Devils 2019-20 preseason thread (team discussion, news and notes) II

[Quest for Stanley]

Brett Seney is off to a solid start in Bingo. 2 games, 4 pts and +1. Add that to the 2pts he put up with New Jersey, he’s sitting at 6pts, +2 in 5 exhibition games. Seney is flying nicely under the radar

 

[TrufleShufle]

Is there even any LHD rumored to be out there?

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Brett Seney is off to a solid start in Bingo. 2 games, 4 pts and +1. Add that to the 2pts he put up with New Jersey, he’s sitting at 6pts, +2 in 5 exhibition games. Seney is flying nicely under the radar

He's a career AHL'er, nothing more... but he is playing well in those 2 games.

 

[Hisch13r]

Unless there's a trade coming I don't like not giving him the 9 games. I especially hate it if it means we're still keeping 8 dmen but instead of Smith it's Tennyson

 

[longislanddevil]

Man I love Zacha even if he never scores, his defensive abilities are off the charts, feels like he’s always doing the right thing. We have so much forward depth now but somehow it feels like the chemistry isn’t there yet. Is Zacha too good to be a 4th liner? Could his point totals increase if he got to play with great playmakers? If people are saying Gusev-Hughes has a hard time taking the puck back, let’s throw Zacha into that mix, so that either Zacha or Hughes plays the wing.

Hall-Nico-Palms
Gusev-Hughes/Zacha-Zacha/Hughes
Coleman-Zajac-Simmonds
Wood/Boqvist-McLeod-Bratt

I’d like to see Zacha get a chance to play with Hughes, as well. I’m confident Jack can help unleash some of the offensive upside in Zacha that we’ve seen glimpses of. In turn, Zacha could fill in and help on faceoffs, as well as be a defensive anchor that line would otherwise be lacking.

 

[longislanddevil]

After the season Ty Smith had last year for Spokane, it’s borderline shocking his camp has been poor enough to not make the team or at least stick for 9 games. I think the presumption was he made enormous strides from one year ago and that he was going to have a place with the big club. It’s disappointing but hopefully it fuels him to get better. Roster spots should be earned and not handed to anyone...so I have no problem with this. If he’s sent back to the AHL, does that mean he can’t be called up mid-season? That part is a bummer...

 

[Quest for Stanley]

He's a career AHL'er, nothing more... but he is playing well in those 2 games.

Time will tell. I’ve got my money on Seney eventually being a career NHLer. He’s made significant improvements to his game over the summer

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Unless there's a trade coming I don't like not giving him the 9 games. I especially hate it if it means we're still keeping 8 dmen but instead of Smith it's Tennyson

Smith has nothing to gain by not being a regular at the NHL level. I'd rather have Tennyson in the press box over Smith.

 

[Hisch13r]

Smith has nothing to gain by not being a regular at the NHL level. I'd rather have Tennyson in the press box over Smith.

He's a better option than the other 3 on the bubble and should get the 9 game look

 

[longislanddevil]

We really do have an abundance of quality NHL forwards (and a few that are close or projected to be). I haven’t seen a Devils team this loaded up front since 2000. With Ty Smith (if true) being sent back to Spokane, it does make sense for Ray to trade from an area of strength to address weakness. Could a trade for a top 4 LD be brewing? Maybe? Defensive talent doesn’t exactly grow on trees and presumably the target would need to be a team that is already deep on the blue line. Finding a match may not be easy but Ray has proven to be a wizard...

McLeod/Wood/+ for ?

 

[Triumph]

Is there even any LHD rumored to be out there?

The Athletic is reporting that Jack Johnson will likely be traded in the next 48 hours.

That would, of course, be a disaster if he were coming here.

 

[ninetyeight]

Down this road again, anytime Zacha gets an opportunity for top 6 minutes he hands them right back

I think he’s developed since then, he looked way better after his ahl visit.

While I don't hate the idea of Zacha in the top 6, and I think his shortcomings there have been greatly exaggerated, Bratt on the 4th line makes no sense. I don't think he can be effective there, while Zacha definitely could.

You could ice the lines more evenly. And dare I say it, I feel like Bratt is a tad overrated on this board, I’m still not completely sold on him. His hockey IQ looks great here and there, but results matter and I think he needs to score more and/or be better defensively.

 

[Triumph]

The Devils do not believe in 'the 9 game look', Shero can't have been more clear about this every time he's asked. Ty Smith either makes the team or he doesn't, he shouldn't have to make the team every game he plays.

