Devils 2018-19 team discussion (news and notes) part IV

[devilsfan35]

I'm just saying theoretically IF Ray decided to blow it up I would call someone like Carolina. They have a ton of assets.

Hall+Kinkaid
For
Necas+Bean+Mattheos+1st

Would you do it?

NO
Anything with hall starts with svechnikov

 

[My3Sons]

I'm just saying theoretically IF Ray decided to blow it up I would call someone like Carolina. They have a ton of assets.

Hall+Kinkaid
For
Necas+Bean+Mattheos+1st

Would you do it?

There’s probably no version of events where NJ trades Hall absent him refusing an extension.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I'm just saying theoretically IF Ray decided to blow it up I would call someone like Carolina. They have a ton of assets.

Hall+Kinkaid
For
Necas+Bean+Mattheos+1st

Would you do it?

please just stop

 

[Darkauron]

Please stop please

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

I think low scoring only supports the move to add a proven top-6 asset who wed like as young as possible

 

[Emperoreddy]

I think low scoring only supports the move to add a proven top-6 asset who wed like as young as possible

There hasn’t been a lack of scoring overall though. We are averaging close to 4 goals a game.

Whether internally or externally we do need to add another top 6 forward long term, it isn’t causing as much a problem as people want to claim.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

There hasn’t been a lack of scoring overall though. We are averaging close to 4 goals a game.

Whether internally or externally we do need to add another top 6 forward long term, it isn’t causing as much a problem as people want to claim.

I think it most certainly is a problem. If the second line is barely a threat, that means you have guys playing up past their skill level. A recipe for disaster in most matchups. The goal average was inflated by a rocket start for Palmieri.

The second line HAS to have someone who is of a calibur that would be decent on a first line but is a preferred high end 2nd line. Duchene, Stone, Granlund - these names come to mind

 

[None Shall Pass]

So, I have a hot take:

Travis Zajac is a decent to good 2nd line center.

He has 8 points in ten games, only 2 of which were on the PP. He's smart defensively and good on faceoffs. The problem with our 2nd line, with him there, is who he's playing with. He's had some nifty hands this year but you don't earn the moniker "Stonehands" for no reason. He needs shooters. MoJo is a pass-first guy. Wood's shot and hands aren't great. But even tonight, that line was putting up some opportunities. No one could bury them.

I don't want to put all of the eggs in the Bratt basket but him coming back should improve the second line by virtue of knocking Wood off of it.

Should Zacha emerge from Bing eventually with a sense of confidence, I'd put him on Zajac's LW. Zajac can handle the more defensive responsibilities and free up Zacha to get fancy with the puck.

 

[NJDevs86]

