2017-18 Devils grades

[tr83]

Hall - A+ What else can I say about the guy. Still can't believe we got this guy for Larsson straight up

Hischier - A He's everything we needed

Bratt - A I didn't even know he was a prospect at the start of training camp. Dude become 1RW

MoJo - C Probably won't be a favorite take, but I think he was OK at best. I had higher hopes for him. I think he's replaceable

Zacha - C+ He needs to get on the scoresheet more often and get better in the circle. If he becomes Zajac's replacement, I'd be happy.

Zajac - B Not his best season, but after taking a long time to shake off the rust, he was back to his old form.

Palmieri - B-ish Henrique who doesn't pass as well but shoots a lot better

Henrique - B- Same guy different year.

Coleman - A- Madden 2.0?

Maroon - B Zubrus 2.0 but man he's so slow

Noesen - B A better version of Carter. Solidified the checking line by creating space for Zajac and Coleman

Gibbons - A Better than advertised. Considering he was just a minor league roster filler, he was our best PKer on many nights. Really helped team speed.

Grabner - F Was he a Rangers mole? He was an awful passenger who look lost out there most nights. Couldn't even get an ENG, his specialty

Wood - B+ Bettman took is mojo by suspending him which is why he doesn't get an A, but he didn't look dumb and he found a scoring touch.

Stafford - F Shades of Michael Ryder.

Hayes - D Scored a goal that any sniper would be proud of, but that's it

Greene - F He was not the at minimum 2D we needed him to be this year. He played like 6D on many nights

Vatanen - B+ A much needed minutes eater. Had a bad slump, but he had nearly as many points as Henrique did.

Lovejoy - F This guy is a 7D at best. Should join Brian Strait in the minors

Moore - C Great start but horrendous finish which is why he gets a C instead of a D

Severson - D IMO, took a step back. He was a nightmare on the ice most nights. Needs a new coach who can straighten him out.

Butcher - A Best season for a Devils rookie D. He never looked lost in the D zone most nights. I thought he was too sheltered

Mueller - B- I didn't think he was an NHL caliber player, but wasn't that bad. Should have never been scratched for LJ.

Santini - D He wasn't good when he was here. Had a hard time getting the puck away from the other team.

Schneider - F Got worse as the year went on. I hope the playoffs fixed him

Kinkaid - A- All because of @glenwo2



Hynes - C Still not a fan of his. He's better than quite a few coaches in this league, but I think he's a wimp and is a headcase with personnel decisions. His players play hard for him so I can't ding him there

Ward - C- The PP looks incredible one night then bush league for two nights. He's not very creative. He can be upgraded

Nasreddine - F I f***ing hate this guy. Not one defenseman has improved during his tenure. In fact, Greene and Severson have regressed under his tutelage. I still don't know why he has his defensemen chase the forwards up high to leave a forward down low to take on forwards. I think his system exposed Schneider.

Shero - A The Vatanen trade was excellent, Maroon and Grabner were good trades on paper. Got Butcher to sign here. Gibbons was a nice surprise. Finding good players in the late rounds has been so critical in upgrading the system. Hopefully these guys start cracking the lineup next year.

Click to read more...

 

[glenwo2]

Hall - Nico - Bratt = A+

Hall - Nico - Anyone else NOT named Bratt = F+

Now let's dance.

 

[Satans Hockey]

Grabner is a f***ing loser.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I am no Nas fan, but to give him a F, while giving rookie D Butcher a A is rather laughable.

That is a take divorced from logic. Who do you think was coaching Butcher all year?

 

[tr83]

I am no Nas fan, but to give him a F, while giving rookie D Butcher a A is rather laughable.

That is a take divorced from logic. Who do you think was coaching Butcher all year?

Butcher was as good at the beginning of the year as he was at the end.

 

[Davegarri]

Hall - A+ Just a beast. I love this man.

Hischier - A I can't wait to see this kid when he puts on some muscle

Bratt - B+ Great first year for him, just seemed exhausted in the second half. Excited to see how he does next year.

MoJo - C+ He was injured a lot this year so its tough to rate him without consistent play. Hope he bounces back.

Zacha - C- Improved defensively, but I still think he's awful offensively. Just has failed to get on the score sheet as much as he should.

Zajac - B great defensively as always. Seemed to have lost a step though.

Palmieri - B Looked lost a lot this year, especially 5v5. Hope he gets better next year.

Coleman - A what a fantastic year from him. Great 4th liner that could slide up and still fit in if necessary. One of the best PKers we've had in a long time.

Maroon - B So many offsides and so slow, but he's good down low and in the corners. Definitely helped the PP with his screens.

Noesen - B+ Solid year from him, definitely improved, similar to Coleman's review, but not as good a pker.

Gibbons - B+ Fantastic PKer, great bottom-6 guy. Very fast and very smart player.

Grabner - F f*** this guy.

