Devils 2019-20 offseason team discussion (news and notes)

[Stephen Gionta]

I think the 2020 1st round pick should be in play for a top pairing LHD.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

I'm not interested in moving our 2020 1st round pick at all. We have no 2nd and no 3rd next year. We had a bunch of picks this year but aside from Hughes it was a decent draft (so far) but nothing crazy. Hipefully next years lick is used on another D man or a big time goal scorer.

 

[devilsfan35]

I think the 2020 1st round pick should be in play for a top pairing LHD.

If Anaheim is a bottom 5 team by the trade deadline, maybe we could get Fowler or lindholm from them.

 

[Stephen Gionta]

If Anaheim is a bottom 5 team by the trade deadline, maybe we could get Fowler or lindholm from them.

I would trade the house for Hampus Lindholm.

 

[Bleedred]

This is wrong but yeah. Stafford had a role here and was actually good in it.

Unless you’re talking about the shootout then I don’t agree.

He was useless after November of 2017. He was no value after that during in-game situations unless we’re comparing him to Kevin Rooney or one of those scab call ups.

 

[aboriginal]

I would trade the house for Hampus Lindholm.

Hamp?
Us?

Hampus!

 

[Khione]

I just hope he can be half of what the main board tells me Lafreniere will be.

if we resign Hall we will get that kid to.

 

[Khione]

Bust! Damit i knew we should off taken the Finn.

 

[AfroThunder396]

I just hope he can be half of what the main board tells me Lafreniere will be.

He's not THAT small.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

With the players we have signed, Zacha should not be in the top 6. No way.

But 2 guys who have never played a day on North American ice nevermind the NHL should be automatically slotted in? Or maybe the guy who just put up a whopping 30 points (3 in his final 17)?

Zacha had a fantastic final 1/3 of the season and has already handled 2nd line duties at this level.

He starts on Hughes 'wing' unless the goose looks like freakin Kucherov in camp. Even then you consider dropping Bratt down the lineup and giving Pavel a shot. Unless you just want to completely concede faceoffs and a fair amount of D on that line.

It just doesn't make sense unless 2 of 3 things happen - he looks lost out there, goose comes STORMING out of the gate, and/or Jack magically figures out this offseason how to win a faceoff against NHL'ers.

We should all be excited, but for sound reasons.

 

[jkrdevil]

Yes, the two guys who have the potential should get the spot ahead of the guy who has had the opportunity and failed.

 

[Hisch13r]

But 2 guys who have never played a day on North American ice nevermind the NHL should be automatically slotted in? Or maybe the guy who just put up a whopping 30 points (3 in his final 17)?

Zacha had a fantastic final 1/3 of the season and has already handled 2nd line duties at this level.

He starts on Hughes 'wing' unless the goose looks like freakin Kucherov in camp. Even then you consider dropping Bratt down the lineup and giving Pavel a shot. Unless you just want to completely concede faceoffs and a fair amount of D on that line.

It just doesn't make sense unless 2 of 3 things happen - he looks lost out there, goose comes STORMING out of the gate, and/or Jack magically figures out this offseason how to win a faceoff against NHL'ers.

We should all be excited, but for sound reasons.

The most overrated skill in the league. You don't need to be great at draws to be a great center. Kuznetsov just had 38%. Zacha had a good 1/3rd of a season but that's literally it. He was never able to produce before that. He should be on the outside looking in for a spot and gets bumped up if he looks better than any of our 6 best forwards which isn't likely. Put him on the 3rd line with Zajac and Boqvist

 

[RangerDoggo]

I don’t think that Zacha is going to start on the top six to start the season, but if he has a stellar preseason, he might grab a spot there. Hynes tends to keep things wide open.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

The most overrated skill in the league. You don't need to be great at draws to be a great center. Kuznetsov just had 38%. Zacha had a good 1/3rd of a season but that's literally it. He was never able to produce before that. He should be on the outside looking in for a spot and gets bumped up if he looks better than any of our 6 best forwards which isn't likely. Put him on the 3rd line with Zajac and Boqvist

You posted by far the biggest outlier in Kuz. Every other star center in the league won more than 45% of their draws besides Mac (43.7) and most were very near 50 or much higher. Zajac might not have a job if not for his ability on the dot, or at least certainly not above the 4th line.

How is a Hughes line going to come in and be as effective as they should be if they're chasing the puck for the first ~15 seconds of ~70% of their shifts?

