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

[Capt Nico Poo]

Wandering into the team discussion thread at 1am Tuesday morning after 5 beers... to find our we talk about Speers. Blake ... Speers?

What year is this? Did the Hall for Larsson trade really just happen? Why is Brodeur playing for the Blues? Am i going crazy?

 

[NjDevsRR]

How does what happen, a prospect not work out? He didn’t work out.

We probably shouldn’t have kept him for the in the NHL in 2016-17.

It was more due to a lack of bodies than him doing anything in particular to make that seem like a good idea.

He broke his wrist in his first game back in the OHL, so the start of 2016–17 wasn’t great for him.

He blew out his Achilles in Arizona at some point.

Speers had his flaws like every later pick. He was very productive in juniors but on a stacked team.

Here’s the All About the Jersey’s pre-draft page about him

The profile mentions a lot about his weight being a problem and him needing to bulk up and get stronger.

He didn’t really get stronger while with us and injuries didn’t help.

This is Dobber Prospects on him

View attachment 658893
View attachment 658894

One part of AABTJ also mentions work ethics.

Shit went sideways for him in 2018-19, apparently he was very mopey in Bing. They shipped him out partly to give him a new start.

The AABTJ AHL guy basically called him a locker room cancer near the end.

Here’s Dobber on his shitty last season with us:
View attachment 658908

People were excited about him on this board because he was a talked about faller on this board. I don’t know if the team made some special big deal about him.

Smaller skill guys taken later in the draft are very boom or bust, and generally do the later.

He’s not that interesting of busted prospect other than I guess it’s surprising he never scored much even in lower leagues.

I don’t even know how he’s associated with Shero much, he was hired on May 5th and the draft was June 26-27.

This was from a Pens Fansided article about Pittsburgh possibly trading Beau Bennett

View attachment 658916

View attachment 658918

 

[GeNeXt]

I assume we’re taking extra bodies on this Western trip? If Meier can’t play, and with Zetterlund gone, I feel we can be kind of hamstrung for Friday’s game if we are in the market to make other deals. Especially if a forward gets moved out at Friday’s deadline/ anyone gets banged up in Wednesday nights game. 7D is an option I guess, and Brendan Smith has played LW before.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

How does what happen, a prospect not work out? He didn’t work out.

We probably shouldn’t have kept him for the in the NHL in 2016-17.

It was more due to a lack of bodies than him doing anything in particular to make that seem like a good idea.

He broke his wrist in his first game back in the OHL, so the start of 2016–17 wasn’t great for him.

He blew out his Achilles in Arizona at some point.

Speers had his flaws like every later pick. He was very productive in juniors but on a stacked team.

Here’s the All About the Jersey’s pre-draft page about him

The profile mentions a lot about his weight being a problem and him needing to bulk up and get stronger.

He didn’t really get stronger while with us and injuries didn’t help.

This is Dobber Prospects on him

View attachment 658893
View attachment 658894

One part of AABTJ also mentions work ethics.

Shit went sideways for him in 2018-19, apparently he was very mopey in Bing. They shipped him out partly to give him a new start.

The AABTJ AHL guy basically called him a locker room cancer near the end.

Here’s Dobber on his shitty last season with us:
View attachment 658907

People were excited about him on this board because he was a talked about faller on this board. I don’t know if the team made some special big deal about him.

Smaller skill guys taken later in the draft are very boom or bust, and generally do the later.

He’s not that interesting of busted prospect other than I guess it’s surprising he never scored much even in lower leagues.

I don’t even know how he’s associated with Shero much, he was hired on May 5th and the draft was June 26-27.

This was from a Pens Fansided article about Pittsburgh possibly trading Beau Bennett

View attachment 658916

View attachment 658918

I know that prospects don’t turn out lots. But it’s pretty crazy to get in NHL games at 19 and then never get another one again until 6 years later on a half AHL team. I get how it happened but it’s still interesting.

 

[Clam Jensen]

This has to be the happiest break between games in years, right? Massive 7-0 spanking of the Phlyers, trade for Timo…mama Mia.

 

[glenwo2]

Okay this is precisely what he said apparently.

So if we go by this, a contract (it seems) was agreed upon and they're just working out the details....

(hopefullly)

 

[Hisch13r]

This has to be the happiest break between games in years, right? Massive 7-0 spanking of the Phlyers, trade for Timo…mama Mia.

Also the ASG break was probably the most relieving. Probably would've melted down with playing like shit for a while and then losing back to back games with one of them being one of the worst games of the year.

Okay this is precisely what he said apparently.

So if we go by this, a contract (it seems) was agreed upon and they're just working out the details....

(hopefullly)

Fitz always sounds positive on a Bratt deal. I'm never going to think it's imminent until I'm told it's actually imminent.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Fitz always sounds positive on a Bratt deal. I'm never going to think it's imminent until I'm told it's actually imminent.

Think he has the added pressure now with Timo that'll get it done relatively soon.

 

[Hisch13r]

Think he has the added pressure now with Timo that'll get it done relatively soon.

Saying they're talking now does ease my concern that Bratt would wait until the Timo one is done but I still think that would make more logical sense given how Bratt's camp is

 

[Saugus]

This has to be the happiest break between games in years, right? Massive 7-0 spanking of the Phlyers, trade for Timo…mama Mia.

But also one of the breaks with the most built up anticipation and excitement.

If Meier doesn't play on Wednesday I'll understand, but be a bit disappointed.

Ideally, I'd love to see him slot in, fit like a well-oiled gear in our Swiss watch, and we trounce the defending Cup champs in a laugher.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

But also one of the breaks with the most built up anticipation and excitement.