Wood - B Terrible hands still but definitely got better. He needs his edge back, he was very timid after the suspension and that really hurt him.

Boyle - B- Very inspirational and started the year on a tear, but he fell off a cliff and for as big as he is man he is soft.

Stafford - C- I expected not much from him. At least he helped in the shootout sort of.

Hayes - D See above minus the shootout part. Funny good locker room guy. Hope the best for him and I hope he gets into t.v.

Greene - F Just awful this year so many failed clears, turnovers, and missed assignments.

Vatanen - A- Our best defenseman this year after we picked him up. Hope his head is alright.

Lovejoy - F Boo this man

Moore - C Dumb as rocks, started off great, but then he sucked once December came around.

Severson - D No hockey IQ, took a big step back. Hope we can sign Carlson so he becomes expendable.

Butcher - A Immensely helped the PP and was actually decent 5 on 5. Needs to get faster, but overall I'm very happy with his play.

Santini - C I didn't think he was that bad this year but he wasn't good either. I'd like to see him get more physical like we know he can be.

Schneider - C+ I think he's still sort of hurt, wouldn't be surprised to see him get a minor surgery this off-season. Defense didn't help him much either.

Kinkaid - B+ Started terrible but he saved our season. Hope he does well next year.


Coaches

Hynes - B Decent year for him as a coach. He needs better assistants.

Ward - C- God awful PP, but decent PK with the terrible dmen he has to work with.

Nasreddine - D- Dont know what the f*** this guy is doing. Don't know his defensive strategy. Everyone is lost out there and has gotten a lot worse under him. I want him gone.

Shero - A- Made a lot of good moves, with Grabner as the exception, but no one expected him to be a complete waste of space.

 

[None Shall Pass]

All grades are relative to expectations from the player.

Hall: A+ - MVP. Duh.

Hischier: A- - Excellent rookie year. Will be a legit #1 center. Needs to gain 20lbs.

Bratt: B+ - Excellent for a 6th round tiny guy. Needs to work on consistency and defense.

MoJo: B - Legitimately good 2nd liner. Unfortunate injuries kept him from gaining steam. Was awesome in the playoffs.

Zacha: D+ - Doesn't create offense. Plays timid too often. Gets down on himself too easily. Needs to shoot more and be less timid.

Zajac: B+ - Took a while to get back to form. Still great defensively. Playoff beast.

Palmieri: B- - Sorta a meh year for him. Great one-timers on the PP, though.

Coleman: A - A legitimately good, gritty bottom-six enegery guy. Love him.

Maroon: B+ - Big dude for the PP-net front, cycle machine. I hope he comes back.

Noesen: A- - Was impressed by him many a time this season. Another solid bottom-six guy, who has flashes of skill that impress.

Gibbons: B+ - The offense sorta disappeared, but the defense didn't. Quick, tenacious guy. I like him.

Grabner: I don't know what to grade him. He played like he always plays, just wasn't a fit in our system.

Wood: B - Another guy who tapered off, in my opinion. He keeps getting better, though. I think next year is crucial for him.

Stafford: D - Who cares.

Hayes: C - I mean, he did what what he was supposed to do. He's slow though.

Boyle: B- - Another guy who played as advertised. Pest in the playoffs. Sick hands occasionally. Just a little too slow.


Greene: C+ - I think at this point he's not a top-pairing guy, but he's not terrible either. In a perfect world, he'd be 2nd or 3rd pair.

Vatanen: A - Legitimate top-pairing d-man, good on both sides of the ice.

Lovejoy: B- - He's still a legitimate bottom-pair/7th D; Can't fault him directly for being overplayed, kinda like Greene in that regard.

Moore: B - Better year than last year, suffered by having to cover for Severson most of the time. Legitimate 3-on-3 weapon.

Severson: C - Offense slightly regressed, defense definitively regressed. I sometimes wonder if he has a brain. When he isn't shooting directly into the bodies of defenders he is making bad pinches or looking the wrong way on defense. Occasionally he has a game where he is the best player on the backend.

Butcher: A - I didn't think he'd be a big deal. I was wrong and dumb. He's a legitimate offensive threat, runs the PP well and is adequate defensively.

Mueller: B+ - Definitely better than advertised. I think he needs consistent playing time. There's a solid, unimpressive mid-pairing d-man in there if he plays more.

Santini: B - Played decent, got overmatched, got sent down. He'll be back next year.


Schneider: C+ - Injuries were hard on him this year. Insane playoffs. He'll be back next year and playing well.

Kinkaid: A - Great backup, stepped up when he needed to, tweetgame strong.

 

[Bleedred]

Grabner is a ****ing loser.

 

[Bleedred]

Hall - A++++++++++++ Still can't believe we got him for a #4 defenseman straight up.

Hischier - A. Couldn't have really asked for more from him. He might have produced over 60 points with a couple more minutes per game and some more power play points.

