Devils 2019 offseason team discussion (news and notes)

[MartyOwns]

f*** maroon lol. let’s not go backwards here, fellas

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

It’s also not like Maroon set the world on fire last season with St. Louis. He’s a 10 goal forward. Are there other options?

He had 17 and 27 the two years previous. And no, other than Ferland there really isn’t anyone that will produce a decent amount and play a physical game that’s a free agent. The other forwards that are appealing don’t provide any size or physicality other than Hayes.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Not saying we should sign Maroon but did anyone see his assist last night? What a pass my god.

 

[Camille the Eel]

We definitely need some more talent with size.

Yes size (not lacking speed) is going to be the thing. We may backfill from our own farm too. (Did Bastian earn a look? - Anderson, Agostino?) but at least one skilled addition along the lines of what Lou did by adding Flipula in the island this year would probably be nice.

 

[ADD-devil950003]

**** maroon lol. let’s not go backwards here, fellas

Yea I don’t want Maroon per se. I just think it’s best to have a little more variety in our lineup. Lee is a great set of size and skill that we don’t have. I would like a guy like Ferland also but I’d probably want him in a third line role. IMO we need some size in our top 6.

 

[MartyOwns]

Yea I don’t want Maroon per se. I just think it’s best to have a little more variety in our lineup. Lee is a great set of size and skill that we don’t have. I would like a guy like Ferland also but I’d probably want him in a third line role. IMO we need some size in our top 6.

that’s fair, but if you want top 6 size, sign simmonds. if you don’t want a shitty contract on the books, don’t sign simmonds. it’s a catch 22.

i hate the idea of acquiring players for size. we should be acquiring them for other reasons (scoring, hands, defensively responsible etc) and if they have size it’s an added bonus. that’s basically the same way i approach draft picks.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Not saying we should sign Maroon but did anyone see his assist last night? What a pass my god.

I watched it on the NHL.com highlights from both angles, and I still cant decide if he meant to do that or if he was just passing it into the slot knowing there was a teammate in that area. It wound up being perfectly onto the tape.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I watched it on the NHL.com highlights from both angles, and I still cant decide if he meant to do that or if he was just passing it into the slot knowing there was a teammate in that area. It wound up being perfectly onto the tape.

I think it was on purpose because he glances over to his left twice before making the pass. Either way, it was a big time pass.

 

[feerlessleadr]

Apologies if this has been talked about:


I have been thinking about Taylor Hall's contract. We have seen lately (most recently Auston Matthews) that high end contracts are being front loaded with signing bonuses. Some say it's lockout protection... but others say it's about taxes. I think where normal salaries are taxed 40-60%, signing bonuses are taxed 15-25% based on where you live. What this means is instead of regular paychecks, owners are cutting checks on July 1st for obscene amounts of money.

This is the first opportunity for our new ownership group to sign a high profile superstar player. Do we think they are willing to sign a contract like that where they will essentially be cutting TH a check for 8-9 million on July 1?

Not sure about Canada, but in the US, this is not correct. Bonuses are taxed as normal wages, there is no different tax bracket for bonus payments. Tax withholding (not to be confused with the actual tax applied to the bonus) is usually around 48%, depending on the state, as well as other deductions you may have on your payroll, so it could be a bit higher or lower.

 

[Wingman77]

that’s fair, but if you want top 6 size, sign simmonds. if you don’t want a ****ty contract on the books, don’t sign simmonds. it’s a catch 22.

i hate the idea of acquiring players for size. we should be acquiring them for other reasons (scoring, hands, defensively responsible etc) and if they have size it’s an added bonus. that’s basically the same way i approach draft picks.

Simmonds may very well be headed the Lucic way of formerly great size and production forward now in decline on the back half of their career that a team will likely regret giving out a bigger than necessary contract to.

I'm not sure that the Islanders would want to move on from their captain, but if we could get our hands on Anders Lee, that would be a pretty good addition and add some more of a physical element to the lineup which it has sorely lacked.

 

[Devilsfan92]

It was posted in the last thread. He mostly just went over how we needed more talent.

Thank you, but I'm not really interested in going through 40+ pages, I was just curious if it had been posted anywhere and if there was a Hynes presser to accommodate it

 

[MartyOwns]

Simmonds may very well be headed the Lucic way of formerly great size and production forward now in decline on the back half of their career that a team will likely regret giving out a bigger than necessary contract to.

I'm not sure that the Islanders would want to move on from their captain, but if we could get our hands on Anders Lee, that would be a pretty good addition and add some more of a physical element to the lineup which it has sorely lacked.

yeah i’m not sure lee is realistic though. the islanders aren’t going to lose arguably their best two players and captains two years in a row, that would be an absurd PR nightmare. panarin, lee, karlsson, all great players but unrealistic. eberle is a much more realistic option, and putting a shooter like that next to hughes would be lethal

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

Flyers fans weren't all too upset about the Simmonds era coming to an end. That should tell you something about where his play is at nowadays.

Count me out.

 

[SpeakingOfTheDevils]

I'd also 100% sign Maroon to be our resident Stafford next year. He fit in like a glove during his stint here last year.

 

[Call Me Al]

seems like a lot of people really don't realize that the part of north jersey where players live is effectively just another borough of new york city

 

[ADD-devil950003]

that’s fair, but if you want top 6 size, sign simmonds. if you don’t want a ****ty contract on the books, don’t sign simmonds. it’s a catch 22.

i hate the idea of acquiring players for size. we should be acquiring them for other reasons (scoring, hands, defensively responsible etc) and if they have size it’s an added bonus. that’s basically the same way i approach draft picks.