If Meier doesn't play on Wednesday I'll understand, but be a bit disappointed.

Ideally, I'd love to see him slot in, fit like a well-oiled gear in our Swiss watch, and we trounce the defending Cup champs in a laugher.

Playing the Avs without Timo would be a bit of a bummer but I'm still pretty excited for that game with how the Avs have been playing lately.

 

[Hisch13r]

But also one of the breaks with the most built up anticipation and excitement.

If Meier doesn't play on Wednesday I'll understand, but be a bit disappointed.

Ideally, I'd love to see him slot in, fit like a well-oiled gear in our Swiss watch, and we trounce the defending Cup champs in a laugher.

I don't think he'll be in. Friday against Vegas seems to make sense and throwing a former Shark against the Knights who were the runners up is fun

 

[Clam Jensen]

But also one of the breaks with the most built up anticipation and excitement.

If Meier doesn't play on Wednesday I'll understand, but be a bit disappointed.

Ideally, I'd love to see him slot in, fit like a well-oiled gear in our Swiss watch, and we trounce the defending Cup champs in a laugher.

That would be ideal. Where do you think he slots in? I think you put him with Jack and Bratt, because although Timo and Jack are volume shooters, Nicos line is humming right now.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

That would be ideal. Where do you think he slots in? I think you put him with Jack and Bratt, because although Timo and Jack are volume shooters, Nicos line is humming right now.

Bratt-Jack-Meier
Tatar-Hischier-Mercer

 

[TBF1972]

Between Hughes, Nico, Bratt, Meier, Mercer, Palat, Holtz and Sharangovich the top 6 should be set for the next 5+ years. To go along with a defense that has Hamilton, Marino, Siegenthaler, Hughes and Nemec and the top 4 defense being set, the Devils are in amazing shape where the only thing they should have to worry about improving for quite awhile is depth and maybe goaltending down the line.

the roster could use another good faceoff center, who can slide up into the top6. both mercer and hughes have a long way to go there, in case hischier misses substantial time.

 

[Hisch13r]

Bratt-Jack-Meier
Tatar-Hischier-Mercer

Yeah even as the biggest advocate of keeping Jack and Meier apart I do this to start. Nico line slows down and I flip Meier and Mercer.

 

[TBF1972]

He's an rockstar GM, I don't want to hear any shit from this fanbase going forward. Every issue this team has had is virtually solved.

it's not. goaltender spot is still shaky and the devils are a vanecek injury away rotating two prospects.

i don't fault fitz. you need a voodoo master to solve this riddle.

 

[Saugus]

Yeah even as the biggest advocate of keeping Jack and Meier apart I do this to start. Nico line slows down and I flip Meier and Mercer.

Based on their xGF%, Bratt-Hughes and (somewhat surprisingly) Tatar-Hischier are the forward pairs that need to be kept together. Mercer has been hot with the Hischier line so leave him there for now, and put Meier with Hughes. If either line slows down, swap the two.

But our top 6 is basically set now, barring injuries or Tatar or Mercer's game falling off a cliff.

 

[Hisch13r]

it's not. goaltender spot is still shaky and the devils are a vanecek injury away rotating two prospects.

i don't fault fitz. you need a voodoo master to solve this riddle.

Devils are 12th in goals against above expected. If you're judging goaltending on whether or not you are safe if your starter goes down there's at most like 5 teams who don't have shaky goaltending.

Based on their xGF%, Bratt-Hughes and (somewhat surprisingly) Tatar-Hischier are the forward pairs that need to be kept together. Mercer has been hot with the Hischier line so leave him there for now, and put Meier with Hughes. If either line slows down, swap the two.

But our top 6 is basically set now, barring injuries or Tatar or Mercer's game falling off a cliff.

Tatar-Nico were great together last year IIRC

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

it's not. goaltender spot is still shaky and the devils are a vanecek injury away rotating two prospects.

i don't fault fitz. you need a voodoo master to solve this riddle.

I think every Devils fan who saw what happened in 2021-2022 can't say our goaltending is shaky with the fact that Vanecek has been at .910+ the entire year.

 

[Hisch13r]

I think every Devils fan who saw what happened in 2021-2022 can't say our goaltending is shaky with the fact that Vanecek has been at .910+ the entire year.

Here's our 5 game rolling average for goals against above expected. Outside of the rough few weeks in December we've been in the green (generally well into the green) since November started

 

[bigd]

Pretty sure Fitzy doesn't qualify him this summer.

I would think they would try to get something for him at the draft, maybe a bag pf pucks?

 

[Saugus]

I think every Devils fan who saw what happened in 2021-2022 can't say our goaltending is shaky with the fact that Vanecek has been at .910+ the entire year.

And the fact that we've only started (IIRC) 3 goalies all year (Vanecek, Blackwood, Schmid), compared to the absolute clown car full of random dudes we were rolling out into the crease last year.

This might be as stable as our goaltending gets folks, so get used to it.

 

[bigd]

The way it looks now, the East is a beast. Every playoff round will be an uphill battle.

 

[TBF1972]

I think every Devils fan who saw what happened in 2021-2022 can't say our goaltending is shaky with the fact that Vanecek has been at .910+ the entire year.

it's not vanecek. it's the lack of organizational depth.

vanecek has no history of sustaining his current performance. there are extremly few goalies, who are dependable year to year. demko is a perfect example for a guy looking great one season and the very next like a dud. devils have first hand experiences with blackwood and his injuries and inconsistencies.

to be a contender you better have two vanecek's or a vasilevsky.