Bratt - B. Hit the wall hard later in the season. Really couldn't ask for more from a 6th round pick from a year before this season started.

Mojo - C+. Kind of a down-ish year from him before he was injured. I think he'll be pretty good for us next year.

Zacha - C+. Needs to score a little bit more, but he wasn't bad. Has a hard time finishing, it even reared it's head today. Still way better than Josefson, who he even gets compared to.

Zajac - B-. Really rough start to his season. 20 abysmal games, but looked a lot better when relegated to 3C and was pretty strong after his first 20 games.

Palmieri - B-. Would have liked to see him score more at even strength. Didn't score enough at even strength this year.

Coleman - A-. Exceeded my expectations by a whole lot. One of our best PK'ers and finishing was a problem for him early, but he scored a bunch of goals to end the season and tilt the percentages a bit the other way.

Maroon - A-. Fit in really well here, but he might get a stupid contract in UFA.

Noesen - A-. One of the most underappreciated Devils this season. Plays a good, responsible game and even scored a few memorable goals late in regulation, including in the playoffs in game 3.

Gibbons - B-. Tailed off a lot at the end of the season after he came back from injury. Still a very pleasant surprise.

Grabner - F-----------------. The unanimous choice for Space Junk award this season. Undisputed Space Junk of the year. Never wanna see him here again, hope a division rival signs him to a stupid f***ing contract. Invisible much? His last two years of scoring with the Rangers was one of the biggest FLUKE stories in the entire league. I'd rather sign Ken Sutton next year than him.

Wood - B. Major improvement from last year. Scored a pretty good amount for the minutes he played and not much power play time.

Stafford - D. Only gets a D for the shootout. He was terrible outside of the first 10-15 games. Threw a rod and grenaded Doubt he plays in the NHL again.

Hayes - D. Just not good enough. Wouldn't be surprised if he never plays in the NHL again, unless he's called up from the AHL somewhere.

Boyle - B-. Probably deserves a higher grade for what he played through this year, not just with his own health problems, but his son's as well. He produced way over his head early on and it caught up to him and that's why he barely scored in the second half. Still way better than almost any of our bottom 6 guys from the last several years. He wasn't overused too much, except for on the power play. They gave him way too much power play time, even months after it stopped working.

Greene - D. And he gets a D just for effort. He tried, but he's finished. Maybe he has a year or two left of being a #6 defenseman, but he's cooked. He's blowing a lot of smoke. I guess run him till he blows? That might not be much longer and if we play him nearly as many minutes next year, he might keel over by December. He was worse this year than Lovejoy was in that role last year. That's really saying something. Him playing as many minutes as he did was the biggest problem with the team this year.

Vatanen - A-. Started off very strong, but tapered off at the end. Probably seeing the effects from carrying 181 pounds of pure deadweight in Greene for so many months.

Lovejoy - C. He's just whatever. Improved from last year and playing in a more suitable role, but that's about it.

Moore - C-. He was okay this year, but don't want him back at all. This better have been his last game here. We need to upgrade on D and can't do that bringing him back. Or we're just bringing him back to bring him back. It's a numbers game and he's easiest to get rid of because he's a UFA and doesn't need to be brought back.

Severson - B-. Took a step back from last year a bit. Still one of the best defensemen on the team.

Butcher - A. Probably deserved to play more. ATE up and completely feasted on weaker competition, but can he play well against top competition? I think so. Hope to find out next year.

Mueller - C-. Too back and forth. Played great for a stretch there, but really struggled the last few games he played.

Santini - D. It wasn't his fault he was overused by the staff. I don't think he played quite as bad as his relative corsi indicated, that number seemed to be a bit of an anomaly. Not saying he played much better than it, but that number was almost like a goalie having an .850% save percentage over 30 games or however many he played. Might have been pretty good on the bottom pairing, like he was last year.

Schneider - C-. Was going to give him a D, but I think him being our best player in the playoffs (even though it was only 3.5 games) really deserves a bit of a bump in grade. Especially since it was so visibly obvious he played these games injured, as his recovery time was almost non-existent these last few games. He really NEEDS to be better than a .907%-.908% goalie next year though. We can't afford that and his contract and presence on the team becomes a huge albatross if that continues.

Kinkaid - B. Looked like he was ready to wash out of the league after this year or next, but really rose to the occasion to save his NHL career and our season in the end. I'm grading on a bell curve here and he's a backup, so that's why I gave him the significantly higher grade than Cory.

Hynes - C. Still not sold on him. He's not a very good head coach, but he also may not be nearly as bad as I thought coming into this year. Still resorts to playing not to lose too much and using shutdown guys to hold a lead. Really deserves credit for saying enough is enough and going with Keith to end the season and not trying to play Cory out of his funk. We needed every single point just to get in the playoffs and Cory wasn't getting it done late in the season there.

