Devils 2018-19 team discussion (news and notes) - Preseason

[Cage Helmet]

I just don't agree with this logic at all. It's like saying ''Zajac shouldn't be playing in the bottom 6 because he's a $6 million dollar (almost) player and has 3 years left'' or ''Schneider can't be the backup or 1b goalie, because he makes $6 million per year''.

I want the best guys in the best spots. So if Greene sucks, we need to keep him on the top pairing or middle pairing for the duration of his contract just because he's making over $5 million per? I mean, he's only got 2 years left, so it's not like we're paying him $5 million for the next 4-5 years to play on the bottom pairing.

Now you did say if the vets can't hack it, they have to go, but how do you make them go? Buy them out? Trade them? Who wants them? So I think we're better off playing him in the role that best suits him NOW and not worry about his salary, which was a salary that was given to him 4 years ago when he was still a pretty good player.

Exactly. That’s the kind of operation tactics that get teams in trouble. The Capitals had Brooks Orpik taking more of a back seat role last year despite his higher salary. It helped the team by quite a bit. Players like you just mentioned are up there in age and are no longer the best at their positions on the team. Even though their superior teammates are making relatively less than them due to youth and less experience. You can’t keep Greene playing top-4 minutes just because of his salary. It’s time to start winding down his minutes because his career is almost certainly going to be ending in two years. And he certainly has more use in a bottom pairing role here than on a wasted dead buyout cap hit or a later round draft selection.

 

[devilsblood]

I never for the piss of me could understand the hype over Santini. Hear me out, I don’t think he’s as bad as his fancy stats from last year, but I don’t see any top-2 potential and very little top-4 potential. I see him as a solid #5-#6 and that’s okay. It will keep him cost controlled, also.

He's a defense first guy for sure, but he does skate pretty well, also came with a scouting report of making solid outlet passes, though we haven't seen enough of that.

He could very well be a stable partner to a guy like Butcher in that middle pair. While also being a top PK pairing guy.

Hoping he can become a top pair guy on 5v5 looks very much like a pipe dream at this point.

 

[njdevils1982]

anyone know when final cuts are?

 

[MartyOwns]

i still think santini can be a useful #6/#7. if walsh can end up as a solid middle pairing defenseman, we’ll be in good shape

 

[NJDevs26]

I just don't agree with this logic at all. It's like saying ''Zajac shouldn't be playing in the bottom 6 because he's a $6 million dollar (almost) player and has 3 years left'' or ''Schneider can't be the backup or 1b goalie, because he makes $6 million per year''.

I want the best guys in the best spots. So if Greene sucks, we need to keep him on the top pairing or middle pairing for the duration of his contract just because he's making over $5 million per? I mean, he's only got 2 years left, so it's not like we're paying him $5 million for the next 4-5 years to play on the bottom pairing.

Now you did say if the vets can't hack it, they have to go, but how do you make them go? Buy them out? Trade them? Who wants them? So I think we're better off playing him in the role that best suits him NOW and not worry about his salary, which was a salary that was given to him 4 years ago when he was still a pretty good player.

Plus this is where the salary doesn't matter. If they have expensive guys on the back lines/pairings, so what...they're $20 million under the cap and probably aren't getting to the cap in the next couple years. And if Greene is on a 2nd or 3rd pairing, they have the young, inexpensive guys taking over for him anyway - it's not as if he's actively preventing Butcher or Mueller from playing at all.

He's a defense first guy for sure, but he does skate pretty well, also came with a scouting report of making solid outlet passes, though we haven't seen enough of that.

He could very well be a stable partner to a guy like Butcher in that middle pair. While also being a top PK pairing guy.

Hoping he can become a top pair guy on 5v5 looks very much like a pipe dream at this point.

Santini looks like another previous regime guy that is not going to hack it in the new NHL but people WANT him to be able to hack it in the NHL because of his physical game. And honestly they do need that element somewhere, somehow in the lineup.

 

[My3Sons]

I just don't agree with this logic at all. It's like saying ''Zajac shouldn't be playing in the bottom 6 because he's a $6 million dollar (almost) player and has 3 years left'' or ''Schneider can't be the backup or 1b goalie, because he makes $6 million per year''.

