 9 not scoring.

Don't think it's a unique Wood problem, but continue with your bias.

The problem with Wood is that when he isn't scoring goals he brings little else to the table. He's been awful, it isn't bias.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Mercer, Sharangovich, Tatar: 3g in the last 20
Boqvist, Haula, Bastian: 2g in the past 20
Zetterlund, Mcleod: 1g in his last 20.

So that's pretty much the bottom 9 not scoring.

Don't think it's a unique Wood problem, but continue with your bias.

is there a difference between 20 games, and 34?

also, what does Miles Wood bring, exactly?

 

[billingtons ghost]

Nice job shifting the goal posts to “bubble team”.

Any team would be happy to add speed and size. I missed that the OP *had to be San Jose* but I thought it was just about packaging Miles Wood. (In fact you just added the sj bit when I look back)

Bc of his UFA status it doesn't make sense for San Jose.

 

[My3Sons]

Vitek was down 2-0 on 18 shots after the first period. They trailed from 10:50 of the first period to 3:55 of the second period in the Dallas game. They trailed for a little more than 13 minutes of 60+ minute game. With Vitek saving 89% of the shots in the first period...that's good goaltending?

Jack getting the 3rd goal of the game early in the second and Wood following up shortly after was way important than 89% saves.

Yes it was good goaktending. He gave up one goal. And that goal was a 5 on 3 against. Haula assaulted him and the puck went it as well. I fail to see that as a goal thr Vitek could do anything about. Stop slicing the baloney unfairly. He saved 33 of 35. If he gives up 3 on 35 they don’t get to OT. So in my view Vitek’s good goaltending gave them a chance to score thr timely goal. Both were necessary to win. Hardly a controversial position. You can disagree with me on this but let’s talk about that island.

 

[billingtons ghost]

is there a difference between 20 games, and 34?

also, what does Miles Wood bring, exactly?

Size, speed, physicality. Pretty much exactly what any playoff team is looking for.

If Jeanotte was on the block I'd pay a ransom for him.

Is there a diff btw 20 and 34? I just picked twenty bc it is easily blocked out in stats like that, and it isn't a specifically-just-for-miles-wood cherrypicked number like you used. Aren't all stats picked on 34 game increments? My bad rotflmao.

In the last one game, miles wood is second in scoring, lol.

 

[Incharge1976]

Vitek was down 2-0 on 18 shots after the first period. They trailed from 10:50 of the first period to 3:55 of the second period in the Dallas game. They trailed for a little more than 13 minutes of 60+ minute game. With Vitek saving 89% of the shots in the first period...that's good goaltending?

Jack getting the 3rd goal of the game early in the second and Wood following up shortly after was way important than 89% saves.

That's a small sample size and doesn't take into account the difficulty of saves. The difference between great goaltending, average goaltending, and poor goaltending is razor thin in most cases.

He had a slightly below average 1st and was perfect the 2nd and 3rd periods which gave him a great S% for the game.

 

[Camille the Eel]

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.

We might be just about leading the league in come from behind wins at that, however. I’d rather see us go down a goal in the 1st these days than go up, LoL.

 

[billingtons ghost]

That's a small sample size and doesn't take into account the difficulty of saves. The difference between great goaltending, average goaltending, and poor goaltending is razor thin in most cases.

He had a slightly below average 1st and was perfect the 2nd and 3rd periods which gave him a great S% for the game.

Agree with this completely.
Saaros was like .660 Sv% halfway through the game but he wasn't terrible. In fact I don't thing he had a chance on any.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

when is the last time Wood used his size and physicality?

 

[RSeen]

is there a difference between 20 games, and 34?

also, what does Miles Wood bring, exactly?

He is not good defensively and probably takes too many penalties. It amazes me that he still gets PP2 time. Hopefully they replace Bastian or someone else from his spot - he has no hands and should not be there IMO.

 

[R8Devs]

I don’t know why a rebuilding team would want a shitty 27 year old on an expiring contract

To help in their Bedard efforts /s

But seriously if they like the deal the Devils give and the Devils need to give Wood to make the cap work -- I don't think they'll have reservations about it bc it's not like they'll be tied to him. If they an extra retained slot come the deadline (which they may not but it is a possibility) they could try to flip him 50% retained. I'm sure there's GMs that would give a mid-round pick for that

 

[NjDevsRR]

Mercer, Sharangovich, Tatar: 3g in the last 20
Boqvist, Haula, Bastian: 2g in the past 20
Zetterlund, Mcleod: 1g in his last 20.

So that's pretty much the bottom 9 not scoring.

Don't think it's a unique Wood problem, but continue with your bias.

These other players contribute in other ways when not scoring.

Wood is a one man show so when he isn’t producing he is contributing squat. Hence the hyper focus on him compared to the others.

Edit: @Triumph beat me to it. I should read before responding

 

[billingtons ghost]

when is the last time Wood used his size and physicality?

He hasn't been great since Romanov hit him. That said, he has had more games than not where he's taken a stretch pass and has at least gotten a chance or made a rush up the ice. He's been in front on the PP and hasn't done much but provide a screen. He's made a couple of hits (hitting someone who had asked Okh to go last game). He and the fourth line have been more down than up but without them I think we are alot easier team to play against.

None of that means anything - because we all know that he has the *potential* to be a real difference maker to any team that picked him up. Certainly moreso than anyone else we would be willing to trade except maybe Severson.

 

[billingtons ghost]

These other players contribute in other ways when not scoring.

Wood is a one man show so when he isn’t producing he is contributing squat. Hence the hyper focus on him compared to the others.

