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

[glenwo2]

If the cap rises to $95-97M next year - we can probably sign Luke to a long-term deal, not have to buy out Palat, and still be able to add a top 6 dish forward I'd think.

Gordon Ramsey approves this post.

 

[Guttersniped]

I mean in a vacuum sure Marchessault is better than Tatar but considering context it's a no brainer to me and I'd much rather not have Marchessault. Tatar's also gone under appreciated this year because his offense has dried up. The guy is still a great playdriver and one of the best on the team. Away from the 2 bums he's up 7-3 in goals with a 59% CF, 57% xG, 61% SCF, 56% HDCF. He needs to be moved back up the lineup. For 1.8 mil he's still a valuable piece and better than being saddled to Marchessault.

Marchessault got a 5 year/5.5m deal that ends when he’s 38. Signing him would make me want to blow my brains out lol.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Noesen is exactly what we needed, Tatar is providing good transition and D play

We just need two bottom 6 upgrades and I will be happy with the forward group

 

[NJDevs26]

This Preds team makes me think of the 2023 Mets. Just YOLO’d during the offseason and hope it works out.

Or the 2023–24 New York Jets

 

[dgibb10]

If the cap rises to $95-97M next year - we can probably sign Luke to a long-term deal, not have to buy out Palat, and still be able to add a top 6 dish forward I'd think.

If we add a top 6 forward with term longer than 1-2 years I'd be worried/concerned.

NJD has a somewhat difficult picture right up until Nico needs a new deal. If you can get to the new nico deal+ mercer without sacrificing too much elsewhere it's pretty much smooth sailing until Jack Bratt and Meier all need new deals.

Gonna go look through a picture (keep in mind big cap=pricier players)

Also with a big cap increase I'd look at it as an opportunity to move off of Palat and maybe even Hamilton cheaper/getting assets back. Will be very easy to dump salary this offseason if the cap skyrockets like that.

 

[dgibb10]

This is next year with 96 mill (estimating 1 mill bonus overages so I inputted 95).

only major deal is 8.6x8 for luke

In order to bring in a top 6 UFA you'd need to ship out palat. But also with grits coming in I don't even see a space for a top 6 guy. I'd go pricier on 4C (maybe one that could become even a 3C down the line like evans) and use this extra 2.5 mill to save for deadline/bonus overages/maybe improve the depth.

Eg maybe 1.3 mill 13th forward like a lorentz type, and then if you can a Colin Miller type 7D for 2 mill ish. That would leave us about hopefully 750k to pay nemec ELC bonuses and gritysuk (idk how much he'll get in bonuses

 

[dgibb10]

Here would be the year after with a 103 mill cap

so 96 --> 103

8 mill to find a goalie tandem. And I have no idea what that market looks like but NJD needs to find a longer term answer beyond Markstrom.

Idk how realiztic those Haula/Cotter/Arseni contracts are, tough to estimate how they'll play. Worst case with me underestimating them, you potentially ship out Dillon as a 7D, maybe if you've kept Kovacevic at 2.5-3 mill previously. (although in that case you have likely shipped out palat a year earlier and replaced him with a different depth forward).

Also possibility of Lenni as an example being ready as an ELC middle 6 wing to save costs.

Your primary trade asset for a younger 3C maybe on an ELC would be Casey here.


Lots of ways to go here, but conclusion is, should be fine as long as palat gone, maybe dillon gone, probably don't need hamilton gone.

With a smaller cap eg 93 mill and 99 mill, you need to ship palat this offseason, and almost certainly dillon.

Maybe you play hardball with nemec on a bridge/6 year ish deal, or maybe he hasn't earned 7.5 yet.

 

[dgibb10]

And then from that this is the new nico and dawson contract years (generous estimation of 110 mill).

If the cap does stick at a 5% increase every year however, then we'll have to ship out hamilton.(would be at 102) instead of 110.

 

[Goptor]

The Devils will have an extra $8mil to spend on UFA but so will the rest of the league. We saw what happened with Nashville grabbing all the forwards the Devils were looking at and that was with only a $5m increase.

McLeod trial will be done by then. He may come back if he is acquitted.

 

[dgibb10]

The Devils will have an extra $8mil to spend on UFA but so will the rest of the league. We saw what happened with Nashville grabbing all the forwards the Devils were looking at and that was with only a $5m increase.

McLeod trial will be done by then. He may come back if he is acquitted.

Yep. NJD should stay out of the UFA market outside of a 4C.

Prices might get ugly, thankfully fitz basically has a full roster for next year locked up outside of line 4.

Evans, Suter, Dowd, Sturm, Eller, Howden, Steel, Lewis, Gourde, Frederic, Kerfoot, Bjustad, Lorentz, Cousins, Faksa, is quite the crop of UFA bottom 6 Cs.

Compared to last year when it was what?

Wennberg, Steel, Lewis, Cousins, Lorentz, Henrique, Trenin, Lafferty, Stenlund, Blueger, Carrick? who am I missing that made it to UFA?

Good to buy a UFA 4C this year.

Obviously some will extend, like Backlund and Dickinson last year.

