Line Combos: Guess the 22-23 Opening Night Lineup

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Alright we’re almost a full day into the Devils’ offseason. I wanna see everyone’s best guess as to what next season’s opening night roster looks like. Be as outlandish or conservative as you like. I’ll bump this periodically after the draft, free agency, any trades, etc to see if anyone’s hit the mark. No prizes other than the admiration and respect of your peers. No rules other than…uh….if I think of any i’ll let you know. I will not be going first.

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[Eggtimer]

Shara Hughes Tkachuk
Bratt Nico Mercer
Nichushkin Boqvist Marchment
Bastian Motte Wood
Zetterlund
Holtz
Mcleod

Graves Hamilton
Seigenthaler Severson
Okhotiuk Lybushkin/ Gudbransen / Manson
Bahl
Walsh
??
My 6 year old daughter
Smith

Hellebuyck
Blackwood

I really really like Nukes game and hope like hell we go after him very hard if the Avs cannot resign him .
Same as Tyler Motte. I know he is not a sexy addition but he is an amazing bottom 6 player that is fast , gives it 100% every single shift, can PP , is good defensively , blocks shots, does whatever it takes to win, good on face offs . He is exactly what we need as a 4th line C tht can slot up a line if there is an injury.

Tkachuk is a massive pipe dream but there is a chance the Flames cannot sign him .He would be a perfect fit in our top 6 .
The third line needs an overhaul. I’m not even sure where to out Boqvist as I’d rather have a better defensively minded C there but his recent play warrants a roster spot.

No one will like this move but we get Hellebuyck with our 1sr rounder this year. Fitz goes overboard and makes sure we have a true #1 goalie.

Absolutely do not want Tatar Johnson and Zacha on the roster . Same as Smith. I know it’s early to cast off Smith but even if he improves drastically , there is no spot for him on the blue line with what his play style is and what we need to have on D .

 

[Guttersniped]

Shara Hughes Tkachuk
Bratt Nico Mercer
Nicushkin Boqvist Marchment
Bastian Motte Wood
Zetterlund
Holtz
Mcleod

Graves Hamilton
Seigenthaler Severson
Okhotiuk Lybushkin
Bahl
Walsh
??
My 6 year old daughter
Smith

Hellebuyck
Blackwood

I really really like Nukes game and hope like hell we go after him very hard if the Avs cannot resign him .
Same as Tyler Motte. I know he is not a sexy addition but he is an amazing bottom 6 player that is fast , gives it 100% every single shift, can PP , is good defensively , blocks shots, does whatever it takes to win, good on face offs . He is exactly what we need as a 4th line C tht can slot up a line if there is an injury.

Tkachuk is a massive pipe dream but there is a chance the Flames cannot sign him .He would be a perfect fit in our top 6 .
The third line needs an overhaul. I’m not even sure where to out Boqvist as I’d rather have a better defensively minded C there but his recent play warrants a roster spot.

Motte doesn’t play much center and he very rarely takes face-offs so he can’t replace McLeod. The FO% is negligible if a guy takes very few of them and even Bastian has taken more face-offs than him.

Not sure he’s actually good at them either. Motte has only been over 50% this season, with a total of 19 FO taken in 58 GP. He’s a career 37.1% (with 151 FO in 269 GP).

 

[Eggtimer]

Motte doesn’t play much center and he very rarely takes face-offs so he can’t replace McLeod. The FO% is negligible if a guy takes very few of them and even Bastian has taken more face-offs than him.

Not sure he’s actually good at them either. Motte has only been over 50% this season, with a total of 19 FO taken in 58 GP. He’s a career 37.1% (with 151 FO in 269 GP).

Shit . Didn’t think Motte wasn’t used at C often . I just liked his game and when I looked up what handed he shot , it listed him as a C and seen the FO% . Ok scratch that idea

 

[My3Sons]

Shit . Didn’t think Motte wasn’t used at C often . I just liked his game and when I looked up what handed he shot , it listed him as a C and seen the FO% . Ok scratch that idea

No reason your six year old can’t be the 4C over McLeod. If she can beat out Smith I like her chances as a bottom six forward considering some of what NJ has run out there this past season.

