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

[PizzaAndPucks]

From a few days ago at Barnes & Noble

I think I'd be totally okay with moving whatever package the Jets wanted for this guy but than I realized we only scored 1 goal against the Coyotes today and that this would be Schneider 2.0....maybe it's best we didn't ruin this guys career like Winnipeg probably will anyway.

 

[Guadana]

That top 10 pick is pretty "likely*. 9 through 12 seems almost a certainty being 5 points behind St Louis at 13.

I think you could be not very excited about drafting, but there are some very very good prospects in 8-12 range. Its not the joy to watch how they are falling down and we lost the season, but still we can have some good looser price.

 

[JimEIV]

View attachment 837352From a few days ago at Barnes & Noble

I think I'd be totally okay with moving whatever package the Jets wanted for this guy but than I realized we only scored 1 goal against the Coyotes today and that this would be Schneider 2.0....maybe it's best we didn't ruin this guys career like Winnipeg probably will anyway.

It's too dangerous to pay big prices for a goaltender IMO. The team is very flawed and it's not a team that is just in need of goaltending and then everything will be better. We have a lot of holes.

I think our forward depth is very.weak.

We've seen now 2 of the last three years no 100% Jack = lottery team. Yeah there are a million other reasons too like a young defense and no Dougie + other injuries and even goaltending....but the forwards are shallow and one dimensional...and this team is obviously not much without Jack being superstar Jack. That's a problem.

And if we are paying big prices for a goaltender it's going to take away from addressing other problems...like forward depth and defense....or create bigger holes trading away pieces.

 

[Guadana]

It's too dangerous to pay big prices for a goaltender IMO. The team is very flawed and it's not a team that is just in need of goaltending and then everything will be better. We have a lot of holes.

I think our forward depth is very.weak.

We've seen now 2 of the last three years no 100% Jack = lottery team. Yeah there are a million other reasons too like a young defense and no Dougie + other injuries and even goaltending....but the forwards are shallow and one dimensional...and this team is obviously not much without Jack being superstar Jack. That's a problem.

And if we are paying big prices for a goaltender it's going to take away from addressing other problems...like forward depth and defense....or create bigger holes trading away pieces.

We need good goaltending. Not great goaltending. They did well with VV and MB, good goaltending will make miracle, if they will have enough depth like they did year ago. McLeod is a big loss, Devils need third competent center and they need it hard. Ofcourse they should rebalance an rebuild complimentary part of the roster. Fast forecheckers with ability to win puck battles.
And top-4 defenseman to play play defensive role. With Luke as top-4 D we can’t hide Bahl in the limited role. Especially in injury case. He is doing fine until opponents are starting to play really good.

 

[JimEIV]

We need good goaltending. Not great goaltending. They did well with VV and MB, good goaltending will make miracle, if they will have enough depth like they did year ago. McLeod is a big loss, Devils need third competent center and they need it hard. Ofcourse they should rebalance an rebuild complimentary part of the roster. Fast forecheckers with ability to win puck battles.
And top-4 defenseman to play play defensive role. With Luke as top-4 D we can’t hide Bahl in the limited role. Especially in injury case. He is doing fine until opponents are starting to play really good.

If you get a top 4 Dman, some forwards that can forechck hard and win battles... decent goaltending becomes a whole hell of a lot easier.

 

[JimEIV]

I would also argue a couple of forwards in the likeness of a Coleman along with a solid defender capable of 2/3 minutes of PK and 17/18 minutes of 5v5.... would make the goaltending we already have decent enough to not watch the playoffs from the golf course.

 

[Guadana]

If you get a top 4 Dman, some forwards that can forechck hard and win battles... decent goaltending becomes a whole hell of a lot easier.

We need at least two faster forechecking wingers and third line center. And top 4 D. It’s a lot of money and I think there no room for top goalie. But there are no need for top goalie. And from results perspective - teams with better depth and good goaltending are more successful than teams with great goaltending but weaker depth.
Losing Shara was an issue not because he could be better than Toffoli, but because he was playing with the pace of the team. As Boqvist and even as Wood. Toffoli replaced Tatar in the top 6, but overall we lost a lot of depth scoring, pace and speed. I understand that injuries effects a lot, but forwards were “healthy” in February and it was an easy scheduled month, but it was the month when they truly lost everything.
Changing all those forwards for Toffoli, Nosek and Tierny was a philosophical mistake. I hope Fitz will make the right conclusions. More healthier year will help too, but it’s less important to stay healthier for one player when depth is better, and it’s easier to stay healthy when team is winning and there are no need to risk to return of parity in the game. Missing first goal game after game was a huge factor imho.

