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

[One Winged Angel]

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.

This. As seen in Buffalo and Dallas, Ruff’s style of play (in the cap era) tends to lead to lots of high danger chances against.

As a Rangers fan, I’d be more concerned about the Devils if they moved on to a coach with better and more sound structure. I believe that will put them over the top.

 

[Jerzey Devil]

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.

Yeah I walked into that one.

 

[Guffman]

Very excited to see a Buffalo goaltending trade proposal up today. Double the fun!

 

[CellyHard]

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.

I can see your logic behind that but I disagree. We didn’t have a 1st or 2nd round pick this year and we don’t have either next summer.

Bruins just ‘graduated’ Poitras, Beecher and Lohrei. Lysell is close so is Bussi (goalie)

Bruins are retooling and they’re doing a great job doing so but they need to fill the cupboards back up.

Casey could compete for a spot next year and the Bruins could commit largely to Swayman as a 1a

 

[HBK27]

I can see your logic behind that but I disagree. We didn’t have a 1st or 2nd round pick this year and we don’t have either next summer.

Bruins just ‘graduated’ Poitras, Beecher and Lohrei. Lysell is close so is Bussi (goalie)

Bruins are retooling and they’re doing a great job doing so but they need to fill the cupboards back up.

Casey could compete for a spot next year and the Bruins could commit largely to Swayman as a 1a

Fair enough - maybe the Bruins would deal Ullmark in a trade for futures then. I would think they might want to deal him out West versus a potential playoff threat in the East, but who knows. I guess if the deal is good enough they'd pull the trigger.

Ullmark has a 16 team no-trade list, which should still give him just about total control over the process (as he can easily load the "tradeable" list with teams that would have no interest in trading for him). Not sure if he'd be willing to waive for NJ, but could potentially be a fit.

 

[Thechozen1]

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

Well said. Ideally everyone would love seeing their goalie sporting a .920 save percentage and a 1.89 gaa, but ultimately what really matters is their ability to make the timely saves and not be giving up back breaking softies when the games are close.

 

[Xirik]

Casey is a 2nd rounder that has been looking great these two years in the NCAA. When feel you got "Diamond in the rough" you aren't going to give it up easily even if it seems illogical.

Every team has had that kind of prospect at sometime or another, Even Boston.

 

[My3Sons]

If anyone thinks the sole issue for NJ is goaltending they aren't watching the games. Sure the goalies have been mediocre but so has the rest of the team so far. They are missing their two main centers but beyond that they are just in transition with Bahl and Luke Hughes having to play major roles and the team just not having a great go of it with Ruff's defensive system. When the Devils are on their game, sure maybe an extra big save or two will matter. Right now that's not close to enough to make a difference. Let's see what happens when Jack Hughes and Hischier return to the lineup. If NJ starts winning again by outscoring its opposition you can look at goaltending.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

That Blackwood kid in San Jose looks pretty good

 

[Xirik]

If anyone thinks the sole issue for NJ is goaltending they aren't watching the games. Sure the goalies have been mediocre but so has the rest of the team so far. They are missing their two main centers but beyond that they are just in transition with Bahl and Luke Hughes having to play major roles and the team just not having a great go of it with Ruff's defensive system. When the Devils are on their game, sure maybe an extra big save or two will matter. Right now that's not close to enough to make a difference. Let's see what happens when Jack Hughes and Hischier return to the lineup. If NJ starts winning again you can look at goaltending.

Yeah, Who would have though transitioning from two veteran defenseman to two rookies would be hard.

 

[Guffman]

If anyone thinks the sole issue for NJ is goaltending they aren't watching the games. Sure the goalies have been mediocre but so has the rest of the team so far. They are missing their two main centers but beyond that they are just in transition with Bahl and Luke Hughes having to play major roles and the team just not having a great go of it with Ruff's defensive system. When the Devils are on their game, sure maybe an extra big save or two will matter. Right now that's not close to enough to make a difference. Let's see what happens when Jack Hughes and Hischier return to the lineup. If NJ starts winning again by outscoring its opposition you can look at goaltending.

I guess some of us thought that after going 52-22-8 last year (3rd overall), this team would look better. I'm not a Devils fan but after watching that team get pummeled last night by the Winnipeg Jets, your defense and goaltending looked awful and the team plays soft.

Not trending in the right way given that massive breakthrough season last year.

 

[My3Sons]

That Blackwood kid in San Jose looks pretty good

Meh. He gave up 4 on 31 shots last night and he's under 900 on the year. A couple of excellent starts don't change that.

 

[Xirik]

@My3Sons gives a solid reason to why the team is like this but sadly ignored because because broken records can't argue or counter anything he says.

 

[My3Sons]

I guess some of us thought that after going 52-22-8 last year (3rd overall), this team would look better. I'm not a Devils fan but after watching that team get pummeled last night by the Winnipeg Jets, your defense and goaltending looked awful and the team plays soft.

Not trending in the right way given that massive breakthrough season last year.

they aren't built to grind it out. They have the potential to outscore opponents and when they are playing well they can effectively limit chances against. Losing two veteran defenders hurt them and losing their two best centers hasn't helped. Beyond that, a number of fans are critical of Ruff's system which is complicated and when it doesn't work it looks terrible. The "soft" issue isn't what you think though. They played soft last season and it didn't matter. Teams routinely try to beat them up and when they are playing well they can outskate the other team and they played a bunch of games last season where you could see the opposition get tired as the game went on. Sort of a hockey rope a dope approach. It's part of why NJ was successful last season with late game heroics. Until the skaters turn the corner the goalies are of secondary concern as I see it.