 

[NJDfan86]

Shara Hughes Tkachuk
Bratt Nico Mercer
Nichushkin Boqvist Marchment
Bastian Motte Wood
Zetterlund
Holtz
Mcleod

Graves Hamilton
Seigenthaler Severson
Okhotiuk Lybushkin/ Gudbransen / Manson
Bahl
Walsh
??
My 6 year old daughter
Smith

Hellebuyck
Blackwood

I really really like Nukes game and hope like hell we go after him very hard if the Avs cannot resign him .
Same as Tyler Motte. I know he is not a sexy addition but he is an amazing bottom 6 player that is fast , gives it 100% every single shift, can PP , is good defensively , blocks shots, does whatever it takes to win, good on face offs . He is exactly what we need as a 4th line C tht can slot up a line if there is an injury.

Tkachuk is a massive pipe dream but there is a chance the Flames cannot sign him .He would be a perfect fit in our top 6 .
The third line needs an overhaul. I’m not even sure where to out Boqvist as I’d rather have a better defensively minded C there but his recent play warrants a roster spot.

No one will like this move but we get Hellebuyck with our 1sr rounder this year. Fitz goes overboard and makes sure we have a true #1 goalie.

Absolutely do not want Tatar Johnson and Zacha on the roster . Same as Smith. I know it’s early to cast off Smith but even if he improves drastically , there is no spot for him on the blue line with what his play style is and what we need to have on D .

Are they getting rid of the Salary Cap this off-season?

 

[Eggtimer]

Are they getting rid of the Salary Cap this off-season?

Minus Zacha Tatar Johnson’s Smiths cap hit and Subbans contract it would be close

Wow . Tough room . It’s an exercise for fun to slap a lineup out there . I didn’t realize I was getting interviewed and tested for a GM job . Lol
Those are just ideas of what I’d like to see . No way most if it can possibly happen but I’d like one or more if those moves to be made . Just an idea of the type of players I’d like to see . Replace soft , defensively inept guys for heavier players that are better defensive
If you want a more realistic roster , replace Tkachuk and Hellebuyck with ?? Holtz and .. Husso ? Keumper ?

 

[NJDfan86]

Minus Zacha Tatar Johnson’s cap hit and Subbans contract it would be close .
Wow . Tough room . It’s an exercise for fun to slap a lineup out there . I didn’t realize I was getting interviewed and tested for a GM job . Lol

Just busting chops, we all cope in our own ways lol.

 

[Goptor]

Bratt - Hughes - Sharangovich
Zacha - Wright - Holtz
Johnson - Mercer - Tatar
Bastian - Boqvist - Wood
Foote - McLeod - Zetterlund
Hischier

Graves - Hamilton
Siegenthaler - Severson
Bahl - Smith

Daws
Schmid

IR: Blackwood, Bernier, Fleury, Kuemper

 

[nugg]

Sharangovich Hughes Mercer
Bratt Hischier Holtz
Nichushkin Boqvist Zetterlund
Wood McLeod Bastian

Graves Hamilton
Seigenthaler Severson
Okhotiuk Bahl

Kuemper
Blackwood

Smith, Zacha, Johnsson, Tatar traded for picks/prospects.

 

[Guttersniped]

Bratt - Hughes - Sharangovich
Zacha - Wright - Holtz
Johnson - Mercer - Tatar
Bastian - Boqvist - Wood
Foote - McLeod - Zetterlund
Hischier

Graves - Hamilton
Siegenthaler - Severson
Bahl - Smith

Daws
Schmid

IR: Blackwood, Bernier, Fleury, Kuemper

The six goalies is what makes this a masterpiece.

