Devils 2019-20 team discussion (news and notes) - In limbo version

[Spoiled Bratt]

Agree. But by and large that was a popular trade. If you go back and read the trade thread the vast majority of posters liked that trade.

What’s not to like, we gave up absolutely nothing but cap space for a top #4 dman. Even the length of the contract wasn’t an issue because he was on the hook for 4 years at best.

Man, people are going to complain about everything and anything around here.

 

[britdevil]

To say Shero neglected the D is false, he did sign or trade for at least 10 D men while here, plus the draft picks. If you wanna say he didn't do a good enough job well...

Nail meet head.

To say flat out that it was not addressed is completely false.

Was it addressed badly? Probably yes.

Evidence however says it was addressed.

EDIT: Addressed badly only in hindsight. The trades and picks over the past 5ish years looked good at the time.

 

[Cheddabombs]

Problem is you can go decades before the losing stops and you find a savior to gain traction with...Its a luck box game...And there is an alternative way.

You can also go decades before the winning stops but if you're not doing the things in the back-end (drafting) to maintain a strong system then eventually... it's going to stop and you're going to need to rebuild. Drafting may not be the be-all-end-all but it enables other ways to improve your team as well.

I won't touch on free agents, I think that's impossible to properly judge a GM on with regards to perhaps "missed opportunities" as it's a two-way street and there needs to be a mutual interest. You could make trades as well to improve your team, which drafting helps enable. Have an area that needs improvement? Well you gotta give to get and teams value good young players, we didn't have many of those. We tried to make low-risk, low-cost moves but those didn't pay strong dividends (i.e. Loktionov) but sometimes bigger moves are necessary to move the needle - moves we didn't have the means to make. The biggest one we did make was arguably the trade that has set us back the most, trading for Schneider.

 

[JrFischer54]

Unless I missing something....His next contract takes him until he is 28 years old...His next contract goes until the 2026-2027 season - 7 years. He is currently 21 years old.

His next contract not the extension he already signed

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

What’s not to like, we gave up absolutely nothing but cap space for a top #4 dman. Even the length of the contract wasn’t an issue because he was on the hook for 4 years at best.

Man, people are going to complain about everything and anything around here.

That makes my point. The majority of the board likes it when the Devils trade picks for players. How are we getting out of the next 5 years at $6 mil of that Simmonds contract you gave out last year?

 

[The 29th Pick]

Nail meet head.

To say flat out that it was not addressed is completely false.

Was it addressed badly? Probably yes.

Evidence however says it was addressed.

EDIT: Addressed badly only in hindsight. The trades and picks over the past 5ish years looked good at the time.

plus he really tried hard to sign Shattenkirk (good or bad) but Kirk wanted to be a Rag

 

[JrFischer54]

I do not think so. What I would like is to see our young core prove they are good enough to win a round in the playoffs and than go out and get the final pieces via FA and trade. Teams do not trade high end pieces on ELC's. Tat is why teams need to draft well. Think when the Blackhawks made their big FA signing (Hossa after the team showed playoff success) and compare that to the Wild signing Parise/Suter after missing the playoffs.

to win a round the playoffs? Are you crazy? If you wait for this group to do that right now it will never be done unless the nhl goes to a 30 team playoff lol

 

[JimEIV]

To say Shero neglected the D is false, he did sign or trade for at least 10 D men while here, plus the draft picks. If you wanna say he didn't do a good enough job well...

There are going to be number of transactions as matter of just icing a team...Picking off the bottom of the barrel UFA's, looking at waiver fodder and using 5th, 6th, and 7th round picks to select Dmen is neglect. Sorry it just is.

Vatanen and Subban are your arguments here...I do think those are an aside from drafting though. both were opportunistic bargain bin transactions that did little for our teams growth... Larsson, Merrill, Severson were a significantly better core than what we have today...The defense was in much better shape when Shero arrived than when he left.

