Devils 2020-21 team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part VI

[_Del_]

Schmaltz isn't a center, imo. He's a winger. He's lined up at C a few times under Tocc because we're so thin at center ice, but he hasn't stuck there. He's spent the vast majority of the time on wing after the initial experiment. He's the most dynamic offensive player on the roster, and only 24. I just see him as the odd man out if they are trying to get bigger. He's definitely soft as someone said above.

I figured the Devils needed someone on D looking at the depth chart. You can always flip D at the deadline. I doubt either of those guys are going to be given away, but they might go cheap if they decide they need to shuffle cap to get better forwards.

 

[MadDevil]

Does Bean fit the goal of being harder to play against on the back end or is he just a faster skating Butcher?

Probably more of the latter, although to be fair a better skating Butcher would probably be a top 4 defenseman, so even if he isn't "tougher to play against" he'd still be a pretty good addition (assuming he actually hits his potential of course).

 

[MikeyFlynn]

Laine - Youth movement - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

 

[youryeah]

i'm gonna keep speaking jake bean for 18 or 20 into existence. it's gonna happen

 

[Darkauron]

Laine - Youth movement - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

That is a mess. Like really not good and doesnt make any sense. "Youth movement" but we trade a bunch of young players in sevs, butcher ect ect. Then trade for Turris and sign a bunch of old UFAs? Yeah no thanks at all.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

That is a mess. Like really not good and doesnt make any sense. "Youth movement" but we trade a bunch of young players in sevs, butcher ect ect. Then trade for Turris and sign a bunch of old UFAs? Yeah no thanks at all.

1000% agree.

 

[Monsieur Verdoux]

Schmaltz isn't a center, imo. He's a winger. He's lined up at C a few times under Tocc because we're so thin at center ice, but he hasn't stuck there. He's spent the vast majority of the time on wing after the initial experiment. He's the most dynamic offensive player on the roster, and only 24. I just see him as the odd man out if they are trying to get bigger. He's definitely soft as someone said above.

I figured the Devils needed someone on D looking at the depth chart. You can always flip D at the deadline. I doubt either of those guys are going to be given away, but they might go cheap if they decide they need to shuffle cap to get better forwards.

I think the Devils are trying to do the same thing.

 

[_Del_]

I think the Devils are trying to do the same thing.

Curses!



What's the ask for Zacha while I'm here bothering you guys? Seems buried at three C.

 

[Blackjack]

That is a mess. Like really not good and doesnt make any sense. "Youth movement" but we trade a bunch of young players in sevs, butcher ect ect. Then trade for Turris and sign a bunch of old UFAs? Yeah no thanks at all.

Also, Buffalo is not trading #8 for one year of Kyle Palmieri.

 

[Monsieur Verdoux]

Curses!



What's the ask for Zacha while I'm here bothering you guys? Seems buried at three C.

A potential top 4 dman or a top 6 winger, who is 25 or younger? Maybe someone whose career has been underwhelming and who might benefit from a change of scenery? Someone like Zacha but a dman or a winger?

Zacha is a pretty good third line center, and he has still potential to be a good second line center, so I wouldn't trade him for peanuts.

 

[_Del_]

That's basically my read on Zacha, too. Good third line center with size. Teases enough talent to maybe be more.

Arizona has Fischer who burst onto the scene with 15 goals, then Tocchet happened and his numbers have dropped since. He doesn't have enough value now to nab Zacha.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Laine - Youth movement - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

with all due respect, this is insane dude....

 

[TrufleShufle]

Laine - Youth movement - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

That Laine trade is like two separate offers I wouldn't do for Laine put together....

 

[Cheddabombs]

Laine - Youth movement - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Damn, Craig Smith on our 2nd line, Borowiecki on our top defense pair and three centers on the third line. Almost at a loss for words here.

 

[Forge]

With Nico and Hughes taking the top two center positions Schmaltz makes no sense for the Devils. There is no reason for the Devils to trade for a 32 or 35 year pending UFA unless they are being given away and they can be flipped at the deadline for a better package.

Schmaltz is more winger than center, though I don't have a ton of interest in him either way.

 

[Billdo]

They’ve also made multiple trades to add dmen (Skjei, Vatanen, etc.). You’d think a 1st round pick value player would be able to at least make the NHL when he was drafted 4 years ago.

Solid point.

 

[Guttersniped]

Laine - Youth movement - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

I’m surprised no one mentioned Greene getting a two year/1.25m. I’m not even sure he wants that, he’ll be 38 in October.

Giving a rookie goalie a seven year deal is a bad idea. I love the kid but that’s a little too much faith.

Also, are we signing Mueller and then sending him to Nashville in the Turris trade so they will suffer too? (Just not as nearly as much as us.)
Not sure why you’re sending Butcher to Winnipeg too. These seem like unnecessary toss-ins. (And McLeod ain’t cutting it as a center in a Laine trade, let’s be real.)

