Poll: Better future - Devils or Sens

[Captain3rdLine]

More charts to complement the Brady one

Both very good young players. It’s not relevant at all to what was being argued about in the post you quoted though.

 

[Bileur]

Both very good young players. It’s not relevant at all to what was being argued about in the post you quoted though.

Nope, they’re just more charts that were just published which I thought might be of interest. Particularly since your post referred to a post where @Samsquanch included Chabot in the sens 3 core pieces.

 

[Oneiro]

You're always going to get recency bias on the boards. If you're a Devils fan, you're going to have a tough time winning an argument without the tangible, big time numbers to support your case. It's wait and see mode next season.

Hughes and Hischier taking a massive step can change the results of this poll in one season. My suspicion is that they're both way better than OTT's top end guys (Tkachuk, Stutzle) but there's no proof yet. I think the rest of the debate - about the depth and versatility of the rest of the pools - is way more interesting.

 

[Pitaya]

Ottawa players only do well against other shit defenses

just wait until Ottawa is back in an actual divisin, lets see their kids produce anything then

 

[topshelf15]

Ottawa players only do well against other shit defenses

just wait until Ottawa is back in an actual divisin, lets see their kids produce anything then

Like Montreal??

 

[zar]

Went with Jersey as they will ultimately attract better UFAs.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Went with Jersey as they will ultimately attract better UFAs.

Didn't think I'd ever see NJ win one of these.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Edit-

Wrong thread

Another great read in the Sens/Devils HF franchise.

 

[SNES]

Ottawa without hesitation.

 

[Wierzbowski426]

I love this poll.

 

[dirtydanglez]

devils right now but this offseason is a turning point for them some big decisions need to be made.

 

[ottawa]

Devils.

Sens are and always have been a team that's always good on paper but shit on the ice.

 

[Razor Face]

Devils.

Sens are and always have been a team that's always good on paper but shit on the ice.

At least we're not the habs. Bad on paper and bad on the ice.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

devils right now but this offseason is a turning point for them some big decisions need to be made.

Bratt and what else?

 

[ninetyeight]

Bratt and what else?

Severson, Tatar, Wood, Graves, Smith, Blackwood.. Are Sharangovich, McLeod, Bastian etc part of the long term plan? Say what you will about those players, but someone has to replace them. Not sure we have young forwards ready for a middle6/bottom6 role, so they probably need to re-sign some of them and/or sign new UFAs. Who knows how that will work out. And it doesn't look like Okhotyuk and Bahl are ready to replace Smith let alone Graves. Luke Hughes is probably ready for at least 3rd pairing role, but Nemec, Casey etc are probably a year away and Mukhamadullin is a questionmark.

 

[umma gumma]

Devils.

Sens are and always have been a team that's always good on paper but shit on the ice.

Much like your posts.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Severson, Tatar, Wood, Graves, Smith, Blackwood.. Are Sharangovich, McLeod, Bastian etc part of the long term plan? Say what you will about those players, but someone has to replace them. Not sure we have young forwards ready for a middle6/bottom6 role, so they probably need to re-sign some of them and/or sign new UFAs. Who knows how that will work out. And it doesn't look like Okhotyuk and Bahl are ready to replace Smith let alone Graves. Luke Hughes is probably ready for at least 3rd pairing role, but Nemec, Casey etc are probably a year away and Mukhamadullin is a questionmark.

I’m not going to go through all of those, but don’t see how any of that materially changes the trajectory of the Devils (bar Bratt).

Graves and Severson are replaceable players and there are ready made replacements already in the pipeline (Hughes/Nemec/Bahl/Okhotiuk). Don’t agree that they aren’t ready to step in in some capacity and Smith is perfectly fine as a veteran #6/7. Wood is a net negative player, him leaving is addition by subtraction. And again, you’re talking about the margins of the roster with guys like McLeod and Bastian. You can replace those guys and I’m also sure not every player you listed will be leaving.

 

[ninetyeight]

don’t see how any of that materially changes the trajectory of the Devils (bar Bratt). You can replace those guys and I’m also sure not every player you listed will be leaving.

They might not be impact players, but depth and quality of your bottom6 does matter. You can't just replace them with any warm body and expect the team to do just as well. The best teams in the league have 4 competitive lines and when the Devils went on their 13 game win streak every line was clicking. And it's not a coincidence that their losing streak came when couple of guys got injured and they had to juggle the lines.

If you think Ok and Bahl can just step up and replace Graves and Severson right now, I'd question how closely have you watched these player and think you are severely overrating them and underrating Graves and Severson. Both Ok and Bahl have had couple of downright disasterous games that make Seversons few boneheaded plays every now and then look like nothing. They (and Luke, Nemec, Casey, Muk..) might be solid top4 guys one day, but I think it's a little too optimistic to think they can step into that role already next season. Severson especially has eaten big minutes while Marino was injured.

