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

[devilsblood]

If Kovacevic plays this well all season he may be priced out of NJ with or without Hamilton returning as I see it. He will be a big right shot top pair defender under 30. He has not had much success prior to now and he really needs to milk this season for every nickel he can get. If that's with San Jose or Detroit or whatever struggling team will overpay a bit for him in UFA he really has to go that route. I'd be happy to keep him with NJ but they shouldn't overpay for him with Nemec and Casey to consider as well.

He's been undervalued his entire career thus far. He'll get a raise. But I doubt he get's a big contract.

Isn’t a huge part of ‘franchise value’ tied up in the Prudential Center itself? Obviously their non-hockey show business continues to increase.

I’d get a little more wrapped up in that if increasing franchise value = winning, exhibit A of it not doing so is the Cowboys


Inflation is one thing but going to a sports event is often inflation times two or three, and not just for food and drink (parking and merch as well).

From a long time Devils fan perspective though, it is nice to have a team that is doing well financially.

 

[Deviled]

If Kovacevic continues this level of play (or even just half of it) then you seriously have to consider moving Hamilton's contracr earlier than expected, right?

 

[Satans Hockey]

Merch and tickets are among the cheapest in the NHL for any non-southern team. Concessions seem directly in line with the rest of the league, anecdotally. I've been places where they're cheaper (last year I was baffled at how cheap Stars concessions were, but I needed to take out a second mortgage to buy a burger and a soft drink where the Panthers play.

And they are all too high. The entire league for the most part is too expensive, the secondary market shows the tickets aren't even remotely worth the value for a lot of teams in the league.

Nobody can justify a $7 bottle of water.

Seeing what the Premier League in England charges their fans ticket wise really makes you see how badly we are getting screwed over here in terms of it not being affordable for a lot of people. Even a team like Arsenal who doesn't have to offers discounts for anyone and could still sell out offers different discounts based on your age.

Going out to a game should be a remotely affordable thing for people of the community. Even more so when these absolutely disgustingly rich billionaires don't even pay for their own stadiums.

 

[Bleedred]

If Kovacevic continues this level of play (or even just half of it) then you seriously have to consider moving Hamilton's contracr earlier than expected, right?

No. Not really.

Kovacevic is probably gonna just be a one year stop gap if I had to guess. I doubt we’ll give him any significant contract.

 

[TrufleShufle]

We all just going to ignore Mercer seemingly getting back to form?

 

[njdevil26]

I paid $24.99 for a High Noon at a preseason game. Last year I would usually get one drink... cranberry/orange/vodka. It would come in one of those small plastic cocktail cups and be $22.

The food is terrible and overpriced.

Ticket prices aren't bad... but if the team is good it'll cost $150 just to get in the building come March.

Someone who would know did tell me that the team is trying to crack down on/get rid of all the drinking and gathering on Edison Pl in between the bars and the arena on game days.

I am not sure 100% why... but my guess would be to encourage people to come inside to spend their money. That's a shame because it's a great atmosphere out there.

We all just going to ignore Mercer seemingly getting back to form?

That whole line is great.

Nico- 10g 5a 15p +7

Timo- 5g 7a 12p +8

Mercer- 3g 4a 7p +10

 

[Deviled]

No. Not really.

Kovacevic is probably gonna just be a one year stop gap if I had to guess. I doubt we’ll give him any significant contract.

If he can play a steady game defensively and provide snarl on our bottom-pair for the foreseeable future, why wouldnt we sign him to play behind Pesce and Nemec? Doesnt have to be longterm, but seems foolish to let him go instead of a 9million dollar defenseman whos game is based in offense we may not need

 

[Cheddabombs]

We all just going to ignore Mercer seemingly getting back to form?

Yes

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

We should not even consider trading Kovy at this point.

Hamilton is the guy that should be moved the moment his NTC expires.

Nemec should untouchable unless traded for an equally promising young scoring forward (like a Logan Cooley).

Seamus Casey will be a devil until we retire #24 in the rafters. Anyone that suggests trading him is getting sent to the gulags.

 

[Cheddabombs]

We should not even consider trading Kovy at this point.

Hamilton is the guy that should be moved the moment his NTC expires.

Nemec should untouchable unless traded for an equally promising young scoring forward (like a Logan Cooley).

Seamus Casey will be a devil until we retire #24 in the rafters. Anyone that suggests trading him is getting sent to the gulags.

I am a Seamus believer as well but if they didn't retire 37 for Zacha then there's a very slim chance they'll retire 24 for Casey.

 

[Deviled]

We should not even consider trading Kovy at this point.

Hamilton is the guy that should be moved the moment his NTC expires.

Nemec should untouchable unless traded for an equally promising young scoring forward (like a Logan Cooley).

