Damien Brunner

[JK3]

I fully agree with every one of your points... but he has a better deal and Ryder would get us a better return at the deadline IMO. If I had to pick between both players, I'd stick with Brunner mostly because we'd get something "solid" in return and wouldn't lose that big of a step with Brunner over Ryder in our lineup.

Oh no doubt Ryder would be the guy to move if we're done at the deadline.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

He may have been considered a sniper in Detroit but nothing I've seen here indicates that. I've never seen him find the soft spots or open areas like Ryder does (who needs zero room to get a good shot off).

I really can't tell what Brunner's good at other than have some speed but he's very lazy at times, just coasting out there. He takes some bad "lazy" penalties too which tells me he isn't busting his ass hard enough. I really don't think he fits into this team/system at all. He just throws a ton of bad angle crappy shots at the net when he's coming down the wall. He should be beating guys with his speed, getting behind them and to the net first like we saw at the beginning of the year but for the most part he's just been invisible.

I don't think you're wrong about Brunner, but I haven't really seen anything to indicate Ryder's any better. They're tied in points. Ryder has one more goal than Brunner, and 4 of his points have come on the powerplay compared to Brunner's 3. Now consider that Ryder plays a higher percentage of the team's PP minutes (53.7%) than everyone but Jagr and Zidlicky. The guy's not useless but he's just as deserving of criticism as Brunner, at this point, at least in my opinion.

 

[JK3]

I don't think you're wrong about Brunner, but I haven't really seen anything to indicate Ryder's any better. They're tied in points. Ryder has one more goal than Brunner, and 4 of his points have come on the powerplay compared to Brunner's 3. Now consider that Ryder plays a higher percentage of the team's PP minutes (53.7%) than everyone but Jagr and Zidlicky. The guy's not useless but he's just as deserving of criticism as Brunner, at this point, at least in my opinion.

Ryder is a pure sniper, you know what your getting with him. He floats around, finds those spots and creates a good scoring chance out of next to nothing. It would worry me if he wasn't creating those chances, but he's been consistently getting those chances and shots off but not scoring lately (he is the definition of streaky). He won't do much else but Ryder is a threat anytime he has the chance to shoot. The problem I have with Brunner I just don't see him generating anything or even feel like anything is going to happen when he has the puck.

 

[devilsblood]

Ya I see Ryder as a much more dangerous player then Brunner. If we are in playoff contention I might be more willing to keep Ryder. Though it is still early. That could def change.

 

[The Great Dame]

Damien's having a rough stretch, but I have faith he'll come around.

 

[The Great Dame]

Ryder is a pure sniper, you know what your getting with him. He floats around, finds those spots and creates a good scoring chance out of next to nothing. It would worry me if he wasn't creating those chances, but he's been consistently getting those chances and shots off but not scoring lately (he is the definition of streaky). He won't do much else but Ryder is a threat anytime he has the chance to shoot. The problem I have with Brunner I just don't see him generating anything or even feel like anything is going to happen when he has the puck.

He had a very good chance against LA, when he carried the puck all the way in and tried to deke but was poke checked. That speed and willingness to carry the puck was one of the very few times anyone on our team has done that.

Keep in mind he's still 3rd on the team in points.

 

[njdevils1982]

He had a very good chance against LA, when he carried the puck all the way in and tried to deke but was poke checked. That speed and willingness to carry the puck was one of the very few times anyone on our team has done that.

Keep in mind he's still 3rd on the team in points.

is this like being only 1 point out of a playoff spot yet 3 ahead of being last in the division?........there are 7 players that are 3rd on the team in points

 

[Tretyak 20]

These guys were late summer signings, after Lou had to scramble to attempt to replace Kovy. Most years, you wouldn't have anybody decent left unsigned by then. Honestly, I'd rather be complaining about our skilled guys not producing than complaining about having no skill.

Also, both of these guys are streaky players. When they get hot again, they could be putting a lot of points on the board relatively quickly.