Ward - D+. Don't see much positive that he did that any average power play coach couldn't have also done.

Nasreddine - C. Not really sure what to give him, but nothing great and nothing terrible either.

Clowe - Don't know enough about what exactly his job is on the coaching staff.

Melanson - Not sure what to give him. Cory stayed the same and that's really not on him, as this started before he got here and took over this post. Might just be because Cory's skills have eroded. Maybe he helped Keith turn his season around? Who knows?

Shero - A.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Not a grade thing, but I expect to hear a few guys were not close to 100% health wise after exit interviews on Monday.

Cory I suspect has been nursing something. I don’t think Palms is right at all, which isnt shocking as he got banged around badly this year.

Good news with Vats is he at least as all offseason to heal his concussion up.

 

[tr83]

Not a grade thing, but I expect to hear a few guys were not close to 100% health wise after exit interviews on Monday.

Cory I suspect has been nursing something. I don’t think Palms is right at all, which isnt shocking as he got banged around badly this year.

Good news with Vats is he at least as all offseason to heal his concussion up.

Palms seems to have a foot issue because NHLers don't go from being average skaters to bad skaters. He fell a lot.

I'm hoping Greene has been nursing something all year. He has blocked an awful lot of shots over the last couple of years.

 

[MadDevil]

Palms seems to have a foot issue because NHLers don't go from being average skaters to bad skaters. He fell a lot.

I'm hoping Greene has been nursing something all year. He has blocked an awful lot of shots over the last couple of years.

Palmieri definitely hasn't looked right since he broke his foot. Plus how many other times this year has he caught a puck or stick in a bad spot? He seems to be a magnet for it.

 

[theoptimist]

Palmieri definitely hasn't looked right since he broke his foot. Plus how many other times this year has he caught a puck or stick in a bad spot? He seems to be a magnet for it.

Yes. I noticed that as well. He’s also a terrible neutral zone player.

 

[Billdo]

I'm too lazy to type out all of the players and do a little write up. I'll just do something quick. Taylor Hall single handedly carried this team and is the only one deserving of getting an A+. Nico and Butcher in my opinion should get A's. They exceeded expectations, Butcher for sure, and played very well for kids. Zajac gets an A- as I feel he was really good when he finally settled into the role he should've had for the last few years.

 

[Darkauron]

Yeah I expect the team to announce that like Cory and palms are going to have surgery our announce their injuries or what held them back this year. I am going to do a small write up not on grades but on my surprise players for the year.

 

[glenwo2]

Not a grade thing, but I expect to hear a few guys were not close to 100% health wise after exit interviews on Monday.

Cory I suspect has been nursing something. I don’t think Palms is right at all, which isnt shocking as he got banged around badly this year.

Good news with Vats is he at least as all offseason to heal his concussion up.

Well Cory was recovering from a Groin injury so there's that.

 

[glenwo2]

Hall - A+ Without him, we're a lottery team still, PERIOD.


Hischier - A Lived up to how a #1 pick SHOULD be; very impressive



Bratt - A Came out of literally nowhere (162nd pick of the 2016 draft) to become one of the most promising young players aside from Nico on the Devils; Shero and Castron really hit the Jackpot with him in 2016.



MoJo - B+ When he was healthy prior to him getting Marchand'd(grrrrr!!), he was one of the few Devils who could gain the zone without dumping the puck; this was extremely important especially when it came to the PP.

When he was out, it made things a bit more difficult for the Devils even though they fought through it and got it done. Bottom Line : Devils are better with him than without him.



Zacha - C+ Disappointment in my eyes. He did improve somewhat this season but his seemingly lack of aggressiveness at times combined with his inability(mostly) to score goals is glaring, especially with someone who is supposed to be the 6th overall pick in the 2015 draft.

Time is beginning to run out on him and I hope he improves even more next season to the point where he's actually contributing to the team winning games more often than he has this season.

I truly want him to succeed here.



Zajac - A- Why the A-? Because I don't judge players based on them being injured and out for an extended period of time. When Zajac was on the ice, his metamorphosis into a 3rd line Center turned out to be an abolute boon for this team.

With him on the 3rd line, FINALLY he was in the position we all thought he belonged to and his play showed it.

He also developed quite the mean streak as well in the Clint Eastwood "Get Off My Lawn" way with him getting in the face of opposing players, annoying Sidney Crosby, and beating up Gudas.



Palmieri - B He was alright for a stretch when Bratt was struggling(and had to be removed from the first line) but overall, he could've done just a bit more offensively as I felt he left a few more goals out there that he should've gotten.



Henrique - B- Rico was ok up to the point where he was dealt for Vats.

I will always be grateful for 2012 against the Rags. ALWAYS.



Coleman - A- Another damn surprise out of nowhere, at least in my eyes. I viewed Coleman as just another one of our prospects that we hoped would develop and contribute as a regular NHL'er.