Seamus Casey will be a devil until we retire #24 in the rafters. Anyone that suggests trading him is getting sent to the gulags.

He has a NMC until this offseason where that is joined by a M-NTC (10-team trade list). Would be tough to move him...

unless you somehow convince him to waive his NMC this season?

Lol but I agree we should look to moving him in the summer if we can, along with buying-out Palat

 

[My3Sons]

We should not even consider trading Kovy at this point.

Hamilton is the guy that should be moved the moment his NTC expires.

Nemec should untouchable unless traded for an equally promising young scoring forward (like a Logan Cooley).

Seamus Casey will be a devil until we retire #24 in the rafters. Anyone that suggests trading him is getting sent to the gulags.

Casey might have to go to Montreal as part of the package for Anderson. It's a steep price but you have to give to get.

 

[Triumph]

No reason not to try but it really does become a numbers game for roster spots and Cap space.

Hughes, Nemec, Pesce, Siegenthaler, Hamilton, Dillon are all under contract or team control for next year. Cant pay Kovacevic much more than league minimum. If he has a full season of playing like a low points defensive defencemen, I always find those guys to be underrated and worth filling out a roster with, so I would love to figure out a way to keep him. I think that involves the much talked about moving of Hamilton or a higher end prospect.

Yeah, I'd like to try to keep Kovacevic because he's had a completely unremarkable career up to this point but he is looking like a special player. If they offer him something like the Siegenthaler deal and he accepted it, that would be excellent. He might, too, given that he's never made more than the league minimum.

I'm all on board for moving Hamilton for whatever in the offseason - pick up 25% of his deal and ship him somewhere. It's a shame, I like Hamilton, but his is just the easiest contract to move.

 

[Ripshot 43]

With the amount of injuries we’ve seen the past few years which included 2 top 4 defensemen till just recently, I have no current interest in taking away from our defensive depth.

 

[dzubrus8]

I admittedly haven’t read every comment in last nights GDT but I’m ashamed there’s no discussion of the devils biggest meme doing meme things — the straw that stirs the drink was stirring the drink!

https://x.com/i/web/status/1851835390535041327

 

[MadDevil]

We all just going to ignore Mercer seemingly getting back to form?

Mean old Fitz really pissed him off with all that sandbagging last year.

 

[devilsblood]

Are we all just going to ignore Mercer seemingly getting back to form?

I've liked the look of his game from the start. I guess that is mostly due to his skating, as I've thought he's looked quick and very active, especially on the fore check.

For him, like most players, I think if the skating is there, everything else will fall into place.

 

[R8Devs]

With the way Utica is looking forward wise I think it'd be fine to keep Nemec up even if he's not playing for the time-being. It's his fourth head coach if you count Dineen in the past two seasons as 19/20 year old so I think whatever practice time and extra work he gets with the coaches in the NHL could be more beneficial than Utica. Now if they go 15-20 or so games without playing him then I'd have a different tune about it but with the condensed schedule, opportunities to go 11-7, and possible injuries he could get in before it goes that long without a game. They found a way to get Macdermid in which made them effectively go 11-6 so I'm sure they could find a way for Nemec to get in.

 

[glenwo2]

I admittedly haven’t read every comment in last nights GDT but I’m ashamed there’s no discussion of the devils biggest meme doing meme things — the straw that stirs the drink was stirring the drink!

https://x.com/i/web/status/1851835390535041327

I think Nico was asked about that in the locker room...

 

[MasterofGrond]

Mercer is an anti-contract year guy. We've made a terrible mistake by only signing him for 3 years. Means the year after next he's gonna be dogshit again. We need to go out and extend him the offseason after next to ensure he can continue to operate at maximum efficiency.

 

[MartyOwns]

tedenby himself could put up points next to nico right now. i'm glad mercer's getting on the sheet but i'm not quite ready to, how you say, give him a peruvian snowblower.

 

[42]

Why is Dougie playing 15 minutes a game? Isn't he supposed to be #1D?

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Pesce appreciation post. Averaging 22 mins in his last 3 games back (led d-men in TOI in 2 of those games) and has been such a steadying presence next to Luke. Hope he keeps it up.

 

[Deviled]

With the amount of injuries we’ve seen the past few years which included 2 top 4 defensemen till just recently, I have no current interest in taking away from our defensive depth.

I can agree with this sentiment. Only difference in how I feel is having Dougie at nine million playing the least of our right-handed defenseman

Removing him after this season (or by some miracle during) would free up a bounty's worth of cap space, and we have 2-3 defenseman who can play the bottom pairing; including our 20yo second overall pick

I love Dougie for coming here the way he did and being a great fixture in our lineup, and especially the locker room; but times have very quickly changed and its a business at the end of the day

 

[Xirik]

Hischier so proud of his favorite costume he wore.