 

[BM67]

I wouldn't touch Laine. He's a 30 goal scorer being paid like a 50 goal scorer. $7.5M this year, then he's a RFA that needs to be qualified at $7.5M.

He was an elite goal scorer for 2 years and 2 months, and then he's fallen off a cliff. First 179 games: 101 goals, 1.31 G/60 5v5, 18.6% shooting. Last 126 games: 37 goals, 0.67 G/60 5v5, 9.9% shooting.

That 0.67 G/60 5v5 falls between Wood 0.68 and Galchenyuk 0.66 over the same span.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I wouldn't touch Laine. He's a 30 goal scorer being paid like a 50 goal scorer. $7.5M this year, then he's a RFA that needs to be qualified at $7.5M.

He was an elite goal scorer for 2 years and 2 months, and then he's fallen off a cliff. First 179 games: 101 goals, 1.31 G/60 5v5, 18.6% shooting. Last 126 games: 37 goals, 0.67 G/60 5v5, 9.9% shooting.

That 0.67 G/60 5v5 falls between Wood 0.68 and Galchenyuk 0.66 over the same span.

He’s a 22 year old that has a career avg of 37 goals per 82 games. He was an elite goal scorer, is an elite goal scorer, and will continue to be an elite goal scorer. If you aren’t bullish on his career going forward, you must think every single player on the Devils is worthless.

 

[BM67]

He’s a 22 year old that has a career avg of 37 goals per 82 games. He was an elite goal scorer, is an elite goal scorer, and will continue to be an elite goal scorer. If you aren’t bullish on his career going forward, you must think every single player on the Devils is worthless.

His first 2 seasons he averaged 42 G/82, and led Winnipeg in goals both years. His last 2 seasons he averaged 31 G/82, and has been 3rd on Winnipeg in goals both years. In the last 2 seasons, he has had 2 months (16 GP) where he had a shooting percentage over 18%, after shooting 18.6% over his first 2 seasons.

Since Dec 1, 2018, he has 37 goals in 126 games. Over the same span Palmieri has 40 goals in 115 games. Is Palmieri elite?

You'd have to pay for an elite goal scorer in a trade, and then pay him the money of an elite scorer, but he hasn't shown that elite scoring very much for almost 2 years now.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

His first 2 seasons he averaged 42 G/82, and led Winnipeg in goals both years. His last 2 seasons he averaged 31 G/82, and has been 3rd on Winnipeg in goals both years. In the last 2 seasons, he has had 2 months (16 GP) where he had a shooting percentage over 18%, after shooting 18.6% over his first 2 seasons.

Since Dec 1, 2018, he has 37 goals in 126 games. Over the same span Palmieri has 40 goals in 115 games. Is Palmieri elite?

You'd have to pay for an elite goal scorer in a trade, and then pay him the money of an elite scorer, but he hasn't shown that elite scoring very much for almost 2 years now.

How does Nico project based on his production last season? Laine had way more goals than Jack had points as a rookie. Just for some perspective...

We don’t have the pieces to land him but claiming he doesn’t project to be one of the best goal scorers of his era is silly.

 

[Devils731]

How does Nico project based on his production last season? Laine had way more goals than Jack had points as a rookie. Just for some perspective...

We don’t have the pieces to land him but claiming he doesn’t project to be one of the best goal scorers of his era is silly.

But the Devils appear to be happy with Nico while Winnipeg appears comfortable moving on from Laine.

Would you move on from a guy you thought was going to be one of the best goal scorers of his generation or would you figure out other ways to adapt the team and keep him? I’m wary whenever a team chooses to move on from someone who seems too good to want to move.

 

[NJDevs26]

How does Nico project based on his production last season? Laine had way more goals than Jack had points as a rookie. Just for some perspective...

We don’t have the pieces to land him but claiming he doesn’t project to be one of the best goal scorers of his era is silly.

It's a fair question to ask why his production has been so down over a full year and a half though, that's not a small sample size and the fact Winnipeg is looking to trade him suggests they're not quite sure he's a '40-goal scorer' going forward either.

 

[MikeyFlynn]

If Laine was already on the Devils everybody here would be bending over backwards describing how good he is and how high his potential is. But since he's not on the Devils, he sucks!

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

If Laine was already on the Devils everybody here would be bending over backwards describing how good he is and how high his potential is. But since he's not on the Devils, he sucks!

Find me a post that says he sucks? I have made my point on Laine a few times

- he is not a play driver
- he is going to command a $9-10 million dollar per year contract
- he would gut our available assets when we have a much more pressing need on defense
- why would a team like Winnipeg be basically telling the world he is available? Something about that isn't right.