 

[DerekDevils30]

Sharangovich-Hughes-Mercer
Niederreiter-Hischier-Bratt
Tatar-Boqvist-Zetterlund
Wood-McLeod-Bastian

Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Graves-Severson
Okhotyuk-Cole

Husso
Blackwood

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Zacha McLeod Bastian
Sharangovich Hughes Mercer
Tatar Hischier Geersten
Bratt/Johnsson Boqvist Holtz
Boucher Greer Zetterlund

Might be generous to pencil Nico in as our 3C alongside a player with such talented grit in Geersten.
He may play at more of a 4C level next season. Hopefully he can stay in the lineup.
4th line is pretty Swede but super small.

Chara Oleksiak
Graves Hamilton
Bahl Jaros
White Severson/Jacobs

I think we need to and will add some more height to our d group. And we need to bring Jaros back obviously. That was a huge loss and likely a turning point in our season.

Brodeur (Anthony)
Crawford
Bernier

Anthony is only 26 and with a strong 19-20 season with the university of Ottawa I’m thinking he should be ready to play in the big leagues. If not it’s on his dad to fill in. Or we give some like Dallas Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood a chance. They’re a playoff team and he seems like he could be a real solid goalie for us if we can work something out to get him.

 

[glenwo2]

Alright we’re almost a full day into the Devils’ offseason. I wanna see everyone’s best guess as to what next season’s opening night roster looks like. Be as outlandish or conservative as you like. I’ll bump this periodically after the draft, free agency, any trades, etc to see if anyone’s hit the mark. No prizes other than the admiration and respect of your peers. No rules other than…uh….if I think of any i’ll let you know. I will not be going first.

Jagr - Gretzky - Bobby Orr

 

[Eggtimer]

Sharangovich Hughes Mercer
Bratt Hischier Holtz
Nichushkin Boqvist Zetterlund
Wood McLeod Bastian

Graves Hamilton
Seigenthaler Severson
Okhotiuk Bahl

Kuemper
Blackwood

Smith, Zacha, Johnsson, Tatar traded for picks/prospects.

The best and yet very realistic roster i have seen . Nice !! only thing is having two lefties on the third pair D. Maybe they can sign a RHD like Manson Lybushkin Gudbransen ?

Post automatically merged: Apr 30, 2022

Jagr - Gretzky - Bobby Orr

Needs more Elias

 

[nugg]

The best and yet very realistic roster i have seen . Nice !! only thing is having two lefties on the third pair D. Maybe they can sign a RHD like Manson Lybushkin Gudbransen ?

Post automatically merged: Apr 30, 2022

Needs more Elias

That's kind of the problem. A plethora of lefties, and a dearth of righties.

 

[Alex NJD]

Have no clue what the bottom 6 wings will look like aside from Bastian 4RW. I would like to imagine all of Johnsson Tatar and Zacha are gone, but I doubt we can move both of Johnsson/Tatar. They all may have scored at 3rd line rates, but guys who provide secondary scoring and literally nothing else are not part of a winning formula. I guess Zacha sometimes killed penalties

 

[devilsblood]

Shara Hughes Mercer
Zacha Nico Bratt
Tatar Boq Zetterlund
Wood McLeod Bastian

Graves Hamiltion
Siegs Sevs
Smith Lovejoy*

Blackwood
????

*Lovejoy type, ie veteran, defense first, good pk'r.

I really don't know the goalie market but I think we bring another guy into the mix. Attack the situation with numbers.

 

[FinnishDevil]

Sharangovich - Hughes - Mercer
Niederreiter - Hischier - Bratt
Tatar - Boqvist - Zetterlund
Wood - McLeod - Bastian

Graves - Hamilton
Siegenthaler - Severson
Bahl - Smith

Husso
Blackwood

Not a huge fan of this but tried to be as realistic as possible.

 

[My3Sons]

Shara Hughes Mercer
Zacha Nico Bratt
Tatar Boq Zetterlund
Wood McLeod Bastian

Graves Hamiltion
Siegs Sevs
Smith Lovejoy*

Blackwood
????

