Devils 2019-20 team discussion (news and notes) - part XIII

[Scooooooooooooot]

our fan base is so desperate for good defenseman that we are really impressed by Dakota Mermis? Is this because Cangy said he was playing well? The Devils Propaganda machine is alive and well it seems.

 

[Call Me Al]

it probably more to do with him playing solid defense without a lot of visible mistakes which is rare on this team coupled with initially low expectations that he has far surpassed

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

it probably more to do with him playing solid defense without a lot of visible mistakes which is rare on this team coupled with initially low expectations that he has far surpassed

i see so many mistakes when he is on the ice so i dont even know what that means.

 

[Unknown Caller]

our fan base is so desperate for good defenseman that we are really impressed by Dakota Mermis? Is this because Cangy said he was playing well? The Devils Propaganda machine is alive and well it seems.

Mermis has been good, I said it on Thursday night way before the broadcast team said anything. He's nothing special and doesn't have high end talent, but he has been shockingly steady for someone that I knew nothing about before he was called up.

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

Mermis has been good, I said it on Thursday night way before the broadcast team said anything. He's nothing special and doesn't have high end talent, but he has been shockingly steady for someone that I knew nothing about before he was called up.

Disagree on all parts, think he looks horrible. Doesnt look like an nhl player, slowest D man Ive seen at the nhl level, doesnt make passes up ice well. He is in position because he cant move so if you want to crown him for that then go ahead.

 

[New Jersey Devils]

I’m hoping Anderson can eventually become our new Coleman. Just a jack of all trades 110% every shift guy. He’s looked great since his call up.

I am loving Anderson. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite players. I really liked how he was the first Devil into the scrum after Rooney got assaulted by Gibson. Came in hot too.

 

[Triumph]

Mermis has been good at the smaller positioning aspect of defense - not just being 'in the right place' but stick position and body position relative to the opponent. He got real lucky blocking that Burns shot in San Jose. The Devils are doing better with him on the ice than without him, though we will see how this stablizes without the anchor of Colton White.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Disagree on all parts, think he looks horrible. Doesnt look like an nhl player, slowest D man Ive seen at the nhl level, doesnt make passes up ice well. He is in position because he cant move so if you want to crown him for that then go ahead.

Relax, nobody is calling him Quinn Hughes. He stays in position, ends plays, single handedly prevented a goal against San Jose and was the third star last night against Anaheim. He also finds himself in the right place in the offensive zone pretty often and has a tendency to get his shot through to the net. That doesn't mean he's a player they should consider long term, but it's okay to admit he's done a nice job since he came up relative to what we've seen this year.

 

[Triumph]

Hasn't been that many games but Gusev is excelling away from Zajac. He's become legitimately good since the beginning of the season - he knows more about what he can and cannot do and what other players can and cannot do.

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

Relax, nobody is calling him Quinn Hughes. He stays in position, ends plays, single handedly prevented a goal against San Jose and was the third star last night against Anaheim. He also finds himself in the right place in the offensive zone pretty often and has a tendency to get his shot through to the net. That doesn't mean he's a player they should consider long term, but it's okay to admit he's done a nice job since he came up relative to what we've seen this year.

every game ive watched ive become furious because of his lack of mobility and decision making with the puck in the d zone so i will not give him any credit for the Devils propaganda machine trying to push another random AHL D man on us.

 

[Triumph]

every game ive watched ive become furious because of his lack of mobility and decision making with the puck in the d zone so i will not give him any credit for the Devils propaganda machine trying to push another random AHL D man on us.

It has nothing to do with the Devils' broadcast. He is clearly not mobile but it hasn't really cost him anything on the ice yet. It will at some point, but for right now, he's probably the Devils' best LHD.

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

It has nothing to do with the Devils' broadcast. He is clearly not mobile but it hasn't really cost him anything on the ice yet. It will at some point, but for right now, he's probably the Devils' best LHD.

it already has on many plays in the d zone where he should be able to get to pucks but cant and being the best LHD out of Mueller (which i dont agree with) and Freddy Claesson isnt exactly a tough task.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I agree, Mermis has been incredibly steady. He can be a good 3LHD option going forward. I like his game, he is a calm presence on the ice. His contract will also be super cheap.

 

[Billdo]

It's almost as if Hynes should've been fired before he was.

 

[OmNomNom]

every game ive watched ive become furious because of his lack of mobility and decision making with the puck in the d zone so i will not give him any credit for the Devils propaganda machine trying to push another random AHL D man on us.

what'd he do, shoot your dog?

there are plenty of other d-men to complain about. he's RELATIVELY better than some of our other dmen. dano likes to compliment mueller, but that "propaganda" doesn't fool me. how about call out mermis' flubs during next game?

some + on mermis - in his 6 games, he's:
tied w sevo for SOG (11)
3rd lowest SAT differential (-9, behind subban and sevo)
leads team with hits (12)
3rd on blocks (11, behind mueller and subban)

he has as many giveaways as carrick does (6), but less than sevo (11).

he's not TERRIBLE, based on stats -- you just seem to be really biased

 

[NjDevsRR]

Disagree on all parts, think he looks horrible. Doesnt look like an nhl player, slowest D man Ive seen at the nhl level, doesnt make passes up ice well. He is in position because he cant move so if you want to crown him for that then go ahead.

You are the only one I have seen hold this opinion on him, which is fine but everyone I encountered has agreed that Mermis has looked good out there.

