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

[Jack Be Quick]

I'm not sure if this has been posted here and doubt more than 2k people worldwide have seen it, but I would've been tempted to grab that NJDTV mic and go full Conor McGregor with how f***ing dumb some of these questions were. Good on him for holding back.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I'm not moving a 1st in this draft for Reinhart. Maybe Buch.

Reinhart's the one I have a harder time trading a first for. Buch, I'd 100% do it for. If Meier falls through, I also wouldn't mind looking at the Detroit for Vrana, ton of baggage there obviously but you're getting a guy signed for next year as well. Maybe Detroit retains a little bit to facilitate a better trade since teams in the league probably know he might need a change of scenery + they already won the Mantha/Vrana trade by getting a first from Washington in that. I feel like Tarasenko or Kane would be the weirdest options from Fitz since he's said no rentals so it eliminates them.

 

[Clam Jensen]

Thank the lord there’s a game today.

 

[JrFischer54]

Bringing in “NHL talent” can mortgage the future, yes. I’m only trading a 1st for a player that will be helping us 2,3,4 years from now. I’m not operating under the assumption that we’re going to pick a Chase Stillman every year, that is weird.

just how it is bud

 

[Lou is God]

We're in the Top 3 once again in Scott Wheeler's prospect rankings.

2023 NHL prospect pool rankings: Evaluating all 32 teams

Scott Wheeler's annual deep dive into every NHL team's collection of prospects.

theathletic.com

 

[Devs3cups]

We're in the Top 3 once again in Scott Wheeler's prospect rankings.

2023 NHL prospect pool rankings: Evaluating all 32 teams

Scott Wheeler's annual deep dive into every NHL team's collection of prospects.

theathletic.com

Came here to post this. Top team in the league this year with a top 3 prospect pool. Future is bright!

 

[Clam Jensen]

We're in the Top 3 once again in Scott Wheeler's prospect rankings.

2023 NHL prospect pool rankings: Evaluating all 32 teams

Scott Wheeler's annual deep dive into every NHL team's collection of prospects.

theathletic.com

Came here to post this. Top team in the league this year with a top 3 prospect pool. Future is bright!

Out of all the teams I follow, the Devils are easily in the best position moving forward. Just the way I like it

 

[Nocashstyle]

I'm not sure if this has been posted here and doubt more than 2k people worldwide have seen it, but I would've been tempted to grab that NJDTV mic and go full Conor McGregor with how f***ing dumb some of these questions were. Good on him for holding back.

It’s not that serious.

 

[HBK27]

I think we might actually be #1 in Wheeler’s list. Who else is left? Buffalo and LA were the big ones, and they went. We should be ahead of Detroit and Columbus.

We didn’t graduate anyone, we were already ranked highly, and we added a #2 overall.

Also our second tier guys like Grits and Muk are having strong years, and we have out-of-nowhere strong years out of Clarke, Vilen, and Filmon.

I think we should be as well. Holtz might've graduated...not sure. The top 3 is NJ, Columbus & Minnesota.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Thank the lord there’s a game today.

 

[BostonDevil]

wtf is this schedule in the middle of March?

View attachment 646071

Good time to rest guys with the division locked up by then.
Holtz still won’t play (or be here).

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

 

[Devs3cups]

Thank the lord there’s a game today.

Is there a GDT though?

 

[FooteBahl]

Is there a GDT though?

If there’s no GDT, does the game actually happen? Deep shit right there lol

 

[forceten]

I think the one that sticks out the most for me is the "Montreal followed by Carolina" games...BACK TO BACK.

I mean....Holy Jet-Lag, Batman!!

Flying to Canada, then having to fly back home immediately after the game FOR a game the following night against the Top team in the Division? BRUH.

There could be some dead-tired legs from Devils players that 2nd night and against the Canes, that's not going to be an easy game to come out with at least a point....

And of course then we have some kind of mini-playoff with Tampa for some reason....sandwiched around a game against Florida where I hope we bring up Geersten to kick Matt Tkachuk's ass.

It's not that long a flight between Montreal and Raleigh. There's a daily commercial nonstop between them, even.

 

[Camille the Eel]

I'm not sure if this has been posted here and doubt more than 2k people worldwide have seen it, but I would've been tempted to grab that NJDTV mic and go full Conor McGregor with how f***ing dumb some of these questions were. Good on him for holding back..
.

I don't know that any of it was especially garbage. How do you spell Tkachuk? Maybe that one.

But wow how he handled himself. He's totally grown up now and what a winning, decent, honest, open personality is developing there. I think since the beginning of this season he's really changed. He was responsive to these questions, quickly thoughtful and honest. No sometimes he'll go a month without watching hockey if he's really "hockeyed out." Connor Bedard is coming into the league as a 30, 35 goal scorer, while he himself struggled out of the gate. No, he doesn't possess an elite shot to be honest . . . etc. . . . 10 handicap in golf. I mean the kid is handling himself like President Kennedy at the rostrum. The charm.

 

[My3Sons]

Sorry to re-hash the whole Brunette/Golf Cart saga but someone here stated that him refusing to take the Breathalyzer test was a wise move as a failed test would result in an automatic 1-year suspension of his license.

