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

[Jason MacIsaac]

Interested to see how this team looks against not Lindy Ruff

Ruff teams are typically Corsi strong so I still take this win as huge sign that the team might be elite at shot suppression.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

This team has Silayev coming in soon too LOL

 

[Triumph]

This is once again ignoring the fact I mentioned that Labanc has a good season with CBJ and doesn't look like an anchor to wherever he plays in the lineup. He sucks there and his NHL career is over. And you're looking at it at a Devils point of view, there's plenty of teams on the bubble who would kill for a good Labanc at the deadline.

I am not ignoring that fact, I am operating as though Labanc has a fine season for him (let's imagine something like 12 goals and 17 assists at the deadline). A 'good Labanc' is still an undesirable player to the majority of teams. You don't seem to be understanding that teams don't look for small-ish, slow-ish, soft-minute scoring, PP2 forwards at the deadline. This is the last thing that they look for.

 

[glenwo2]

The other one thing I really remember about Jagr as a devil was his faceoff goal that was like 2 seconds after someone won the faceoff (in the late game, I think).

He assisted on the one you're thinking of I believe. The one where he had Zidlicky move up and the puck went EXACTLY where he told him to go?

Lol, that was it. He had planned it out, I thought he was the goal scorer but I guess my brain forgot about zidlicky scoring it. Yeah they had a quick meetup and goal.

I remember Jagr was central in it.

You mean THIS?

 

[Cheddabombs]

This team has Silayev coming in soon too LOL

Some great depth on the backend for sure. Plus Gritsyuk hopefully coming over after this season as well to add up front

 

[Guttersniped]

Labanc went somewhere where he’s more likely to be a full time NHL player, he’s still fighting for his life to stay in the NHL.

I don’t think the Devils could guarantee him the same treatment this year. I don’t know that his AHL time wouldn’t have become extended.

After brushing away my tears, it did occur to me that if we did sign and waive Labanc then we would‘ve most likely lost him on waivers anyway.

At least by signing with Columbus he’s picking what organization he’ll actually plays for.

Maybe it’s easier to sneak guys through waivers right before the season but they probably grab him then too.

Our move should’ve been to sign Lebanc and waive MacDermid, but that’s crazy talk in Fitz’s world.

 

[Guttersniped]

Interested to see how this team looks against not Lindy Ruff

This post from the Sabres GDT is hauntingly familiar.

“Force a stretch pass”

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Just like it's prob gunna take a bit for this team to fully come together, it's gunna take me awhile to get over Hynes/Ruff ptsd. Every time they get pinned in the dzone or they trail, I get so anxious

This post from the Sabres GDT is hauntingly familiar.

View attachment 912756

“Force a stretch pass”

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LOL omg....literally describing this team from last year, both the team and the fans

 

[Cheddabombs]

This post from the Sabres GDT is hauntingly familiar.

View attachment 912756

“Force a stretch pass”

View attachment 912759

 

[Oneiro]

I think there's only upside to doing player friendly things and helping people out in small ways without too much expectation.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I'll be honest, I completely forgot about Quinn on Buffalo. I don't think I've noticed him at all for them

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Some great depth on the backend for sure. Plus Gritsyuk hopefully coming over after this season as well to add up front

This post from the Sabres GDT is hauntingly familiar.

View attachment 912756

“Force a stretch pass”

View attachment 912759

Also, not for nothing, we were probably the worst opponent for Buffalo to start against. Our players probably knew how they were going to play under Lindy because of the obvious and none of their guys are really game breakers besides Thompson really and he looks like a shell of himself out of that one great year he had in 22-23.

 

[Guttersniped]

Also, not for nothing, we were probably the worst opponent for Buffalo to start against. Our players probably knew how they were going to play under Lindy because of the obvious and none of their guys are really game breakers besides Thompson really and he looks like a shell of himself out of that one great year he had in 22-23.

Tuch’s the guy with the shocking drop off for me, because he was such an absolute stud in 2022-23 and now he’s just a solid player.

That 2022-23 Sabres team was wild, a fun powerhouse offense with a hilarious lack of interest in defense.

 

[dgibb10]

Tuch’s the guy with the shocking drop off for me, because he was such an absolute stud in 2022-23 and now he’s just a solid player.

That 2022-23 Sabres team was wild, a fun powerhouse offense with a hilarious lack of interest in defense.

14% on ice shooting% that year.

He is a guy who's always been an 11% shooter who shot 16% for 1 year.

Every other year he's shot at or below expectation. That year he shot 9 goals above expectation.

Tage also had a shooting career year in 22-23, and not in 23-24

 

[Saugus]

Posted this on twitter

Interesting dilemma once Pesce comes back.
Order of minutes on PP:
1.) Hamilton
2.) Casey

Order of minutes on PK:
1.) Kovacevic
2.) Siegenthaller
3.) Dillon
4.) Nemec

Pesce will be a fixture on PK so you may see Nemec come out.

How soon is Pesce back? We may have more injuries by then. Never know how the season will shake out.

 

[Bleedred]

This team has Silayev coming in soon too LOL

This is why I was saying a year ago that someone like Bahl was very expendable. We were simply gonna run out of locker stalls on D. And he wasn't as good/didn't have the upside of someone like Casey or Nemec or Luke. And Dougie, Siegs and Marino (not anymore) were all signed for 3 or 4 more years a piece. And we're eventually probably gonna wanna upgrade with some vets at some point, which we did and now Marino was traded out.

And that was even before the draft and Silayev.

 

[Devils731]

How soon is Pesce back? We may have more injuries by then. Never know how the season will shake out.

I think Pesce sounds like he will be healthy enough for Thursday. I don’t know if they’ll be so happy with the group of 6 so far that they don’t give him a little extra time.

 

[Bleedred]

People were making Lindy and ''I know a Ruff team when I see one'' jokes all game, both days.

But the only thing I thought was funny that stuck out to me was how the Sabres were very reminiscent in the 1st period of both games to how we were in the 1st period too many times last year lol.

 

[Bleedred]

Today's game might have been our best game last year or at least a tie for it.

One that comes to mind was also against Buffalo, around Thanksgiving of last year, where we won like 6-2 and outshot them like 40-12.

Our first two games last year were extremely mediocre. We beat Detroit in the opener, while looking lifeless all night and were outshot considerably. I'm pretty sure it was even one of Vitek's 3 or 4 best games of last year.

And then the second game was a gross shootout loss to terrible Arizona. I think that game really raised some red flags for people. I believe those two games were on back to back nights. I can't even remember game 3 of last year without looking it up.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Leafs game will be interesting. Toronto is at Montreal the night before so they are at a disadvantage with that. Hopefully the boys get back home and back in the groove in time for that game

Judging by Nico's twitter video after the game, the Devils are going to get plastered in Prague tonight and fly back tomorrow, let's hope they don't go too hard

 

[Emperoreddy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1842596641217663120

 

[SJinNewJersey]

Trying not to get too high as it's only 2 games against the same team. But I have to say, they really look like a different team out there. Definitely more physical and supporting each other.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Trying not to get too high as it's only 2 games against the same team. But I have to say, they really look like a different team out there. Definitely more physical and supporting each other.

I definitely saw some really basic stuff like support, clears, not trying to solely exist off the rush, that we never ever saw last year

 

[youryeah]

“Force a stretch pass”

 

[Emperoreddy]

This post from the Sabres GDT is hauntingly familiar.

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“Force a stretch pass”

View attachment 912759

This weekend really seems to have driven home how much if a problem Ruff was. Obviously wasn't the only issue, but seems the correct decision was made.