GDT: High Hopes: Your New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes, 12:30 PM, ABC/ESPN+

[My3Sons]

Bah God, is that Josh Anderson's music?

/S

You think Montreal would take Nemec and a first for him?

 

[Devs3cups]

I feel like you’re back to your old self now. it’s nice to see.

I’m super down on the season, but I’m still very confident in the future and the core. To me this season has no bearing on the next! So yeah, I feel like I’m already onto next year

 

[njdevils1982]

Curling too

and archery!

 

[JimEIV]

I’m super down on the season, but I’m still very confident in the future and the core. To me this season has no bearing on the next! So yeah, I feel like I’m already onto next year

I think there is an a lot to be excited about.

Luke and Nemec are going to be spectacular no question about it but it's going to take a little bit of time.

A forward core of Bratt, Jack, Nico and Timo is incredible...but it must be supplemented properly and it's not right now...I don't think so anyway.

It's so close right now but I think there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

 

[Forge]

Not sure if anyone mentioned

 

[Emperoreddy]

I think there is an a lot to be excited about.

Luke and Nemec are going to be spectacular no question about it but it's going to take a little bit of time.

A forward core of Bratt, Jack, Nico and Timo is incredible...but it must be supplemented properly and it's not right now...I don't think so anyway.

It's so close right now but I think there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

Need a bigger top 6 winger and the bottom 6 needs a heavy makeover, get that right mix of skill and some grit.

 

[Bleedred]

Both goals were horrible. First one was worse than the second, but the second was super deflating and momentum killing.

The first one was completely horrible. That would have been softy of the night last night and half of the nights last week.

Probably not today with 12 other games on.

 

[Devilsfan992]

Will be very curious to see what kind of contract he gets.

I wonder if this is an opportunity to buy low with extended term. Is there a cost for a 5-7 year contract that people will be okay giving Mercer? Or is it 100% a bridge deal for both parties.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

The team is flawed in the sense that their key forwards are skilled but small and not just small but not the strongest guys. Timo Meier was supposed to be that type of player. However, he hasn’t. Maybe a game here and there. I just thought he would be more of that power forward we needed badly. I believe he has disappointed since coming here. Nico tries and so does Mercer, however they aren’t that big either. Goaltending I won’t even get into. Hopefully, they fix it next season. Our defense with quality coaching and more experience should get better. I just believe the team needs more size and grit. Easier said than done, however it is a major issue. We just need better balance on this team. They tried to go to much Speedy-Gonzales, but mouses are easy to crush.

 

[Barry Tallackson]

Bright spots this year:

- Nico Hischier
- Luke and Nemec coming in at 19-20 and having an impact.
- Bratt
- Lazar
- Timo coming back to form post injury this last 1-1.5 months.
- New voice coming in soon.
- Learning experiences.

-Top 10 draft pick in 2024
-Keep our 2025 conditional 1st round pick from Timo trade
-The blondie in the Woo Crew
-Bill Spaulding
-no more Vitek
-no more Ruff

 

[njdevils1982]

-Top 10 draft pick in 2024
-Keep our 2025 conditional 1st round pick from Timo trade
-The blondie in the Woo Crew
-Bill Spaulding
-no more Vitek
-no more Ruff

all good points. a shame that there have been waaay to many no devils crew calls this season. (at least on my end)


also, curious. you've been here 10 years and obviously you have changed your name since the meier trade..... who were you before?

 

[Better Call Sal]

Jim being positive about the team’s outlook too?

I don’t know if it’s the Irish cream stouts talking, but my heart feels full reading this page of the thread. (burp)

 

[Mgd31]

Came across the card, figured I’d share.

Yea Nico has been very good this year. He’s top 10 in 5 on 5 points per 60 and has a 57% xGF

 

[jkrdevil]

Need a bigger top 6 winger and the bottom 6 needs a heavy makeover, get that right mix of skill and some grit.

In retrospect the McLeod arrest nuked the bottom 6 and team. Was having a good year and center depth is now gone. Holtz was serviceable next to him and now isn’t.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Yep, they replaced him with Timo at least so that’s an upgrade. The other guys have been replaced with AHL fodder which is crushing. Really poor roster construction.

