Proposal: The Devils desperately need goaltending, and are willing to overpay

[dirtydanglez]

I’ll admit I’m not as confident in “outscoring bad goaltending” as I was even with our top two centers injured. They both played well enough last year to earn our trust but obviously things aren’t going as we thought.

Mercer had a great game last night by the way and he looks like he’s back to normal . That being said I’d probably now include him in a trade for a top goalie if one becomes available.

i think the play now is to just pay the price for saros. nashville will win the trade but nj would likely become a serious contender

 

[Fatass]

I’ll admit I’m not as confident in “outscoring bad goaltending” as I was even with our top two centers injured. They both played well enough last year to earn our trust but obviously things aren’t going as we thought.

Mercer had a great game last night by the way and he looks like he’s back to normal . That being said I’d probably now include him in a trade for a top goalie if one becomes available.

It might be more than just the goalie though. Some shots are more difficult to control rebounds or keep out of the net. Rush chances, cross ice, from turnovers. The Devils have some elite skill but they do play a high event style. Changing the goalie might not necessarily be what’s most needed.

 

[BKarchitect]

They don’t need a Saros. They just need better than Vanacek and Schmid.

That leaves a wide range of options.

They could also stand to upgrade the blueline with a super solid stay-at-home defender IMO. Bahl and Smith aren’t inspiring on the third pair. Colin Miller is hurt but hasn’t been a beacon of defensive reliability when healthy. Hamilton is a star but isn’t and never has been a defensive rock. Hughes is going to be exposed as all rookie blueliners are. Marino and Siegenthaler haven’t been as good as last year.

I’d love to see them rent a guy like Tanev. They could use another RHD anyways.

Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Hughes-Tanev
Bahl-Marino
Smith-Miller

 

[Jerzey Devil]

i think the play now is to just pay the price for saros. nashville will win the trade but nj would likely become a serious contender

I’d probably do it depending on how crazy the ask is. Something like Mercer, Casey, and a 1st seems like way too much though. I know that hasn’t been asked or offered yet but I’m just trying to set a bar.

It also would depend on what Nashville wants to do. Retool or rebuild. If they want to rebuild then Mercer might not make as much sense as Casey or Gritsyuk.

 

[CellyHard]

A lot of devils fans are very attached to Casey so you'll get pushback. I said the same in the helle thread over the summer.

I don't think you'd get the first and Casey, but it's a starting point of negotiations. I'm largely fine with putting Casey in

thats awful!!

NJ isnt giving up two 1sts for a year and a half of a goaltender

maybe if Jack and Nico were 34 and 32 respectively..

Lol keep sporting your 3.5 GAA average I guess then?

Bruins aren’t letting Ulmark go to a team in conference for a 2nd and a B level prospect

 

[Michoulicious]

Hughes was carrying that team...

Very bad performance since he went down, other big guns are MIA.

And WTF, Mercer with 3 points in the year? What is going on? He gets the ice time it seems.

Not sure a goalie will fix all that, but it won't make it worst I guess.

Big games against hot divisional rivals coming this week, if they can't get the points this could get ugly fast.

 

[KrisLetAngry]

A part of me wonders if the Jets would still entertain a Hellebuyck trade after the signing.
I think he'd be happy going to the Devils but now they would have to accept him long term and not just a year rental.

I wonder what the price would be if interested?

Top 10 goalies aren't cheap.

 

[Forge]

i think it's at the point where even the nj fans that were in the deepest in denial have to admit other were right about their goaltending. the current nj duo isn't going to cut it and they missed a golden opportunity this offseason to land a great goaltender.

Kind of a net neutral for me.

Don't mind the process, obviously just didn't work. Have to be quick to pivot if necessary.

But at the same time, it's becoming clear that the team isn't just a goalie away this year and definitely wasn't in a push all your chips in the middle spot either.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Lol keep sporting your 3.5 GAA average I guess then?

Bruins aren’t letting Ulmark go to a team in conference for a 2nd and a B level prospect

I always love posts like these

YEAH YOU ARE GOING TO PAY US WHAT WE WANT OR ELSE! AND IF YOU DONT, YOU WILL KEEP SUCKING!

as if there arent 30 other NHL teams to make a trade with.....

