Prospect Info: The 2015 Draft Thread Part II

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

so because we have no hope of doing anything about it, it means we've accepted mediocrity? what kind of warped logic is that? I also havent watched nearly as many games this year as I have before because it gets tiring.

why does this board even exist then?

just because we won some cups 20 years ago we should just be content for the rest of our lives?

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

so because we have no hope of doing anything about it, it means we've accepted mediocrity? what kind of warped logic is that? I also havent watched nearly as many games this year as I have before because it gets tiring.

why does this board even exist then?

just because we won some cups 20 years ago we should just be content for the rest of our lives?

Of course not. I am not happy with the product on the ice, but I don't lose sleep over it because the Devils are here for my enjoyment, not as my punching bag. There are also other posters on this board who take a similar perspective.

But for a lot of you, there's just an incessant dissatisfaction with almost everything that happens with the organization and an unwillingness to enjoy anything. People on here treat the Devils like a co-dependent relationship, micro-managing every little detail about something they can't control. Even when the team was successful this was still the case (people b****** the majority of the 11-12 season, before we had a good run at the end and in the playoffs).

 

[jerseydevil]

Of course not. I am not happy with the product on the ice, but I don't lose sleep over it because the Devils are here for my enjoyment, not as my punching bag. There are also other posters on this board who take a similar perspective.

But for a lot of you, there's just an incessant dissatisfaction with almost everything that happens with the organization and an unwillingness to enjoy anything. People on here treat the Devils like a co-dependent relationship, micro-managing every little detail about something they can't control. Even when the team was successful this was still the case (people b****** the majority of the 11-12 season, before we had a good run at the end and in the playoffs).

wow. a good dose of reality is a beautiful thing..well written.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Of course not. I am not happy with the product on the ice, but I don't lose sleep over it because the Devils are here for my enjoyment, not as my punching bag. There are also other posters on this board who take a similar perspective.

But for a lot of you, there's just an incessant dissatisfaction with almost everything that happens with the organization and an unwillingness to enjoy anything. People on here treat the Devils like a co-dependent relationship, micro-managing every little detail about something they can't control. Even when the team was successful this was still the case (people b****** the majority of the 11-12 season, before we had a good run at the end and in the playoffs).

who says I lose sleep over this team? as I said, I have begun to care less and less about this team this season. yes, I still post about them/follow them daily, but I used to be a LOT worse.

message boards exist for the reason to discuss the team. what good would this place (or ANYWHERE with a forum on the internet) be without some adversarial opinions?

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

This is the time of year where Devils games kinda turn in to a win-win for me. If they win, awesome! And I think there's more than just good-feels at play there. Bringing Severson and Merrill and Larsson and Gelinas up in a competitive environment helps their development, IMO. Morale goes a long way when it comes to signing players, re-signing players, getting guys to buy in to long and short-term plans, it's honestly THE thing I love most about a team run by Lamoriello. Everyone knows the expectation is to win.

And if they lose, well....there's nothing wrong with a nice consolation prize now and again. And I still don't think there's a chance the Devils finish outside the top (bottom) 6 or 7.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

Of course not. I am not happy with the product on the ice, but I don't lose sleep over it because the Devils are here for my enjoyment, not as my punching bag. There are also other posters on this board who take a similar perspective.

But for a lot of you, there's just an incessant dissatisfaction with almost everything that happens with the organization and an unwillingness to enjoy anything. People on here treat the Devils like a co-dependent relationship, micro-managing every little detail about something they can't control. Even when the team was successful this was still the case (people b****** the majority of the 11-12 season, before we had a good run at the end and in the playoffs).

If your actually enjoying watching this sorry product night in and night out then your standards are REALLY low.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

I've kind of adjusted my stance on the whole winning games thing.

Yeah, you want a good draft pick because you want to bring in the BPA. But part of getting better as a team is winning games. Winning is cultural. So is losing. Nobody cares if you bring in talent and continue to lose (Oilers).

This whole 'culture' idea is so bogus. Edmonton sucks because their management is beyond inept, not because of some amorphous and assumptive idea like "winning culture".

If some fans like watching paint dry hockey in the name of 15 extra points that have no tangible impact outside of sliding that draft pick further downward, then hey...times are good.