The Devils core is solid, but everything else matters too. The sens also have a fantastic top6 and great young defencemen with incredible potential, most were already putting them into a playoff spot for this season but here we are. You never know how things go, how young guys adapt to the league and new guys to the new system.

 

[bert]

Devils for me and I am a sens fan. Dorion is an idiot, his asset management has been just terrible. The sens late pushes at the end of the last two seasons really hurt what they have coming down the pipe line. While Jersey secured Luke Hughes and got lucky again moving up in the draft to get Nemec. The sens have Boucher and Debrincat to show for those picks. Thats the big difference to me.

In terms of lottery luck the Devils have had all of it and the Sens have had none. The sens picks have only moved down while Jersey has secured two first overalls and a 2nd. Makes a big difference for a rebuild.

Hopefully the Dorion nightmare is almost over.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

They might not be impact players, but depth and quality of your bottom6 does matter. You can't just replace them with any warm body and expect the team to do just as well. The best teams in the league have 4 competitive lines and when the Devils went on their 13 game win streak every line was clicking. And it's not a coincidence that their losing streak came when couple of guys got injured and they had to juggle the lines.

If you think Ok and Bahl can just step up and replace Graves and Severson right now, I'd question how closely have you watched these player and think you are severely overrating them and underrating Graves and Severson. Both Ok and Bahl have had couple of downright disasterous games that make Seversons few boneheaded plays every now and then look like nothing. They (and Luke, Nemec, Casey, Muk..) might be solid top4 guys one day, but I think it's a little too optimistic to think they can step into that role already next season. Severson especially has eaten big minutes while Marino was injured.

The Devils core is solid, but everything else matters too. The sens also have a fantastic top6 and great young defencemen with incredible potential, most were already putting them into a playoff spot for this season but here we are. You never know how things go, how young guys adapt to the league and new guys to the new system.

They have two (potential) openings on D with four players to potentially plug there, including two blue-chip prospects and two players they’ve been blooding in this season. Neither Graves or Severson are blowing the doors off this season. You can question whatever, but you’re severely overstating their contribution this season. And Fitz isn’t duty-bound to replace them in house. He can pick up players with the saved cap like he did with Marino.

Yes, you need four lines, but you’re way overly fixated on supremely replaceable players. That fourth line was good in November and has done nothing since. Wood is not only a drag on any line he’s on, but makes way too much money. Moving on from him is 100% the right move and that money can be so much better spent. Bastian and McLeod are very “meh”. Again, if they leave, Fitzgerald should not have an issue replacing them.

Most were putting the Sens in a playoff spot and yet it’s the Devils with the third best record in the league right now. I don’t see the Devils cratering to the extent required for this equation to materially change.

 

[NyQuil]

In terms of lottery luck the Devils have had all of it and the Sens have had none. The sens picks have only moved down while Jersey has secured two first overalls and a 2nd. Makes a big difference for a rebuild.

Hopefully the Dorion nightmare is almost over.

To be fair, moving down when Stutzle was #3 may have been a boon.

I admire how New Jersey was able to construct their defensive corps. That and coaching, to me, is the most substantial difference.

 

[majormajor]

I haven't been keen on all of the Sens drafting in the last couple years. But the big reason this poll ought to swing hard towards the Devils is that they're a currently good team with a functioning defense.

 

[CornerStone61]

Devils.

Sens are and always have been a team that's always good on paper but shit on the ice.

 

[ninetyeight]

They have two (potential) openings on D with four players to potentially plug there, including two blue-chip prospects and two players they’ve been blooding in this season. Neither Graves or Severson are blowing the doors off this season. You can question whatever, but you’re severely overstating their contribution this season. And Fitz isn’t duty-bound to replace them in house. He can pick up players with the saved cap like he did with Marino.

Yes, you need four lines, but you’re way overly fixated on supremely replaceable players. That fourth line was good in November and has done nothing since. Wood is not only a drag on any line he’s on, but makes way too much money. Moving on from him is 100% the right move and that money can be so much better spent. Bastian and McLeod are very “meh”. Again, if they leave, Fitzgerald should not have an issue replacing them.

Most were putting the Sens in a playoff spot and yet it’s the Devils with the third best record in the league right now. I don’t see the Devils cratering to the extent required for this equation to materially change.

I feel like we are arguing different points. I just said there are some moves to be made and guys to be signed in the off season and you are arguing if the Devils are good or will be good. For what it's worth I've been cautiously optimistic for the Devils to make the playoffs every year since they signed Subban and Gusev (yeah I know) and been disappointed every time. This is the first year I had no expectations but a "I'll believe it when I see it" type of approach, and now it looks like they're making the playoffs. Regardless what happens this season I'm not gonna get my hopes up next year either. This is just a weird sport, small changes and little things can have a huge effect on teams success. The champs are in the middle of the standings right now and the President Trophy winners might miss the playoffs. NJ and Seattle were both bottom teams last year and now they look like top teams. Montreal went from SC finals into bottom of the league the next year.

 

[dalewood12]

Next 3 years, Devils. Next 5+ years, Sens.