I was told we had more depth at forward this year.

I was dismissed for being concerned about it heading into the season, but it seems evident now that we got more top heavy at the expense of depth and speed.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I was told we had more depth at forward this year.

I was dismissed for being concerned about it heading into the season, but it seems evident now that we got more top heavy at the expense of depth and speed.

McLeod is going to jail and Mercer has been horrid

there is your forward depth right there

 

[Triumph]

McLeod is going to jail and Mercer has been horrid

there is your forward depth right there

Meier has also been garbage for half the year.

The Devils were always going to have stronger 13th and 14th forwards last year, but they had another guy who could comfortably play 20 minutes in a game if needed in Meier.

Tatar has been missed, but his career is about over so it wasn't like bringing him back would help. (Thinking about Alex Ponikarovsky, who had a similar impact on the 2012 Devils and then was nothing when he returned a year later)

 

[Normal Devil]

Both goals were horrible. First one was worse than the second, but the second was super deflating and momentum killing.

The first one was completely horrible. That would have been softy of the night last night and half of the nights last week.

Probably not today with 12 other games on.

The second one was bad .. how does he not get a piece of that one? I think Daws has some potential, but he's obviously not where he needs to be yet.

 

[Emperoreddy]

In retrospect the McLeod arrest nuked the bottom 6 and team. Was having a good year and center depth is now gone. Holtz was serviceable next to him and now isn’t.

Yeah they might have been able to stay closer to the 8th seed when they got healthy if he wasn't a scum bag.

He needs to be replaced, i assume Holtz is gone in a goalie trade, and we got to figure out what we expect from Mercer for next year and make moves accordingly

 

[Emperoreddy]

The second one was bad .. how does he not get a piece of that one? I think Daws has some potential, but he's obviously not where he needs to be yet.

Fitz was pretty candid that he doesn't think either goalie should be in the NHL next year, they simply aren't ready to be consistent NHL goalies.

 

[Bleedred]

The second one was bad .. how does he not get a piece of that one? I think Daws has some potential, but he's obviously not where he needs to be yet.

The second one was bad, but it happens so often that I’m not even quick to give it a softy of the night anymore. I see that goal almost every night around the league. It’s still a bad one though, just not a shockingly bad one.

I actually think the first goal was shockingly bad.

I think he had potential but Lindy running him hard to save his job two different years and being with Rogalski all this team may have done a number on him.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Need a bigger top 6 winger and the bottom 6 needs a heavy makeover, get that right mix of skill and some grit.

We need a couple of Randy McKay types. Not the biggest guy, but tough has nails, fearless and a pretty good player in his prime.

 

[jkrdevil]

Obviously injury related, but Jack has had an underwhelming/bad/unlucky year. His 5v5 CF% is alright, his xGF% is above water but probably needs to be higher for the team to have success, but his High Danger Chance % is below water, and his GF% is a miserable 43%.

We need him to be in Nico and Bratt territory of being above 55% in all those categories at 5 on 5.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Obviously injury related, but Jack has had an underwhelming/bad/unlucky year. His 5v5 CF% is alright, his xGF% is above water but probably needs to be higher for the team to have success, but his High Danger Chance % is below water, and his GF% is a miserable 43%.

We need him to be in Nico and Bratt territory of being above 55% in all those categories at 5 on 5.

Yeah, he clearly hasn’t been the same since returning from the second injury. Hopefully he can have a nice reset this offseason and get back to form.

 

[Mgd31]

Obviously injury related, but Jack has had an underwhelming/bad/unlucky year. His 5v5 CF% is alright, his xGF% is above water but probably needs to be higher for the team to have success, but his High Danger Chance % is below water, and his GF% is a miserable 43%.

We need him to be in Nico and Bratt territory of being above 55% in all those categories at 5 on 5.

Yea last year he was one of the best 5 on 5 players in the league. 2.8 points per 60. This year it’s almost a point less.