I want the best guys in the best spots. So if Greene sucks, we need to keep him on the top pairing or middle pairing for the duration of his contract just because he's making over $5 million per? I mean, he's only got 2 years left, so it's not like we're paying him $5 million for the next 4-5 years to play on the bottom pairing.

Now you did say if the vets can't hack it, they have to go, but how do you make them go? Buy them out? Trade them? Who wants them? So I think we're better off playing him in the role that best suits him NOW and not worry about his salary, which was a salary that was given to him 4 years ago when he was still a pretty good player.

Our teams would look different. Your logic suggests playing Lovejoy over Santini is always the correct move. In my OPINION I’d have gone with the youngvdevloping defenseman over Lovejoy although I recognize that Lovejoy provided some sort of vet presence for Butcher. I have no problem with Zajac in the 3C. If Zajac was 4C and blocking a good young player I’d find that a problem.

Don’t focus on the money. Focus on the fact that a player is in his mid to late 30s and broken down. If Greene made vet minimum for several more years it wouldn’t change my opinion.

And to be clear I don’t mind Greene on the top pairing if he is the best we have. I mind Greene at his age (notice I didn’t say salary) on the third pair I’d he is the worst we have.

 

[Omar Little]

What do people think of these forward lines?

Hall-Hischier-Wood
Johansson-Zacha-Palmieri
Quenneville-Zajac-Bratt
Coleman-Boyle-Noesen

 

[Darkauron]

What do people think of these forward lines?

Hall-Hischier-Wood
Johansson-Zacha-Palmieri
Quenneville-Zajac-Bratt
Coleman-Boyle-Noesen

Playing wood on the top online on his off wing is not a good idea

 

[Bleedred]

Our teams would look different. Your logic suggests playing Lovejoy over Santini is always the correct move. In my OPINION I’d have gone with the youngvdevloping defenseman over Lovejoy although I recognize that Lovejoy provided some sort of vet presence for Butcher. I have no problem with Zajac in the 3C. If Zajac was 4C and blocking a good young player I’d find that a problem.

Don’t focus on the money. Focus on the fact that a player is in his mid to late 30s and broken down. If Greene made vet minimum for several more years it wouldn’t change my opinion.

And to be clear I don’t mind Greene on the top pairing if he is the best we have. I mind Greene at his age (notice I didn’t say salary) on the third pair I’d he is the worst we have.

I don't think playing Lovejoy over Santini is the correct move, but I honestly don't really think Santini is that much better than Lovejoy. Both seem to be fine on bottom pairings, both are an absolute trainwreck when playing top pairing minutes.

A lot of older players wind up playing a reduced role in their later years, so I still don't know why Greene can't be of use on the bottom pairing. Even Marty Brodeur wound up being (not quite a clear cut backup) a 1b goalie when his game was eroding.

 

[Billdo]

What do people think of these forward lines?

Hall-Hischier-Wood
Johansson-Zacha-Palmieri
Quenneville-Zajac-Bratt
Coleman-Boyle-Noesen

I'd swap Wood to JQs spot, move Bratt to RW1 and JQ to RW3.

 

[My3Sons]

I don't think playing Lovejoy over Santini is the correct move, but I honestly don't really think Santini is that much better than Lovejoy. Both seem to be fine on bottom pairings, both are an absolute trainwreck when playing top pairing minutes.

A lot of older players wind up playing a reduced role in their later years, so I still don't know why Greene can't be of use on the bottom pairing. Even Marty Brodeur wound up being (not quite a clear cut backup) a 1b goalie when his game was eroding.

Every situation is different but on a developing team like NJ I think every chance to develop a player should take priority over playing a broken down player ina reduced and sheltered role. I understand that people are of different minds about this. It’s not the end all be all as I see it it’s more of a mindset issue. I like what the team is doing but Lovejoy and Greene will be gone before the team is anything more than a bubble team. There is at least some chance Santini will be around.

