Confirmed with Link: (G) J. Markstrom (30% retention) traded to NJ for (D) Kevin Bahl, 2025 1st rd pick (Top 10 protected)

[SteveCangialosi123]

These are the D’s playing in the Cup:

There is quite a bit of mid there, and some worse than mid.

We need like one guy and then it’s fine. Keefe has a ton to work with already.

 

[Guttersniped]

Is this girl math?

“Girl math” can’t be worse than some of your made up hockey stats.

 

[Forge]

Martinez is declining but still averaged like 19 minutes last year, should be more of a Plan C at his age. Cole I don't want to touch with the allegations against him a few years ago, even if investigation found nothing it just seems like a bad look after the McLeod stuff.

Hadn't considered that on Cole

These are the D’s playing in the Cup:

View attachment 884489
View attachment 884490

There is quite a bit of mid there, and some worse than mid.

We need like one guy and then it’s fine. Keefe has a ton to work with already.

All I'm taking from this is that we should sign Kulikov and trade for Ceci

 

[devilsblood]

Yeah, but Toffoli is gone next year. McLeod is gone.

Are you trying to say last year's team was just fine before we traded for Allen?

We didn't go out and get Jake Allen just for 2024-2025, yeah we were sellers but basically our team was reasonably intact at the time if the trade.

I didn't think Toffoli was the difference maker in our own zone right before he got dealt.

Aside from injuries and goalies? Yeah, fine in the sense that we probably would have made the playoffs.

We had some warts, but we were never able to work through them because of the goal tending and because of the injuries.

 

[Xirik]

That was quick, didn't realize Markstrom talked to the press already

sounds like Markstrom is a Brodeur fanboy and his idol. really wants to talk more with him.

 

[billingtons ghost]

The Panthers are proving, once again, that physicality means nothing if you're a bad/below average hockey player. You need to be good while also providing that side of that game. We've seen way more bad with Bahl than good to assume he'll be a better player in the long run. He screams third pair journeyman in this league

Idk man. You could be right. I just think our whole D was playing in roles that made them look bad. You look at Kulikov playing well for the Panthers and I think Bahl could have been fine in that role as cheap reliable third pair journeyman. If Markstrom is turning 30 or 32 I do the deal in a heartbeat. Maybe 34 year old goaltenders stay healthy and not drop off.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Siegenthaler is undefeated

…the challenger…

 

[tailfins]

reverend provorov can f*** right off

Don't want anything to do with Provorov

I generally feel the same way. Everything about his resonse gave me the willies, but I still think there's some gray with Provorov.

Anyway, my point was more what type of D Fitz looks for.

I think Fitz is building for at least the second round if not deeper in the playoffs. For that, I think he needs to look for someone who is more than a bottom pair guy.

Replacing Bahl with Hatakka and Smith with Martinez (or Dillon, etc.) isn't sufficient IMO.

 

[devilsblood]

Dillon

It's such an easy call.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803497463053164552

Apparently Fitz upped the pressure. I assume in response to the latest media push from Calgary.

Let the battle for #25 begin! Foote better have good debating skills.

 

[Alex NJD]

These are the D’s playing in the Cup:

View attachment 884489
View attachment 884490

There is quite a bit of mid there, and some worse than mid.

We need like one guy and then it’s fine. Keefe has a ton to work with already.

Yup, mentioned this a couple times. Having a solid system in place, getting the entire team to buy in, solid contribution from the forward core, and dominating possession in general, all seem to help big time in overcoming potential deficits in talent among your dmen

 

[StevenToddIves]

These are the D’s playing in the Cup:

View attachment 884489
View attachment 884490

There is quite a bit of mid there, and some worse than mid.

We need like one guy and then it’s fine. Keefe has a ton to work with already.

That Florida blueline is really good. The Edmonton blueline maybe just average, but they also have McDavid, Draisaitl and the best top 6 in the NHL.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Idk man. You could be right. I just think our whole D was playing in roles that made them look bad. You look at Kulikov playing well for the Panthers and I think Bahl could have been fine in that role as cheap reliable third pair journeyman. If Markstrom is turning 30 or 32 I do the deal in a heartbeat. Maybe 34 year old goaltenders stay healthy and not drop off.