Hey guys! Long time reader of these boards and long time Devils fan. Born in 1986 and grew up in New Jersey. I have been religiously watching since 1992. I live in Orlando, Florida currently and was there in person for that disgusting Tampa game. The last 3 games have driven me to post. I believe the recent struggles are talent related for the most part. Hynes does usually get good effort from the team aside from the Flyers game, TB game and Det game. There are just way too many 4th line players on this team to be effective. Boyle is incredibly slow and does not fit our style and he has been losing a lot of face offs clean, especially on the power play. We now know why J.S. Dea never made the Pens roster, small, fast skater and that’s about it. Noesen has really disappointed. Stafford is 100% worthless as is Gabriel. Rooney is back in Bingo thank god. MarJo does nothing that excites me and I am leaning towards letting him walk. He is so soft and is just a perimeter player who never shoots. He does need a shooter on his line that actually has hands and can shoot unlike Wood who is a volume shooter right into the goalies chest so I will wait until Bratt plays with MarJo to make a final decision. Wood is just not a 2nd line player and ideally should be on the 3rd line but is a good player for this team. Coleman is the same but is ideally a 4th line player but can play up to the 3rd line. We have a struggling top line on this road trip in Hall, Nico, Palms who are all small in stature and can get pushed around. We have no 2nd line at all as Zajac needs to be a 3rd line center with Wood and Coleman. That leaves complete garbage in Boyle, Dea, Noesen, Stafford, Gabriel for the 4th line so that’s wasted time on ice. I will say Zajac has been one of our better players this year and at this point has to slot as the 2nd line center between MarJo and Bratt. Zacha being incredibly snake bitten at the beginning blew his confidence and that’s why he is down to get it back. He is still currently the best option as the 3rd line center as his defense and PK abilities are quite good. He needs to find his game and get back because he needs to be a decent piece for this team no matter how much everyone hates him. He has size and skill most guys on the team don’t but he hasn’t used it. Couturier had similar low stats the first few years in the league and he played on the PP which Zacha never does. 2nd line centers should be on the PP and there is no way he is less skilled than some of the clowns on the 2nd PP unit we have been running out there this year. He had 25 points last year 5v5 in 69 games and if he was on the PP and got even 10 points he would have been at 35 which is basically even with where Couturier was at the same time. I’m not denying he has zero points this year and that is unacceptable but he is 21 and he is an NHL player. The issue is that there needs to be more from him. Right now it looks like he is more of a Zajac replacement who scores 30 points a year and plays solid D but we need more, we need a 2nd line center who scores. This seems like a step back year in the rebuild with this talent. Seney was fine last night but I’m not thrilled with another 5’9 player. Get him time on the 4th line with Joey Anderson and get them experience. They can’t be worse than these other old, slow vets. Mueller, Vats, Sevs have been good. Greene has been good aside from his pinches and mistakes in the Avs game and Flyers game that cost us points. He is just getting older. Lovejoy is pure trash and I can’t wait till he is gone. Butcher is concerning me. His skating is not good. He really needs to pick it up. No second line and no younger players making this team and making an impact are causing this. Zacha and Quenneville struggling so much is setting us back and we don’t have the depth with other prospects who are ready so we are sending out trash lineups right now. I don’t see any internal quick fixes aside from these players picking it up but I don’t see sufficient talent or a deep enough team to be better than just average. I don’t think you make a trade either when you added nothing this offseason. Seems like a growth year and maybe we got ahead of ourselves with making the playoffs last year. Lots of decent prospects coming but none are ready yet. I come in peace but flame away. Hell, go ahead and tell me to sto writing novel length posts!

 

[Devils Dominion]

Can we drop that Now We Rise marketing slogan already

 

[The 29th Pick]

Did we win yet?

 

[Devils Dominion]

Hey guys! Long time reader of these boards and long time Devils fan. Born in 1986 and grew up in New Jersey. I have been religiously watching since 1992. I live in Orlando, Florida currently and was there in person for that disgusting Tampa game. The last 3 games have driven me to post. I believe the recent struggles are talent related for the most part. Hynes does usually get good effort from the team aside from the Flyers game, TB game and Det game. There are just way too many 4th line players on this team to be effective. Boyle is incredibly slow and does not fit our style and he has been losing a lot of face offs clean, especially on the power play. We now know why J.S. Dea never made the Pens roster, small, fast skater and that’s about it. Noesen has really disappointed. Stafford is 100% worthless as is Gabriel. Rooney is back in Bingo thank god. MarJo does nothing that excites me and I am leaning towards letting him walk. He is so soft and is just a perimeter player who never shoots. He does need a shooter on his line that actually has hands and can shoot unlike Wood who is a volume shooter right into the goalies chest so I will wait until Bratt plays with MarJo to make a final decision. Wood is just not a 2nd line player and ideally should be on the 3rd line but is a good player for this team. Coleman is the same but is ideally a 4th line player but can play up to the 3rd line. We have a struggling top line on this road trip in Hall, Nico, Palms who are all small in stature and can get pushed around. We have no 2nd line at all as Zajac needs to be a 3rd line center with Wood and Coleman. That leaves complete garbage in Boyle, Dea, Noesen, Stafford, Gabriel for the 4th line so that’s wasted time on ice. I will say Zajac has been one of our better players this year and at this point has to slot as the 2nd line center between MarJo and Bratt. Zacha being incredibly snake bitten at the beginning blew his confidence and that’s why he is down to get it back. He is still currently the best option as the 3rd line center as his defense and PK abilities are quite good. He needs to find his game and get back because he needs to be a decent piece for this team no matter how much everyone hates him. He has size and skill most guys on the team don’t but he hasn’t used it. Couturier had similar low stats the first few years in the league and he played on the PP which Zacha never does. 2nd line centers should be on the PP and there is no way he is less skilled than some of the clowns on the 2nd PP unit we have been running out there this year. He had 25 points last year 5v5 in 69 games and if he was on the PP and got even 10 points he would have been at 35 which is basically even with where Couturier was at the same time. I’m not denying he has zero points this year and that is unacceptable but he is 21 and he is an NHL player. The issue is that there needs to be more from him. Right now it looks like he is more of a Zajac replacement who scores 30 points a year and plays solid D but we need more, we need a 2nd line center who scores. This seems like a step back year in the rebuild with this talent. Seney was fine last night but I’m not thrilled with another 5’9 player. Get him time on the 4th line with Joey Anderson and get them experience. They can’t be worse than these other old, slow vets. Mueller, Vats, Sevs have been good. Greene has been good aside from his pinches and mistakes in the Avs game and Flyers game that cost us points. He is just getting older. Lovejoy is pure trash and I can’t wait till he is gone. Butcher is concerning me. His skating is not good. He really needs to pick it up. No second line and no younger players making this team and making an impact are causing this. Zacha and Quenneville struggling so much is setting us back and we don’t have the depth with other prospects who are ready so we are sending out trash lineups right now. I don’t see any internal quick fixes aside from these players picking it up but I don’t see sufficient talent or a deep enough team to be better than just average. I don’t think you make a trade either when you added nothing this offseason. Seems like a growth year and maybe we got ahead of ourselves with making the playoffs last year. Lots of decent prospects coming but none are ready yet. I come in peace but flame away. Hell, go ahead and tell me to sto writing novel length posts!