But I looked it up and it said that a REFUSAL to take one results in an automatic 1-year suspension of his license.

A failed test, depending on how badly he failed, would result in probably a 6-month suspension.

Either way, he's F'ed and can't drive a car for awhile.

(and what a dumb way to get your license suspended : a f**king Golf Cart. )

You looked up Florida DUI statutes? Wow. I'm impressed.

 

[forceten]

Also w/r/t 1st rounders being too far out to help us - Dawson Mercer was an NHL regular D+2 and was 18th overall. It's not out of the realm of possibility that in this deep 2023 draft, a mid-range 1st could step in relatively soon and start to contribute.

 

[Hisch13r]

I think we should be as well. Holtz might've graduated...not sure. The top 3 is NJ, Columbus & Minnesota.

I can't imagine he'd have Holtz as a graduate. He's only played 18 games and "played" is being generous lol

 

[JrFischer54]

Also w/r/t 1st rounders being too far out to help us - Dawson Mercer was an NHL regular D+2 and was 18th overall. It's not out of the realm of possibility that in this deep 2023 draft, a mid-range 1st could step in relatively soon and start to contribute.

yeah totally agree and that does happen but for every mercer theres 10 duds

 

[Better Call Sal]

It's not that long a flight between Montreal and Raleigh. There's a daily commercial nonstop between them, even.

Not to mention that it’s the same time zone.

 

[forceten]

Yep. I mean, a lot of games in a row or compacted in a short time frame is a lot of games to play with limited recovery, but it doesn't always correlate to bad play. Look at the last two months of Devils hockey when we ran into teams "on the back end of a back to back" or "third game in four nights" and we lost

Sometimes you get in a good zone and you do not wish to break. So - yin/yang. Let's focus on playing the games (haha as if we keyboard jockeys, half of us ancient with moss growing on our nethers, are doing any playing or focus)

 

[My3Sons]

As a UFA does any team offer Bratt $9 mil per on a 7 year deal? How about $8.5 mil? What's his genuine UFA number over seven years? That's the real number NJ has to match to get Bratt to sign. I am skeptical that Bratt gets $9 mil or more as a UFA. He's a wonderful player but he's a wing even if he can drive play. In round numbers, at $8.5 mil over 7 years you are looking at $59.5 mil total. You'd think $8 mil for 8 years is better than that given that Bratt will be 33 at the end of a seven year deal if he went to UFA after next season.

If the reporting by Julie Robenhymer is accurate the team offered less than 7 on a long term deal heading into last offseason. Her later statement suggested that maybe an offer in the seven millon dollar plus range was offered at some point and Bratt's counter was above $8 mil per on a long term deal. Assuming we are talking about an 8 year deal Bratt is essentially suggesting that the year after next he will be a $9 mil plus player on a seven year deal. I am sort of skeptical he gets Tkachuk money but it's a bit of a guess about the cap increase. I do think the Fiala deal and Kyrou deals are both reasonable comparables and if the cap does go up I can see why the ask is what it is.

It's not that complicated and at this point you'd think both sides have a decent idea of what the other side wants and why and what the marketplace would bear if that's what was the driving force to arrive at a contract number. If the offer to Bratt isn't in the $8 mil per range it probably is too low.

 

[forceten]

Good point, M3S. 8x8=64. I think in a 7 year deal UFA it will be difficult to top that. The very small differences wouldn't be worth, rationally, the move and team change and upheaval. IMHO. But that's how I view the world, some people look at one data point and construct their entire worldview from it, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Hisch13r]

As a UFA does any team offer Bratt $9 mil per on a 7 year deal? How about $8.5 mil? What's his genuine UFA number over seven years? That's the real number NJ has to match to get Bratt to sign. I am skeptical that Bratt gets $9 mil or more as a UFA. He's a wonderful player but he's a wing even if he can drive play. In round numbers, at $8.5 mil over 7 years you are looking at $59.5 mil total. You'd think $8 mil for 8 years is better than that given that Bratt will be 33 at the end of a seven year deal if he went to UFA after next season.

If the reporting by Julie Robenhymer is accurate the team offered less than 7 on a long term deal heading into last offseason. Her later statement suggested that maybe an offer in the seven millon dollar plus range was offered at some point and Bratt's counter was above $8 mil per on a long term deal. Assuming we are talking about an 8 year deal Bratt is essentially suggesting that the year after next he will be a $9 mil plus player on a seven year deal. I am sort of skeptical he gets Tkachuk money but it's a bit of a guess about the cap increase. I do think the Fiala deal and Kyrou deals are both reasonable comparables and if the cap does go up I can see why the ask is what it is.

It's not that complicated and at this point you'd think both sides have a decent idea of what the other side wants and why and what the marketplace would bear if that's what was the driving force to arrive at a contract number. If the offer to Bratt isn't in the $8 mil per range it probably is too low.

I think at this point Bratt’s put himself above the Fiala and Kyrou comps. 8.25-8.5 seems like the “fair” range. Report was Meier’s ask will be 9. If that’s true and you do add him then maybe you get him down to 8.75 and at that point you know Bratt’s asking for the same deal.