Devils 2015-16 team discussion (player news & notes) Offseason version ‎II

[Emperoreddy]

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[JimEIV]

Nice fresh thread! New topic. Expectations/ predictions for Pavel Zacha.

I find this fascinating... because this a player who next year can run the spectrum of being in juniors to being a productive member of a NHL team.

Where will he fall next season?

 

[captainscott]

Nice fresh thread! New topic. Expectations/ predictions for Pavel Zacha.

I find this fascinating... because this a player who next year can run the spectrum of being in juniors to being a productive member of a NHL team.

Where will he fall next season?

I've been a little surprised at people who are even questioning it. He will be up w the club next season no doubt and make an impact

 

[Devils Army]

Nice fresh thread! New topic. Expectations/ predictions for Pavel Zacha.

I find this fascinating... because this a player who next year can run the spectrum of being in juniors to being a productive member of a NHL team.

Where will he fall next season?

If he plays 70+ games, I dont think 35-40 points is put of the equation, especially if he gets some PP time

Would love to see him play RW with Hall-Rico

 

[JimEIV]

If he plays 70+ games, I dont think 35-40 points is put of the equation, especially if he gets some PP time

Would love to see him play RW with Hall-Rico

If that happens I would call it massive success.

 

[Bleedred]

Worse talents than Zacha have hit over 30 points in their rookie years, even with our team.

Tedenby had 22 points in 58 games or something like that as a rookie. Josefson was on pace for almost 30 in his rookie year. Maybe those totals come down.

 

[Darkauron]

If he plays 70+ games, I dont think 35-40 points is put of the equation, especially if he gets some PP time

Would love to see him play RW with Hall-Rico

I can definitely see him getting around 35 points. 15G-20A would be great in my book.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I could see Zacha hitting 15 goals 20 assists 35 points. If he plays with Hall-Henrique, maybe a 20-20 season.

Zacha was the guy I was most hyped to see before we acquired Hall. I don't know what to do with all this hype.

 

[DevilsFanInFla]

I see him getting sheltered minutes to start the season but eventually moving into a top 6 around the half so long as he doesn't crap the bed, which I don't expect him to do. He looked very comfortable in his only game last season and while it was against the Toronto Marlies, he still didn't seem to have any jitters or red flags. Santinim at least what I saw, seemed a little surprised by the strength of some of the opposition when he made some hits. Nothing red flag-ish, just that "welcome to the NHL kid" type of moment. Zacha did not appear to have that and seemed right at home. Let's hope it's indicative of what he is going to bring to the team this season and let's go big and aim for 50 points.

 

[GeNeXt]

I can see Zacha flirting with 40 to 50 points. You obviously want to try and hone in on the Hall-Henrique chemistry, but if it isn't all that it's being made out to be, I'd like to see Hall on Zacha's wing.

Afterall, those two are probably our 1C and 1LW for the foreseeable future. With what Hall put together with Draisaitl last year, I don't see why he and Zacha can't do the same.

 

[GeNeXt]

Hall-Zacha-Bennett
Cammy-Henrique-DSP
Boucher/Blandisi-Zajac-Palmieri

gives you three well balanced lines, like having three second lines.

 

[DevilsFanInFla]

I was thinking of these lines:

Hall-Rico-Palms
Cammy-Zacha-Bennett
Blandisi-Zajac-Boucher
Fiddler-JJ-Kalinin/DSP

This would give us 3 lines capable of scoring and a 4th line that could chip in and not be a liability. Lots of options really and lots of possible good ones at that. Depth is starting to develop and it's nice. We're deeper than we've been in a while and while it's not perfect, it's a massive improvement from 2 seasons ago.

 

[NJDevils17]

Zacha has to be in the NHL next year. He's not going to get better in juniors. I think his improvement in the playoffs and then NHL/AHL time is enough to earn him a spot.

As for expectations, it's all about where Zacha plays. Everyone is penciling him in as the 3C which I don't think will happen. I think he's going to be a LW long-term which makes me think Cammalleri or Boucher will move to the right side. The problem is I think we have one too many wingers if that's the case. I also think there's a chance JQ makes the team as the 3C. They might not feel like they have to rush Zacha and he could go back to juniors for a year but I think he's ready.

Possible line up:
Hall-Henrique-Cammalleri
Zacha-Zajac-Palmieri
Boucher-Quenneville-Bennett
Kalinin-Fiddler-DSP

Extras: Josefson-Pietila

This has it's own set of issues(Bennett of the top 6, DSP on the 4th line, Kalinin on his off wing, Cammalleri at RW) but if Zacha makes the team I think this is a real possibility that this is our line-up.

Playing with Zajac and Palmieri would be very good for him IMO and JQ playing with Boucher would be solid as well. I'd be happy if this was our line-up.

 

[Bleedred]

Hall-Zacha-Bennett
Cammy-Henrique-DSP
Boucher/Blandisi-Zajac-Palmieri

gives you three well balanced lines, like having three second lines.

I won't say three second lines, hopefully two seconds lines if we're lucky though.

But I think any line Hall plays on, provided it's not with Josefson or Kalinin or something is absolutely a FIRST line.