I get the hesitancy of buying this team's physicality but it won't get better by just the sake of plugging in mid players into the lineup. A guy like Nygaard does more for this team's makeup than a defender with snarl does imo. The backend could be softer than baby shit if the guys like Timo and say they do wind up getting MBN at 10 on the forward side. Even Mercer has that chippy game that we can grow and hopefully back to 22/23 levels.

 

[billingtons ghost]

These are the D’s playing in the Cup:

View attachment 884489
View attachment 884490

There is quite a bit of mid there, and some worse than mid.

We need like one guy and then it’s fine. Keefe has a ton to work with already.

I'm not sure where you're seeing mid. The Panthers are stacked with experienced talented defensemen. Certainly they are discounted bc of age and the original blue chip expectations and history following guys like OEL along, but that is really a terrific team make up. They all have facets that make them difficult to play against and a forward corp that doesn't expose their flaws. They are strong around the net, block shots, don't allow second chances.

It's the synergy in the pairs that makes them tough.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Really feel like some of you are just permanently on the ledge lol

Some of us have been here long enough that we're conditioned to be this way and have PTSD. It takes years of deprogramming to shake a decade of being constantly jump scared.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

That Florida blueline is really good. The Edmonton blueline maybe just average, but they also have McDavid, Draisaitl and the best top 6 in the NHL.

Florida plays superb team defense. But Montour is basically an all offense no D rover. Mikkola is possibly no better than Bahl. Kulikov is a mediocre bottom pairing D and OEL was viewed as washed not long ago but has done well in soft minutes this year.

 

[Louskoolaid89]

I'm telling you guys Holtz has 9 lives on this team, every single time I think he's gone he stays.

Just have to feed him and rub his belly every once in a while. A little Catnip helps too.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Florida plays superb team defense. But Montour is basically an all offense no D rover. Mikkola is possibly no better than Bahl. Kulikov is a mediocre bottom pairing D and OEL was viewed as washed not long ago but has done well in soft minutes this year.

Montour is getting a GM fired soon, he's going to be bad outside of Florida when he walks in the summer imo

 

[Devils Army]

The Cats have an identity of physical swarming play. They're d core outside of Gus Forsling isn't that great. But they're way more physical than us at every point of the ice.

 

[Guadana]

I swear it's been so long since the Devils have been a consistent winner people forgot just how irrelevant draft picks are to win-now teams. Hell Lou still kept a lot of late firsts when he was here that were clunkers anyway.

Dallas built tonns from Johnston and Stankoven, Lundell is very important part of Florida, Holloway is important part of Oilers team.

Relevant if management and scouting are good.

 

[JK3]

First Erika, now this, yuck.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I'm not sure where you're seeing mid. The Panthers are stacked with experienced talented defensemen. Certainly they are discounted bc of age and the original blue chip expectations and history following guys like OEL along, but that is really a terrific team make up. They all have facets that make them difficult to play against and a forward corp that doesn't expose their flaws. They are strong around the net, block shots, don't allow second chances.

It's the synergy in the pairs that makes them tough.

The D group is really not very impressive to me. But Forsling is now one of the very best players in the whole league out of nowhere — that certainly helps things.

 

[Saugus]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803497463053164552

Apparently Fitz upped the pressure. I assume in response to the latest media push from Calgary.

Well that makes it sound like Ullmark was available and Fitz chose to go with Markstrom once Conroy agreed to his offer?

I would rather have paid this same price for Ullmark, but that probably wasn’t on offer.

 

[Guttersniped]

That was quick, didn't realize Markstrom talked to the press already

He’s preparing for Midsommar in Sweden!?!


That can’t be good.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

That Florida defense does suck individually outside of Gus Forsling but they're basically the post cap era Devils where it's the sum of the parts theory