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

[Captain3rdLine]

Sorry but even though he’s significantly better than MacDermid or Dowlimg he’s making 2.3M. Too much. Need to find a couple of bottom of lineup/depth guys who can play half decently or at least keep up at or close to minimum.

 

[My3Sons]

Sorry but even though he’s significantly better than MacDermid or Dowlimg he’s making 2.3M. Too much. Need to find a couple of bottom of lineup/depth guys who can play half decently or at least keep up at or close to minimum.

Send Bastian and Lazar to Boston if need be.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Send Bastian and Lazar to Boston if need be.

What? They’re hurt

 

[My3Sons]

What? They’re hurt

Exactly

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Exactly

I genuinely can’t tell if you’re serious lol.

 

[devilsblood]

3 game goal drought for Hischier. I'd like to see him and Meier get on the scoresheet tonight as they have had a quiet last 2 games. I think the Luke/Pesce pairing is do for something as well. We just can't take the Sharks lightly tonight because they have been playing a bit better the last 5 games or so. Gotts watch out for Celebrini , he is off to a good start his first few games. The hype from Bedard really pulled away attention from him all of last year.

I put the offensive emphasis more on Meier. His stat line is OK, but he has not been the impact player he's paid to be.

6 points in 6 games for Mercer.

Edit: Though he was held pointless against Montreal and Calgary.

Would like to see him keep it up.

That goal last night was such a Mercer goal. He has that knack to put excellent sog's in the dirty area's.

 

[My3Sons]

I genuinely can’t tell if you’re serious lol.

I’m just being silly to respond to the idea that NJ would need to send out 2 mil in cap and what better way than dumping two injured guys who make that.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I put the offensive emphasis more on Meier. His stat line is OK, but he has not been the impact player he's paid to be.


That goal last night was such a Mercer goal. He has that knack to put excellent sog's in the dirty area's.

????

He is 4th among our forwards in xG% and CF%

I think Meier has been just as we'd hoped so far this year

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Ya no complaints about Meier this year. Think he looks pretty close to the player we traded for

 

[devilsblood]

????

He is 4th among our forwards in xG% and CF%

I think Meier has been just as we'd hoped so far this year

Below 8 shots/60 5v5. By far his career worst. Last year a hobbled Meier was a tick below 10. He's typically double digits.

His ixG rate is a career low. iCF rate career low. iSCF rate career low. Takeaway rate is a career low.

His last 8 games he is averaging 5 shots/60. Zero assists 5v5. So a volume shooter who isn't shooting and zero assists.

I dunno, I'm looking for a bit more then this.

 

[Billdo]

Meier isn't near the top of the concerns. Our fourth line, Hamilton, and in net are the top of the list for me. Macdermid needs to not be regular.

 

[devilsblood]

Ya no complaints about Meier this year. Think he looks pretty close to the player we traded for

See above. Especially his last 8 games. We need him pushing the puck up ice and getting shots on net. That is not happening. He's playing like a complementary 3rd line winger. One who doesn't even generate offense for others.

 

[My3Sons]

Meier isn't near the top of the concerns. Our fourth line, Hamilton, and in net are the top of the list for me. Macdermid needs to not be regular.

Hamilton is creating offense again

 

[Billdo]

Hamilton is creating offense again

Which is great, don't get me wrong, but defensively he's a trainwreck. As long as the offense outweighs the ineptitude defensively I'm fine. I just desperately want them to address the fourth line.

 

[devilsfan950003]

Think the Pesce love hasn’t been enough.

He has been completely brilliant defensively and the perfect anchor for Luke.

Love what he brings, always so smart and poised defensively

He's solid at preventing zone entries. Better than I knew coming over from Carolina.

 

[My3Sons]

See above. Especially his last 8 games. We need him pushing the puck up ice and getting shots on net. That is not happening. He's playing like a complementary 3rd line winger. One who doesn't even generate offense for others.

Really? A third line winger? The jokes write themselves.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Ya no complaints about Meier this year. Think he looks pretty close to the player we traded for

Only wish he was a little more dominating at times. He still seems like he has more to give. The last quarter of last season he was really strong/bullish with the puck. Hope we see even more of that.

 

[devilsfan950003]

Sorry but even though he’s significantly better than MacDermid or Dowlimg he’s making 2.3M. Too much. Need to find a couple of bottom of lineup/depth guys who can play half decently or at least keep up at or close to minimum.

Without a trade, what internal options exist? Sit MacDermid, bring up whom? Foote and Willman? Center ? We need more from this fourth line.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Without a trade, what internal options exist? Sit MacDermid, bring up whom? Foote and Willman? Center ? We need more from this fourth line.

As I said in my post before that one. Our depth is terrible and we need a couple players. Dowling and MacDermid aren’t NHL calibre players and Tatar is a top 9 fill in not a 4th liner. Our internal options aren’t good especially at center but I’d still give Bowers or someone a chance.

But trading for a bottom oh the lineup guy with that cap hit would be completely counter productive and limiting. Unless we think he’s actually a solid middle 6 forward and is gonna push someone else down.

 

[devilsfan950003]

As I said in my post before that one. Our depth is terrible and we need a couple players. Dowling and MacDermid aren’t NHL calibre players and Tatar is a top 9 fill in not a 4th liner. Our internal options aren’t good especially at center but I’d still give Bowers or someone a chance.

But trading for a bottom oh the lineup guy with that cap hit would be completely counter productive and limiting. Unless we think he’s actually a solid middle 6 forward and is gonna push someone else down.

Bowers could be a center option. He's playing wing in Utica but has played center for devils before. Has speed and some size. Just not much in hands. Like to try Foote on that line.

 

[Billdo]

Without a trade, what internal options exist? Sit MacDermid, bring up whom? Foote and Willman? Center ? We need more from this fourth line.

I'd bring Foote up. MacDermid is a below average hockey player. He can't skate, he can't do anything other than fight which we hardly ever need aside from a handful of games. Foote, as mediocre as he is, is light years better than MacDermid and he seems to be fully healthy.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Bowers could be a center option. He's playing wing in Utica but has played center for devils before. Has speed and some size. Just not much in hands. Like to try Foote on that line.

Foote sucks and I don’t think he’ll bring much. Should be better than MacDermid tho but I’d rather Bowers for that speed and size you mentioned.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

I would bring up Bowers or Willman personally. Or Beckman if we think he’ll provide something but I don’t know much about him.

But

Willman(Beckman) Bowers Tatar

Brings a lot more than our current 4th line. Some speed there at least.

 

[Triumph]

I seriously refuse to entertain the idea that switching Dowling for Bowers means anything at all. Even switching out Willman for MacDermid probably isn't that meaningful - Willman was ridiculously underwater last season and his most common linemates were Lazar, Tierney, Holtz, Haula, Bastian, and he had a 27% on-ice xG last season. No, there isn't a ringer in there like Tatar, but that's still really bad.

 

[devilsblood]

But trading for a bottom oh the lineup guy with that cap hit would be completely counter productive and limiting. Unless we think he’s actually a solid middle 6 forward and is gonna push someone else down.

If we think he can help the team, and we can fit him in under the cap, I don't care about his cap hit, he's a UFA at years end.

He doesn't take a whole lot of faceoffs though, and he's not very good when he does take them. Is he a true center? I'm guessing no.