 

[Bleedred]

Every situation is different but on a developing team like NJ I think every chance to develop a player should take priority over playing a broken down player ina reduced and sheltered role. I understand that people are of different minds about this. It’s not the end all be all as I see it it’s more of a mindset issue. I like what the team is doing but Lovejoy and Greene will be gone before the team is anything more than a bubble team. There is at least some chance Santini will be around.

I still don't see who would be blocked by playing Greene in a bottom pairing role? A lot of the guys are already better than him right now, outside of Lovejoy and Santini. Not sure on Mueller just yet, but he's probably not considerably worse than Greene either.

 

[My3Sons]

I still don't see who would be blocked by playing Greene in a bottom pairing role? A lot of the guys are already better than him right now, outside of Lovejoy and Santini. Not sure on Mueller just yet, but he's probably not considerably worse than Greene either.

You are focused on the specific situation rather than the concept. Assume Greene is at Lovejoy level next season and that Mueller and Butcher acquit themselves at least decently on the top two pairs. Would you rather Greene stay on the third pair or have Smith on the third pair? If Smith can play sheltered minutes after another season of development why would you want Greene to take them?

 

[Beetlebum]

Didn't catch as much of the Devils I normally do, but what am I missing when it comes to Butcher? He seems pretty one dimensional.

 

[Lou is God]

Playing wood on the top online on his off wing is not a good idea

Why not? The one thing about Wood's game is it will get the other teams attention meaning that's less focus by them on Nico and Hall.

 

[Bleedred]

You are focused on the specific situation rather than the concept. Assume Greene is at Lovejoy level next season and that Mueller and Butcher acquit themselves at least decently on the top two pairs. Would you rather Greene stay on the third pair or have Smith on the third pair? If Smith can play sheltered minutes after another season of development why would you want Greene to take them?

Who says Greene has to take them? They can both play on the bottom pair if they have. This staff has ignored handedness before. I see no reason to play Greene on the top or middle pairing next year, just because it's better than playing him on the bottom pairing.

 

[Triumph]

Why not? The one thing about Wood's game is it will get the other teams attention meaning that's less focus by them on Nico and Hall.

Wood can maybe go to the net, but I don't want him with the puck on his stick in the neutral zone when he's got Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier with him. And Wood is pretty good at gaining the offensive zone himself - it's wasting that ability of his if he's paired with Hall, who is the primary puck carrier on his line.

 

[Quest for Stanley]

What do people think of these forward lines?

Hall-Hischier-Wood
Johansson-Zacha-Palmieri
Quenneville-Zajac-Bratt
Coleman-Boyle-Noesen

Swap Seney for Q. Seney and Bratt had instant chemistry at MSG. Seney’s speed, skill and hockey IQ elevate the play of his line mates. Seney has high offensive upside and the Devils need secondary scoring

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Swap Seney for Q. Seney and Bratt had instant chemistry at MSG. Seney’s speed, skill and hockey IQ elevates the play of his line mates. Seney has a high offensive upside and any line he plays on will provide the much needed secondary scoring

Who is Seney?

 

[glenwo2]

This random Kinkaid post brought to you by.......ME.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Given the success of our first line last game, I don't think that is going to change soon.

Hall-Hischier-Palmieri
Johansson-Zacha-Bratt
Coleman-Zajac-Noesen
Wood-Boyle-Rooney

Greene-Vatanen
Smith-Mueller
Butcher-Lovejoy

Kinkaid-Lack

Quenneville, Severson, Santini scratched.
Schneider to IR.
Seney, Gryba, Blackwood sent down.
Stafford released from PTO.

Smith to get 9 games, then decision made.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Severson isn’t starting the season scratched.

 

[Bleedred]

Severson isn’t starting the season scratched.

While you can never be so sure, I agree that he shouldn't be and he probably won't be, even though I wouldn't rule it out.

I do think we could be looking at the second consecutive opening night of Lovejoy getting the scratch. Lovejoy shouldn't be playing over Severson.

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

Severson isn’t starting the season scratched.

Not saying he should be but why wouldnt/cant he?

 

[Emperoreddy]

Not saying he should be but why wouldnt/cant he?

Just unlikely for the sake of playing Mueller on his offside.