Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - season begins!

[Billdo]

Keefe has been a god send. Hot take, I know.

He's really been fantastic.

 

[Triumph]

Jack had that moment in his sophomore year lol. Also Kovy never actually had that moment. He turned into a great PKer. He still sucked defensively at 5v5.

Kovalchuk ended up bad 5v5 because he didn't know how to force turnovers (or even alterations in play) as F1 on the forecheck. The Devils did get him to stop being entirely stationary in the d zone and he would actually cover an area and stuff, so he improved defensively by eye test, but yeah, he never quite figured out the game without the puck.

Jack has always been good at forcing turnovers and reading plays, this season he's just stopped cheating as much for offense and I think lately he's making fewer desperate offensive plays that often result in transition chances against.

 

[SansaStark]

The fact that Keefe said "I was concerned about it to be honest" is everything I need to hear to know that this guy gets it. Will he bring us glory, who knows. But the fact that he had that concern, prior to even meeting Jack (presumptively) means he knew that's what it was going to take to bring the team to the next level. And the concern wasn't just with the team, not the bottom 6, not other individual players, he knew that THIS player was the one that had to change. And that is really encouraging insight into Sheldon's thinking process. Very encouraged.

 

[My3Sons]

The fact that Keefe said "I was concerned about it to be honest" is everything I need to hear to know that this guy gets it. Will he bring us glory, who knows. But the fact that he had that concern, prior to even meeting Jack (presumptively) means he knew that's what it was going to take to bring the team to the next level. And the concern wasn't just with the team, not the bottom 6, not other individual players, he knew that THIS player was the one that had to change. And that is really encouraging insight into Sheldon's thinking process. Very encouraged.

According to 32 Thoughts podcast Keefe is always intense. Maybe Jack will respond to that?

 

[jkrdevil]

A lot of a Jack poor defensive play last year was playing injured and trying to protect himself. He wasn’t the same after the spill in St. Louis.

That said giving a player responsibility and making them rise to the occasion is good coaching.

 

[JimEIV]

I had never seen this before and just stumbled upon it on YouTube... relatively short and I thought I should share it.



Edit: oh no age restricted?

It is Troy Crowder's commentary/analysis on his 3 fights with Bob Probert

 

[Devs3cups]

Really wonder what the plan is with Nemec.

 

[Eggtimers]

ask Ottawa about that Boucher kid they picked

Or Boston with their 3 consecutive 1st round picks they had that they whiffed on all of them in the 2015 draft . ( minus maybe DeBrusk) players like - Aho , Barzal , Connor, Chabot , Hintz ,Boeser , Konecny , all went after their picks….. Imagine if they took Aho , Barzal and Hintz instead of Zboril , Senyshyn , DeBrusk …. .
I know it’s easy to pick on their mistakes in hindsight , but they did go off the board and reached with the picks. I’d be pissed about that draft I was a Bruins fan .

 

[njdevils1982]

I had never seen this before and just stumbled upon it on YouTube... relatively short and I thought I should share it.



Edit: oh no age restricted?

It is Troy Crowder's commentary/analysis on his 3 fights with Bob Probert

ya wont open so i watched this instead

 

[Emperoreddy]

The 2016 draft simply doesn't bother me. Biggest reason being we left that draft with one of the best players available in Bratt. He is a top 10 pick in any redraft and you can make an argument for top 5.

As for our actual 1st round pick that year. From a purely on ice perspective, he did not live up to a top 15 billing but he did develop into a useful, everyday NHL player and was seeming to be developing into an actual good player based on those 2023 playoffs and his play before shit hit the fan.

Off ice, massive scum bag, but that's hard to hindsight.

Unfortunately the exact type of player we could really use on the roster right now.

 

[NJDevs26]

Mike Eruzione introduced me to Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri not the other way around.

Key part of that equation though is they were literal amateurs and college kids. I’m sure Olympic ratings are pretty decent when the All Stars play in North America but these tournaments just can’t move the needle on an overall sense like an actual David and Goliath Cold War script could. They certainly don’t get the Olympic coverage that figure skating does.

 

[NJDevs26]

I don't think the increased ratings for Olympic hockey really translate into more interest for the NHL in the United States, but it's fun to watch and we get the same regular season regardless. This is contingent on the Olympics being in a reasonable time zone - the NHL should not stop its season to go to Beijing or Tokyo or whatever.

I get that but to me that’s another thing that makes it even more stupid. At least the NBA Dream team consistently goes to every Olympics while the NHL constantly finagles around where the games are. And yes I realize the fact the Winter Olympics are during the NHL season isn’t the league’s fault but that also makes it worse. The NBA doesn’t have to stop it’s season and compress it’s schedule to send the Dream Team

 

[JimEIV]

Key part of that equation though is they were literal amateurs and college kids. I’m sure Olympic ratings are pretty decent when the All Stars play in North America but these tournaments just can’t move the needle on an overall sense like an actual David and Goliath Cold War script could. They certainly don’t get the Olympic coverage that figure skating does.

I don't disagree and obviously nothing will ever reach the magnitude of 1980...but I seem to remember the gold medal games of Canada and USA in 2002 Salt Lake City and 2010 Vancouver being huge.

The US took second both times so probably not as remembered so fondly but I remember both of those Olympics gold medal games being a big deal....both being in North America added to the hype also.

