Have the 'scary' version of the Devils arrived?

[Divine]

Devils have a handful of prospects in the 22-24 year old range in Daws, Malek and Poulter that might be able to take over in a couple of years or they resign Markstrom or make a trade. Who knows and who cares right now. At the moment, Markstrom is playing very well and he's under contract through next season as well at just a $4.125M cap hit so I'm not going to worry about his successor too much.

The teams are not that close in age, plus the Devils still have high end prospects such as Saliyev, Nemec, Casey and Gritsyuk in the pipeline.

They have high picks but that doesn't guarantee they'll turn out. Devils are already against the cap with L. Hughes and Nemec needing bigger contracts this year and next. They'll have to navigate that also it's not like everyone can turn out and they can afford to keep everyone.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

What does that have to do with the NHL, the Devils, or this thread? Great strawman.

Well you said the devils lack talent because they lost to Toronto. What does that say about Canada losing to Latvia lol?

 

[Divine]

Well you said the devils lack talent because they lost to Toronto. What does that say about Canada losing to Latvia lol?

They could probably use more talent for sure. Canada has the talent though, Bedard and Celebrini are both eligible but the WJC aren't best on best because Canada's best players are always in the NHL.

 

[HBK27]

They have high picks but that doesn't guarantee they'll turn out. Devils are already against the cap with L. Hughes and Nemec needing bigger contracts this year and next. They'll have to navigate that also it's not like everyone can turn out and they can afford to keep everyone.

Of course it doesn't guarantee anything, but it's nice to have two former top 10 picks and a pair of guys that have performed well since being drafted in the pipeline - whether its to fill in holes in the roster at a low cap hit or used in a trade.

Also a good problem to have that Luke Hughes deserves a massive contract. Cap is going up and both Palat's and Hamilton's NMC change to modified NTC's this offseason, while Haula's full NTC goes to a modified NTC. Hopefully Nemec also deserves a big raise another year and a half from now.

This is all stuff I'm not really concerned about now though - just enjoying the season and excited to see where it goes.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

They could probably use more talent for sure.

Well it's pretty clear that they can't contend for gold because of that loss, just like the devils can't contend for the cup because they lost to Toronto. Right?

Canada has the talent though, Bedard and Celebrini are both eligible but the WJC aren't best on best because Canada's best players are always in the NHL.

Isn't a little early to start with the excuses?

 

[Divine]

Well it's pretty clear that they can't contend for gold because of that loss, just like the devils can't contend for the cup because they lost to Toronto. Right?

Isn't a little early to start with the excuses?

Go post in that thread instead of derailing this one.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Go post in that thread instead of derailing this one.

I'm not derailing anything, I'm pointing out the flaw in your logic. Because of course Canada can still win gold just like New Jersey could go on a deep run.

 

[Divine]

I'm not derailing anything, I'm pointing out the flaw in your logic. Because of course Canada can still win gold just like New Jersey could go on a deep run.

Yes, sure, NJ can.

However the argument was, and always has been, that neither NJ nor Toronto has proven anything. The entire reason the Leafs even got dragged into this thread/topic is because NJ Devils posters are calling the Leafs a flawed team that Keefe couldn't fix but somehow the Devils are not despite having the same lack of success.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Yes, sure, NJ can.

However the argument was, and always has been, that neither NJ nor Toronto has proven anything. The entire reason the Leafs even got dragged into this thread/topic is because NJ Devils posters are calling the Leafs a flawed team that Keefe couldn't fix but somehow the Devils are not despite having the same lack of success.

Well yeah, the devils were in a rebuild, then they had lindy ruff as their coach. And still won half of their playoff series in the last 6 years.

Now they have an actual NHL coach, it's reasonable to expect they should be better.

 

[Divine]

Well yeah, the devils were in a rebuild, then they had lindy ruff as their coach. And still won half of their playoff series in the last 6 years.

Now they have an actual NHL coach, it's reasonable to expect they should be better.

Lindy Ruff has had more success in the NHL than Keefe though. It's strange to dismiss one while praising the other.

 

[Nocashstyle]

The Leafs of all teams just parked the bus and rope a doped New Jersey 2 weeks ago as proof of concept in the regular season. You see a matchup between NJ and a defensively committed team and this is the exact game plan you’re going to see. I’m surprised a New Jersey fan needs to be reminded of a ground and pound, park the bus in the playoffs like you missed the entire Lou era.

This is the most insane comment I’ve ever seen. Did you even watch the game?

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Lindy Ruff has had more success in the NHL than Keefe though. It's strange to dismiss one while praising the other.