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

what'd he do, shoot your dog?

there are plenty of other d-men to complain about. he's RELATIVELY better than some of our other dmen. dano likes to compliment mueller, but that "propaganda" doesn't fool me. how about call out mermis' flubs during next game?

some + on mermis - in his 6 games, he's:
tied w sevo for SOG (11)
3rd lowest SAT differential (-9, behind subban and sevo)
leads team with hits (12)
3rd on blocks (11, behind mueller and subban)

he has as many giveaways as carrick does (6), but less than sevo (11).

he's not TERRIBLE, based on stats -- you just seem to be really biased

How can i be biased? i hate watching him play hockey, i think he is a bad nhl hockey player. He's playing 91% of his shifts with Severson so his advanced numbers arent bad, but every game several times a game he will do something that drives me nuts either with the puck or due to his footspeed. I really dont like watching him play hockey, just my observation and opinion.

 

[devilsblood]

Hasn't been that many games but Gusev is excelling away from Zajac. He's become legitimately good since the beginning of the season - he knows more about what he can and cannot do and what other players can and cannot do.

That line with Zcaha and Bratt looks like a very good fit at the moment, the epitome of a euro finesse passing line.

But we do need to consider competition, both on the macro level, ie the teams we are playing stink, as well as the micro level, Goose and co are not matching up against the competitions best lines.

Now if Wood Zajac and Anderson can play against and hold their own against the oppositions best line like they did last night, while Nico and Palms aren't dragged down too much by Hughes, then that Goose line should be able to thrive against the oppositions scraps.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Also, this “MSG Propaganda Machine“ narrative to discount our opinions on Mermis is bullshit. Sorry man but we can think for ourselves. It’s fine you don’t like him but theres no need for that.

 

[glenwo2]

How can i be biased? i hate watching him play hockey, i think he is a bad nhl hockey player. He's playing 91% of his shifts with Severson so his advanced numbers arent bad, but every game several times a game he will do something that drives me nuts either with the puck or due to his footspeed. I really dont like watching him play hockey, just my observation and opinion.

Yes, you think he is a bad NHL Hockey player.

WE GET IT!

No need to repeat that in every response to any semi-positive post, though.

For me, if he hasn't cost the Devils a goal (like Sevs did in the past, though he has made up for it by providing some offense and assists here and there), then I have no problem with him.

He seems to remind me a little of Andy Greene as more of a stay-at-home Defenseman than anything else.

I'm sure that the first moment he is the cause of a Goals-against, I'd be asking for his head on a platter, too.

But until then, It's all good with Dakota.

 

[OmNomNom]

How can i be biased? i hate watching him play hockey, i think he is a bad nhl hockey player. He's playing 91% of his shifts with Severson so his advanced numbers arent bad, but every game several times a game he will do something that drives me nuts either with the puck or due to his footspeed. I really dont like watching him play hockey, just my observation and opinion.

the SOGs, hits, and blocks aren't inflated by sevo though. maybe some corsi info could be skewed, but you have to give the guy SOME credit for the other items.

and i was dead serious - next game, feel free to chime in when you think he's doing something insanely stupid -- i'm sure you would like to be wrong and he's actually better than you think, but i'm personally open to seeing how bad he is as well. i think he's as "bad" as are out d-men are.

i assume for footspeed though, you must hate butcher too?

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

Yes, you think he is a bad NHL Hockey player.

WE GET IT!

No need to repeat that in every response to any semi-positive post, though.

For me, if he hasn't cost the Devils a goal (like Sevs did in the past, though he has made up for it by providing some offense and assists here and there), then I have no problem with him.

He seems to remind me a little of Andy Greene as more of a stay-at-home Defenseman than anything else.

I'm sure that the first moment he is the cause of a Goals-against, I'd be asking for his head on a platter, too.

But until then, It's all good with Dakota.

then maybe dont have like 5 people respond with basically the same message idk. I dont think him not having a huge mistake directly leading to a goal makes him a viable option as a 6/7 D man next year. I see a talent that is mediocre at best for the level below the NHL and a hockey IQ that is decent but not above average and not near the level it needs to be to be an NHL D man.

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

the SOGs, hits, and blocks aren't inflated by sevo though. maybe some corsi info could be skewed, but you have to give the guy SOME credit for the other items.

and i was dead serious - next game, feel free to chime in when you think he's doing something insanely stupid -- i'm sure you would like to be wrong and he's actually better than you think, but i'm personally open to seeing how bad he is as well. i think he's as "bad" as are out d-men are.

i assume for footspeed though, you must hate butcher too?

I dont like Butcher no, although he is a much better skater due to his edge work with the puck and he does make good passes to exit the zone often, so he has some tools to make up for his footspeed enough to be a regular NHL player. I dont belive Mermis has any quality to get to that level. He's a solid AHL D man who obviously has grinded to get to where he is, I just dont think that he belongs in the NHL because he blocks shots and hits.

 

[Brodeur]

What's up with Zacha? Any word on why he left the game last night?

Saw a couple tweets that it was a minor injury and they kept him out as a precaution. I didn't see when it happened though. I was hoping he'd get a shot at a hat trick especially since it was a free hat giveaway night in Anaheim.

 

[Triumph]

How can i be biased? i hate watching him play hockey, i think he is a bad nhl hockey player. He's playing 91% of his shifts with Severson so his advanced numbers arent bad, but every game several times a game he will do something that drives me nuts either with the puck or due to his footspeed. I really dont like watching him play hockey, just my observation and opinion.

Plenty of other players have played with Severson and have not looked good - Mermis is so far doing better with Severson than either Butcher or Mueller did this season.