Yea I’m gunna say we should stay away from Simmonds at all costs. Anders Lee is the exact player that you should go after if you want size/skill. He is a former 40 goal scorer and if he was being centered by Hughes, I see no reason why he couldn’t get 30-35. You never sign a player just bc he is big...obviously he has to have other elements to his game to be worthy of a top 6 role and Lee is a legit goal scorer in this league. If we can’t get someone that can check the size and goal scoring boxes then just say **** it and go after Skinner who would look great in the top 6 as well.

 

[NJDevs26]

But does Maroon want to leave his family?

They did waive him at one point, he might not have a choice unless he retires.

 

[ADD-devil950003]

Sorry behind on the thread. Yes of course the islanders won’t want to lose Lee but it’s not just up to them. If he makes it to free agency then we have a shot.

 

[Wingman77]

Not that we all did not appreciate how great the team was in the pre-cap era but not being past the first round of the playoffs for so long is definitely frustrating. We will enjoy it that much more when we get back to the top.

With respect to the last sentence about getting back on the right track, I am not sure if you are familiar with how "Process" type of sports executives think. They say you should "divorce process from outcome", meaning your record may or may not show progress but progress could be occurring even with a poor record. A "Process" type may not agree with you that need to get back on track. It would depend on the cause of the bad record. If it happened due to declining play from younger players that are viewed as long term solutions a "Process" type may be alarmed. If poor play comes from a Kinkaid type that is not viewed as a long term piece and the team does not have a large financial investment in, a poor record is not really concerning.

Better times are coming sooner rather than later, IMO.

In the type of situation the team has been in, bumps in the road are always to be expected especially as a team as young as this. Mistakes happen. Two of the worst seasons in franchise history type of bumps in the road though is harder to justify excusing, the worst of which came after a season where seemingly a corner was turned. Several younger players showed progress this season, others wish-washed between quality play and not so quality play and other younger players just didn't show much progress.

Individual progress is great and part of putting a sound core in place, but at the end of the day it is about the team as a whole and all of those individuals being able to gel together to make it happen consistently. That is where a concern has been with this team the past 4 seasons, getting consistency out of the lineup because no matter who has been present in the lineup these past 4 seasons, a common theme has been that we don't know what team is going show up. Is that on management for focusing on some of the wrong player attributes, is that coaching not being as effective on and off the ice, is it players going through the motions and becoming too comfortable? Regardless of what it may be, it is something that can't be happening year after year.

The team looked its most consistent this season for example in the final month or so when the lineup consisted of 90% of players that normally wouldn't see much NHL ice and playing to show they could hang. They had something to play for. When we had a fully healthy lineup earlier in the season, it was more of that same, what team will show up tonight. That is a theme that needs to be nipped in the bud as well. They've done a quality job of cutting their own work out for what needs improvement because of some of these levels the team has sunk to.

 

[OmNomNom]

I'd also 100% sign Maroon to be our resident Stafford next year. He fit in like a glove during his stint here last year.

he's not coming back. i think he'll stay in st louis as a fan favorite. if he took a discount to go home, he won't be coming back

 

[Wingman77]

yeah i’m not sure lee is realistic though. the islanders aren’t going to lose arguably their best two players and captains two years in a row, that would be an absurd PR nightmare. panarin, lee, karlsson, all great players but unrealistic. eberle is a much more realistic option, and putting a shooter like that next to hughes would be lethal

That is why Lee is more of a pipe dream addition I'd like to see, he is a great guy for the Islanders to build around going forward, but at he same time Lou is in charge over there and has no qualms about moving on from any one player. I don't think they'll move on from Lee, but crazier has happened.

 

[Triumph]

Consistency is merely a function of goodness. A bad team will look good occasionally. An average team will look good sometimes and will look bad sometimes. The Devils looked 'consistent' in the last 2 months because by some miracle they gave up the fewest goals during that time, but they played awful, losing hockey. The Devils should be focused on getting better - when they do, they will also look more consistent.

 

[njdevil26]

Not sure about Canada, but in the US, this is not correct. Bonuses are taxed as normal wages, there is no different tax bracket for bonus payments. Tax withholding (not to be confused with the actual tax applied to the bonus) is usually around 48%, depending on the state, as well as other deductions you may have on your payroll, so it could be a bit higher or lower.

I did a Google search and I thought there was a flat 25% tax from the IRS on bonuses. I couldn't find anything definitive.

 

[FooteBahl]

I did a Google search and I thought there was a flat 25% tax from the IRS on bonuses. I couldn't find anything definitive.

I don’t know if it’s dependent upon the employer withholding the taxes, but whenever I get a bonus check (holiday pay or sick time buyback) it’s taxed at nearly 40%.

 

[Patrik26]

Must be fun at parties.

Wouldn't mind Skinner, though.


BTW, the comment below that is absurd :

"Boqvist wants nothing to do with Jersey. Skinner isnt taking less than what hes asking to go there either"

1st off, Boqvist was drafted by NJ so he has no choice but to have SOMETHING to do with Jersey.

And how does anyone know whether Skinner takes more or less?

Never heard that one before about Boqvist, then again who knows. It's coming from a Buffalo fan so .........