It was a good read, but I suggest to use paragraphs

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Devils looked somehow worse without Zacha in the lineup.

 

[Maine Fan]

I can not call for Hynes to be fired.

Hynes has what he has to work with to come up with a team. The Devils have too many players without talent. I have said before "one can't make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t"

Most teams improved during the off season, the Devils did not. We have basically the same team less a vet that help us in the end. So how can we expect more from less while playing team that got better in the off season?

We had a lucky start. We could be in a slump but watching the passing, faceoffs, puck control and defense this is much more than a slump. This is lack of talent for the most part.

The likes of a Lemaire as coach would help improvement for a while but it wouldn't last.

I must blame this on Ray, the Owners or both along with Hynes' input.

Wish for help, Go Devils

 

[MartyOwns]

Most teams improved during the off season, the Devils did not. We have basically the same team less a vet that help us in the end. So how can we expect more from less while playing team that got better in the off season?

that’s an excellent question. when i raised it over the summer, i was told ‘we have rookies from last year that will improve’. when i said every team had that, i was told that clearly i wanted us to ‘tank’.

and i’m not here to say i told you so, it’s still very early. but you guys will all save yourself a lot of frustration if you see this team for what it actually is

 

[NJDevs86]

The only players I see as in the core right now are Hall, Nico, Palms, Bratt, Wood, Coleman, Vats, Sevs, Butcher and Mueller. Greene and Zajac are solid players but are not long term core guys due to age.

We really need some of Zacha, Quenneville, Seney, McLeod, Anderson, Speers, Boqvist, Zetterlund, Studenic, Gignac and Talvitie to develop.

Looks like Ty Smith is the real deal and there are a few other young D coming like Walsh. Plus Santini should replace Lovejoy next year.

If MarJo doesn’t show anything we basically have a 1st line, Bratter and a 3rd line. This is what a rebuild looks like.

Good news is we have good cap room and a ton of young players and prospects. All depends on how they develop and what moves Shero makes. It’s not all gloom and doom. It’s not a bad place to be in but it’s still the beginning of working back to relevance.