A part of me wonders if the Jets would still entertain a Hellebuyck trade after the signing.
I think he'd be happy going to the Devils but now they would have to accept him long term and not just a year rental.

I wonder what the price would be if interested?

Top 10 goalies aren't cheap.

absolutely zero interest in Hellebuyck on that contract. None.

 

[Guffman]

A part of me wonders if the Jets would still entertain a Hellebuyck trade after the signing.
I think he'd be happy going to the Devils but now they would have to accept him long term and not just a year rental.

I wonder what the price would be if interested?

Top 10 goalies aren't cheap.

I would think Hellebuyck is off the market now. Jets are rolling. Their early schedule had them play several top 5 teams. Outside of playing the elite teams, Jets are crushing the rest of the league with an 8-2-1 record. They have salary cap space to invest at the trade deadline to inject major assets.

The deal really should have been consummated in the offseason but Russo of The Athletic reported that both New Jersey and Buffalo balked at the heavy cost. Now, look at where those two teams are. Truly a shame.

 

[Guffman]

YEAH YOU ARE GOING TO PAY US WHAT WE WANT OR ELSE! AND IF YOU DONT, YOU WILL KEEP SUCKING!

as if there arent 30 other NHL teams to make a trade with.....

There aren’t 30 teams to make a goaltending upgrade change with. Your options are very limited right now at this point in the season.

Frankly, this season looks like a write-off for New Jersey already. Their defense and goaltending looks awful.

 

[CellyHard]

I always love posts like these

YEAH YOU ARE GOING TO PAY US WHAT WE WANT OR ELSE! AND IF YOU DONT, YOU WILL KEEP SUCKING!

as if there arent 30 other NHL teams to make a trade with.....

The title of the thread is Devils desperately need goaltending and are willing to overspend yet a proposed trade for a 1st rounder and your 3rd best defensive prospect for the reigning Vezina winner is ‘awful’

You can’t undervalue goaltending and then expect that the other 30 teams feel the same and will meet your asking price. It’s the other way around when you’re over a barrel.

 

[Jerzey Devil]

There aren’t 30 teams to make a goaltending upgrade change with. Your options are very limited right now at this point in the season.

Frankly, this season looks like a write-off for New Jersey already. Their defense and goaltending looks awful.

You’re crossing the line from playful jabs to actual trolling. You think this season is a write off for the Devils? They’re still playing above 500 and they’ve been without their top two centers.

Expect this thread to be bumped in June.

 

[wintersej]

You’re crossing the line from playful jabs to actual trolling. You think this season is a write off for the Devils? They’re still playing above 500 and they’ve been without their top two centers.

Expect this thread to be bumped in June.

Oh man, you had me on your side until you said "June"!

 

[shakes the clown]

any interest in Mrazak? He's been very solid for the Hawks with 3 rookie Dmen playing in front of him.

 

[Jerzey Devil]

Oh man, you had me on your side until you said "June"!

May?

 

[Smitty426]

how'd hellebuyck look last night?

palat had 1g 1a -8 vs the hurricanes last playoffs. i think some citisism is fair.

Hey gave up 3 to this (currently constructed) team! Our D was horrible and every line was put into a blender. Sure he won but how he could have not?

 

[TBF1972]

...which is essentially the same thing you're doing with Meier, even though he has 10 points in 13 games.

You're all over the place. Make up your mind.

i would recommend washing hands

after stirring up shit

Ullmark has gone 71-17-4 with a .928 and a 2.15 since 2021-22. Those are better than Brodeur numbers, but apparently the Devils 3rd best young D prospect if off limits lol.

he is our second best d prospect. luke is a full time nhler now.

 

[AfroThunder396]

I mean Connor Hellebuyck has a .894 SV% and 2.99 GAA on the season, and just gave up three goals to a team that's icing Michael McLeod as its #1 center. Seems weird to be taking a victory lap, but if that's what Jets fans consider a successful season then have fun I guess.

 

[Guffman]

You’re crossing the line from playful jabs to actual trolling. You think this season is a write off for the Devils? They’re still playing above 500 and they’ve been without their top two centers.

Expect this thread to be bumped in June.

Devils were eliminated last season on May 11.

