Devils 2016-17 team discussion (players news & notes) Part III

[Zippy316]

so we have what, 5 rookies on the opening night roster?

Wood
Zacha
Speers
Santini
Auvitu

Well Auvitu doesn't qualify for being a rookie since he is 26, but yes.

 

[Zippy316]

I wonder how Zajac would look in between Wood and Speers. I would love to see that in one of the upcoming games:

Hall - Henrique - Palmieri
Cammalleri - Zacha - Parenteau
Wood - Zajac - Speers
Josefson - Fiddler - DSP
Bennett - Boucher

 

[Stephen Gionta]

My hope for the opening night lineup vs Florida:

Hall - Henrique - DSP
Boucher - Zajac - Palmieri
Cammalleri - Zacha - Speers
Wood - Fiddler - Josefson
Extra: Bennett, Parenteau
IR: Gazdic, Kalinin

Greene - Severson
Auvitu - Santini
Moore - Lovejoy
Extra: Helgeson
IR: Quincey, Merrill

Schneider
Kinkaid

 

[AfroThunder396]

A little older? He wasn't only 3 years older, he had a full year in the AHL and 4 full years in the OHL. Zacha doesn't have anywhere close to that level of experience.

I'd prefer not use Edmonton as development comparison, but even still, you are comparing Zacha to very successful rookies who both put up over 50 points... that is the exact unfair expectation I am talking about.

Jonathan Drouin has 8 goals in 91 games - Has been sent to the minors AFTER playing with Stamkos. We need to temper the expectations is all I'm saying.

Yeah, historically picks outside the top-5 aren't usually slam dunk players. Nice guys to have with careers, but we're not talking about Pat Kane or Jon Tavares here.

Forwards taken at #6 since 2006, and their rookie season:

Derrick Brassard - 31 GP, 10 G, 15 A, 25 PTS
Sam Gagner - 79 GP, 13 G, 36 A, 49 PTS
Nikita Filatov (career) - 53 GP, 6 G, 8 A, 14 PTS
Brett Connolly - 68 GP, 4 G, 11 A, 15 PTS
Mika Zibanejad - 42 GP, 7 G, 13 A, 20 PTS
Sean Monahan - 75 GP, 22 G, 12 A, 34 PTS
Jake Virtanen - 55 GP, 7 G, 6 A, 13 PTS

Outside of Gagner massively overachieving and some sample size shenanigans with Brassard, it seems like 15-30 points is about where these guys tend to produce at their first season.

Zacha, as a physically mature player who will likely get PP time, I'll project on the higher end at 25-35.

 

[The Wumpus]

I like to have modest expectations for rookies, especially teenage ones.

My hopes for Zacha: double digits in G and A, while not looking lost.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I expect Zajac to out score Zacha this season.

Putting Zacha right into that kind of role might not be a smart idea. He needs at least one vet with him, but not take the entire line and leave Zajac with nothing either.

We need both balance and what will be best for all our youth.

I do think putting Camm with Zacha and Boosh with Zajac is a smart idea, but I would also keep Palms with Zajac and give Zacha whatever RW doesn't fit with Adam Hall.

 

[Bleedred]

I'm confused.

Why did we waive Helgeson and then put Quincey on IR anyway? Why even waive Helgeson? Because he's exempt for the next 30 days?

 

[Darkauron]

Looks like Zacha sticking with #37 according to this list at the moment.

https://www.nhl.com/devils/news/devils-announce-2016-17-opening-night-roster/c-282571972

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

 

[Zippy316]

I'm confused.

Why did we waive Helgeson and then put Quincey on IR anyway? Why even waive Helgeson? Because he's exempt for the next 30 days?

Likely to get under the 23 man limit by 5.

Quincey on IR is retroactive to Oct 5 so he's eligible to come off it a week from that date which is tomorrow. So I'm assuming once Helgeson clears, he will be waived and Quincey activated.

Technically the roster looks like this right now under the 23 man limit:

Hall - Henrique - Bennett
Cammalleri - Zajac - Palmieri
Boucher - Zacha - Parenteau
Josefson - Fiddler - DSP
Wood - Speers

IR: Gazdic, Kalinin (retroactive to Oct 10, can be activated Oct 17 -- misses at least the first two games)

Greene - Severson
Moore - Lovejoy
Auvitu - Santini
Helgeson (on waivers)

IR: Merrill, Quincey (retroactive to Oct 5, can be activated Oct 12 which is tomorrow)

Schneider
Kinkaid

 

[devilsblood]

All he needs to do is play a Holik-type game that he most definitely capable of and people will be patient. Trust me on that.

I'm not seeing Holik with Zacha.

My first impressions are actually a more dynamic Zajac.

I mean he has a ton of physical tools, including size and strength, but his game seems very cerebral.

And cerebral was not the first word that comes to mind when I think of Holik.