 

[HBK27]

That Blackwood kid in San Jose looks pretty good

I was arguably the biggest Blackwood supporter on the Devils board and while I would've been fine with them keeping him around, it was rather clear by the end of the season that it was time for a change of scenery for him.

I do find it funny how Blackwood is continuing to put up poor stats...but now that he's doing it on a bad team, it suddenly makes him good!

When he played behind a good Devils team last season, there was nothing to indicate that he was any better than the current duo:

He was also often injured and they didn't trust him enough to use him in the playoffs when both Vanecek and Schmid had their struggles.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I was arguably the biggest Blackwood supporter on the Devils board and while I would've been fine with them keeping him around, it was rather clear by the end of the season that it was time for a change of scenery for him.

I do find it funny how Blackwood is continuing to put up poor stats...but now that he's doing it on a bad team, it suddenly makes him good!

View attachment 768640

When he played behind a good Devils team last season, there was nothing to indicate that he was any better than the current duo:

View attachment 768638

He was also often injured and they didn't trust him enough to use him in the playoffs when both Vanecek and Schmid had their struggles.

Yeah I was just joking, I don’t think he’s any good.

I think Saros would be the best hope for NJ, Nashville probably not a playoff team and they have Askarov coming soon

 

[NYRKing]

Goaltending is an issue but there are no reasonable options. Saros is a franchise G, there’s no way the preds move him. Gibson? There’s so much risk there.

A bigger issue is defense and coaching, as others have said. L Hughes, just like every other rookie D, particularly an offensive D, usually need time to develop. Was he paired with Hamilton yesterday? That’s a joke. Only worse is playing with Brendan Smith.

To no one’s surprise, Fitz will acquire Zadorov or a similar stay at home dman. That’s exactly what they need and I hope they’re outbid.

 

[Guffman]

they aren't built to grind it out. They have the potential to outscore opponents and when they are playing well they can effectively limit chances against. Losing two veteran defenders hurt them and losing their two best centers hasn't helped. Beyond that, a number of fans are critical of Ruff's system which is complicated and when it doesn't work it looks terrible. The "soft" issue isn't what you think though. They played soft last season and it didn't matter. Teams routinely try to beat them up and when they are playing well they can outskate the other team and they played a bunch of games last season where you could see the opposition get tired as the game went on. Sort of a hockey rope a dope approach. It's part of why NJ was successful last season with late game heroics. Until the skaters turn the corner the goalies are of secondary concern as I see it.

Is that style of play decent for playoff style hockey?

Going beyond the stats of last year's playoffs, how did the Devils actually look? Are they built to be successful in the playoffs?

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

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

oh no! the horror!!

what ever will NJ do without Ullmark?!

lmfao

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

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.

a write-off 14 games into the season.. for a team still above .500?

idk, maybe thats how they do things where your team is at!..

but in NJ we know what success feels like; and its a longg season!!

 

[Guffman]

a write-off 14 games into the season.. for a team still above .500?

idk, maybe thats how they do things where your team is at!..

but in NJ we know what success feels like; and its a longg season!!

I guess every person needs to define what a "write-off" actually means. For me, it's building off of last year's successful season and pushing further than last year's playoff results. For you, maybe you're fine having a year of transition, where you are building up the experience levels of some of your young players and getting a better feel of what you have in goaltending and that's cool if you want to lower your expectations.

Where was the reasonable bar of expectations for Devils fans going into the season and has your mindset changed 14 games in?

 

[My3Sons]

Is that style of play decent for playoff style hockey?

Going beyond the stats of last year's playoffs, how did the Devils actually look? Are they built to be successful in the playoffs?

The team will go as far as their talent takes them in my view. Their key contributors are fairly young and it remains to be seen how they fare. I will offer that they beat a favored Rangers team last year and the one time they got untracked against Carolina they scored easily. Hard to say how it will work long term. I don’t think Ruff is the coach if they do start to win regularly in the playoffs. They have enough bigger players they should be fine overall and I don’t think that’s the issue so much as the team’s approach.

 

[CellyHard]

oh no! the horror!!

what ever will NJ do without Ullmark?!

lmfao

Keep losing lol

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

Keep losing lol

youre right, i forgot how much success Boston had last year .. lmao!

those stinky NJ goalies made it a round further.. how dare they!!

I guess every person needs to define what a "write-off" actually means. For me, it's building off of last year's successful season and pushing further than last year's playoff results. For you, maybe you're fine having a year of transition, where you are building up the experience levels of some of your young players and getting a better feel of what you have in goaltending and that's cool if you want to lower your expectations.

Where was the reasonable bar of expectations for Devils fans going into the season and has your mindset changed 14 games in?

definitions schmefinitions

Devils know what it takes to win Cups

the season is 82-games long! buckle up!!

 

[CellyHard]

Casey is a 2nd rounder that has been looking great these two years in the NCAA. When feel you got "Diamond in the rough" you aren't going to give it up easily even if it seems illogical.

Every team has had that kind of prospect at sometime or another, Even Boston.

That totally makes sense and I don’t think anyone is discounting that it’s the fact that he’s blocked by Hamilton, Marino and Nemec.

You have to trade something to get something…it’s just odd to see him as almost untouchable