The last 1/3 of the season on a putrid team for a 22y/o is all that matters because it's the most recent and reasonable enough sample size.

And if faceoff's are borderline useless, what would you call a very high percentage of 27 y/o KHL players who arrive for their first time or 21 y/o 2nd round picks coming over from the SHL having success? Way more often than not, actually useless unfortunately, and not locks for a top 6 role above a dude who has been there.

It's their job to displace him, not the other way around.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

I don’t think that Zacha is going to start on the top six to start the season, but if he has a stellar preseason, he might grab a spot there. Hynes tends to keep things wide open.

I disagree.

But at the end of the day I think we can all agree these are good problems to have.

Ahhhh, August on HFBoards.

 

[MartyOwns]

while Zacha’s Final Third would make a great username, it’s getting a little nutty how often it’s referenced. what did he have, 3 even strength goals in his last 25 games? that’s what we’re talking about?

if zacha is in our top 6, something went horribly wrong with the plan, or someone got injured or died of dysentery or something

 

[jkrdevil]

if zacha is in our top 6, something went horribly wrong with the plan, or someone got injured or died of dysentery or something

It was probably a mistake for Kyle Palmieri to vacation on the Oregon Trail this summer.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

Yes, the two guys who have the potential should get the spot ahead of the guy who has had the opportunity and failed.

He didn't fail by any metric after mid-Jan or so last year all the while playing with a rotating gong show of linemates.

I get that he's had a disappointing start to his career for a 6th OA. But the guy is 22 and on the upswing.

And potential? What sort of logic is that? If we were talking about a Turcotte, Caulfield, Dach, Cozens, etc, you'd have a point.

But we are talking about 2 guys - 1 of whom is quite old to be making his debut on NA ice - who have done less than Zacha in the NHL. You want them to realize that potential? Give them Travs at center, and beef t*ts Wayne on their right side and go from there.

That's how they should be earning a spot in the regular season and not in August or even September. Same goes for Zacha, prove the last 3rd of '18/'19 wasn't a fluke or down you go if one of the new guys shine.

But October - at minimum - is pretty straight forward other than the 12th and 13th forward spot. Camp is just a formality this season for the top 11.

I will say that no matter where these guys end up it feels nice to have that sentiment going in to a season for the first time in a while.

 

[Jack Be Quick]

while Zacha’s Final Third would make a great username, it’s getting a little nutty how often it’s referenced. what did he have, 3 even strength goals in his last 25 games? that’s what we’re talking about?

if zacha is in our top 6, something went horribly wrong with the plan, or someone got injured or died of dysentery or something

Delete

 

[Call Me Al]

if zacha is in our top 6, something went horribly wrong with the plan, or someone got injured or died of dysentery or something

or, you know, maybe he built on that latter part of the season and continues to develop like almost all 22 year olds do

 

[Call Me Al]

the idea that because a player was less impressive in his age 20 and 21 seasons means he can’t ever be an impact player is dumb as hell. he has tools and hopefully he’ll put it together but his role and his career isn’t set in stone at this point

 

[Dialamo]

the idea that because a player was less impressive in his age 20 and 21 seasons means he can’t ever be an impact player is dumb as hell. he has tools and hopefully he’ll put it together but his role and his career isn’t set in stone at this point

Agreed, he probably won't become an offensive powerhouse but he still has another 2 seasons of growth and improvement ahead. I don't see why he can't be a steady player on our roster for years to come. Yes he's a disappointment due to his draft position but the way his career is going, he won't be a bust.

 

[jkrdevil]

Three full seasons in the NHL 24 points, 25 points and 25 points.

No one is saying he can’t develop into a useful NHL player, but the evidence shows he isn’t going to a be a top-6 player on a good team. Based on his career so far what is his ceiling? 35-40 points? And that is if he he makes leaps a strides in development.

That’s a low bar. And one that is low enough that is worth it try out two “unproven” players who the organization I assume projects to clear said bar. Especially one who was more than a point per game player in another professional league.

 

[Call Me Al]

the evidence shows that he is developing slowly and performing less than we’d all hoped but proves nothing about the future

 

[RangerDoggo]

The problem with Zacha, as I’ve said before, is that flashes are all we have to work with. For whatever reason, he is completely incapable of putting it together for an entire season, and I think that isn’t going to change. He is who he is.

Keep comparing him to Couturier all you want, but he doesn’t have the brain to go that trajectory.