GDT: So We're Really Doing This Huh? Devils @ Islanders, 7:30 PM, MSG/MSG+2

[Bleedred]

So? Henrique is actually having a good season btw.

I don’t see the point of moving Zacha unless the return was somehow interesting enough to warrant it and I don’t think he has much trade value. He’s not blocking any amazing wingers right now since we don’t have depth at that position. I’d rather have him then say Boqvist (who needs to get better in the AHL and then give the NHL another go).

Dumping him because you’re sick of him or frustrated over his dry spell isn’t a great reason to do it. It’s not likely another team is itching to eager to him a long term deal so I just don’t see where the trade value is.

He’s getting a cheap short deal with us or someone else. Wood isn’t getting more than a 1 year deal unless he has a miracle rehab. The short term money isn’t a problem.

People have this weird idea that culling players will improve us when we need more good players.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with him on a one year deal. My fear is a multi year deal for $4 million per.

That’s been my rationale all along with him.

I’m more than okay with him on a one year deal.

If we sign him for one year he’ll be a UFA the next year, am I correct?

I’d still like to see what kind of goalie we could get for him though.

 

[Guttersniped]

I actually think Zacha is a guy that will probably play in the NHL into his early 30’s. He might end up a journeyman but I think the fact that he’s a 6th overall pick and the fact that he’s been a decent NHL player (maybe not for a 6th overall in a good draft) will probably get him some contracts and keep him getting signed for years to come.

Not sure about that, he’s currently a complimentary scoring forward who doesn’t quite score enough. Guys like him can improve late, so he’ll hang around for a couple more years, but he needs both a more solid defensive 5v5 game and more of a knack for scoring 5v5 goals if he wants to survive more longterm as a more useful forward.

He’s excelled at the PK before and actually was >50% on FO once, I assume the former can be done again and the latter would be appreciated.

 

[Bleedred]

He's fill in quality. He might go play in the SEL for obvious reasons, get plenty of toi and all that, but he could hang around in the states if he wanted, bounce around between the AHL and the NHL, watch some games from the team box.

He’s not Sergey Kalinin bad. I’ll say that much. That’s one player that they gave a bunch of time to with Zajac and Palmieri and he still didn’t even crack 20 points and he played like most of the games that year. I think he got 16 points. And then he predictably flamed out.

I still don’t understand that signing. That was something Lou did on the way out. Shero said so himself, even though it appeared that he was the first Shero signing or one of the first. I think Tootoo was the first, but that was said to have been worked out under Lou also. Kalinin had no ceiling. I think he had a good KHL season at some point after he played over here, but he wasn’t lighting it up over there before we signed him. He was like a defensive forward and pretty useless. I liked and understood the Auvitu and Mozik signings much more.

Boqvist isn’t Kalinin bad. He just doesn’t score enough. He gets chances on the power play with all the guys out, he gets to play with decent players. It just isn’t there.

 

[MadDevil]

As frustrating as Zacha is I think he's still okay as a middle 6 winger who can play special teams. Hopefully we can add better wingers moving forward to push him down the lineup. I think the time to get max value for him in a trade is probably gone between his current 1 goal in 17 games run and his contract status, so unless somebody blows our doors off with an offer I doubt he's going anywhere soon.

 

[Guttersniped]

Don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with him on a one year deal. My fear is a multi year deal for $4 million per.

That’s been my rationale all along with him.

I’m more than okay with him on a one year deal.

If we sign him for one year he’ll be a UFA the next year, am I correct?

I’d still like to see what kind of goalie we could get for him though.

Yes, I don’t see us paying to have him on a long term deal.

In theory it would would be a good idea for him to take a cheap 3 year deal, he should, he super f***ing fringy but I doubt it.

His salary depends on the term but even 3.5m seems overly generous and I doubt they would more than 2 years with that. He’s a guy who could completely fall of the face of the earth.

He could heat up and score a bunch of goals which will change his arbitration case, it’s a little pointless to try to guess this stuff now. I don’t see a playoff team wanting him, he’s not exactly reliable or experienced so this isn’t a TDL thing. Maybe at the draft, but it’s hard to see what teams would talk him.

 

[Camille the Eel]

Pretty much, get healthy, come back strong.

Good game by Gillies. Like to see more of him. Big dude and strong glove.

 

[mdj12784]

With Zacha, i truly think it's about his attitude, and deciding when he really wants to put forth effort. Just my opinion...

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

He's filling in because guys are out. Bleed going on and on about him is a bore.

New name. Same drivel. And notice the anti-Boqvist posts only come when the Devils lose?