 

[JimEIV]

The Devils will have an extra $8mil to spend on UFA but so will the rest of the league. We saw what happened with Nashville grabbing all the forwards the Devils were looking at and that was with only a $5m increase.

McLeod trial will be done by then. He may come back if he is acquitted.

Nice hand grenade roll.

 

[MB3]

Yeah, this is just wrong. Tatar is not a poor defender, he is on the right side of the puck so often and is a fantastic support player, even though yes, his puck skills and skating have eroded and he can't beat defenders 1 on 1 anymore. He's being asked to carry two non-NHL players right now, and he's doing an okay job of that - god knows what that 4th line would look like with one of the Utica guys on it instead of him.

What you have said here is that Tatar is a European player and that you know he's from Europe and that he's old.

I’m not sure what being european has to do with anything, what an odd follow up point to make.

I’ve never said anything about replacing him with “one of the Utica guys”, our forward depth is garbage and there’s no argument from me. The entire 4th line gives me heartburn. But there’s an enormous gap between “One of the best play drivers on the team” and “not as good as Dowling”.

 

[Billdo]

McLeod trial will be done by then. He may come back if he is acquitted.

Surely you're not serious...

 

[Whaddagoal]

We not going to have a dickheads, as per Fitz. Let's not go there please!

 

[TrufleShufle]

Nice hand grenade roll.

Like Gordan Ramsey complimenting someone else's beef wellington. Big honor.

 

[Maine Fan]

Like Gordan Ramsey complimenting someone else's beef wellington. Big honor.

Is this humor?

 

[TrufleShufle]

Is this humor?

I guess not.

 

[Triumph]

I’m not sure what being european has to do with anything, what an odd follow up point to make.

I’ve never said anything about replacing him with “one of the Utica guys”, our forward depth is garbage and there’s no argument from me. The entire 4th line gives me heartburn. But there’s an enormous gap between “One of the best play drivers on the team” and “not as good as Dowling”.

There's no way this point would be made about a North American player in the same situation. You think he's Petr Sykora or something, he is not, he's always been really good defensively and still is. He's still used to close out games sometimes.

He is still one of the best play drivers on the team. Where he's 'driving play' is keeping the 4th line from being a 30% territorial line and instead making them closer to 40%.

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

AND we have Nemec and Casey knocking on the door. If we want one of those guys in the lineup next year someone has to go.

Dougie as the oldest guy of the group, and also the one making the most money, makes him an easy mark.

Sounds like Joe Schoen and that kind of logic has done wonders for the Giants.

I frequently criticize the contract Dougie has since he's not a true #1 defenseman ( aka Hedman, Josi, Pietrangelo or some of the others in that class).

But if the Devils organization values him at that rate and then moves him because of his contract that sends a message to both your own locker room and any potential free agents that you're going to nickel and dime players when it comes to salaries.

 

[Devils731]

Sounds like Joe Schoen and that kind of logic has done wonders for the Giants.

I frequently criticize the contract Dougie has since he's not a true #1 defenseman ( aka Hedman, Josi, Pietrangelo or some of the others in that class).

But if the Devils organization values him at that rate and then moves him because of his contract that sends a message to both your own locker room and any potential free agents that you're going to nickel and dime players when it comes to salaries.

I do think it’s important to view players moves in the context on how that will affect future contract negotiations and player goodwill.

In the case of Hamilton, I don’t think moving him in the next year or two would be viewed as the Devils having been unfair to Hamilton. It’s a business and players will be able to see that the Devils ended up hopefully developing a lot of other great defensive talent that they couldn’t have been sure or aware of when signing Hamilton. I don’t think other players would be wary of signing with the Devils due to moving Hamilton at this point.

 

[devilsblood]

Sounds like Joe Schoen and that kind of logic has done wonders for the Giants.

I frequently criticize the contract Dougie has since he's not a true #1 defenseman ( aka Hedman, Josi, Pietrangelo or some of the others in that class).

But if the Devils organization values him at that rate and then moves him because of his contract that sends a message to both your own locker room and any potential free agents that you're going to nickel and dime players when it comes to salaries.

If Hamilton is moved in the same offseason that Luke Hughes is given an 8 year $8mil deal and Kova get's a big raise, then none of the players think it's about nickel and diming.

Guys are traded for contract reason around the league every year, it's the business, players get it.

They definitely get it when #2oa drafted players are waiting in the wings to replace such players.

 

[devilsblood]

CNBC is going to have a piece coming up this morning on NHL team valuations.

I

 

[JimEIV]

I guess not.

I laughed and thoroughly enjoyed the analogy.

 

[devilsblood]

There's no way this point would be made about a North American player in the same situation. You think he's Petr Sykora or something, he is not, he's always been really good defensively and still is. He's still used to close out games sometimes.

He is still one of the best play drivers on the team. Where he's 'driving play' is keeping the 4th line from being a 30% territorial line and instead making them closer to 40%.

Jack Hughes kind of fits the bill. Obviously not old, or on the 4th line. But a soft skilled player? People say it.

 

[Devs3cups]

Pretty cool lol