Devils 2017-18 team discussion (player news and notes) - season begins!

[Emperoreddy]

LD

Strait 1 G, 2 A, 14 PIM, +3, 10 GP
Kapla 1 G, 1 A, 8 PIM, -8, 8 GP
White 0 G, 2 A, 0 PIM, -2, 5 GP
MacDonald (AHL contract) 4 G, 5 A, 6 PIM, -1, 11 GP

RD

Jacobs 0 G 6 A 21 PIM +5 12 GP
Loov (injured) 1 G, 6 A, 4 PIM, -6, 11 GP
Dyblenko 0 G, 3 A, 6 PIM, E, 10 GP

Strait and Loov were the last cuts in preseason.

Strait has been mentoring Jacobs.

Jacobs leads the team in +/-, although was -3 over the last two games (Marlies). He looks promising as a defensive D, but still needs more time. He is still looking for his first professional goal in 63 GP (includes 1 GP with Adirondack). 17 of his 21 PIM were on one play for sticking up for a hit on Blandisi. (Roughing, Instigating, Misconduct).

Loov and Jacobs have played some 2 LD last season. Dyblenko played one game at 3 LD and was injured for two games.

Kapla moved up to 1 LD for two games when Strait was injured. Kapla and White have been alternating scratches at 2 LD. White sat the first four games and then played a three game weekend for Adirondack before getting into regular rotation with Kapla.

MacDonald has been 2 LD and 3 LD and has been healthy scratched once this season. He is the QB on the first PP unit.


TLDR: No. Binghamton is carrying 7 D since releasing Erixon from his PTO.

If Shero wants to call someone up they will just sign someone to be the 7th for Bingo. There isn’t anyone down there I want to call up though.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I wouldn't trade for Vatanen

thats not really the type of player we need. He isn't very good defensively.

 

[Emperoreddy]

A panic trade over the Nueller injury would be foolish IMO.

 

[Tao Jersey Jones]

If Shero wants to call someone up they will just sign someone to be the 7th for Bingo. There isn’t anyone down there I want to call up though.

Yes. An ECHL D on a "loan"/PTO.

 

[AfroThunder396]

If we're trading for a guy just to take Mueller's minutes then it's a panic deal. But we needed and upgrade on defense long before he got injured. If we can get a legitimate second pairing LHD it would go a long way to addressing our most obvious weakness.

Greene/Some guy/Mueller on the left with Severson/Santini/Butcher on the right would be fine with me. Trade Moore for a 3rd (teams love trading for offensive D depth at the deadline) and waive Prout. Carry Lovejoy as the #7.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

How is the depth an illusion when we legit can’t fit everyone on the roster?

Quantity =/= Quality

 

[Emperoreddy]

Quantity =/= Quality

Who isn’t quality?

 

[Bleedred]

Vatanen is kind of like Eric Gelinas was in his rookie season. I single out only his rookie season, because he didn't continue to actually put up points after that year, like Vatanen has.

Vatanen's point totals have slipped in the past year though.

 

[Zippy316]

Quantity =/= Quality

It's not much of an illusion.

At every position right now except for C (where we lack a 1C), I think you can make a case for that guy being a quality player at that position. The overall depth makes up for some cases where a guy may be playing a bit above his weight (Boyle at 3C, Stafford at 2RW).

 

[Alex NJD]

I think the notion that Vatanen is bad defensively isn't true. He was fantastic in the playoffs last year. But I still wouldn't trade for him. I'm not convinced he's that much better than Severson or Santini and he also plays the right side.

 

[njdevs1337]

No he put up points on tbe powerplay in fact 13 of his points came on tbe powerplay. Right now there isn’t a center that he should be playing over and my suspicious is noesen is in because Zacha can’t play RW

Zacha played RW in sarnia and for the Czech junior team

 

[njdevs1337]

How is the depth an illusion when we legit can’t fit everyone on the roster?

Its an illusion for now i think. Like do you really expect gibbons to keep up his play all year ? No chance. That's part of the illusion. Same could be said for coleman. At some oint they'e going to come back down to earth. Gibbons hasn't played in the Nhl for 2 years before this year or something like that. He's normally a 4th liner at best he'sjust hot right now. Soon he'll go back to how he was.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Its an illusion for now i think. Like do you really expect gibbons to keep up his play all year ? No chance. That's part of the illusion. Same could be said for coleman. At some oint they'e going to come back down to earth. Gibbons hasn't played in the Nhl for 2 years before this year or something like that. He's normally a 4th liner at best he'sjust hot right now. Soon he'll go back to how he was.

And Bratt was just a 6th rounder. Past performance doesn’t always tell the story.

Gibbons is fast and has a good shot. He can defend and is great on the PK. His goal scoring will cool down a bit, but he is proving he is a quality forward

 

[Emperoreddy]

It's not much of an illusion.