It's not strange if you pay attention.

 

[dgibb10]

The Leafs of all teams just parked the bus and rope a doped New Jersey 2 weeks ago as proof of concept in the regular season. You see a matchup between NJ and a defensively committed team and this is the exact game plan you’re going to see. I’m surprised a New Jersey fan needs to be reminded of a ground and pound, park the bus in the playoffs like you missed the entire Lou era.

I wonder why more teams don't simply employ the strategy of "having the goalie bail them out".

The leafs did not "park the bus". Stolarz stood on his head.

Of course it doesn't guarantee anything, but it's nice to have two former top 10 picks and a pair of guys that have performed well since being drafted in the pipeline - whether its to fill in holes in the roster at a low cap hit or used in a trade.

Also a good problem to have that Luke Hughes deserves a massive contract. Cap is going up and both Palat's and Hamilton's NMC change to modified NTC's this offseason, while Haula's full NTC goes to a modified NTC. Hopefully Nemec also deserves a big raise another year and a half from now.

This is all stuff I'm not really concerned about now though - just enjoying the season and excited to see where it goes.

Yup. NJD only really runs into cap problems if Nemec explodes like luke did this season into a 9+ mill deal. And if that happens, we take that as that means we have another young superstar dman

 

[Divine]

I wonder why more teams don't simply employ the strategy of "having the goalie bail them out".

The leafs did not "park the bus". Stolarz stood on his head.

Matthews had 4 breakaways and a few 2 on 1’s. If Matthews wasn’t injured he probably has a hat trick that game.

Stolarz made some good saves but so did Markstrom. Not many teams give a 69 goal scorer 4 breakaways and get away with only 1 goal against from him. The luck went both ways.

 

[Divine]

It's not strange if you pay attention.

Leafs fans could say the same about Keefe. He stuck with Samsonov so long that even the opposition goalie did an interview after the season and said he was confused why they took so long to go with their better goalie.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Leafs fans could say the same about Keefe. He stuck with Samsonov so long that even the opposition goalie did an interview after the season and said he was confused why they took so long to go with their better goalie.

At least he wasn't scratching luke hughes for brendan smith....

 

[dgibb10]

Matthews had 4 breakaways and a few 2 on 1’s. If Matthews wasn’t injured he probably has a hat trick that game.

If you expect a guy to score on every single shot he takes sure.

 

[Divine]

If you expect a guy to score on every single shot he takes sure.

A breakaway by the reigning Rocket winner is a better scoring chance than the majority of the Devils chances that game… and he had 4 of them.

 

[dgibb10]

Matthews had 4 breakaways and a few 2 on 1’s. If Matthews wasn’t injured he probably has a hat trick that game.

Stolarz made some good saves but so did Markstrom. Not many teams give a 69 goal scorer 4 breakaways and get away with only 1 goal against from him. The luck went both ways.

Matthews had 3 shots in the 3 periods.

Overtime is a different ballgame which is weird to include as an area you'd expect matthews to get more than 1 goal in (physically impossible).

"Stolarz made some good saves but so did Markstrom"

One faced 17 shots (13 in regulation i believe), the other faced 39 shots. Let's be real about what happened in this game shall we?

 

[Bramskii]

This is the most insane comment I’ve ever seen. Did you even watch the game?

Sums up the brain of a Leafs fan.

 

[Divine]

Matthews had 3 shots in the 3 periods.

Overtime is a different ballgame which is weird to include as an area you'd expect matthews to get more than 1 goal in (physically impossible).

"Stolarz made some good saves but so did Markstrom"

One faced 17 shots (13 in regulation), the other faced 39 shots. Let's be real about what happened in this game shall we?

Not all shots are equal. He missed the net on the breakaways. He had at least 3 breakaways and a 2 on 1 in regulation. Does he miss those shots if he’s 100%? Like I said the luck goes both ways.

At least he wasn't scratching luke hughes for brendan smith....

Wasn’t Luke Hughes a -25 last season? Yeah I think Keefe was making worse decisions.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Wasn’t Luke Hughes a -25 last season? Yeah I think Keefe was making worse decisions.

He was like -4 at 5v5, +9 at 5v5 without Brendan Smith.

 

[Divine]

He was like -4 at 5v5, +9 at 5v5 without Brendan Smith.

So how did he end up with -25 then?

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

So how did he end up with -25 then?

EN situations. Not complicated.

 

[Divine]

EN situations. Not complicated.

So he was +5 at 5v5 and -30 because of empty netters? Yeah, I’m not buying that.