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

[OmNomNom]

Forget about Mermis for right now

Our other Swiss boy Mueller has been impressing lately - and from the top pair!

i know we like to joke about bias but you are DEFINITELY biased

 

[Pitaya]

i know we like to joke about bias but you are DEFINITELY biased

Lmaoo

Funniest part is I am in no way Swiss - hell the only other language or culture I know about is Japanese lol

 

[glenwo2]

I don’t really understand why Mermis is getting shit?

He isn’t going to set the world on fire, but he has been playing ok.

Well only one person (@Scooooooooooooot ) here is really giving Mermis "shit".

I don't understand the vitriol myself.

But then again, he prefers an offensive defenseman and does not want a stay-at-home defenseman.


IMO, every team NEEDS at least one Stay-at-home D man.

Just 'cause he won't contribute offensively doesn't mean that player is worthless.

Now I'm not saying Mermis is the answer (far from it) but if he continues to play well (and yes, Scot....he IS playing well from what I and a good many others saw and have seen), I would not mind if he returns next year as a bottom-pairing d-man.

 

[NJDevils17]

I love how some are shitting on Nico but completely ignore he’s struggling after the injury but had a stretch this season where he had 19 points in 23 games and specifically right after the Hall trade he had 10 in 10.

It’s clear the injury threw off his rhythm because he was close to dominant before hand.

 

[Pitaya]

I love how some are shitting on Nico but completely ignore he’s struggling after the injury but had a stretch this season where he had 19 points in 23 games and specifically right after the Hall trade he had 10 in 10.

It’s clear the injury threw off his rhythm because he was close to dominant before hand.

I also think Coleman and Vatanen were pretty close to him - one of our beat writers mentioned Nico took this deadline a little heavier

He has improved greatly in his finer movement and stickwork this season - next season he should break that 60pt mark, if healthy

 

[Camille the Eel]

We should know more about Mermis, Jacobs, how they hold up when the competition gets better over the next few games. I agree Mermis has looked surprisingly decent. Our zone exits have improved a great deal over the recent stretch. We’ve been moving the puck much more crisply on all the pairings. And Mermis gets his shot to the net. Particularly like that.

I wish Subban would be content to try the wrist shot more often, even just float it in there, but get it there at least.

 

[crashline]

I wish Subban would be content to try the wrist shot more often, even just float it in there, but get it there at least.

Every time PK winds up lately I nervously hope his D-partner stays wise to the opposition breakaway in-waiting when the shot cannons off a pair of shinpads.

 

[Billdo]

Mermis has been good. Saying otherwise isn't accurate. Period.

 

[Billdo]

apparently bratt, zacha, and goose hung out in the city together

i love off ice chemistry

Yeah but if PK was there people would be bitching about it...

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

Well only one person (@Scooooooooooooot ) here is really giving Mermis "shit".

I don't understand the vitriol myself.

But then again, he prefers an offensive defenseman and does not want a stay-at-home defenseman.


IMO, every team NEEDS at least one Stay-at-home D man.

Just 'cause he won't contribute offensively doesn't mean that player is worthless.

Now I'm not saying Mermis is the answer (far from it) but if he continues to play well (and yes, Scot....he IS playing well from what I and a good many others saw and have seen), I would not mind if he returns next year as a bottom-pairing d-man.

offensive isn’t what I’m leaning to, i just want a d man that can skate (which is insanely important in today’s nhl) and can move the puck effectively. I loved Adam Larsson before he was moved, he didn’t fly out there but he could cover ground and was a break out machine. Offensively he didn’t excel ever but that’s fine i get we need different types of D. I just don’t think mermis has the qualities i like in stay at home or defensive type D men and nothing he does excites me or makes me think he should be an nhl option after this year.

 

[glenwo2]

offensive isn’t what I’m leaning to, i just want a d man that can skate (which is insanely important in today’s nhl) and can move the puck effectively. I loved Adam Larsson before he was moved, he didn’t fly out there but he could cover ground and was a break out machine. Offensively he didn’t excel ever but that’s fine i get we need different types of D. I just don’t think mermis has the qualities i like in stay at home or defensive type D men and nothing he does excites me or makes me think he should be an nhl option after this year.

Fair enough, Scot.

Every Devils fan on this board have their own version of the "eye test".

He fails yours while passing mine(for now).

It's all good, though.

 

[Camille the Eel]

Every time PK winds up lately I nervously hope his D-partner stays wise to the opposition breakaway in-waiting when the shot cannons off a pair of shinpads.

He has to have the biggest, highest windup for that slap shot in all of hockey. He’s slow getting it off and telegraphs it. Back in Montreal it was effective though. Don’t really know what has changed.

 

[Scooooooooooooot]

Fair enough, Scot.

Every Devils fan on this board have their own version of the "eye test".

He fails yours while passing mine(for now).

It's all good, though.

we all want the same thing so all love here haha

 

[BurntToast]

jack hughes and mirco mueller having the same stat line is what nightmares are made of

I wish they sent him down to the AHL this year. I heard Tampa limited Stamkos’ games his rookie season and made him hit the gym. Not sure if it’s true but the idea would work wonders for Jack.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Yeah but if PK was there people would be bitching about it...

Was it in October after a loss extended an 0-6 start of the season, when the ship was on fire and there was still time to turn it around? The kind of season that forces you to ultimatly trade your franchise player, fire your coach, fire your GM and tear it all down for another five year rebuild? Nah - that's probably the best time to go out and snap selfies with your bros having a blast, Mr $9million boat anchor. It's really cool that we thought that 4 goal collapse would probably be the WORST loss we'd see this season. How frigging naive of us.