At every position right now except for C (where we lack a 1C), I think you can make a case for that guy being a quality player at that position. The overall depth makes up for some cases where a guy may be playing a bit above his weight (Boyle at 3C, Stafford at 2RW).

Nico’s scoring like a 1C

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

We absolutely have good forward depth, there’s no question about that. We are scoring more than most teams in the NHL without our best center and second best left wing. Zacha doesn’t even seem to have a spot on the roster when we’re healthy, and that’s a good problem. We have depth everywhere but RW and even there we’re okay because Gibbons, Wood, and Bratt can all play there in addition to LW.

Would a panic trade because Mirco Mueller got injured be dumb? Of course. But we’re certainly in a position to make a hockey trade if the right deal comes along. We could absolutely absorb the loss of one of Zacha, McLeod, or Henrique. Would I wanna lose Zacha or McLeod? Hell no, but I’d do it for the right player.

 

[Southpaw123]

Apparently they need a scoring winger. So..... how about a slightly used Jimmy Hayes?

Lol!! Come one Dale, take Jimmy and give us Mike M!!

 

[RSeen]

I'd be all for Henrique for Vatenen

 

[Blackjack]

Would a panic trade because Mirco Mueller got injured be dumb? Of course. But we’re certainly in a position to make a hockey trade if the right deal comes along. We could absolutely absorb the loss of one of Zacha, McLeod, or Henrique. Would I wanna lose Zacha or McLeod? Hell no, but I’d do it for the right player.

I agree with that, but here's another question I have... What exactly are they trying to accomplish this season? Are they trying to win the cup? Or are they trying trying to transition this team from a cellar dwelling lottery pick hunter to a young team with solid momentum for next year?

If they're trying to win the cup, I'd say they don't need a top pairing D, they need two top pairing defensemen. So Greene and Santini get pushed down the second pairing and Will Butcher is our powerplay specialist getting 7-8 protected minutes at even strength.

I'd argue that the team is probably better served by taking a long term view of the problem. Yes, they definitely need at least two more quality defenseman, long term. But that might be Reilly Walsh and Yegor Rykov. That might be Joey Anderson, and that might be Mueller once he's healthy again. Let's see if Lovejoy and Prout can soak up some minutes without hurting the team too much. If they can't, the team should definitely should trade for someone, because even if they're not shooting for the cup, they should always expect to win, as Nico so eloquently put it.

 

[Devil X]

I agree with that, but here's another question I have... What exactly are they trying to accomplish this season

Isn’t this the same as every season? Make the playoffs and then anything can happen. Not all but some teams that have won cups or been in the finals have not had world beater defenses. You don’t need studs to get to the finals or win, does it help sure. But it’s about getting hot at the right time more then anything, plus having a goalie steal a game or two. Point being if you make the playoffs you roster was good enough to get you in the to new season and there is no reason it can’t keep being good enough.

If the right deal is out there Shero will make it. He won’t trade away the young guys just to do it. But I’m sure he is out looking for D help.

 

[Devils090]

Lovejoy is a capable fill in, he's only a problem if he gets lots of minutes which he won't.

 

[Blackjack]

Isn’t this the same as every season? Make the playoffs and then anything can happen. Not all but some teams that have won cups or been in the finals have not had world beater defenses. You don’t need studs to get to the finals or win, does it help sure. But it’s about getting hot at the right time more then anything, plus having a goalie steal a game or two. Point being if you make the playoffs you roster was good enough to get you in the to new season and there is no reason it can’t keep being good enough.

If the right deal is out there Shero will make it. He won’t trade away the young guys just to do it. But I’m sure he is out looking for D help.

No, it absolutely is not. Back in 2010 we gave a huge package to the Atlanta Thrashers for what was, at the time, a 4 month rental of Ilya Kovalchuk. We did it because we thought we had a shot at the cup. I wouldn't do a deal like that this year. I wouldn't trade Pavel Zacha, Damon Severson, Mike McCloud, and a 1st rounder for a rental. You don't trade for an Ilya Kovalchuk or an Alex Mogilny unless you're in that position.

 

[MadDevil]

I like Vatanen, but we need a top 4 LHD more than another second pairing RHD. I feel comfortable with Severson and Santini holding down the right side on the top two pairings. And while I like both Mueller and Butcher, I don't feel comfortable hoping they can step into a top 4 role as Greene declines in the coming years.

 

[Emperoreddy]

We definitely shouldn’t be trading young pieces as freely as some people on here seem to want.

That rarely works out.

 

[Alex NJD]

The most ideal fit would be a #1 LHD, even better if he had chemistry with one of Sevs or Santini

 

[Emperoreddy]

Playoffs are the goal, but we can’t get impatient with the kids. Not every kid is the same, not every position is the same either.