And to be clear, my issue isn't winning per se. You play to win. It's the idea that these points provide some abstract value. They don't, and seeing anti-hockey employed in order to acheive it makes me irritated.

 

[DevilsFanInFla]

I can understand the frustration from a lot of people with this team. Hell, I am frustrated but not to a point where I don't try to see what I hope the bigger picture it. We've gone back to a very defensive minded level of play because with the personnel we have on offense, that's the only way we can win. Lou doesn't accept losing and I damn sure appreciate that. Look at Buffalo. Tell me that a losing culture doesn't wreck players, old and young alike. I work in mental health and I can tell you, when you are beaten down for so long, even professionally, it creeps in and can become a cancer real quick like. I think Lou is doing his best to make sure that element of it does not happen. While a few more wins might push us back a spot or two, it's not like we're looking at the difference between 1st and 2nd overall, with 2nd likely to get bumped down. From everything I have seen, Lou and company are finding out what we have and what works so the appropriate pieces can be obtained via trade/draft/FA. He full well knows that this team, as constructed, isn't going to do it but you need to know what you have in order to build the best team. I hope and think that's what he is doing and it's gonna mean some wins along the way and I am fine with that.

 

[NJDevs26]

I've completely accepted the fact that the Devils will never crack the top 5 in the Draft.

It should be BPA all the way (if they don't trade down) no matter where they pick.

BPA gets a lot less important the further down you get in the first round IMO. It's one thing to take the top defenseman from 3-5 if he's the BPA but if you're choosing between the sixth defenseman and the sixth forward at pick 11, I'd go more for need unless there's a REAL difference between the two talentwise.

 

[Emperoreddy]

BPA gets a lot less important the further down you get in the first round IMO. It's one thing to take the top defenseman from 3-5 if he's the BPA but if you're choosing between the sixth defenseman and the sixth forward at pick 11, I'd go more for need unless there's a REAL difference between the two talentwise.

It depends if you hit one of the talent gulfs that happen at certain levels.

Hypothetically if Hanafin was available at 6th. So your BPA was Hanafin and Zacha. You have to take Hanafin because there is a pretty big talent gap. There are no reports anywhere that have Zacha having the ceiling that Hanafin has.

But if you have BPA that has werkenski and Barzal with werkenski as BPA. You take Barzal because there isn't much of a talent difference and need overrides BPA.

 

[Brodeur]

ISS February Top 30: http://www.isshockey.com/iss-top-30-released-february-2/

Crouse leapfrogs Hanifin for #3. [/outrage]

 

[Emperoreddy]

ISS February Top 30: http://www.isshockey.com/iss-top-30-released-february-2/

Crouse leapfrogs Hanifin for #3. [/outrage]

I have no idea what ISS is seeing where you put Crouse at 3.

But if the team picking at #3 want to get stupid and overreach they can go for it. Could help us down the road.

 

[Bps21*]

"Look at Buffalo. Tell me that a losing culture doesn't wreck players, old and young alike."

I guess we will find out. God knows the Penguins never recovered. Twice.

 

[Emperoreddy]

This whole 'culture' idea is so bogus. Edmonton sucks because their management is beyond inept, not because of some amorphous and assumptive idea like "winning culture".

If some fans like watching paint dry hockey in the name of 15 extra points that have no tangible impact outside of sliding that draft pick further downward, then hey...times are good.

And to be clear, my issue isn't winning per se. You play to win. It's the idea that these points provide some abstract value. They don't, and seeing anti-hockey employed in order to acheive it makes me irritated.

Yet there constant losing is having an impact on their young players, and it is something their fanbase and writers have discussed.

I haven't heard anyone argue that their situation is helping Hall or Yak at all, but heard plenty that it is hurting them.

 

[Brodeur]

Looks like ISS had Crouse at #3 after last month's rankings as well.

 

[MadDevil]

Watch Crouse turn into the next great power forward with how much we run him down.

 

[MichaelJ]

Planning for the future? You say that as if anyone on this forum has any influence on what actually happens in the future for the Devils.

No one wants to face a reality where we're mediocre to below average for an extended period - it has to be tank now, get the best draft pick and be good quicker. That is definitely about instant gratification. Even if we suck for a year or two, you can all salivate about the Eichel or Strome or Marner we get and what that means for the future. Harder to do that with Pavel Zacha.



