GDT: Hanging On: Your New Jersey Devils vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 PM, MSGSN

[MadDevil]

He's not a top six player, but he has scored 20+ goals twice in his career including 27 one season.

Twice in 8 seasons isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. Besides, I doubt Montreal is eating half of his contract for 3 years, which is what it would take for me to even be remotely interested.

 

[Lou is God]

Twice in 8 seasons isn't exactly a ringing endorsement. Besides, I doubt Montreal is eating half of his contract for 3 years, which is what it would take for me to even be remotely interested.

No it isn't, but what we need doesn't really grow on trees either.

I know it's not a particularly favorite take, but we don't have any true big forwards in the system and we do need them.

 

[Bleedred]

Dude you can’t possibly care about Willman. He was signed for Utica, he has a two-way deal with guaranteed salary of 150k.

Stephen Gionta played 270 games for us, Willman has played 18. It’s like complaining about Brian O’Neill or JS Dea.

Willman’s here because of injuries, in-season lost forward depth, and because we don’t have much of anything at forward in Utica.

He’s faster than Halonen and Clarke, so that helps him, and he’s shooting 17.6%. (Not saying he should be in there, just who f***ing cares.)

I’ve been wowed by the way he’s looked on some of these plays. Not sure if he’s a floater or if it’s lack of ability.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I'm honestly not even mad about this or this year, sometimes teams, especially young ones like ours, need this kick in the balls for down the road.

It's what we make out of this two steps backwards that matters.

Look at the Rangers, don't think for a second that losing to us in the playoffs last year hasn't played a part in their season. Hockey is like that, to reach great success you sometimes first need to endure great pain.

I mean we went through a decade of dogshit already, teams have gone through rebuilds within 2-3 years. I don't think that argument is fair to this fanbase at all.

 

[Bleedred]

I think it’s pretty clear that brunette had more say in the offense than we were led on to believe

If Brunette had that much say in the offense last year than that would assuredly mean Green had the same say in the offense this year, even while Ruff was still head coach.

And we are not explosive like last year. We never were. Not even when Jack was healthy.

 

[Lou is God]

I mean we went through a decade of dogshit already, teams have gone through rebuilds within 2-3 years. I don't think that argument is fair to this fanbase at all.

This season has definitely been cruel to us, but a young team regressing a bit after a breakthrough season is common and not just in hockey.

I mean we missed the playoffs after winning the cup in 1995 but eventually that core went on to form a dynasty team winning two more.

This is very fixable because one thing that is not the issue is the core of this team that will only get better as they get older.

 

[JrFischer54]

Last year looking more and more like a total fluke.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Last year looking more and more like a total fluke.

Well, if one of the following things went our way this season they are a playoff team

- a normal season in terms of injuries/McLeod
- better goaltending
- system adjustments


Fitz to do list:

Coach
Goalie
3C
Complimentary wingers
LHD upgrade

 

[Guttersniped]

I’ve been wowed by the way he’s looked on some of these plays. Not sure if he’s a floater or if it’s lack of ability.

“Floater”? You think Max Willman isn’t trying? We’re getting all he’s got.

He was on a ECHL deal at 24 and made it to a two-way NHL deal at 26, all he knows is working his ass off.

link

SCOUTING REPORT
The speedy forward has battled his way from college hockey through the ECHL and AHL to earn a chance at an NHL job. Has helped himself by being able to play all three forward positions, and his motor is constantly running no matter where he plays. Can contribute at both ends of the ice. His skating ability is his meal ticket.

Long Range Potential: Versatile energy forward.

He was like this with the Flyers. He skated around well enough, but didn’t produce and his underlying numbers are bad.

He’s an emergency call-up tweener. I don’t know what you expect from very fringy AHL tweener forward depth.

 

[Lou is God]

“Floater”? You think Max Willman isn’t trying? We’re getting all he’s got.

He was on a ECHL deal at 24 and made it to a two-way NHL deal at 26, all he knows is working his ass off.

link


He was like this with the Flyers. He skated around well enough, but didn’t produce and his underlying numbers are bad.

He’s an emergency call-up tweener. I don’t know what you expect from very fringy AHL tweener forward depth.

What we're seeing from Willman is what we should expect from Stillman, when I look at his numbers from college to minors and his style of play it screams Stillman. So basically yeah, he's an AHL tweener like so many.

 

[MadDevil]

Willman is a 29 year old who played 5 years of college hockey and has spent the last 3 years up and down between the NHL and AHL. I'm not sure what anybody is expecting from him.

 

[Lou is God]

Willman is a 29 year old who played 5 years of college hockey and has spent the last 3 years up and down between the NHL and AHL. I'm not sure what anybody is expecting from him.

His 5th year in college hockey he scored one goal in 36 games. You got to respect him making the NHL because he got the very most of his limited talent.

 

[Guttersniped]

What we're seeing from Willman is what we should expect from Stillman, when I look at his numbers from college to minors and his style of play it screams Stillman. So basically yeah, he's an AHL tweener like so many.

In Stillman’s defense, he’s a 20 year old rookie in the AHL.

Willman was in his 2nd year at Brown at 20 and in 2019-20 got a ECHL deal after 5 years of College. He got a AHL PTO and AHL deal later that same year.

It’s impressive that Willman made it this far.

Only 43 skaters in the NHL (10 GP min) have also played in the ECHL.
vs
762 skaters in the NHL (10 GP min) have played in the AHL.

