Oneiro
Registered User
- Mar 28, 2013
- 9,892
- 12,002
Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part V
- Thread starter NJDevs26
- Start date
- Status
TrufleShufle
Registered User
- Aug 31, 2012
- 8,425
- 14,003
It's a lot easier to get new tires than a new engine, but you need both eventually and it's perfectly ok to plan for how you will do both.
None Shall Pass
Dano moisturizes
Something needs to be done with our bottom six, and I'm not sure what.
Wood sucks. I think Bastian is still not 100% post-injury, he certainly looks like he's playing differently. McLeod is a perfectly fine 4th line center.
Haula is a perfectly okay 3rd line center and certainly better than any of our other internal options. And then we have four wingers who either play okay with Jack on the 2nd line doing 90% of the work or disappear into the morass that is the 3rd line, depending on when Lindy changes the lines up - Sharangovich, Zetterlund, Mercer, and Tatar.
Timo wouldn't move Palat or Bratt down so you're looking at him displacing one of Jack's wings, which means that either (Currently) Zetterlund or Sharangovich go down the lineup. Neither of them has done anything of note while playing in the bottom 6 this season, though you could make the case that Zetterlund might be a nice replacement for Wood on the 4th line, but they won't scratch Wood because reasons and they're probably not going to break up Nate and McLeod.
So then you're shuffling around for a 2nd 2nd line winger and two 3rd line wingers, assuming they aren't traded:
-Sharangovich (Very meh season so far)
-Tatar (Fine, but streaky)
-Mercer (Very streaky as a scorer but also young so maybe he'll develop more)
-Zetterlund (Inconsistent, though coming off his best game of the year IMO)
-Boqvist (who care)
-Holtz (???)
If there's any hope in doing damage in the post-season, fixing the 3rd line needs to be a priority.
Wood sucks. I think Bastian is still not 100% post-injury, he certainly looks like he's playing differently. McLeod is a perfectly fine 4th line center.
Haula is a perfectly okay 3rd line center and certainly better than any of our other internal options. And then we have four wingers who either play okay with Jack on the 2nd line doing 90% of the work or disappear into the morass that is the 3rd line, depending on when Lindy changes the lines up - Sharangovich, Zetterlund, Mercer, and Tatar.
Timo wouldn't move Palat or Bratt down so you're looking at him displacing one of Jack's wings, which means that either (Currently) Zetterlund or Sharangovich go down the lineup. Neither of them has done anything of note while playing in the bottom 6 this season, though you could make the case that Zetterlund might be a nice replacement for Wood on the 4th line, but they won't scratch Wood because reasons and they're probably not going to break up Nate and McLeod.
So then you're shuffling around for a 2nd 2nd line winger and two 3rd line wingers, assuming they aren't traded:
-Sharangovich (Very meh season so far)
-Tatar (Fine, but streaky)
-Mercer (Very streaky as a scorer but also young so maybe he'll develop more)
-Zetterlund (Inconsistent, though coming off his best game of the year IMO)
-Boqvist (who care)
-Holtz (???)
If there's any hope in doing damage in the post-season, fixing the 3rd line needs to be a priority.
SteveCangialosi123
Registered User
Hindsight but we would’ve been much better off resigning Vesey for peanuts than bringing Wood back. Better player, dirt cheap.
KovalchukFistPump
Too lazy to change username
They'll probably trade for a Pascal Rheaume/Grant Marshall/Patrick Maroon type and play them over some of the kids come playoff time. Might play them over Wood as well.
I liked Vesey for his role here. He got too much shit for no reason by some folks here.
- Feb 5, 2010
- 48,949
- 20,156
Did he? I know he kinda disappeared for a stretch, but he was perfect for the bottom 6.
Better Call Sal
Salnalysis
It was always the Vitek’s destiny to be a Devil with these types of connections.
I just read this and jumped the gun, thinking 'who the heck is Spartak Moskva?! Hes gotta be my favorite player now!"
Unfortunately its not a mans name but a mans team!
Poppy Whoa Sonnet
J'Accuse!
- Jan 24, 2007
- 7,611
- 8,271
Getting a winger to push Zetterlund down to replace Wood I think solves a lot of problems. Maybe it's time to give Holtz an actual chance here next to Hughes before the deadline instead of potentially trading him.
Eggtimer
Registered User
Fitz might not want to risk Holtz gettig injured if he is a trade piece for when we get Meier.
- Dec 20, 2018
- 22,675
- 50,599
That’s Stillman. I know, boo hiss, but Pete fans do positively comment on his physical play and forechecking.
I wonder if anybody has done a study on players and how they perform when they have their first child. A few years back, a handful of guys on my beer league team had their first kids around the same time and they all played horribly that season. But a year later everything was back to normal.
Better Call Sal
Salnalysis
I'm rooting for him solely for the fact that so many fans have already penciled him in as a bust.
Kid is still 19 years old. If he brings a different element of play to the organization and can play in the bottom 6 eventually, it's a win.
BostonDevil
Registered User
- Jun 28, 2019
- 4,770
- 5,508
Timo should help the PP which is a pretty big problem on this team.
They aren’t going to get those 4 on 3 OT power plays in the playoffs.
Also, like others have mentioned, getting 3rd liners is easy compared to 40 goal guys. I’d rather hit on that first. Fitz has made multiple attempts to get another scorer in here, let’s see if he can get this one.
Whaddagoal
The Sheldon Keefe Era Begins
Drop of T levels to help with the baby stuff... Then it comes back. Or something.
Or, also practically their lives at home are turned upside down and then they arent sleeping etc. etc. and preoccupied with concerns with domestic situation.
Having the first kid is quite the game changer.
MauDevils
Registered User
It's pretty brutal when your bottom 6 scoring leader is basically tied with Brendan Smith in points over the last two months.
Last two months Wood, Boqvist, McLeod and Zetterlund have 18 points...COMBINED.
Last two months Wood, Boqvist, McLeod and Zetterlund have 18 points...COMBINED.
guitarguyvic
Registered User
- Mar 31, 2010
- 9,085
- 7,648
It's so frustrating when a player, a line, or even an entire team are playing well and get your expectations up, only to do a complete 180 and suddenly start sucking for no friggin reason. That's how I feel about Miles Wood specifically and the bottom six as a whole right now. How do you flip from solid contributions almost every game to basically nothing seemingly overnight?
I'm concerned we are seeing a bit of that from our D pairings as well. It's not quite as big of a swing, but Hamilton-Siegenthaler has taken a pretty good downturn from the start of the season. Hoping that Marino getting back into the swing of things course corrects that.
I'm concerned we are seeing a bit of that from our D pairings as well. It's not quite as big of a swing, but Hamilton-Siegenthaler has taken a pretty good downturn from the start of the season. Hoping that Marino getting back into the swing of things course corrects that.
Emperoreddy
Show Me What You Got!
ZachaFlockaFlame
Registered User
- Aug 24, 2020
- 15,704
- 20,701
Nah, it'll never be a win imo. Stillman could be a bottom 6 player but if someone like Stankoven goes off in Dallas and we're still missing a winger for Hughes, it's going to hurt bad. Still blame Jarry for selling us our pick that year, it should've been Wallstedt.
Unless it's a long-term, career threatening injury it really shouldn't matter - any team acquiring Holtz is doing so for his long-term potential, not this season.
Considering so many are down on him, seems like playing him might boost his value which may be at an all-time low. At least let him go down to the AHL & get lots of ice time and #1PP time to put up some solid stats and showcase his ability.
- Status