 

[Buck Dancer]

Boqvist is horrible. He does absolutely nothing out there that warrants any playing time whatsoever when we’ll have a healthy lineup. He’s about a half second behind the play but I guess he’s our best option with all the COVID issues we have.

 

[Call Me Al]

the puck dies in boqvists stick and zacha doesn’t shoot enough or use his body at all and those are the two things that would make him effective. there’s not much to discuss though - boqvist is a depth fill in and i can’t imagine management doesn’t want a better top 6 wing option than zacha at this point. he’s already off the top pp.

 

[MauDevils]

1 goal in his last 17 games. Zacha isn't even worth arguing.

I'll be fine with whatever we can get for him.

 

[Lou is God]

This is just another frustrating morning to wake up as a Devils fan, for me it seems like every time the Hockey Gods will reward us, they slap us back down. We finally get the team playing good, reel off three straight wins and head into Boston looking confident and then BAM! We lose Hamilton, Nico and others just like that and soon after Covid once again ravishes our team and we lose more players, on top of that pucks keep hitting our players in the face and our pets heads are falling off!!

/rant

 

[Nocashstyle]

Honest question, why does Tatar play not even 14 minutes? He’s averaged closer to 14,5 minutes per game this season.

And then people say he doesn’t do enough, but he really don’t play enough. Can we even say he plays top-6 minutes this year?

He was also one of the only Devils that actually played consistently well last night.

 

[Saint Beaurivage]

This organization drags their feet with moving players and coaches. This is their biggest problem.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Zach Parise has 8 points in 29 games - three of them came in his two games against NJ.

 

[Mgd31]

Zach Parise has 8 points in 29 games - three of them came in his two games against NJ.

Devils killer

 

[Buck Dancer]

This is just another frustrating morning to wake up as a Devils fan, for me it seems like every time the Hockey Gods will reward us, they slap us back down. We finally get the team playing good, reel off three straight wins and head into Boston looking confident and then BAM! We lose Hamilton, Nico and others just like that and soon after Covid once again ravishes our team and we lose more players, on top of that pucks keep hitting our players in the face and our pets heads are falling off!!

/rant

That's usually what happens to a bad team who has little to no depth. I'm aware that the COVID protocol nonsense is killing us but the lack of depth is also a major concern. Fitz was banking on all these kids to step up and outside of Hughes and Bratt, everyone else either stagnated or regressed. The Bernier injury is probably the worst thing that could happen to us, because it leaves Blackwood out to dry with a mediocre backup.

We have the youngest team in the league but at some point, we have to do something about it and add actual talent. This notion that we'll get ourselves out of this mess by drafting in the top #5 over and over and over is nonsense.

 

[Buck Dancer]

With Zacha, i truly think it's about his attitude, and deciding when he really wants to put forth effort. Just my opinion...

His body language and attitude is a direct reflexion of his play on the ice... meaning he looks like he just doesn't seem to really give a shit.

 

[Devils731]

 

[My3Sons]

so they will make him write 50 times on the blackboard that he’s sorry for being a sociopath?

 

[Okposofan21]

Good game last night. You have a special player in Hughes. Good luck until we meet again!

 

[jkrdevil]

You move Zacha out for three reasons 1.) open up the roster spot 2.) avoid potentially signing a contract and 3.) to send a message to everyone else that poor play won’t be tolerated.

I don’t think there is “pushing Zacha down” the lineup anymore. He has been here too long. Human nature as it is, he will always be someone the team looks to get more from because of the draft capital they invested in him (even though it is a sunk cost). As such he will be viewed as a leader. You have to cut bait.

 

[Call Me Al]

worth a suspension but not a major penalty, nice

 

[Buck Dancer]

You move Zacha out for three reasons 1.) open up the roster spot 2.) avoid potentially signing a contract and 3.) to send a message to everyone else that poor play won’t be tolerated.

I don’t think there is “pushing Zacha down” the lineup anymore. He has been here too long. Human nature as it is, he will always be someone the team looks to get more from because of the draft capital they invested in him (even though it is a sunk cost). As such he will be viewed as a leader. You have to cut bait.

If Pavel Zacha is viewed as a leader, no wonder we're constantly at the bottom of the standings. At that point, I'd rather have Evander Kane, who plays hard and can actually contribute on the ice, instead of good guy in the room who's a passenger on the ice.

Nico Hischier must be losing his mind having to play with a guy like him every, single, game. Zacha is the picture boy of the guy with skills and absolutely no determination.

 

[Triumph]

worth a suspension but not a major penalty, nice

It was real cool that he was in the game to get that bullshit 4 on 4 late too.