Confirmed with Link: Devils to retain Fitz as GM, hire Ruff as coach

[JimEIV]

he's still technically in the league so he's not an official bust yet

Fair enough. I'm not sure just being in the league is the cutoff but I hear what you are saying. His ELC is over next season and we are getting closer to him not having waiver eligibility. You have a high 1st round pick in that situation it's just about a done deal. In my opinion.

I'd say as long as he is on his ELC there is hope. But what are hoping for at this point just making it?

 

[njdevils1982]

McLeod's production the AHL has actually been pretty decent. This year is likely his last chance to crack it with NJ, but with his skating and pedigree there will certainly be other teams willing to give him a shot. I can see him as one of those guys bouncing around from team to team.

the next mike sillinger!

 

[Zippy316]

I really think Devils should move on from McLeod this off-season and cash in while he still has some value. Anderson, Bastian, and Merkley have all come up and showed more than McLeod has ever shown at the NHL level.

I'd look to move him in a forward for defense swap. Another guy that's on the cusp of the NHL, but for whatever reason being injuries or prospects passing over him, he hasn't been able to make that jump. Gabriel Carlsson is one name I recall from the trade board who fits that.

 

[JimEIV]

McLeod's production the AHL has actually been pretty decent. This year is likely his last chance to crack it with NJ, but with his skating and pedigree there will certainly be other teams willing to give him a shot. I can see him as one of those guys bouncing around from team to team.

Huh? .398 ppg is decent? Call it .4 ppg that's atrocious. You might want look at those numbers again 43 points in 108 games....Quenneville was Wayne Gretzky in comparison.

 

[NJDevs26]

All right folks, let's steer this back on topic before people start thinking there are no threads to actually discuss the front office hires.

 

[JrFischer54]

We entered the 2016 draft with the #11 pick. Michael McLeod was the 12th overall pick from the 2016 draft

The puck was #11th.

But let's not get away from the real point... McLeod fits the definition of a "bust" probably better than anyone we've drafted in the last 5 years.

lol i dont get how the kid is drafted 12th but the devils used the 11th pick on him? mind blown at hf logic at work.


yeah thats fine hes a bust ok. still doesn't mean zacha isn't a bigger bust at 6 sorry

 

[DevilDog]

I never realized Ruff’s been in the league in some form for 36 years and never touched the Cup. Hope we’re the team that gives him the chance...

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I really think Devils should move on from McLeod this off-season and cash in while he still has some value. Anderson, Bastian, and Merkley have all come up and showed more than McLeod has ever shown at the NHL level.

I'd look to move him in a forward for defense swap. Another guy that's on the cusp of the NHL, but for whatever reason being injuries or prospects passing over him, he hasn't been able to make that jump. Gabriel Carlsson is one name I recall from the trade board who fits that.

Jake Bean, Urho Vaakanainen .

Maybe send him to Edmonton to play with his brother for Jesse Puljujärvi

 

[AfroThunder396]

Huh? .398 ppg is decent? Call it .4 ppg that's atrocious. You might want look at those numbers again 43 points in 108 games....Quenneville was Wayne Gretzky in comparison.

Not sure where you're getting your numbers from but McLeod has 57 points in 108 AHL games, a PPG of 0.52 Michael McLeod Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Compare with Adam Henrique - 59 pts in 92 games (0.53 PPG) and David Clarkson - 72 points in 123 games (0.58 PPG).

 

[Billdo]

Thanks for reminding me about this. Severson regressed super hard under Hynes. He's a guy i'm looking foward to under a different coach. Severson was actually playing quite well until Hynes came along, and then there's the WC where he looked like a completely different player.

His play picked up after Hynes was gone too IIRC.

 

[NJDevs26]

Thanks for reminding me about this. Severson regressed super hard under Hynes. He's a guy i'm looking foward to under a different coach. Severson was actually playing quite well until Hynes came along, and then there's the WC where he looked like a completely different player.

I've harped on this for a while too, as much as I've been anti-Severson at times, I've wanted to see him under another coach first before kicking him out the door. Even under Nas, early returns were positive.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Wait the Rangers hired Ruff to run their defense? I didn't realize that and it makes zero sense.

 

[JimEIV]

Not sure where you're getting your numbers from but McLeod has 57 points in 108 AHL games, a PPG of 0.52 Michael McLeod Hockey Stats and Profile at hockeydb.com

Compare with Adam Henrique - 59 pts in 92 games (0.53 PPG) and David Clarkson - 72 points in 123 games (0.58 PPG).

My mistake..I was looking at his assist...and confused that column for points.