What he did was become one of our most effective 3rd line players who evokes memories of John "Mad Dog" Madden with his play.

With now playoff experience under his belt, he can only get better as he matures further and I look forward to that.



Maroon - B Surprised me with how good his hands were but I can lace up the skates and skate faster than him. His skating speed is what is hampering his ability to contribute more than he did.

Plus, it was a detriment against a high-flying offense like the Bolts.

I still would like Shero to re-sign him as he had proven to be a big body who continuously parks his ass in front of the Goaltender, in particular on the PP.



Noesen - B+ Never even heard of Noesen prior to this season. Now I'll never forget him. lol.

He was so damn effective on that line with coleman, it was uncanny.

Of course it helped that both played together in the past. Plus, he seems to have such a wicked slap shot from the point that he doesn't use that often.

Hoping to see more of him as the next season rolls around.



Gibbons - B+ Some say he was "better than advertised" but for me, like Noesen, I never even heard of him before. But man...PRIOR to his injury, he was a PK-killing dynamo that could net you a Shorty in the blink of an eye.

He was also a great PEST for the opposing team with him getting into passing lanes and disrupting their flow. After the injury, however, he wasn't the same and perhaps he wasn't 100% both physically AND MENTALLY when he came back which could have played a role in his Non-Impact.

Still, I hope he gets his mojo back next season as he's really fun to watch.



Grabner - F- If there was a grade that was lower, I would've put it up there. What an absolute BUST this clown was!!

Even the role we EXPECTED him to excel in, he underachieved at. Please dump him at your earliest convenience, Shero.

We've all had enough of this Rags mole.



Wood - B+ Was amazing this season prior to his suspension. He needs to find a way to stay aggressive without being reckless and he's slowly finding that balance.

I think Wood will be just fine going forward. And man...that speed. THAT SPEED.



Stafford - F----- Stafford was such a waste of space this season. He did NOTHING to hurt the Devils but did NOTHING to help them either. Hope this is the last time I see him in a Devils uniform.



Hayes - F Speaking of "waste of space".....



Greene - C- This was not the same Andy Greene we've known. Sadly, it seems that he appears to have come toward the end of the road as a Top-line D-man.

So next season, he either has to move down a line or two....OR call it a career. He had a lot of trouble and made too many uncharacteristic mistakes on the ice.

I hope he can rebound next season but the bottom line is that I'm only giving him a C- 'cause the others(LoveJoy, Moore, Etc.) were much worse than him.




Vatanen - A- This was TRULY a terrific trade done by Shero. He played so well in masking our D-man deficiencies with his own play and helped the Devils get by.

Once he was Kucherov'd (Grrrrrr!!), we all saw how horrid the D was without him. If Hall is the MVP of the team, Vats is the MVP of the Defense.

Hope he takes all the time in the world now and gets healthy 'cause we are going to need him going forward.



Lovejoy - F This clown is the MVP.....for all Opposing teams as he does more to help THEM than he does the Devils. Get him out of here!



Moore - C Aside from his OT heroics, his Defensive play was as mediocre as you can get. In fact at times it was at the same Gong-show level as Ben LoveJoy's.

The only reason I put a C grade with him was BECAUSE of those OT Heroics. That said, I wouldn't shed a tear if he was replaced going forward.





Severson - D This was NOT what we expected from Sevs this season. I don't know what else can be done with him.

If you're a young player and you're NOT listening to your Head coach, then there's nothing more that can be done aside from giving up on you and wishing you well on your future endeavors.

I would say perhaps another Head coach might get through to him but Sevs has GOT to *want* to listen 'cause he sure as hell isn't doing that with Hynes.




Butcher - A The Best Rookie D-man, bar none. Set Devils records and was a damn good PP QB for the Powerplay. Had a huge PP goal in the playoffs as well.

And the best part? He can only get better. To quote Bart Scott : "Can't Wait."




Mueller - B- eh. He was alright when he played and did more good than players like Stafford, Lovejoy and the other retreads.

Wouldn't mind if he returned next season but wouldn't mind if he didn't. It's a coin-flip for me.





Santini - C Some say he wasn't good when he got here. I say he wasn't getting a fair chance to play regularly and GET BETTER.

Severson did get his chance but wasn't LISTENING. I think Santini would've been more receptive to Hynes, had he been given all the rope that Severson got instead of just being scratched(or was he in the minors?). I give him a C.




Schneider - B+ Before the Groin injury, he was above-average to, at times, borderline-elite. But afterward, he struggled mightily and almost cost us our chance for the playoffs.

The last two games he played(in the playoffs) was very encouraging to see as it seems that his injury woes were behind him.

Here's to hoping for a bounceback year next season as we will need him going forward.




Kinkaid - A+

What did YOU all think I was going to put?