 

[Lou is God]

In Stillman’s defense, he’s a 20 year old rookie in the AHL.

Willman was in his 2nd year at Brown at 20 and in 2019-20 got a ECHL deal after 5 years of College. He got a AHL PTO and AHL deal later that same year.

It’s impressive that Willman made it this far.

Only 43 skaters in the NHL (10 GP min) have also played in the ECHL.
vs
762 skaters in the NHL (10 GP min) have played in the AHL.

I always like to go down the rabbit hole of minor leagues on hockeydb.com and check out the players playing for a 3rd or 4th pro league still sticking it out. At this point they're just playing for their love of the game.

But just 47 players? Talk about the kiss of death getting sent to ECHL.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I love Willman. Shows that hard work can pay off. The guy goes 100% because he knows that the next NHL gm can be his last.

Good for him on making it to the NHL. Obviously the Devils need to improve their bottom 6 depth for next season.

 

[NJ07102]

Timo Meier: "Didn't look like everybody wanted the puck." Something is seriously wrong with this Devils team, that's for sure.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

This season has definitely been cruel to us, but a young team regressing a bit after a breakthrough season is common and not just in hockey.

I mean we missed the playoffs after winning the cup in 1995 but eventually that core went on to form a dynasty team winning two more.

This is very fixable because one thing that is not the issue is the core of this team that will only get better as they get older.

Sure, but it's not comparable to the Rangers at all why is why I disagree with you. They consistently make the playoffs but fail miserably. I'm sure most Devils fans, including myself, would sign up for playoffs like that for the past decade considering 2012 is something this fanbase still treasures regardless of us coming up short.

In Stillman’s defense, he’s a 20 year old rookie in the AHL.

Willman was in his 2nd year at Brown at 20 and in 2019-20 got a ECHL deal after 5 years of College. He got a AHL PTO and AHL deal later that same year.

It’s impressive that Willman made it this far.

Only 43 skaters in the NHL (10 GP min) have also played in the ECHL.
vs
762 skaters in the NHL (10 GP min) have played in the AHL.

The issue with Stillman isn't that, it's the talent they decide to let go by in guys like Zellweger and Stankoven. The Devils went with ceiling picks consistently with their first rounders before that Stillman pick. Muk was even considered that even though his floor was laughed at by every draft pundit. They went with ceiling in Luke earlier that round too in 2021. It was just a backwards philosophy move imo by Fitz, he got blinded by trying to find another Coleman that he reached completely on a player.

 

[HughesCorporation]

Last year looking more and more like a total fluke.

career years by a few players

 

[Nico13]

I went to bed around the 45th minute when it was 3-1.
When I woke up, I thought it was a flashscore bug.

 

[Call Me Al]

i think i hate this team more than any other devils team i can remember. it’s not even the players, i like the players individually. but the way this team plays, how they lose these games and just never playing like they want to win a game it’s pathetic.

they think they can finesse other teams into giving us goals and not have to work for anything. and they’re actually skilled enough to win a lot of games that way but they let ruff baby these kids too long and the lack of accountability is ingrained in a lot of them. new coach has his work cut out for him. at least it won’t be green

 

[Whaddagoal]

The team losing in the most embarrassing ways at home is not excusable all season long. This is clinically bad home game outcomes. It's getting to the point they have built up so much negativity, just at home and it's not just the loss itself but the way it evolves.

This game was total NJ control for most of 40 mins. Pens were lifeless, out to pasture, and then this team (mercer and Haula) basically think going for a SHG home run pass attempt in a 3-1 lead (from behind our net) was a good idea. Easy clear turns into a scramble and Smith does his thing. Everything is wrong with that. Everything that followed too. The D the special teams, inability to make a play on the PP.

I didn't go tonight but I feel for everyone who did. As STH I can't even feel like next season will be ok based on how bad they collapse this season at home. It's so repetitively embarrassing and predictable pattern how the losses go. Massive collapse in short duration. Small mistakes or bad bounces turn into chasms of fail.

Fitz has to figure out something.

Hope Dougie comes back ok next season. We really missed him.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

We definitely need change. I would hate to trade Holtz. Again, he’s a small skilled forward, which we have plenty of. I’d try and trade for a bigger forward like Cousins. We may have to add.

 

[Louskoolaid89]

Fel asleep when it was 2-1 had,to be up at 2:30 this am. Holy shit we hit a new level of incompetence and futility. A New Level!

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

We definitely need change. I would hate to trade Holtz. Again, he’s a small skilled forward, which we have plenty of. I’d try and trade for a bigger forward like Cousins. We may have to add.

He’s bigger than Cousins. Holtz’s problem is that he isn’t very good.

 

[forceten]

I don't know what Holtz's problem is, but a number of the members of the board were unhappy with the pick when we picked him, I do remember that. And I hope he isn't a bust. Watch, we'll trade him, and he'll be a 30 goal scorer somewhere else, while still being a defensive liability.

Brendan Smith has to go. He HAS TO GO. He ruins every player he plays with - it doesn't matter who his partner is, that partner is cratered. I don't think that our minor league options are worse than Smith. I cringe watching him. He's too slow, he doesn't think the game fast enough, and he's too busy trying to prove he's "a man" that he can easily be goaded out of position and into penalties. He provides literally nothing but hits and physicality - sure, we need that, but that's something you can get elsewhere. Lazar is our #1 hitter on the team and I'd say he's a net positive, despite not having much offense at the NHL level.