 

[JrFischer54]

And the question still remains the same... should we sign him to an 8 year deal when he’ll be 28? We’ll be paying the majority of his still when he’ll be in his 30’s.

By the logic that’s been tossed around, we should offer him a 2 to 4 year deal or look to move him when he hits 28.

Exactly!

 

[Billdo]

I love that we are still discussing picks from almost 10 years ago.

 

[Billdo]

Larsson, Merrill, Severson were a significantly better core than what we have today...The defense was in much better shape when Shero arrived than when he left.

Eh, I'm not sure I agree with that.

 

[JimEIV]

Eh, I'm not sure I agree with that.

Subban, Butcher, Mueller excite you egh?

 

[Bleedred]

Subban, Butcher, Mueller excite you egh?

Subban and Butcher are better than Larsson and Merrill.

Mueller is an extremely broke man’s version of Merrill and a completely penniless man’s Larsson.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

to win a round the playoffs? Are you crazy? If you wait for this group to do that right now it will never be done unless the nhl goes to a 30 team playoff lol

I know you know more about hockey and the Devils than Mackenizie Blackwood, but he would disagree with you:

"I just love playing here. Everyone always asked me what it's like to play here and I say it's a really good spot. I think this team in the upcoming future should be really, really good," he said. "Right now, I think they're the youngest team on average so it just goes to show you that moving forward, they're all going to develop and I think it could be really exciting if we can all develop together.

Devils' Mackenzie Blackwood hoping to re-sign: 'I would love to play here long-term'

 

[JimEIV]

Subban and Butcher are better than Larsson and Merrill.

Mueller is an extremely broke man’s version of Merrill and a completely penniless man’s Larsson.

Butcher isn't better than anyone....and who really knows where the downward spiral of Subban is going? Maybe it was an off season that can be wiped away? Many thought Zidlicky was completely done in Minnesota and that wasn't true...So we'll see.

Edit: but given the choice, I would take Merrill and Larsson every single time. over the two that literally skate like they have prosthetic legs.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

That makes my point. The majority of the board likes it when the Devils trade picks for players. How are we getting out of the next 5 years at $6 mil of that Simmonds contract you gave out last year?

WTF are you talking about?

I’m certain you know this but I’m not the GM of the New Jersey Devils, so whatever proposal I write on a message board, good or bad, won’t have any effect on our team.

I’ll comment on deals that actually got approved by the league and moving 2nd round picks and an unproven prospect for a legit top#4 dman was a no brainer move to make. The biggest asset we gave up was cap space, which we still have a ton of.

If you want to wait until all our picks start to materialize, we’ll just be wasting way the prime years of our current youngsters... and then we’ll have to trade Hischier and Hughes because they won’t fit the timeline of the kids we draft this year or next year.

Your vision is a revolving rebuild that has no end and I don’t want that.

 

[None Shall Pass]

Vatanen and Subban are your arguments here...I do think those are an aside from drafting though. both were opportunistic bargain bin transactions that did little for our teams growth

Calling Vatanen a "bargain bin" transaction is just false. He was arguably our best defenseman this past season, and one of the best since he got here. We got him cheaper than we should have, but still had to give up Henrique to do so, who at the time was one of our few forwards with any sort of positive value. We got a #2-3 defenseman for a 40-50 point forward, Blandisi, and a 3rd.

That's not dumpster diving. That's shrewd trading. Say what you want about Shero's time here, but that's a trade that is definitively in the Pros column.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

WTF are you talking about?

I’m certain you know this but I’m not the GM of the New Jersey Devils, so whatever proposal I write on a message board, good or bad, won’t have any effect on our team.

I’ll comment on deals that actually got approved by the league and moving 2nd round picks and an unproven prospect for a legit top#4 dman was a no brainer move to make. The biggest asset we gave up was cap space, which we still have a ton of.

If you want to wait until all our picks start to materialize, we’ll just be wasting way the prime years of our current youngsters... and then we’ll have to trade Hischier and Hughes because they won’t fit the timeline of the kids we draft this year or next year.