 

[AfroThunder396]

These guys were late summer signings, after Lou had to scramble to attempt to replace Kovy. Most years, you wouldn't have anybody decent left unsigned by then. Honestly, I'd rather be complaining about our skilled guys not producing than complaining about having no skill.

Also, both of these guys are streaky players. When they get hot again, they could be putting a lot of points on the board relatively quickly.

Ryder was signed on the first day of Free Agency, before Kovalchuk even left the team.

Brunner need to play with smart offensive players that can anticipate what he's about to do.

ZZJags
Elias-Loktionov-Brunner
Bernier-Henrique-Ryder
Cater-Gio-Cam

 

[MountainGoat]

if Brunner has the puck on his stick and someone sneezes in the crowd he losses the puck

who's our best playmaker? Elias or Jagr? Brunner needs to play with one of them

 

[Basement Cat]

This team has proven that it can defend pretty well and that we should not worry about our goaltending. Our obvious issue is goal scoring since our team defense and goalies will keep us in pretty much every game. Right now Jagr is hot and has been far and away our best player. While I don't think his production will nosedive it is understandable to expect him to decline a little from his ppg average over the course of the year. This is where our streaky guys like Brunner and Ryder have to come in. We know what we will get from Patty and Zajac. The other two though have to make up for Jagrs eventual decline (slight decline). I think that they will. Also Henrique is another wild card. I don't know if he is capable of going on the type scoring streak Ryder or Brunner can.

 

[lelo07]

Larsson and Gelinas seem to be doing ok

edit: nvm not gonna bother, talking to a brick wall

larsson should of been running our pp for the last 2 seasons , and he should be a way better player then he is , he has top line potential , our coach is an idiot and can't develop youth , we need a coach like sens one

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Brunner.

 

[Oneiro]

This is exactly what I expected from Brunner.

Hot for a week or so, invisible for two weeks or so. Repeat cycle.

I'm not unhappy with him, except for the penalties.

 

[Nick0930]

He's still tied with 50 other Devils at 7 points. I think he'll be productive on this road trip.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

Brunner has zero hockey sense or passing ability. I think playing him with Elias is his best chance to succeed.

 

[BrodeursCups]

Brunner has zero hockey sense or passing ability. I think playing him with Elias is his best chance to succeed.

Basically this. Not to mention his unbelievably lazy penalties....

 

[Loyal Lou]

I was one of those people who was very excited to see Brunner sign in NJ but since the excitement has decreased. But then I realized Brunner's numbers in Detroit were somewhat inflated because he was playing with the likes of Zetterberg and Datsyuk. That's why he has put up such decent numbers in Detroit and flatlined in NJ. He needs to play with guys who score a lot. He's the guy who converts while Zetterberg and Datsyuk are focused on by the opposing team. Even when he wasn't on a line with Zetterberg and Datsyuk, he still was playing with high skill players but now that he is on his own being "the guy" he isn't scoring. His role has changed and thats why he isn't putting up the numbers he did in Detroit.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Brunner has zero hockey sense or passing ability. I think playing him with Elias is his best chance to succeed.

Basically this. Not to mention his unbelievably lazy penalties....

Glad you guys see it too.

Brunner's looks to me to be basically a one-trick pony, who is useless when he isn't scoring goals.

 

[MountainGoat]

softest player in the league

 

[MountainGoat]

we need to make a trade for a top 6 forward so that Brunner can GTFO of this lineup

 

[BrodeursCups]

Dude has been straight up invisible. I legitimately struggle to come up with anything he's done well since the home opener vs the Isles. Awful

 

[Blender]

Might be time to try and unload him while we can still sucker some GM with his points/game stat. Sooner or later it's going to look really pathetic, intead of being able to write it off as a cold streak.

 

[Devils Trap]

Please do. Trade him

 

[glenwo2]

I'd trade both Brunner AND Ryder for a PROSPECT at this rate.

It's not like the Devils scoring would suffer if they were dealt.