You actually are accepting it, because you keep watching the games and posting about the team every day. Given that you keep watching mediocre product and have no hope of changing anything yourself, how do you see yourself as not accepting it?

I just find the attitude around here to be pretty piss poor. No one seems to be grateful that we have a local hockey team to watch (we could have gone the way of Atlanta at least once before), or that we saw a streak of success in the early 90s to the late 00s that is rivaled by only one or two teams in professional sports.

No one likes losing, I just sense a tremendous lack of perspective by our fanbase (and many people on HF Boards in general).

Of course we can't control it or have any input in the decision making. But as you said, this is entertainment. Currently, a lot of us find thinking about and discussing the possibilities of the future a lot more entertaining than the product currently out there.

There are a number of things to like about this year, but you can find silver linings in almost any season, even the most terrible. So what? Get off your high horse about what individual fans should be thankful for and expect. It's not for you or anyone else to determine. If you're happy just having a hockey team, kudos. The rest of us expect more...especially those of us who lived through the laughingstock days and have no desire to return to them.

 

[MichaelJ]

"Look at Buffalo. Tell me that a losing culture doesn't wreck players, old and young alike."

I guess we will find out. God knows the Penguins never recovered. Twice.

Neither did those Blackhawks.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Yet there constant losing is having an impact on their young players, and it is something their fanbase and writers have discussed.

I haven't heard anyone argue that their situation is helping Hall or Yak at all, but heard plenty that it is hurting them.

Losing isn't having an impact on Hall and Yakupov, Edmonton is having an impact on Hall and Yakupov. The "situation" you're referring to, is backwards management manifesting itself in terrible roster management and no-system, brain-dead coaching. Losing is the symptom, not the problem.

Somehow this culture is going to be cultivated in the next 30 games, but wasn't cultivated in the previous 50? Or for that matter the last two and a half years? Are you telling me losing teams have never developed players?

 

[MichaelJ]

This culture argument needs to be put to rest. Teams go through upswings and downswings. The 'culture' doesn't usually stay forever, it's always in a state of flux unless the team has awful management. The Oilers have a few high end forwards and nothing else...that's why they're losing. Buffalo doesn't have good enough players, they sell off what talent they have, and their young talent isn't ready yet.

If the Devils have some losing seasons while young players come up it's not going to damage them. If the universal truth was that young players can't develop under such conditions, no team would ever come out of a losing period because every young player they tried to develop would fail.

 

[Burner Account]

This whole 'culture' idea is so bogus. Edmonton sucks because their management is beyond inept, not because of some amorphous and assumptive idea like "winning culture".

If some fans like watching paint dry hockey in the name of 15 extra points that have no tangible impact outside of sliding that draft pick further downward, then hey...times are good.

And to be clear, my issue isn't winning per se. You play to win. It's the idea that these points provide some abstract value. They don't, and seeing anti-hockey employed in order to acheive it makes me irritated.

I really don't think it's any different than your work culture or my work culture. After all, this is their job, right?

Culture is the tone that's set at work every day. It's the difference between wanting to come in to work and not. If you're part of a losing culture, maybe you stop caring. Maybe you just take a lot less pride in your work. If you don't like where you are, it can ruin every single day for you, and that can rub off on your colleagues.

Win and you gain confidence. And who doesn't want to come in to work when they're succeeding and confident?

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

People speak of Reagan's Rhetoric as if it were Gospel. His actions are another thing.

If you don't think, Culture matters than you haven't really worked for a company or outfit that taught it. IE Nordstrom's, etc.

But yet, when they ask Dean and Luc what they did in LA they cite Jersey as a blueprint of a winning culture. But I'll take Devils fans word over actual hockey people that culture and winning don't matter.

 

[HughJazz3dg]

I have a question about the draft lottery.

Is it still the same as the year we got Larsson? Or can anyone in the lottery get the first pick?

 

[NJDevs26]

I have a question about the draft lottery.

Is it still the same as the year we got Larsson? Or can anyone in the lottery get the first pick?

Nope it's far different. Then you could only jump four slots by winning the lottery. Now any of the non-playoff teams can get the top pick.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I have a question about the draft lottery.

Is it still the same as the year we got Larsson? Or can anyone in the lottery get the first pick?

Any non playoff team can get the 1st pick and the odds have increased outside of 30th in the league.

Next year it changes again with the 2nd overall getting put up to chance.