 

[Emperoreddy]

We shall see if they stick, but congrats to Zacha, Speers, Wood, Auvitu, and Santini for making the opening night roster.

 

[JimEIV]

I'm not seeing Holik with Zacha.

My first impressions are actually a more dynamic Zajac.

I mean he has a ton of physical tools, including size and strength, but his game seems very cerebral.

And cerebral was not the first word that comes to mind when I think of Holik.

I would respectfully completely and utterly disagree.

Holik was a supremely intelligent player. Classic son of a coach type. Elias, Holik and Madden (in that order) are some of the highest hockey IQ forwards we've seen here in NJ ...Defensemen are another category

 

[Zippy316]

I'm not seeing Holik with Zacha.

My first impressions are actually a more dynamic Zajac.

I mean he has a ton of physical tools, including size and strength, but his game seems very cerebral.

And cerebral was not the first word that comes to mind when I think of Holik.

I don't remember every seeing a player as raw as Zacha.

There's times I've seen a Kovalchuk-like quality to his game, there's times I see Kopitar, and likely plenty of other players.

At center though, I'm seeing a lot of glimpses of Kopitar, which likely goes back to your Zajac comparison. Kopitar is a player that plays a very simple, structured game but he uses his incredible skill within that simple game to be even more effective.

Zacha is doing a lot of that, in my opinion. He probably could try to play a high-energy game as a winger and end up like Kovalchuk, but he's playing within the structure and using his skill when he needs to. I don't recall much of Holik's glory days, but about the cerebral game, that describes Kopitar to a T.

 

[Patrik26]

I'm not seeing Holik with Zacha.

My first impressions are actually a more dynamic Zajac.

I mean he has a ton of physical tools, including size and strength, but his game seems very cerebral.

And cerebral was not the first word that comes to mind when I think of Holik.

Nope.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Zacha HAS to work on his faceoffs. He's maybe just a step above Elias.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

if Zacha can turn into half the player that Kopitar is, we're golden

 

[Ripshot 43]

if Zacha can turn into half the player that Kopitar is, we're golden

I don't see how this is true. He would literally just be skating in circles.

 

[Zippy316]

if Zacha can turn into half the player that Kopitar is, we're golden

I agree. With how he looks as a center though, he is definitely developing towards becoming that type of player.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Holik NOT cerebral? Now I've heard it all.

Holik is so underrated for what he did here for so long.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

Hall-Henrique-Parenteau
Boucher-Zajac-Palmieri
Cammalleri-Zacha-Bennett
DSP-Fiddler-Speers

Hall gets two scorers to target. Parenteau is more of a perimeter scorer, and I can envision that complementing Henrique's net-driving style well.

Zajac-Palmieri sticks together, and Boucher gets another look with them. Another chance to score some goals.

Zacha gets two skilled wingers to anchor. Being on the "third" line and playing inferior competition could "shelter," in a sense, our two most injury-prone players with Camm and Bennett.

I expect the fourth line to be a revolving door, but I'm high on Speers so I have to include him haha. DSP played LW for a bit in Anaheim. If not, then Josefson-Fiddler-DSP would be my fourth line.

 

[The Wumpus]

Holik is my favorite Devil of all time. Incredibly smart player who made sure his opponents knew exactly what 230lbs felt like.


USA representing on that roster, especially on D.

 

[Bleedred]

Likely to get under the 23 man limit by 5.

Quincey on IR is retroactive to Oct 5 so he's eligible to come off it a week from that date which is tomorrow. So I'm assuming once Helgeson clears, he will be waived and Quincey activated.

Technically the roster looks like this right now under the 23 man limit:

Hall - Henrique - Bennett
Cammalleri - Zajac - Palmieri
Boucher - Zacha - Parenteau
Josefson - Fiddler - DSP
Wood - Speers

IR: Gazdic, Kalinin (retroactive to Oct 10, can be activated Oct 17 -- misses at least the first two games)

Greene - Severson
Moore - Lovejoy
Auvitu - Santini
Helgeson (on waivers)

IR: Merrill, Quincey (retroactive to Oct 5, can be activated Oct 12 which is tomorrow)

Schneider
Kinkaid

Thanks

I read the AG blog and it looked like Quincey on IR was just a paper transaction, since Helgeson is technically on the roster until tomorrow. But I made that post before I had read it.

These paper transactions are always fun. I remember when Larsson was ''Sent'' down for the day and it causes quite the uproar.

 

[devilsblood]

Aight maybe I was a bit youngish to appreciate Holiks smarts.

But the first thing I think of with Holik is a tough physical player. I considered that to be the driving force of his game.

And I loved Holik, my favorite Devil for a bit, so I'm not underrating him, though as noted I may have underappreciated aspects of his game.

 

[Triumph]

Holik was a really underrated player. Dude was an ES goal machine and I feel pretty confident he was an enormous play driver. Yeah, the fact that he was huge and strong helped him be the player he was, but he was also smart.