Post-Game Talk: Devils beat Sabres 4-3 in OT! The Zacha Edition

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My3Sons

Nobody told me there'd be days like these...
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Smith will be better than Fox, I would have said that going into the season. As for Hughes, it's tough to compare him and Smith since they are very different players. It's tough to replicate Hughes' pure offensive explosiveness, and Hughes certainly is encouraged to take risks other defensemen are not as a result.

The change in Smith's game from the WJC when I last watched him over a multi-game stretch and this season is dramatic. He's so much better that it exceeds any remotely normal development curve. His improvement may even be more dramatic than Hughes from last season to now. He looked ok but somewhat passive at the WJC. Now, he's skating and puck handling with authority and making super sophisticated plays and passes to the point where most nights he looks like the best offensive defenseman on NJ. From where he was a year ago to where he is now is stratospheric. I'm amazed he is this good already.
 

devilsblood

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Mar 10, 2010
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The change in Smith's game from the WJC when I last watched him over a multi-game stretch and this season is dramatic. He's so much better that it exceeds any remotely normal development curve. His improvement may even be more dramatic than Hughes from last season to now. He looked ok but somewhat passive at the WJC. Now, he's skating and puck handling with authority and making super sophisticated plays and passes to the point where most nights he looks like the best offensive defenseman on NJ. From where he was a year ago to where he is now is stratospheric. I'm amazed he is this good already.
Smith has been so good in juniors that I don't think we are seeing this huge step up in play. More likely that his play in the WJC were just not him at his most impressive.
 

Eggtimer

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Jul 4, 2011
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Agreed. I think that kid will be hands down the best Dman in the league in the next year or 2. Regret trading his Young Guns :(
What did you trade them for ? Defencemen are never worth the $ as forwards. Look at players like Karlson etc.
Hughes YG went from $45 before the season started to around $125 now for a raw ungraded Young Gun .
Only Dman I’ll collect is Smith but just because he is a Devil.
Kaprizov will be well worth collecting when he first comes out here soon in Upper Deck series 2.

I just got a three color Jack Hughes UD the Cup rookie patch auto /99.
Traded way more than I should of for it but I HAD to have one lol.
So far, I’d say my Hughes collection is around $11k
 

My3Sons

Nobody told me there'd be days like these...
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Smith has been so good in juniors that I don't think we are seeing this huge step up in play. More likely that his play in the WJC were just not him at his most impressive.

He also didn’t shine in camp last year and I know stats don’t tell the whole story but he didn’t have a great start in juniors last year. Post WJC he found another gear. Just my thoughts.
 

Emperoreddy

Show Me What You Got!
Apr 13, 2010
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He also didn’t shine in camp last year and I know stats don’t tell the whole story but he didn’t have a great start in juniors last year. Post WJC he found another gear. Just my thoughts.

I think he was sulking the first half of the season last year. He apparently took getting cut really hard.
 
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billingtons ghost

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Nov 29, 2010
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I think he was sulking the first half of the season last year. He apparently took getting cut really hard.
upload_2021-2-26_17-44-33.jpeg
 

LeedsMonster

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Mar 8, 2008
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What did you trade them for ? Defencemen are never worth the $ as forwards. Look at players like Karlson etc.
Hughes YG went from $45 before the season started to around $125 now for a raw ungraded Young Gun .
Only Dman I’ll collect is Smith but just because he is a Devil.
Kaprizov will be well worth collecting when he first comes out here soon in Upper Deck series 2.

I just got a three color Jack Hughes UD the Cup rookie patch auto /99.
Traded way more than I should of for it but I HAD to have one lol.
So far, I’d say my Hughes collection is around $11k
DAMN...nice man. I packaged the Makar with a Brady Tkachuck YG and YG Canvas, and a Svechnikov YG for a Ultimate Rookie patch auto Jack Hughes /50 and a Marque Rookie Black parallel Nico Hischier. I knew I was getting robbed, but I had no idea how high those YGs would go. Dont get me started on how many Suzukis I traded lol
 
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