Confirmed Trade: [NJD/SJS]Mirco Mueller & 5th round pick for 2nd round pick & 4th round pick

[VoluntaryDom]

Eh, more like 2nd pair. #3 ceiling IMO.

 

[Mattb124]

He has most of the tools, but not the tool box to play on the first pairing. 3/4 potential perhaps, but I think more likely a bottom pairing player. He just doesn't think the game that well.

 

[grcenter47]

i guess it is a waiting game

 

[tony d]

Wonder if the Devils will get more out of Mueller than what the Sharks did. Guy is a good talent.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Eh, more like 2nd pair. #3 ceiling IMO.

Mueller becoming a #3 defenseman is more outrageous than suggesting Drouin was one of the 10-15 players in the league who were untouchable lol

 

[goonybird]

people ignoring the fact that Mueller instantly becomes Devils' 3rd best defender

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Mueller becoming a #3 defenseman is more outrageous than suggesting Drouin was one of the 10-15 players in the league who were untouchable lol

Key word: CEILING

he is more likely a #5 but has #3 potential.

 

[STL Shark]

Mueller was never going to be a point producer and people need to stop putting so much value in points for a defenseman. It's the exact reason why so many people complain how there needs to be 2 d-man of the year awards (offensive/defensive). Also, defensemen usually take much longer to become consistent players in the NHL. He can into the NHL way too soon and just needed time to develop.

Yes we paid a late 2nd for him, but he's a 22 year old kid, coming off a good year in the AHL, stuck in a defensively strong Sharks system under a coach who's known for handling rookie d-men very poorly. We have first hand experience with DeBoer with how he handled Larsson. The second he was gone, Larsson flourished and now look where he is. Hopefully the same thing can happen with Mueller. Aside from Colton White and Yegor Rykov (who are unknowns to where they'll end up), we have no LHD prospects who we know could play in the NHL. Mueller may never be a point producer, but he's big, fast, and mobile enough to be a 2nd pairing guy in his prime.

Firstly, Deboer basically has had nothing to do with Mueller and his development. He was mishandled by McLellan and his regime in 2014-15. Secondly, he had a very very average year in the AHL and was totally overmatched in the playoffs. Thirdly, Larsson is still an average at best D-Man. Negative possession numbers and does not put up points = average.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

Key word: CEILING

he is more likely a #5 but has #3 potential.

What have you seen from him to make you say that? What numbers, advanced or simple, lead you to believe this? What have you personally seen, from the eye test, that makes you say that?

Literally nothing besides his draft position suggests he could be anything more than a journeyman #7

 

[zombie kopitar]

This more or less confirms that San Jose is super in the hunt for Kovy.

DW likes to trade with teams in segments like this.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

He has elite physical attributes. Slow processor.

 

[druncan]

...Yes we paid a late 2nd for him, but he's a 22 year old kid, coming off a good year in the AHL...

A relatively good year. He didn't **** the bed last season compared to previous years, but you'd hope the first semi-decent year from a 1st round draft pick wouldn't come in the 4th year of playing professionally. It should also be noted that he was not a top pairing defenseman on the team.

...stuck in a defensively strong Sharks system under a coach who's known for handling rookie d-men very poorly...

Mueller was passed on the depth chart by Joakim Ryan (7th rounder), Tim Heed (UFA), and Dylan DeMelo (6th rounder), with Julius Bergman (2nd rounder) right there with him. He wasn't stuck, and it had very little to do with DeBoer. Mueller was given every chance to develop and he didn't. Yes, he was rushed to the NHL, but if it takes someone with the supposed talent of a 1st round draft pick 3 years to recover enough to then become an arguably decent AHL defenseman, maybe it's just not meant to be. He was consistently ranked high on the prospect lists due to his pedigree, and the defensively strong system was in spite of him, not because of him.

We have first hand experience with DeBoer with how he handled Larsson. The second he was gone, Larsson flourished and now look where he is. Hopefully the same thing can happen with Mueller. Aside from Colton White and Yegor Rykov (who are unknowns to where they'll end up), we have no LHD prospects who we know could play in the NHL. Mueller may never be a point producer, but he's big, fast, and mobile enough to be a 2nd pairing guy in his prime.

Again, Mueller's development, or lack thereof, has very little to do with DeBoer. When DeBoer came in, the top defensemen for the Sharks were Vlasic-Burns-Braun-Martin, so there weren't any meaningful minutes to be had for a young defenseman looking for playing time. He was better served to spend time in the AHL, where he ultimately underachieved.