 

[JimEIV]

I would also add:

Palat and Haula fell short in the leadership and tenacity role that they were brought in for this season.

 

[Guadana]

I would also argue a couple of forwards in the likeness of a Coleman along with a solid defender capable of 2/3 minutes of PK and 17/18 minutes of 5v5.... would make the goaltending we already have decent enough to not watch the playoffs from the golf course.

I’m hoping for Henrique as third line defensive center, Foegele or Noesen as middle six forechecking forwards who can play physical game and move legs. And Guy like Trenin as fourth line physical player who can skate and score.

 

[JimEIV]

Ok...it 4:45am. I'm going fishing.... might not fish might just take a walk and look at the condition of the rivers...quick ride to the Pequest, Musconetcong and South Branch of the Raritan.

Might be more of a scouting trip than a fishing trip. Checking for bugs

 

[Guadana]

Ok...it 4:45am. I'm going fishing.... might not fish might just take a walk and look at the condition of the rivers...quick ride to the Pequest, Musconetcong and South Branch of the Raritan.

Might be more of a scouting trip than a fishing trip. Checking for bugs

I’m making scouting trips too. For young players on the draft. Would prefer to develop other hobbies, but Devils don’t want to give me free time for it.

There are no warm early spring here. I’m waiting for an opportunity to start my plain air season. I have already bought a new oil and a new watercolor. There is a nice swamp close to me and the morning frog on it is an etude I really want to work on.

 

[BurntToast]

Its crazy how bad this team is/was this year. Major regression on all fronts, offense, defense and goaltending. Major injuries on offense and defense. Plus, two pervs (offense + defense) were removed from the roster for SA chargers.

I don’t think there was one game were I felt like the Devils played 100%. Maybe, the 0-1 OT loss to Carolina. But even games they win, its never a “clean” win.

 

[Devils731]

Its crazy how bad this team is/was this year. Major regression on all fronts, offense, defense and goaltending.

It’s kind of bizarre how much this team visually looks like the team from 2 years ago compared to the team from 1 year ago. The forecheck and offensive/defensive neutral zone play are night and day.

For me, that gives me hope that 1 or 2 good coaching voices can have a big affect on how the players look on the ice. I can’t say I’m fully confident in management picking the right guy but nothing to do about that other than wait.

 

[NJ07102]

Its crazy how bad this team is/was this year. Major regression on all fronts, offense, defense and goaltending. Major injuries on offense and defense. Plus, two pervs (offense + defense) were removed from the roster for SA chargers.

I don’t think there was one game were I felt like the Devils played 100%. Maybe, the 0-1 OT loss to Carolina. But even games they win, its never a “clean” win.

There was that Islander game near the start of last season that was as close to a perfect game I have ever seen them play. This current team is light years away from a performance like that. BTW, only 8 out of the 20 Devil players from the Islander game played yesterday against Arizona. On the other hand 14 of the 20 Islander players played yesterday against Ottawa.

 

[Triumph]

That top 10 pick is pretty "likely*. 9 through 12 seems almost a certainty being 5 points behind St Louis at 13.

The Devils are tied for 9th worst with Buffalo and Pittsburgh; the Kraken are tied in points but have a game in hand. This can go any way, but also if they finish 10th worst, they're twice as likely to move back as they are to move up. A regulation loss yesterday did make it more likely that they select 9th or 10th, but even if they finish at 10th, there's still an 19% chance that they are picking 11th or 12th.

 

[Triumph]

I don’t think Fitzgerald has a connection with Sullivan. I don’t believe their time in Pittsburgh coincides with one another. Fitz came here with Shero in the summer of 2015, which is when Sullivan was hired in Pittsburgh, which was actually to replace John Hynes as the AHL Penguins head coach. Sullivan wound up taking the head coaching job a couple of months into that season when they fired the head coach they had. And he’s been head coach ever since.

There really are no coaches with championship pedigree much more recently than him who would be available.

Berube is the only more recent cup winning head coach than him who is currently out of work.

Trotz is no longer coaching and is now a GM, Cooper likely isn’t going anywhere and Bednar and Cassidy aren’t either. Berube is the only more recent cup winning coach than Sullivan who is currently out of work.

Before Sullivan it’s Quenneville (let him rot) and Sutter (effectively retired, last year in Calgary was a disaster) and before that the most recent cup winner goes all the way back Claude Julien before Q and Sutter alternated cup wins lol.