Your vision is a revolving rebuild that has no end and I don’t want that.

It shows how out of touch you are and how you do not know how to evaluate players when you think a player is worth 6 years at $6 million per when he signs for 1 year at $5 mil. Tough to take someone serious when they miss on a players worth by that much

 

[JimEIV]

Calling Vatanen a "bargain bin" transaction is just false. He was arguably our best defenseman this past season, and one of the best since he got here. We got him cheaper than we should have, but still had to give up Henrique to do so, who at the time was one of our few forwards with any sort of positive value. We got a #2-3 defenseman for a 40-50 point forward, Blandisi, and a 3rd.

That's not dumpster diving. That's shrewd trading. Say what you want about Shero's time here, but that's a trade that is definitively in the Pros column.

I think I used the word "opportunistic" bargain bin...
It was an opportunistic trade by a cash strapped team that couldn't afford the up coming bill...

By the way, Henrique's 62 goals in Anaheim since the trade would have been one of the best on our team...Where are we today with that transaction?

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

Subban, Butcher, Mueller excite you egh?

Definitely more so then the junk you posted that was drafted by Lou, yes.

 

[JrFischer54]

I know you know more about hockey and the Devils than Mackenizie Blackwood, but he would disagree with you:

"I just love playing here. Everyone always asked me what it's like to play here and I say it's a really good spot. I think this team in the upcoming future should be really, really good," he said. "Right now, I think they're the youngest team on average so it just goes to show you that moving forward, they're all going to develop and I think it could be really exciting if we can all develop together.

Devils' Mackenzie Blackwood hoping to re-sign: 'I would love to play here long-term'

im convinced I’m just going to pencil them in for the semis now.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

im convinced I’m just going to pencil them in for the semis now.

 

[Spoiled Bratt]

It shows how out of touch you are and how you do not know how to evaluate players when you think a player is worth 6 years at $6 million per when he signs for 1 year at $5 mil. Tough to take someone serious when they miss on a players worth by that much

So sue me, I had one bad opinion! It’s also easy to talk after someone gets signed and fails miserably when word on our board was that a multi year deal was possible. If you hit the nail on the head by stating we’d sign him to a one year deal worth 5M$, then I guess you’re better then me but I doubt it very next.

It’s easy to not stick your neck out there when you’re perfect vision is just sit on your ass, wait for picks to blossom and trade away everyone who’s about to turn 29 and up.

Your opinion is just as bad, or worse, but I couldn’t care less because you and I have no impact on our roster.

 

[Zippy316]

I know you know more about hockey and the Devils than Mackenizie Blackwood, but he would disagree with you:

"I just love playing here. Everyone always asked me what it's like to play here and I say it's a really good spot. I think this team in the upcoming future should be really, really good," he said. "Right now, I think they're the youngest team on average so it just goes to show you that moving forward, they're all going to develop and I think it could be really exciting if we can all develop together.

Devils' Mackenzie Blackwood hoping to re-sign: 'I would love to play here long-term'

Nice to hear that from him. Just need a backup who can play every three or four games for him.

Blackwood looked terrific whenever he was well rested. Every time he got into a stretch of playing multiple games he seemed to struggle. Seemed like after a while the Devils start doing something like a three-on, one-off workload regardless of who was the back-up and Blackwood was stellar.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

So sue me, I had one bad opinion! It’s also easy to talk after someone gets signed and fails miserably when word on our board was that a multi year deal was possible. If you hit the nail on the head by stating we’d sign him to a one year deal worth 5M$, then I guess you’re better then me but I doubt it very next.

It’s easy to not stick your neck out there when you’re perfect vision is just sit on your ass, wait for picks to blossom and trade away everyone who’s about to turn 29 and up.

Your opinion is just as bad, or worse, but I couldn’t care less because you and I have no impact on our roster.