A half point a game is still really bad going on draft year +4

Comparing Adam Henrique's numbers is a bit of trickery though. Henrique played in AHL during the lockout with lots of other NHL players in 2013. His real numbers 51 points in 76 games. Which is .67 points per game before he became a full time NHL player.

 

[Triumph]

My mistake..I was looking at his assist...and confused that column for points.

A half point a game is still really bad going on draft year +4

Comparing Adam Henrique's numbers is a bit of trickery though. Henrique played in AHL during the lockout with lots of other NHL players in 2013. His real numbers 51 points in 76 games. Which is .67 points per game before he became a full time NHL player.

Yeah, throw out the numbers Henrique put up in the AHL a season after being a Calder Finalist - they don't count for some reason.

 

[Maine Fan]

I think we will be able a good idea of he what he's trying to accomplish pretty quickly. At by the time the next season starts. We are going to see the types of players and style he is looking for and that should give us some idea of what he's trying to achieve.... even if it's not perfect we still will have some indication.

We chose to disagree, you are expecting too much too soon. Not next season that will be a bust for the Devils, IMO.

 

[JimEIV]

Yeah, throw out the numbers Henrique put up in the AHL a season after being a Calder Finalist - they don't count for some reason.

Yeah. EXACTLY. The AHL was the NHL the first half of that year.

Take a look at this Oklahoma roster....Edmonton's affiliate that year. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, RNH, Justin Shultz....

Oklahoma City Barons 2012-13 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com

These points mean nothing too...players trying to stay in shape in case the league started.

You're not going to to put up regular AHL numbers under those circumstances. Does this really need to be explained? Plus he was a real NHL player at that point with nothing to prove.

 

[JimEIV]

We chose to disagree, you are expecting too much too soon. Not next season that will be a bust for the Devils, IMO.

I am not talking about results...I have no expectations of results.

I talking about style...you will see the types of players Fitzgerald choses to add. I think that will give us a good idea of what he's trying to build aND the direction he is looking to go.

 

[MadDevil]

Yeah, throw out the numbers Henrique put up in the AHL a season after being a Calder Finalist - they don't count for some reason.

Stats only count if they support the point he's trying to make.

 

[Triumph]

Yeah. EXACTLY. The AHL was the NHL the first half of that year.

Take a look at this Oklahoma roster....Edmonton's affiliate that year. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, RNH, Justin Shultz....

Oklahoma City Barons 2012-13 roster and scoring statistics at hockeydb.com

These points mean nothing too...players trying to stay in shape in case the league started.

You're not going to to put up regular AHL numbers under those circumstances. Does this really need to be explained? Plus he was a real NHL player at that point with nothing to prove.

'You're not going to put up regular AHL numbers under these circumstances' while citing NHL level guys who had 80s numbers. You've made your point exceptionally well. You're right - no NHL level player could possibly be expected to, say, dominate that league. And you've pointed that out by citing guys who did.

Anyway this thread should stay on track but I couldn't let that slide.

 

[glenwo2]

The sad reality is the Devils have reached Jets territory for me. Hope will only heighten the pain.

So, in that spirit...let it ride.

It can't get any worse, let's see what happens. These guys need to learn what structured hockey is and a veteran like Ruff may at least point them in the right direction.

There is so much wrong with this statement.

Devils will NEVER reach the ineptitude that the Jets have been as a franchise.

 

[glenwo2]

So if that is true,

Then he wasn't hired because he wanted too much power.

Lavi wasn't hired because he wanted too much power and money.


I can now fully understand Fitz and the owner's position better.

 

[glenwo2]

It’s almost like everyone stepped back off the ledge and realized that ruff isn’t a bad choice. As John Maclean famously once said. “Welcome to the party pal”

Or as he once said in the NHL :

 

[JrFischer54]

I never realized Ruff’s been in the league in some form for 36 years and never touched the Cup. Hope we’re the team that gives him the chance...

Burns 2.0


I will be the first to admit I don’t follow the world of coaches like apparently some on here do. From the second it was announced I was more then fine with ruff. Have young guns he will squeeze every bit of offense out of them. Hopefully bahl Smith Blackwood hold the line

 

[JrFischer54]

Or as he once said in the NHL :

lol I was so hoping someone would post mac. +1 for you

 

[Camille the Eel]

Wait the Rangers hired Ruff to run their defense? I didn't realize that and it makes zero sense.

Some of their young defensemen made tremendous strides last year. Who was the guy who scored four times against us in one game? The hallmark of Ruff’s Buffalo clubs was the D joining the rush as part of 5 man unit, maintaining good spacing, everyone filling lanes and switching positions fluidly. That was how the Rangers looked last year too. He is a vast improvement on the coaching we have had here over the past few years. It’s a step forward for sure.