So a first line, a second line and hopefully at the very least a competent third line. Two second lines and a first at the absolute best.

And after all the complaining we did about our 3rd lines and 4th line last year (mostly by me), it seems management also thought those same things as well. With their reluctance to keep those failed experiments on the 3rd line and not bringing back any of the 4th line from last year. Although I wouldn't mind Farnham as a 13th/14th forward at all. He would be almost worth it just to laugh at how he gets under the opposition's skin so much by forcing them to take dumb penalties sometimes.

 

[Bleedred]

And I still feel like we could use Patty, see if he has too much pride to be willing to accept a PTO from us. With a handshake agreement that the first injury on forward will result in a contract for him.

Even if he's old and falling apart, I'd rather he steps into a top 9 role with injuries than Josefson, Kalinin or any of last year's failed 3rd line experiments that couldn't get it done.

 

[NJDevils17]

And I still feel like we could use Patty, see if he has too much pride to be willing to accept a PTO from us. With a handshake agreement that the first injury on forward will result in a contract for him.

Even if he's old and falling apart, I'd rather he steps into a top 9 role with injuries than Josefson, Kalinin or any of last year's failed 3rd line experiments that couldn't get it done.

I think Elias would be great as the 3C with Zacha and Bennett/DSP on his wings. I think if he's healthy he's going to play there and that might be why we haven't signed anyone for that spot.

 

[Bleedred]

I think Elias would be great as the 3C with Zacha and Bennett/DSP on his wings. I think if he's healthy he's going to play there and that might be why we haven't signed anyone for that spot.

I'm not sure if he fits in the current lineup when it's healthy, but he would immediately be our 9th best forward at the very worst if someone gets injured.

He's not a player that will fall off astronomically like Ruutu or Zubrus did in the last two years of their careers.

And I also feel like he can at least do what Josefson did on the power play last year, even if he's not racking up points on the power play from doing it.

 

[AfroThunder396]

I would start Zacha as either LW3 or C3 with 2nd unit PP time, with the expectation that one of Hall/Camm/Bennett will get hurt and he'll eventually a cup of coffee in a top-6 role.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I would start Zacha as either LW3 or C3 with 2nd unit PP time, with the expectation that one of Hall/Camm/Bennett will get hurt and he'll eventually a cup of coffee in a top-6 role.

Don't lump Hall in with those glass men. Don't put that evil on him haha. I really hope he's not injury prone. That would suck.

 

[Bleedred]

Don't lump Hall in with those glass men. Don't put that evil on him haha. I really hope he's not injury prone. That would suck.

I don't think he is, outside of his first two season when he played only 65 games each. I think or I'd have to double check.

He played all 82 last year and 75 the year before. Actually I'm wrong. He played 82 last season, but just 53 the year before and 75 the year before that. And 45 of 48 games during the lockout season. Aside from missing 28 games two years ago, he's been mostly healthy for 3 of the last 4 years. Missing 7 games one season and 3 in another is nothing. It's not nearly like Cammalleri, Bennett or Elias in recent years. And the one year early on, he was injured getting cut by a skate blade of a teammates during pre game warm ups. I thought I remembered him getting hit in the head with a puck during warm ups in 11-12, but I think that was RNH. I knew it was one of them. It sparked a big debate about whether helmets should be mandatory for players during pre game warm ups.

 

[Devil X]

And I still feel like we could use Patty, see if he has too much pride to be willing to accept a PTO from us. With a handshake agreement that the first injury on forward will result in a contract for him.

Even if he's old and falling apart, I'd rather he steps into a top 9 role with injuries than Josefson, Kalinin or any of last year's failed 3rd line experiments that couldn't get it done.

It depends, if its a game or 2 i dont mind them stepping in. But any long term injury guys like Blandisi, Lappin, and JQ will be called up. I dont think there is any room for Patty as much as we might want it.

 

[Bleedred]

It depends, if its a game or 2 i dont mind them stepping in. But any long term injury guys like Blandisi, Lappin, and JQ will be called up. I dont think there is any room for Patty as much as we might want it.

I don't think there's room for him either, but I don't think we have 10 forwards (if even 8 or 9) that are better than him. I understand that Josefson and Kalinin and hopefully Fiddler will only be 4th liners, but I'd rather Patty in the top 9 than any of them ever.

 

[JimEIV]

I don't think there's room for him either, but I don't think we have 10 forwards (if even 8 or 9) that are better than him. I understand that Josefson and Kalinin and hopefully Fiddler will only be 4th liners, but I'd rather Patty in the top 9 than any of them ever.

I actually find it suspect that Kalinin hasn't been resigned yet.

 

[Bleedred]

I actually find it suspect that Kalinin hasn't been resigned yet.

He was qualified, as was Josefson and every other RFA that hasn't been re-signed yet.

Sometimes these guys aren't signed until the end of August when they're RFA's.

 

[Billdo]

Hall-Henrique-Bennett
Cammalleri-Zajac-Palmieri
Boucher-Zacha-DSP
JJ-Fiddler-Kalinin

Greene-Severson
Merrill-Lovejoy
Moore-Mozik (to start, I'd expect Santini quickly though if not right away)