Fitz doesn't have a connection through Pittsburgh with Sullivan, but Sullivan was the last NHL coach he ever had when he played in Boston in 2005-06 and I think Fitzgerald was used as an eye in the sky quasi assistant coach when he was a healthy scratch. It's one of those unusual situations where Fitz is only 6 months younger than Sullivan but was his player.

 

[Devils731]

“Have we made little tweaks in our system? A little bit. Small, minor details that I think I put an emphasis on. But we haven’t really made any wholesale changes to any part of our as we’ve only had a couple of practices and I didn’t think that was the way to go.”

He is wrong. The team has been struggling with how they play all season. A trial by fire with something new that they struggled with for a few games would have been preferable to continuing the slow almost certain death of status quo.

 

[My3Sons]

“Have we made little tweaks in our system? A little bit. Small, minor details that I think I put an emphasis on. But we haven’t really made any wholesale changes to any part of our as we’ve only had a couple of practices and I didn’t think that was the way to go.”

He is wrong. The team has been struggling with how they play all season. A trial by fire with something new that they struggled with for a few games would have been preferable to continuing the slow almost certain death of status quo.

My guess is that Fitz likes thr Ruff system so Green has to pander to it. Note this isn’t me inferring Green would install something better just that he’s smart enough to say what the GM wants to hear.

 

[BurntToast]

I see Travis has been hitting the dispensaries. Travis this is your audition dude, the fans don’t want a coach who is afraid to “rock the boat”. The Devils need coach (male or female) with the guts to have hard conversations.

 

[Nocashstyle]

I really don’t think Berube is any good, and I’ve defended him this year saying St. Louis was mediocre and them being bad was not on him.

I’m just skeptical he’s any good. I never thought he would be a cup winning head coach back in his days of coaching Philly.

I’m not sure Woodcroft is good either, but I also think Edmonton would have still turned it around under him. He’s probably okay.

I am intrigued by the idea of a super tag team of Sullivan/Rod (one or the other, not both) and someone like Woodcroft/Berube/Evason as associate coach if they don’t get a head coaching job. The same way we had the Ruff/Brunette tandem last year. That would be pretty good reinforcement IMO.

And we’ll be replacing both Ruff and presumably Green (his assistant/associate spot) so that’s two vacant spots on the staff opening up.

I don’t think he is at all, really. But honestly, at this point I’d be willing to try anything for a major shakeup.

 

[Bleedred]

I don’t think he is at all, really. But honestly, at this point I’d be willing to try anything for a major shakeup.

I’m sure he’ll get a head coaching offer, but it would be nice to have one of those guys as an assistant/associate coach and one as a head coach.

I’m not sure if Woodcroft will get a head coach job this offseason or not. I’d have to think there’s a better chance of Berube getting one because of the cup win and has a much longer head coaching track record.

Just like the goalie position got a complete overhaul with two new goalies midseason and getting rid of chump Vitek and getting Allen/presumably a legit goalie in the offseason, I wonder if we could have a more bonafide coaching staff to replace Ruff and Green.

 

[glenwo2]

“Have we made little tweaks in our system? A little bit. Small, minor details that I think I put an emphasis on. But we haven’t really made any wholesale changes to any part of our as we’ve only had a couple of practices and I didn’t think that was the way to go.”

He is wrong. The team has been struggling with how they play all season. A trial by fire with something new that they struggled with for a few games would have been preferable to continuing the slow almost certain death of status quo.

the guy's delusional.

He can't honestly think he's in the team's future plans. LOL

 

[Triumph]

The one interesting thing Green is doing, which was probably noted in the game thread but I'm not going to dig through all of that, is that he's doing a kind of Russian Five thing with Hughes and Nemec in back and Hughes, Hischier, and Bratt up front. I question the efficacy of it - it sure leaves the other 35+ minutes of the game up to players who are probably not up to that task - but it will give 5 of the Devils' best players lots of ice time with one another to figure things out.

 

[devilsblood]

I don't know why you're mentioning age, that doesn't matter to me and I don't see how it's relevant. I don't trust that Fitz' decision to hire Sullivan will be based on who is best for the job versus just yet another guy that he has some emotional connection with. Enough with this shit. This team needs completely new blood with recent championship pedigree and who's going to demand the fundamentals from every single player on the roster regardless of talent level. Maybe Sullivan is that guy but like I said I simply don't trust the Fitz connection.

Do we think there will be another coach available with as recent a cup win as Sullivan?

 

[Comparison Ford]

interesting tidbit but i think this will be the first year of Haula’s career that he is not in the playoffs