Hynes - B+ Overall, it was a very good season for him, plus his players(sans Severson) LISTEN to him and play hard for him.

All that said however, the personnel decisions he has made left most of us scratching our heads more often than not.

In fact, his decision to not play Jesper Bratt the first 4 games of the playoffs while instead playing Stafford is the ultimate headscratcher. And for those that bring up the idea that playing Bratt on the 4th line won't help matters, did you all see what Hynes did when he benched Stafford? Was Bratt put on the 4th line? NO HE WASN'T. He simply moved Palms(who was ineffective) down a line and put Bratt back where he should've been at the start of the playoffs : With Hall and Nico on that first line.

It doesn't matter whether Bratt "deserved" to be on the 1st line or not, the fact remains is that he, Hall, and Nico have the *best* chemistry of any line on the Devils.

Now would the Devils had won the series with him there? Probably not but then again...we will never know now, will we? Because Hynes, despite his desire to do that "Fast, Attacking, Supporting" mantra of his, elected to go with long-tired "Veteran over the rookie" route which, if you look at it in a vacuum, wasn't a bad idea but when the Veteran has done absolutely nothing all season while the rook had(at least in the first half), then you can see how bad a decision that was.

And Bratt proved that in Game 5 and I bet Hynes is 2nd guessing himself and saying "If only I had played Bratt instead...." right now.





Ward - D & Nasreddine - D

'D' stands for Dumb and the other stands for Dumber.




Shero - A Excellent Job this season. Only reason I didn't give him an A+ is because of Grabner busting.

And while that doesn't seem fair, I'm going by what impact(if any) those trades have made with the Devils.

Looking forward to seeing if he can do some more magic and perhaps.....perhaps.....nab us a Carlson...or....TAVARES?

 

[Devil X]

Never really done one of these so, why not.

Hall - A++ w/extra credit. This guy was the whole team at points of the season. Not enough can be said for what he did this year.

Nico - A+ Kid came in as a 18-19 year old and played 82 games as a first line center in the best league in the world, after only have 1 season on small ice. Put up 50+ points and did it will being responsible in his own end, oh and it appeared he got better as faceoffs toward the end of the season. He might not be one of the generational superstars of the last few drafts but he sure will be in that group right below an elite center.

Bratt - B+ I love Bratt, I have his jersey for craps sake. I loved what he did this year, clearly the season was long for him and he was pretty tired. I only didnt give him an A because of the last half of the season. Hopefully that gets corrected going into next season because this kid has some nice skill and smarts to go with it.

MarJo - B+ When MarJo played and going get into the flow of the game he was very valuable to this team. Hopefully he stays healthy next season because i think he could be our 3rd best forward and also be a catalyst on a line and really help drive it. Mainly because of the way he can carry the puck.

Zacha - C But its a C only because he didnt show the offense i was hoping for. He Defensive game was on point most of the season. Zacha is a weird case, i like him and i do believe he will become a good NHL player. Some of this shots he took were very good but just missed the net or were just a touch low and the goalie got it. He needs to work on his accuracy, if he does that he will be much more effective.

Zajac - B Love Zajac, some people around here dont respect how effective he really is. He found a nice role he can ride out till the end of his career and he is good at it. He is much more important to this team then most here realize.

Palmieri - B Palms was on his normal pace and played how he normally plays. Wish he didnt miss those 20 games. Again he is another player people are devaluing for no reason. He is a 1st/2nd line tweeter who is a 30 goal scorer and a bit streaky. Thats what he was to us this year as well.

Coleman - A+ This kid was flat our impressive pretty much all year. I love what he brings night in and night out.

Maroon - B Love his role on the PP, he just looked so calm in that spot. Something we havent had in years. He might be slow but because if his big body and PP ability and his surprisingly good hands we should bring him back next season.

Noesen - B+ His grade is more about what i expected and what he delivered. I expected a 13th forward maybe soild 4th line guy, what i got was a 3rd line checker who scored some pretty important goals during the season. He and Coleman were great with Zajac. Hopefully he can build on his season.

Gibbons - B- Im not sure, I loved him early in the season because he was scoring goals like crazy, but he cooled off and from that point forward he just lost his luster with me. I felt like others could be just as effective on the PK as him next year. He was needed this year but i think he is expendable next year.

Grabner - D I hoped he would come in and bring more speed but it didnt happen. Hey sometimes things dont work out.

Wood - A- Kid almost got to 20 goals. Has an edge to his game and seems to keep improving. I didnt expect anything more then a 4th line energy guy and about 10 goals. He proved i was wrong, go he gets a higher grade.

Stafford - D I didnt expect much from him, he was a late signing and in my eyes a depth signing.

Hayes - D Same as Stafford.

Greene - B- While Greene didnt have a great year, it was also about his utilization not just him, thats on the coaching staff and GM. Then again there was no one else to take his high end minutes away. Greene is the Captain and i believe very well respected on the team, like Zajac he is much more important then WE as fan realize.