*Lovejoy type, ie veteran, defense first, good pk'r.

I really don't know the goalie market but I think we bring another guy into the mix. Attack the situation with numbers.

I tend to sgree but would probably put Lovejoy on the first pairing. Maybe the first line also. They can double shift him.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Forsberg - Hughes - Mercer
Sharangovich - Hischier - Bratt
Tatar - Boqvist - Zetterlund
Wood - McLeod - Bastian

Siegenthaler - Hamilton
Bahl - Severson
Graves - Okhotyuk

Husso
Bernier

Time to take a stab... don't ask me how who gets where or what the cap hits are, ain't nobody got time for that. All I know is there's no way Fitz moves on from all of Zacha, Tatar, and Johnsson, as much as we'd all love to see that. And I think he's gonna feel the pressure to make some kind of splash that gets people excited, which is where Forsberg comes in.

 

[My3Sons]

I’m struggling to see NJ making a big signing this offseason beyond a goalie. They would have to find teams to take Johnsson Tatar and Zacha to free up the cap to afford another big hit beyond Bratt as I see it. They will still have Bernier’s cap hit to lug around next season and who knows what they are looking at with Blackwood. My guess is a team would take him for a mid round pick but I’m not sure that is what NJ should be doing unless they have a good plan B lined up. I do expect them to spend on another goalie but I think that will eat up most of the free cap to sign someone good.

 

[DerekDevils30]

Sharangovich - Hughes - Mercer
Niederreiter - Hischier - Bratt
Tatar - Boqvist - Zetterlund
Wood - McLeod - Bastian

Graves - Hamilton
Siegenthaler - Severson
Bahl - Smith

Husso
Blackwood

Not a huge fan of this but tried to be as realistic as possible.

We have the exact same forward group and goalies. Nice

 

[FinnishDevil]

We have the exact same forward group and goalies. Nice

I'm not a huge fan of it, but it is what it is. I dont see us going for a big name forward like Tkachuk or Forsberg. Maybe biggest name could be Rust.

I personally would like some insurance 3C option instead of just handing it to Boqvist. Cause if Boq cant handle it, then we have Mercer at 3C again and have another hole on top 6 wing and hoping someone like Tatar or Z could jump up.

Could also see any of Blackwood, Smith, Tatar etc gone but more realistic option is that all 3 are back next year.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

I'm not a huge fan of it, but it is what it is. I dont see us going for a big name forward like Tkachuk or Forsberg. Maybe biggest name could be Rust.

I personally would like some insurance 3C option instead of just handing it to Boqvist. Cause if Boq cant handle it, then we have Mercer at 3C again and have another hole on top 6 wing and hoping someone like Tatar or Z could jump up.

Could also see any of Blackwood, Smith, Tatar etc gone but more realistic option is that all 3 are back next year.

I think the wing spots are the least of our worries. There's already too many players to fill around the obvious centers and there's still a chance someone like Holtz or Thompson goes ham in the offseason and forces their way onto the lineup. I think it's a bonus that Mercer can move to 3C if Boqvist can't replicate his last few months over a full season. Gotta use these guys while they're cheap, and better to get a read on Boqvist sooner rather than later. I agree the bottom 6 needs a revamp though. I have no idea who'd be a good fit at 4C but the team needs an upgrade over McLeod, and I doubt they let Boq fill that role unless he suddenly becomes a two-way monster who wins faceoffs.

I don't think Forsberg would be a smart add per se, but I do think Fitzgerald is under some pressure to get people excited about next season; someone new that convinces both the fans and his bosses that this next season will be different. Could be Boeser/Garland, a UFA like Nichushkin or Forsberg, or maybe something truly nuts like a bank-breaking trade for Laine. The whole reason I thought about making this thread because it feels like half the roster could be different next season or we could start the year with basically the same lineup as this past season.