Or, like, did they go out to dinner now - when the season is well beyond caring about and they should just celebrate Zacha potting two goals.

I guess some people can't separate the two in their heads, huh? Let's just say - I don't think that smiling pic would have happened with Toews, or Crosby, or basically anyone who's at all serious about winning a Cup... the dinner may have happened, but they wouldn't have been so stupid as to broadcast it. I can still picture Wood and Severson's stupid faces ...one on his way to another -23 or -28 or whatever this year.

 

[Forge]

Was it after a loss extended a 5 game losing streak when the ship was on fire and the season was just beginning? The kind of losing streak that forces you to trade your franchise player, fire your coach, fire your GM and tear it all down for another five year rebuild? Nah - that's probably the best time to go out and snap selfies with your bros having a blast, Mr $9million boat anchor.

Or, like, now - when the season is well beyond caring about and they should just celebrate Zacha potting two goals.

I guess some people can't separate the two in their heads, huh?

I don't know why people get bent out of shape about it. They should be able to live their life and do what they want in that regard. Playing hockey is a job.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I don't know why people get bent out of shape about it. They should be able to live their life and do what they want in that regard. Playing hockey is a job.

It's a generational disconnect. For some people, a 'job' is a 'job' - but for others, a career is what you make of your life and what you've done with your time on the planet.

Dinners and fun times come and go along the way - but opportunities to do great things don't come around very often, and when they are gone, they're gone - and it's on the veteran leadership to recognize this stuff. I bet guys like Greene and Travis are thinking 'this might have been my last chance to win'.

Granted, maybe the value and talent of this team was completely misread by everyone on this board - but honestly - less talented teams have won the Stanley Cup - and there was opportunity here to at least make the playoffs if everything fell our way.

Who knows, an injury might end one of those guys's careers and maybe this was their best chance in their lives - and maybe it's Subban's shot at a HOF career?

And then it's not 'just a job'.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I know not everyone goes into prospect threads, but Ty Smith had a 10 point weekend. Five of those points being goals.

 

[Scorcho]

I'm so happy Zacha is finally starting to reward the devils for their patience. He was my favorite prospect to come up since tedenby/josefson... Glad Pavel is actually working out

 

[beekay414]

It's a generational disconnect. For some people, a 'job' is a 'job' - but for others, a career is what you make of your life and what you've done with your time on the planet.

Dinners and fun times come and go along the way - but opportunities to do great things don't come around very often, and when they are gone, they're gone - and it's on the veteran leadership to recognize this stuff. I bet guys like Greene and Travis are thinking 'this might have been my last chance to win'.

Granted, maybe the value and talent of this team was completely misread by everyone on this board - but honestly - less talented teams have won the Stanley Cup - and there was opportunity here to at least make the playoffs if everything fell our way.

Who knows, an injury might end one of those guys's careers and maybe this was their best chance in their lives - and maybe it's Subban's shot at a HOF career?

And then it's not 'just a job'.

Dude, they can live their lives however they please lol. This idea that they should be miserable gym rats when things are bad is just not based in reality. People have bad years in their careers, they don't stop living their lives to the fullest. GTFOH with this nonsense.

 

[Blackjack]

I'm so happy Zacha is finally starting to reward the devils for their patience. He was my favorite prospect to come up since tedenby/josefson... Glad Pavel is actually working out

Good lord. It must be pretty cool to finally see one of your guys score 30 points in a season.

 

[Based Anime Fan]

I'm going to put it out there:

I am not opposed to Nas returning next year as an assistant again. I think the team's general better play and level of GAF has been better under him, which makes me go back to something I said early last season:

Nas had no real input on the defensive structure or performance of the team under Hynes.

 

[glenwo2]

Dude, they can live their lives however they please lol. This idea that they should be miserable gym rats when things are bad is just not based in reality. People have bad years in their careers, they don't stop living their lives to the fullest. GTFOH with this nonsense.

So much THIS.

I don't get how some out there think that Sports figures don't have breaks in-between their Games.

THEY'RE NOT VIDEO GAME CHARACTERS, PEOPLE!! THEY HAVE LIVES OUTSIDE THE RINK!!

good lord....

 

[glenwo2]

I'm going to put it out there:

I am not opposed to Nas returning next year as an assistant again. I think the team's general better play and level of GAF has been better under him, which makes me go back to something I said early last season:

Nas had no real input on the defensive structure or performance of the team under Hynes.

I'm going to put it out there :


NO.

 

[Call Me Al]

It's a generational disconnect. For some people, a 'job' is a 'job' - but for others, a career is what you make of your life and what you've done with your time on the planet.

Dinners and fun times come and go along the way - but opportunities to do great things don't come around very often, and when they are gone, they're gone - and it's on the veteran leadership to recognize this stuff. I bet guys like Greene and Travis are thinking 'this might have been my last chance to win'.

Granted, maybe the value and talent of this team was completely misread by everyone on this board - but honestly - less talented teams have won the Stanley Cup - and there was opportunity here to at least make the playoffs if everything fell our way.

Who knows, an injury might end one of those guys's careers and maybe this was their best chance in their lives - and maybe it's Subban's shot at a HOF career?

And then it's not 'just a job'.

you should listen to the gomez spitting chiclets, where he talks about going out to bars and showing up hungover to practice, smoking cigarettes with claude and partying in new york and having to sleep in his car outside the meadowlands.

whatever your idealization of “the good old days” is doesn’t exist- going out to dinner together is as benign as could be and pales in comparison to the things these guys have done in the past, especially during the glory years.