Vatanen - A Was one of the guys we needed, did very well after a rough few first games. Like what he brings and who he is. I think he will be even better next season.

Lovejoy - C- Ahhh Lovejoy, He has a nice stretch of games in the middle of the season. I dont think he is as bad as some people do, but i do think he is best suited for a 7th Dman role and filling in from time to time for the rest of his time with the Devils.

Moore - C Moore is what he is, inconsistent on D and shows flashes of being the next Bobby Orr on offense. I think it might be time to move on from him we have others Im more interested in. The "Moore You Know" promo was well thought out.

Severson - C- Seves had a weird year, looked good then bad. Seemed inconsistent, its almost like he is struggling with his identity as an NHL player. For a while he focuses on D and his O disappears, then his O comes around and defense suffers. Hopefully he figures it out because he has the talent to be a good one.

Butcher - A+ Butcher surprised the hell out of me. I did not expect to see what we did all season. For a kid just coming out of college he didnt seem out of place or overwhelmed by and stretch. Needs a bit more work on his D and hopefully he can work a little with a skating coach but honestly, damn impressed.

Mueller - B- He has some impressive run of games, before his injury and then even a little after his injury. Love his skating ability I think he could be a solid Dman down the line.

Santini - C Santini was put in a bad spot. He can play D but was bot ready to be on a shutdown line against teams best players. He has the ability to be that but not right away. Then it became a numbers game and waiver game. I do believe his time in the AHL will make him better next season.

Schneider - C+ Cory had a rough time after the injury and Keith played so well he never got to correct his issues. But the Cory we are all used to was on display in those last 2 playoff games. Hopefully that gets him going for next season.

Kinkaid - A Keith came in late in the season was was AMAZING. Frankly if someone calls about a trade we might want to listen, his value will never be higher then it is right now. He played amazing and deserves all the credit in the world for that. The question is what is a hot streak of did he jump up a level.?


Not a big fan of ranking the coaching staff and GM for that matter because there is a lot we dont see. Minor injuries that guys need rest for, how the team plays in practice and how the locker room is. All of this goes towards personnel decisions on a nightly basis. Hynes is no different then any other coach in the league, he's going to put players in that annoy you sometimes, seriously go read any other board, I PROMISE you coaches line choices will almost always be different then the fans. Its just the nature of the beast and the factors above come into play a lot more then we realize. Hynes also took a team most thought was going to be bad and got them to the playoffs, he rode his back-up goalie down the stretch when we were in a playoff race with his starter healthy. He left Nico on the top line as an 18-19 year old and gave Bratt a chance to play big minutes also. So him deciding to scratch Mueller for Lovejoy or switching out 4th line forwards frankly doesn't matter because it all worked and we made the playoffs. Shero did a great job even with the Grabner trade. Sometimes things dont work out the way you want them to. The biggest thing Shero did was MAKE THOSE 2 trades. That sends a message, one thats more important then the players you get in return. It was received and this team had a good second half.

 

[Bleedred]

Edited mine for easier reading.

 

[glenwo2]

Edited mine for easier reading.

Only because you saw mine and was like "You know what? Maybe I should put a few more spaces in-between my sentences and paragraphs".

 

[OmNomNom]

Butcher was as good at the beginning of the year as he was at the end.

 

[glenwo2]

Clowe - Don't know enough about what exactly his job is on the coaching staff.

Melanson - Not sure what to give him. Cory stayed the same and that's really not on him, as this started before he got here and took over this post. Might just be because Cory's skills have eroded. Maybe he helped Keith turn his season around? Who knows?

Hey, you're right!

Just what *IS* Clowe's job on this team? Fetching coffee for Hynes?



And Melanson..."helped" Keith turn his season around?

Ahem :

 

[Cheddabombs]

#NasIsActuallyGood?

 

[Jets012]

Based on expectations and performance:

Hall - A+ (Should win MVP enough said)
Nico - A (Going to be a fantastic player for a long-time)
Bratt - B+ (I hardly knew who he was at this time last year so for him to even make the team and put up points was awesome. Struggled a lot towards the end, but expectations wise he blew me away)
Noesen - A (Most under-appreciated player on the team. Fantastic possession player. Great defensively. Chipped in points wise. Every single person he played with did well when playing with him. Makes line-mates better. Must sign.)
Coleman - A- (Similar to Noesen, just not as good. Really stepped up and blew me away this year. Another must sign. Great player to have around. Love the two Texans).
Palmieri - C- (Had high expectations with him playing with Nico/Hall. He was alright possession wise, but he was allergic to scoring for long-stretches at even strength. That really hurt the team too. He's great on Power Play, but didn't do nearly enough at even-strength. Not nearly enough considering who he was playing with.
Wood - B+ (Would have been an A until he utterly disappeared the last 15 or so games and the playoffs. He was a mess last year and legitimately showed flashes of being an excellent possession player and was even scoring a lot at times this year. Should be a formidable bottom 6 for a long-time).
MoJo - C (Injury was unfortunate. He didn't help our Power Play which didn't help. He did a fine job scoring on the 5 on 5, but with the injuries we could have used him playing like a consistent top 6 player all year. Should be a lot better next year)
Boyle - D (Disappeared all of 2018. Thought he'd be a great bottom 6 center, but he really struggled even solely on the 4th line. He literally could not score once the year turned and he couldn't keep up with his teammates. Love the guy, but his play on the ice was bad.
Gibbons - B (Was excellent the first two months or so of the season. Struggled coming back. Knew the hot streak wasn't sustainable. Fun player to watch and gives a ton of effort, but he's pretty damn reckless at times and really struggles defensively/positionally as a result.
Grabner - F (If he's not scoring, he's not doing anything. He's actually a liability that's the thing about him. He didn't score at all when he was here and everyone was worse around him. Just a move that didn't work out.)
Maroon - B (Showed flashes of being the excellent player along the boards and possession player he could be. Wasn't consistent enough, but still a really solid player. We'll see if the price is right for him to return.
Zajac - C (Was awful to start the year. Like real bad. Once he got paired with Noesen and Coleman, he played quite well. But this is now a guy who needs to get carried by wingers at this point of his career. Not a good sign. Should be a 3rd/4th line center next year.
Zacha - C (He just cannot score. Had high hopes he would chip in more points with our newly acquired offensive depth. It never happened. Solid in other areas, but we really could have used him scoring more).
Hayes - D (Horrible possession and defensive player. Scored some lucky points which helped the team I guess)
Stafford - D- (Was mostly invisible most nights. Didn't work out.)

Defense:
Vatanen - B+ (With the role he was placed in, he was a massive upgrade over Santini. He didn't play like a legitimate top pairing defenseman (the stats and tape show that), but he's clearly a very solid #3 defenseman. He's much more important to this team than Henrique would be. Excellent trade by Shero)
Moore - D (Same stupid shit from him consistently. Must go. Can't play in the top 4 in this league. He's a black-hole possession wise unless carried by his partner)
Severson - B (Had really high expectations. After February or so when he was making Moore look passable and leading all defenseman in even strength goals, he looked fantastic. The wheels fell of the final 15-20 games or so and him and Moore became a massive problem together. Should/Will look better when he's not playing with an idiot on a daily basis. Easily the most ridiculed player on the site too)
Greene - C- (Just way too high of a role for him. He couldn't handle it. Not nearly good enough in the transition game and possession game to be a top pairing guy. He's solid in terms of limiting high-danger chances, but playing him top pairing minutes is a problem)
Butcher - A (Excellent on the Power Play. Was fantastic on the 5 on 5 too. Led the team in most possession/shot metrics. I understand he faced easy competition, but he dominated in that competition. I think we have a really solid long-term top 4 defenseman for us on the left side. He's a really nice player.
Mueller - C- (Eh. He can't do anything offensively. Wasn't great in the transition game. He's solid one on one defending, but this wasn't a guy that particularly impressed with the competition/minutes he was facing either. Might have a role on the bottom pairing next year)
Santini - D (Unfair to him, but he was a trainwreck on the top pairing. We were getting absolutely out-shot and bombarded when he was on the ice with Greene. People forget just how much the team at times struggled in the later portion of 2017 shot wise and Santini/Greene were the big culprits. Maybe can be a bottom pairing guy for us long-term as a solid net-front presence, but eh he really struggled.)
Lovejoy - B- (I mean, I had zero expectations for him, and I thought he was fine for the most part. Solid on the PK and okay receiving easy, bottom pairing minutes. I mean make no mistake, Butcher definitely carried him, but Lovejoy didn't f*** up like he usually did in years past.)

Goalies:
Schneider - D (High expectations and he sucked for most of the year. Was unplayable for almost all of 2018. Couldn't win with him)
Kinkaid - B- (I appreciate the run he went on where he looked fantastic. It helped us get to the playoffs. However, I'm not going to completely forget about the 10-15 game stretch where he flat out sucked and ruined our position in the standings. We lost a lot of games in some of his earlier starts solely because of him)

Coach:
Hynes - B- (He was better this year. I did agree with him realizing how bad Santini was playing and moving him to the AHL. I appreciate him recognizing that Nico/Hall were great together and that Noesen/Wood/Coleman became must plays. He still made some flat out baffling line decisions at times and he doesn't value possession nearly enough in his system. Hopefully he takes another step up next year since he was awful the year before.

 

[glenwo2]

Surprising how "forgiving" some are here for LoveJoy with the type of favorable grades he's been getting.

I want this clown out of here Pronto.