Edit: @Triumph beat me to it. I should read before responding

Saying any of those guys outside of Mercer contribute more intangibles than Wood is pretty silly. Tatar is making space for other players?

Rango on the PK if l is ok, but his turnovers have been horrible, and he's been strapped to bottom lines for it.

I'll give you McLeod for faceoffs

The coaching staff disagrees with you. As Lindy made clear when Z came in for Boqvist.... And miles Wood scored...

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I said this the other day, but not every player needs defending. Its okay to say a player sucks.

Miles Wood has by and large sucked for the better part of 3 months now. End of story.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Saying any of those guys outside of Mercer contribute more intangibles than Wood is pretty silly. Tatar is making space for other players?

Rango on the PK if l is ok, but his turnovers have been horrible, and he's been strapped to bottom lines for it.

I'll give you McLeod for faceoffs

The coaching staff disagrees with you. As Lindy made clear when Z came in for Boqvist.... And miles Wood scored...

Tatar is actually a top 6 forward this year by every metric, the one place he doesn't belong is the PP1 and they clearly have no one to use in that bumper spot. It's why making a move for Horvat or Meier make a ton of sense, especially the latter. Sharangovich is a very good PKer. Wood is completely useless if he's not scoring 5v5, I don't even want to mention how bad he is on the powerplay. Guy is dangling on the boards most times when he should be at the net front with little to no puck handling on PP2.

 

[Triumph]

Saying any of those guys outside of Mercer contribute more intangibles than Wood is pretty silly. Tatar is making space for other players?

Rango on the PK if l is ok, but his turnovers have been horrible, and he's been strapped to bottom lines for it.

I'll give you McLeod for faceoffs

The coaching staff disagrees with you. As Lindy made clear when Z came in for Boqvist.... And miles Wood scored...

Sharangovich has been playing with Hughes the last two games, and Tatar is one of the best players in the league territorially. I know you have me on ignore but I just can't let these ridiculous takes go.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Tatar is actually a top 6 forward this year by every metric, the one place he doesn't belong is the PP1 and they clearly have no one to use in that bumper spot. It's why making a move for Horvat or Meier make a ton of sense, especially the latter. Sharangovich is a very good PKer. Wood is completely useless if he's not scoring 5v5, I don't even want to mention how bad he is on the powerplay. Guy is dangling on the boards most times when he should be at the net front with little to no puck handling on PP2.

Agree. Except the conversation is about perceived value to GMs acquiring Wood.

I'm not arguing the guy is good.

I'm arguing big, fast fourth line power forward who fights a little and could score twenty goals makes GMs giddy to the point that they would rather have him than a $5m guy they would scratch in a playoff game.

And if the counter is: 'wah he isn't scoring', the answer is that one or two goals tomorrow vaults him over our entire bottom 9 for the past few months. Nobody is scoring outside the top three guys.

I said this the other day, but not every player needs defending. Its okay to say a player sucks.

Miles Wood has by and large sucked for the better part of 3 months now. End of story.

And multiple things can be true. What you say is true, and so is: nobody else is scoring, and:
GMs of teams going to the playoffs like big strong guys. And GMs of teams like fast guys. And GMs of teams value fourth line who can score 15-20 goals.

Don't know why you can't admit it, no matter how much you hate the guy.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Agree. Except the conversation is about perceived value to GMs acquiring Wood.

I'm not arguing the guy is good.

I'm arguing big, fast fourth line power forward who fights a little and could score twenty goals makes GMs giddy to the point that they would rather have him than a $5m guy they would scratch in a playoff game.

And if the counter is: 'wah he isn't scoring', the answer is that one or two goals tomorrow vaults him over our entire bottom 9 for the past few months. Nobody is scoring outside the top three guys.

Miles Wood also has an uncanny knack of taking the stupid penalties which could also drown a team in the playoffs too though lol. The guy isn't good enough to care about to this extent. And I agree about our bottom 6 being atrocious lately but he's arguably the one constant along with McLeod, a ton of our guys have moved up and down the lineup losing chemistry with guys from a game to game basis where Wood has mostly stayed with his center that he had a great start with in the beginning of the year.

 

[Unknown Caller]

NRD’s podcast also claimed that Fitz was more interested in “shoring up the defense” with someone like Matthias Ekholm, which shows they make stuff up and aren’t very good at it, considering a $6 million 32 year old defenseman is the last thing the Devils want or need.

This isn't what he said. He said if the Devils whiff on their winger targets he can see them falling back to a guy like Ekholm to shore up the defense. Provided that the Devils 7th defenseman options are Bahl and Okhotiuk right now, I can guarantee you they'll be bringing in some form of veteran presence on defense regardless.

For the record, NRD also said that the Ekholm fall back was purely speculation on his part. The Meier/Horvat/Kane info was from legitimate sources.

He nails trades and free agent signings on a regular basis. He's legit.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Need I even f*cking mention David Clarkson? And he didn't bring Wood's speed.

Miles Wood also has an uncanny knack of taking the stupid penalties which could also drown a team in the playoffs too though lol. The guy isn't good enough to care about to this extent. And I agree about our bottom 6 being atrocious lately but he's arguably the one constant along with McLeod, a ton of our guys have moved up and down the lineup losing chemistry with guys from a game to game basis where Wood has mostly stayed with his center that he had a great start with in the beginning of the year.

That's true. But it cuts both ways. If the guy could play a lick of defense he could be getting a Tom Wilson or Ryan Hartman or David Clarkson treatment. He's been strapped to McLeod largely bc of his own defensive play but also bc the Hughes line needs Haula for faceoffs and D.

I don't see Tatar winning every offensive metric alongside McLeod either, with all the Dzone starts and usage against top lines.