And the Sochi shootout was a really big deal too. My wife loves Oshie for that game.

 

[Bad Goalie]

Chaste Stillman has 2 points in 15 games and is a -7 for Utica. He has to be one of our worst 1st round picks ever along with guys like John Quenneville and Stefan Matteau.

"I second that emotion" (It's Smokey).

 

[Bad Goalie]

Definitely could never be duplicated.

But that doesn't lessen the fact that everyone loves to watch and celebrate big global competitions.

It's fun. And people who never give a second thought to certain events/sports become interested. I mean they made a damn movie about Eddie the Eagle and Jamaican bobsledding.

"Definitely could never be duplicated."

My parents and Hockey roommates from College all traveled from different parts of the state during a brutal cold snap during which the temperature day and night never got above zero. They joined my wife and i for the weekend in US hockey history. We were all crammed into in our small 2nd floor apartment wearing heavy winter clothes and huddling under blankets watching the win over Russsia. I still get goosebumps every time I here a recording of Al Michaels screaming "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"

However it wasn't over. They still had to defeat Finland the next day. We were all once again crowded around our small TV the next day biting our nails as they trailed. They came back and won it. It was 2 moments permanently implanted in my memory bank.

The landlord and his wife were burning their new fireplace. Thus, the heat they controlled was turned down because it got too hot for them. They later said they thought we had gone crazy upstairs. They weren't hockey fans. We got the point across about the heat later on Sunday after the gold medal game. We were freezing our asses off upstairs. The adrenaline from the hockey games and the great warmth of friends and family kept us warm that weekend until they turned up the heat.

I also remember watching another equally great moment in US hockey history that's been forgotten. That would be an Olympic Hockey gold medal 20 years earlier. The 1960 USA team won their 1st hockey gold with Canada finishing 2nd and the Russians 3rd. I was just a kid, but I watched that team on pins and needles. We spent most of our childhood in the neighborhood playing the Russians in street hockey during the day and under the security lights of the casket company parking lot at night.

Those are the only 2 Olympic gold medal the US has ever won and I watched every minute of all their games as they won their through all of them. (Well, they did tie Sweden in 1980, but who talks about that now?)

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Chaste Stillman has 2 points in 15 games and is a -7 for Utica. He has to be one of our worst 1st round picks ever along with guys like John Quenneville and Stefan Matteau.

Could've had Knies (would be the perfect winger for Jack/Bratt btw) or Stankoven in the top 6, I still think that's Fitz's biggest f*** up as GM and I rail on the Palat contract whenever I can. That pick should've been higher too if Jarry didn't totally melt down, could've had Wallstedt to ease our future goaltending tensions too or maybe he already would've been starting for us with this rock of a team in front of him

 

[TheBeerNerd]

Keefe has been a god send. Hot take, I know.

He managed to make Toronto a good defensive team with a blue line held together by Morgan Rielly and duct tape, and I was thrilled to see what he could do with a real D crew. Turns out, a hell of a lot. Fitz was right to wait until the first round of the playoffs to make a coaching decision.

As for our actual 1st round pick that year. From a purely on ice perspective, he did not live up to a top 15 billing but he did develop into a useful, everyday NHL player and was seeming to be developing into an actual good player based on those 2023 playoffs and his play before shit hit the fan.

Off ice, massive scum bag, but that's hard to hindsight.

Unfortunately the exact type of player we could really use on the roster right now.

Let’s get “eye for an eye” up in here. Bring him back, but he needs to become a eunuch.

 

[JimEIV]

"Definitely could never be duplicated."

My parents and Hockey roommates from College all traveled from different parts of the state during a brutal cold snap during which the temperature day and night never got above zero. They joined my wife and i for the weekend in US hockey history. We were all crammed into in our small 2nd floor apartment wearing heavy winter clothes and huddling under blankets watching the win over Russsia. I still get goosebumps every time I here a recording of Al Michaels screaming "Do you believe in miracles? Yes!"

However it wasn't over. They still had to defeat Finland the next day. We were all once again crowded around our small TV the next day biting our nails as they trailed. They came back and won it. It was 2 moments permanently implanted in my memory bank.

The landlord and his wife were burning their new fireplace. Thus, the heat they controlled was turned down because it got too hot for them. They later said they thought we had gone crazy upstairs. They weren't hockey fans. We got the point across about the heat later on Sunday after the gold medal game. We were freezing our asses off upstairs. The adrenaline from the hockey games and the great warmth of friends and family kept us warm that weekend until they turned up the heat.

I also remember watching another equally great moment in US hockey history that's been forgotten. That would be an Olympic Hockey gold medal 20 years earlier. The 1960 USA team won their 1st hockey gold with Canada finishing 2nd and the Russians 3rd. I was just a kid, but I watched that team on pins and needles. We spent most of our childhood in the neighborhood playing the Russians in street hockey during the day and under the security lights of the casket company parking lot at night.

Those are the only 2 Olympic gold medal the US has ever won and I watched every minute of all their games as they won their through all of them. (Well, they did tie Sweden in 1980, but who talks about that now?)

Wow you saw the Squaw Valley Olympics? That's awesome.
That was a decade before I was born

I don't think I've seen much of the 60 team. I'm going to have to look and see if I can find something video on YouTube.

 

[NjDevsRR]

 

[JimEIV]

I found this with Doc!

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]