But basically, the thing is, "2nd pairing in his prime" is what his ceiling was when he was drafted 4 years ago. More than a few Sharks fans didn't care for the pick because there were prospects that projected higher at the time, and as the years have gone by, Mueller hasn't proven the doubters wrong. Based on his professional career thus far, he's likely to top out as a 5-8 defenseman on a lottery team for a couple years. He'll probably show flashes for the Devils here and there, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's back in Europe by the end of the decade.

 

[xMARCStheSPOT]

As someone who was in attendance for every single home game the last two seasons, I can tell you Mueller improved immensely on his season he had last year. Pairing him with Bergman gave him some stability and a good puck mover by his side. His physical attributes are undeniable. His first step, is solid. Top speed isn't bad either. Defensive positioning could use some work, but it was one of his strong points this season. This season he also showed us that he wasn't going to shy away anymore from the physical play. He always had his nose in the scrums protecting our net. He is a very big liability when it comes to moving the puck out of his own zone. His first pass isn't that great. And his biggest liability comes in his decision making. In quite a lot of the situations he was in, he'd end up making the one decision he shoudn't have a cause a turnover against. If the Devils can work with him to get to slow the game down for him and be able to process things quicker, they will have a hell of a 5/6 Dman and potentially a spot top 4 guy a couple years down the line.

 

[Skippy73]

Who's being an ass about it? Just stating fact here Mantha is easily 30/30 player maybe even a 35/35 player with the right setup man.

Maybe we should wait until Mantha hits 20 goals or 40 points (or even plays a full NHL season) before we start gloating on completely unrelated threads. This coming from a fellow Wings fan

 

[Hopper15]

Wilson is just going to use that second round pick to trade up.

 

[elitepete]

Wilson is just going to use that second round pick to trade up.

And select another Mirco Mueller.

 

[bigwillie]

I'm still optimistic that Mueller has the ability to turn into a poor man's Jay Bouwmeester - a smooth-skating non-physical big man who can eat minutes and keep things calm. I definitely don't think he has the hockey IQ to be a shutdown D against top competition nor the creativity to put up more than a dozen points a year, but I think, as he gets older and matures just a bit, he'll turn into a serviceable bottom-pairing defenseman.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Maybe we should wait until Mantha hits 20 goals or 40 points (or even plays a full NHL season) before we start gloating on completely unrelated threads. This coming from a fellow Wings fan

Mantha had 17 goals and 19 assists for 36 points in 60 games, About as close as you can come to 20 goals and 40 points period. And he would've probably had it if he hadn't broken his finger in the Tampa fight with about 10 games left in the season. Just saying.

 

[Volica]

I always like Mirco.
Is always going to tease fans because of the physical tools he has; and likely will have an NHL career because of them.

Dunno? Devils need help on defence badly. Mirco's an NHL'er with some upside... I see it as a good trade. This kid certainly did need a change of scenery. He'll likely be a solid bottom pair guy in Jersey this year.

 

[Tripod]

Honest question.

If no deal was done for Mirco, would Merrill be the next guy protected?

And if so, is Mirco+ whoever they lose > 2nd + Merrill?

 

[AfroThunder396]

Honest question.

If no deal was done for Mirco, would Merrill be the next guy protected?

And if so, is Mirco+ whoever they lose > 2nd + Merrill?

I firmly believe the coaching staff would have protected Moore over Merrill. Moore, for all his flaws, brings an offensive element that no one else on our defense brings. He has his niche and the coaching staff seems to like him.

Merrill is not good. He's a career journeyman that's probably not an NHL regular on a quality team. He was a healthy scratch at times this year and isn't a kid anymore (turning 26 this season). His offense never showed up and he is incredibly inconsistent defensively. Some flashes of talent occasionally, but mostly mistakes and blown coverage. He's doesn't really excel at any aspects of the game. Ideally he's a #5-6-7 guy that rotates into your bottom pairing.

If we lost Merrill to waivers I wouldn't lose sleep over it. The phony outrage some Devils fans have over him being exposed is a complete 180 on what they were feeling 48 hours ago.

 

[SjMilhouse]

This more or less confirms that San Jose is super in the hunt for Kovy.

DW likes to trade with teams in segments like this.

I've been wondering this as well...with SJ rumored to be interested, I have to imagine this could be part of a possible larger deal involving Kovy once we see how the expansion and regular draft shake out. Wilson is pretty calculated in his moves so I wouldn't doubt he wants to see who we lose and what our cap situation is headed into free agency before pulling the trigger on kovy. Who knows