Is it your expectation that the Devils will be playing in June this season? That’s… bold.

Well, if you decide not to bump this thread in June for obvious reasons, I will do it for you.

 

[Guffman]

I mean Connor Hellebuyck has a .894 SV% and 2.99 GAA on the season, and just gave up three goals to a team that's icing Michael McLeod as its #1 center. Seems weird to be taking a victory lap, but if that's what Jets fans consider a successful season then have fun I guess.

To be honest, we’re expecting better goaltending stats from Hellebuyck. We have an abysmal penalty killing unit so I didn’t fault Hellebuyck for the three goals that NJ scored. Which of those three goals did you think were weak?

BTW, after we traded PLD, Jets are going into this season with only one legit Top 6 centre (we are using Namestnikov as our 2C). We’re not making excuses.

 

[Joe Hallenback]

I mean Connor Hellebuyck has a .894 SV% and 2.99 GAA on the season, and just gave up three goals to a team that's icing Michael McLeod as its #1 center. Seems weird to be taking a victory lap, but if that's what Jets fans consider a successful season then have fun I guess.

I mean you must have missed the part of the game where we were being outshot and outplayed at the start of the 3rd when the game was close and he kept it that way until we got rolling again. That is why you pay for a top goalie because they can do that. But if stats are your thing I am sure Schmid's playoff numbers from last year will keep you going for the rest of the year

 

[Forge]

The title of the thread is Devils desperately need goaltending and are willing to overspend yet a proposed trade for a 1st rounder and your 3rd best defensive prospect for the reigning Vezina winner is ‘awful’

You can’t undervalue goaltending and then expect that the other 30 teams feel the same and will meet your asking price. It’s the other way around when you’re over a barrel.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the trade offer for the most part. I don't think many goalies get moved for that kind of return, though it's not out of the realm of possibility, of course (especially in a thread that with the tag line of overpayment)

I do think the devils would be hesitant to potentially move three straight first round picks though (this year's first is still tied to San Jose). So Casey as a starting point and filling as needed without a first makes a good amount of sense to me

 

[HBK27]

i think it's at the point where even the nj fans that were in the deepest in denial have to admit other were right about their goaltending. the current nj duo isn't going to cut it and they missed a golden opportunity this offseason to land a great goaltender.

The Devils current goaltending sure as hell is not cutting it, but there are also a lot of other issues with the team at the moment beyond goaltending.

I really don't care to rehash this "golden opportunity" they supposedly passed up on this past offseason, when by all accounts the acquisition cost would've been really high, which is why no other team pulled the trigger either. It's also not like Hellebuyck is lighting the world on fire either - he has a .890 save percentage his past 16 games. Yes, small sample size and all but the guy is already on the wrong side of 30 and his massive extension doesn't even kick in for another season.

I know certain posters are oddly desperate for Devils or Sabres fans to come crawling back and say that we were wrong for not letting Cheveldayoff bend our GM over and extract whatever assets he wanted for Hellebuyck, but I have no issue with how things played out over the summer.

I've said it multiple times that the only way NJ was going to be in on Hellebuyck was if he wanted out of Winnipeg to play for a contender. That was rumored but never materialized as once Winnipeg threw a boatload of money he realized he wasn't going to get that on the open market, particularly if he struggled this season...which so far is the case. Great bet by him to get the retirement contract - as much as NJ's goaltending is currently struggling, I still would not have wanted to give up premium assets to acquire him or sign him to such a risky contract.

 

[HBK27]

The title of the thread is Devils desperately need goaltending and are willing to overspend yet a proposed trade for a 1st rounder and your 3rd best defensive prospect for the reigning Vezina winner is ‘awful’

You can’t undervalue goaltending and then expect that the other 30 teams feel the same and will meet your asking price. It’s the other way around when you’re over a barrel.

The title of this thread is not supported by Devils fans - it was created by some random alleged Devils fan that all but disappeared after creating this thread.

Also rather disingenuous to refer to Casey as merely the Devils "3rd best defensive prospect", when the top 2 guys are both top 4 overall picks.

Also can't see Boston looking to deal a goalie for futures (particularly to a potential playoff opponent) when they are in a win now mode - any deal for Ullmark would probably also have to help the team now.