 

[Hisch13r]

I think he’s developed since then, he looked way better after his ahl visit.



You could ice the lines more evenly. And dare I say it, I feel like Bratt is a tad overrated on this board, I’m still not completely sold on him. His hockey IQ looks great here and there, but results matter and I think he needs to score more and/or be better defensively.

He had 33 pts in 51 games last year on a terrible team. Those are results. That's better than Zacha's ever been offensively and in fewer games

 

[TrufleShufle]

The Athletic is reporting that Jack Johnson will likely be traded in the next 48 hours.

That would, of course, be a disaster if he were coming here.

I meant any actual hockey players.

 

[glenwo2]

While I would have liked to have seen him get the nine games on the one hand, on the other I think we're past giving guys who haven't earned it tryout minutes. It would be one thing if we were still playing the long game, but with all our moves this offseason results need to start getting better soon.

Exactly.

It's one thing for things to be like they were when Bratt made the team (basically where everyone got a tryout) but those days are now basically gone. Now is the time to just 'GO FOR IT' and leave the rebuilding in the past.

 

[glenwo2]

Brett Seney is off to a solid start in Bingo. 2 games, 4 pts and +1. Add that to the 2pts he put up with New Jersey, he’s sitting at 6pts, +2 in 5 exhibition games. Seney is flying nicely under the radar

AHL'er destined for the AHL Hall Of Fame ( @ comparing him to MSL in another thread)

(though to be fair....he could *possibly* crack an NHL team lineup down the road but I think that will only happen if there were *gulp* "injuries" which I pray won't happen. We've all had enough of those)

 

[Hisch13r]

Exactly.

It's one thing for things to be like they were when Bratt made the team (basically where everyone got a tryout) but those days are now basically gone. Now is the time to just 'GO FOR IT' and leave the rebuilding in the past.

None of Tennyson, Mueller or Carrick are better than Smith. It isn't like he'd be taking away the spot from someone who was clearly better. Smith was on the same level as them and he clearly has more to give while the others don't. Keeping Smith around for at least 9 games IS going for it

 

[glenwo2]

None of Tennyson, Mueller or Carrick are better than Smith. It isn't like he'd be taking away the spot from someone who was clearly better. Smith was on the same level as them and he clearly has more to give while the others don't. Keeping Smith around for at least 9 games IS going for it

I get what you're saying and I'm one of those that would've liked to have seen Smith get 9 games to play with a properly-constructed TEAM to see if he is indeed ready....

...but I'm not Ray Shero and I don't make the Hockey Decisions.



I'm just a Devils fan with a Bratt avatar.

 

[Blender]

The Athletic is reporting that Jack Johnson will likely be traded in the next 48 hours.

That would, of course, be a disaster if he were coming here.

Terrible player that has been overpaid for years because he is decent offensively.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

Time will tell. I’ve got my money on Seney eventually being a career NHLer. He’s made significant improvements to his game over the summer

I'm definitely rooting for the kid. He has a good motor and he seems like he's willing to do just about anything to refine his game to make it more NHL-compatible. Very 'coachable,' if that makes sense.

This is a much more palatable and reasonable take than forcing a comparison to Jesper Boqvist, by the way. The conversation is much more rational.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

The Athletic is reporting that Jack Johnson will likely be traded in the next 48 hours.

That would, of course, be a disaster if he were coming here.

I can't believe they signed that contract. I had to double check the AAV; off the top of my head, I thought it was around $2.5 for the next 4 years. Nope, it's $3.25M. What a disaster.

I find it hard to believe any organization would absorb that deal without sending something equally hideous back to Pittsburgh.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Ty got what he deserved, thought he was guaranteed a spot and didn’t show up ready. Hope he can rebound. It’s really dumb he can’t play in the AHL...

What a weird opinion to have...

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Brett Seney is off to a solid start in Bingo. 2 games, 4 pts and +1. Add that to the 2pts he put up with New Jersey, he’s sitting at 6pts, +2 in 5 exhibition games. Seney is flying nicely under the radar

We have a Binghamton thread just FYI.

 

[devilsblood]

He's a career AHL'er, nothing more... but he is playing well in those 2 games.

Maybe, but maybe he's a decent 4th liner in the future, maybe he could be a bit more then that.

Right now though NJ has enough talent to keep him in Bing.