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

[My3Sons]

I don't mind using more of a banger 4th line early in the season, and switching to more of a skill line for a stretch run and playoffs after guys settle in.

I also think JQ and Blender will benefit more from top line all situation minutes in Bingo over 7 minutes on the 4th line

 

[Oneiro]

Because McLeod’s 19 and had a good draft +1 year, I’m not too worried. Yet.

Nevertheless, what I saw when he played was pretty much everything critics have been knocking him for and very little of what he’s supposed to excel at (playmaking, speed with separation, defensive acumen).

 

[Triumph]

TG likely left The Record because he knew that kind of stuff was coming, but if he'd stayed we'd see his mug on his articles as well. I don't know who wants video, but someone outside a corporate office must.

 

[severian]

What do you guys think we'll get out of Taylor Hall this season if he stays healthy? Any chance he finally cracks 30 goals?

 

[None Shall Pass]

TG likely left The Record because he knew that kind of stuff was coming

He more likely left The Record because working for NHL.com is a much better job in every sense of the word.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

What do you guys think we'll get out of Taylor Hall this season if he stays healthy? Any chance he finally cracks 30 goals?

I'll go something like 25 goals & 40 assists.

 

[feerlessleadr]

Interesting....

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I want 70 points from a healthy Hall. He has the ability.

 

[devsfan4life]

And Amanda said Greene-Severson together.

So that leaves this as top 6 I hope:

Greene-Severson
Moore-Butcher
Mueller-Santini

Extra
Prout-Lovejoy

 

[JimEIV]

I'm with you. No real point in using hindsight. McLeod was an acceptable pick in the moment and he had a great post draft year. Sure it would be nice to have McAvoy right now, but McLeod will be probably be a good NHL player sooner rather than later.

I don't disagree with anything here... I just take exception to the "Hindsight" part. There were plenty of people here that questioned the pick the very moment it was made... I remember a collective "What?*. When it was made. That's is simply not hindsight.

Now, a year later, we have a bit more tangible evidence to discuss that...

I think multiple issues are being conflated here. One, was it the right pick at the time and two, how good is he.

Yes, he's young, yes he can become a good player...none of that really addresses whether or not it was the right pick at the time.


That said, I don't like at all what he's shown so far. But this is another issue aside from whether or not it was the right pick. I think he plays the game like a bottom 6 player, he's shown little skill and a very poor shot...sure, a lot of things can be improved but from my point of view, those deficiencies shouldn't come from a #12 overall.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

I want 70 points from a healthy Hall. He has the ability.

70 points is a good barometer. If he can hit 30 goals, even better.

I'm intrigued by his offseason training regiment. I can't really imagine a faster Taylor Hall, but a shiftier, stronger one would do a lot for the team. Hall-Zacha-Palmieri has the potential to do some serious damage.

 

[JimEIV]

And Amanda said Greene-Severson together.

So that leaves this as top 6 I hope:

Greene-Severson
Moore-Butcher
Mueller-Santini

Extra
Prout-Lovejoy

Moore-Butcher looks like a Trainwreck waiting to happen.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Moore-Butcher looks like a Trainwreck waiting to happen.

Could it be worse than Moore-Lovejoy though? That would be pretty hard. I think Moore/Butcher-Prout would be the way to go.

 

[devsfan4life]

Moore-Butcher looks like a Trainwreck waiting to happen.

Yeah I assume those two will play sheltered minutes. If they're not using Moore on the PP I'm not sure how much we want him playing 5 on 5.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

Moore-Butcher makes me queasy. I'd prefer Butcher-Prout, with Moore and Lovejoy sitting, but we all know the likelihood of that.

 

[Billdo]

Greene-Severson
Moore-Santini
Mueller-Butcher

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

can we stop with the "McLeod was the wrong pick" nonsense? I don't recall literally one person saying we should pick McAvoy. Talk about revisionist history

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

The coaching staff is still trying to find the right guys so we'll see different pairings in the first couple of weeks IMO.

It's really too bad we don't have someone like Santini on the left side. Chychrun would've looked real nice alongside Severson

 

[JimEIV]

What do you guys think we'll get out of Taylor Hall this season if he stays healthy? Any chance he finally cracks 30 goals?

I'm hoping to see a good chemistry with Zacha. I like to see Zacha driving the net more frequently and generally creating more space for his wingers.

I think if that happens things will go very well for everyone involved.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

can we stop with the "McLeod was the wrong pick" nonsense? I don't recall literally one person saying we should pick McAvoy. Talk about revisionist history

McAvoy no, but several posters here and on others boards where talking about Jakob Chychrun being a legit option if he actually fell to us.

Btw, I'm a McLeod fan.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

 

[JimEIV]

McAvoy no, but several posters here and on others boards where talking about Jakob Chychrun being a legit option if he actually fell to us.

Btw, I'm a McLeod fan.

That's right McAvoy wasn't on the radar. Chychrun absolutely was.

Truth is most of the talk here was between Keller and Jost with a few other forwards thrown in...which really is my central point in the pick...when everyone of those forwards went off the board Defense was the right play IMO.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

I'm hoping to see a good chemistry with Zacha. I like to see Zacha driving the net more frequently and generally creating more space for his wingers.

I think if that happens things will go very well for everyone involved.

We could also see the opposite. Hall and Palmieri are feisty around the net and like to crash the slot. That would create room for Zacha to let off that wicked shot.

That's the cool thing about that line. Where we stand, none of them have defined roles. Hall and Palmieri are obviously acquainted with one another, but how Zacha fits into the equation (and how his fitting may affect the other two) is what's intriguing. It could be huge for him, in terms of taking the next step.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

That's right McAvoy wasn't on the radar. Chychrun absolutely was.

Truth is most of the talk here was between Keller and Jost with a few other forwards thrown in...which really is my central point in the pick...when everyone of those forwards went off the board Defense was the right play IMO.

We were still an organization bereft of high-quality forwards. If Shero and Castron knew we'd end up with Nico the following year, I'd bet they would've picked differently.

There's nothing worse than a revisionist discussion about a draft.

 

[mtnet]

Moore-Butcher looks like a Trainwreck waiting to happen.

Moore-Butcher makes me queasy. I'd prefer Butcher-Prout, with Moore and Lovejoy sitting, but we all know the likelihood of that.

SA with Moore-Butcher pairing