 

[My3Sons]

that’s an excellent question. when i raised it over the summer, i was told ‘we have rookies from last year that will improve’. when i said every team had that, i was told that clearly i wanted us to ‘tank’.

and i’m not here to say i told you so, it’s still very early. but you guys will all save yourself a lot of frustration if you see this team for what it actually is

The problem with this narrative is that if you look at the standings the usual suspects are the best teams this season for the most part - TB, TOR, PIT, BOS. The only really surprising team is the NYI who lost their best player so how did they get better? MTL is currently in a wild card spot and my thought is they sent out veteran talent in trades. BUF seems to be playing better but what great vets did they add? Okoposo? Pominville? These guys would be seen as half a step ahead of Stafford if they were on NJ. If NJ could have added a difference maker in the offseason for something that fit the team vision you don’t think they would have? Also as bad as they are playing right now I’m not sure even a legit 2C alone would change much. There are multiple things that have to be corrected. We all want the team to be better but saying we didn’t add an overpriced vet or we didn’t gut our prospect depth to try to compete right now is very short sighted if you don’t know what players were actually avialable and at what price. Trying to let your young players improve is the correct strategy in the long run. You can’t really UFA your way to long term success in the NHL and there are only so many trades each year in the NHL.

 

[MartyOwns]

The problem with this narrative is that if you look at the standings the usual suspects are the best teams this season for the most part - TB, TOR, PIT, BOS. The only really surprising team is the NYI who lost their best player so how did they get better? MTL is currently in a wild card spot and my thought is they sent out veteran talent in trades. BUF seems to be playing better but what great vets did they add? Okoposo? Pominville? These guys would be seen as half a step ahead of Stafford if they were on NJ. If NJ could have added a difference maker in the offseason for something that fit the team vision you don’t think they would have? Also as bad as they are playing right now I’m not sure even a legit 2C alone would change much. There are multiple things that have to be corrected. We all want the team to be better but saying we didn’t add an overpriced vet or we didn’t gut our prospect depth to try to compete right now is very short sighted if you don’t know what players were actually avialable and at what price. Trying to let your young players improve is the correct strategy in the long run. You can’t really UFA your way to long term success in the NHL and there are only so many trades each year in the NHL.

oh i was very clear about that, i also didn’t want to pick up any pricey UFA’s (would’ve been happy if we kicked the tires on de haan but not a big deal). i wanted us to stay the course, hopefully get a good draft position and continue to stock the pond. but, i knew that meant a potentially rough season...which was fine. i lowered my expectations accordingly.

one thing i didn’t anticipate was this seeming lack of effort- we haven’t played 60 solid minutes of hockey in a very long time. to me, that’s more concerning than this shit roster

 

[Maine Fan]

that’s an excellent question. when i raised it over the summer, i was told ‘we have rookies from last year that will improve’. when i said every team had that, i was told that clearly i wanted us to ‘tank’.

and i’m not here to say i told you so, it’s still very early. but you guys will all save yourself a lot of frustration if you see this team for what it actually is

Thank you

 

[TheUnseenHand]

Devils looked somehow worse without Zacha in the lineup.

Because we put worse players in his place.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

that’s an excellent question. when i raised it over the summer, i was told ‘we have rookies from last year that will improve’. when i said every team had that, i was told that clearly i wanted us to ‘tank’.

and i’m not here to say i told you so, it’s still very early. but you guys will all save yourself a lot of frustration if you see this team for what it actually is

I don't think we are nearly as bad a team as we have been playing lately. I also don't think we are as good as smoking the Caps 6-0. It's just frustrating that the highs are so high and the lows are so low. It would be nice if we could just find consistency. To me these wild swings are on coaching.

 

[Tundra]

If Shero isn't worried about starting their ELCs early, he should just fill the team with the younger players. This could happen in 10 games regardless, especially when you see the schedule.

 

[Call Me Al]

imagine if every team was on the verge of blowing it up after a rough two week stretch

 

[Patrik26]

Can we drop that Now We Rise marketing slogan already

Most of the marketing slogans suck.

 

[Devils Dominion]

If Shero isn't worried about starting their ELCs early, he should just fill the team with the younger players. This could happen in 10 games regardless, especially when you see the schedule.

We are at a crossroads in the season already.

A bad stretch of 5 losses out of 7 can sink the season.

We don't have enough firepower to play catch up in the standings.