GDT: Devils @ Hurricanes - 7:00 PM - ESPN+

[Better Call Sal]

That production level is insane lol.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Where 70 points would rank among all Devils players each season:

21-22: 2nd
20-21: 1st (prorated)
19-20: 1st (prorated)
18-19: 1st
17-18: 2nd
16-17: 1st
15-16: 1st
14-15: 1st
13-14: 1st
12-13: 1st (prorated)
11-12: 3rd

"bUt HiS dEfEnSe"

i also thought about trying goals but i think looking any longer at those totals would make me wanna cry.

 

[Aurinko]

Hamilton is a possession monster. Possession is the most important basic skill in hockey. He's gonna get beat on the occasional misplayed 2 on 1. But there's a lot fewer 2 on 1s when he's on the ice than when other guys are.

Complaining about it is like complaining that your Ferrari gets bad gas mileage. It's something you should keep in mind and occasionally work around, but it doesn't make him a non-elite player and doesn't mean he isn't living up to his fat contract.

Is there certain possession metrik you are referring to?

I see him as someone that is playing sheltered minutes and still managing to bleed defensively. I mean has he EVER won a foot race? Does he even try to skate back if there is a breakaway?

Least d-zone starts, least takeaways and most giveaways. Most penalties taken, least penalties drawn. Least shots blocked.... etc.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Those are "all situations" numbers. Gap in zone starts is MUCH smaller if we look at 5on5 (which we should because obviously you start PP shifts in the offensive zone far more often).

He's not getting sheltered minutes, he's playing the most minutes of any of our defenseman. He's just getting put in positions to maximize his prodigious talents.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Is there certain possession metrik you are referring to?

I see him as someone that is playing sheltered minutes and still managing to bleed defensively. I mean has he EVER won a foot race? Does he even try to skate back if there is a breakaway?

View attachment 633578

Least d-zone starts, least takeaways and most giveaways. Most penalties taken, least penalties drawn. Least shots blocked.... etc.

He’s probably the best possession defenseman of his generation

 

[Oneiro]

Dougie is a bit of a soft defender at times but nothing you didn’t know before we signed him.

I’d worry more about Luke and Nemec developing into well rounded players. We’ve traded and signed our way into competent defenders. Remains to be seen if we can develop one.

 

[Devs3cups]

Dougie is a bit of a soft defender at times but nothing you didn’t know before we signed him.

I’d worry more about Luke and Nemec developing into well rounded players. We’ve traded and signed our way into competent defenders. Remains to be seen if we can develop one.

Wouldn’t worry about that at all to be honest.

 

[Bleedred]

I’m m going to guess it is because he put up a .918 sv percentage in 1982 playoffs leading an under .500 Canucks team to the Final. For context that regular season only 1 goalie had a sv pct. above .900. It was also the season Gretzky scored 92 goals and the Canucks avoided the Oilers in the playoffs because the even worse Kings upset them in the Miracle on Manchester.

I wonder if he had the nickname ''King Richard'' even before that though? He was already in pro hockey for 10 years by then. He was a Nordique for quite a while before he got to Vancouver.

He was on the Islanders for like a minute in 79-80 between the Nordiques and Canucks. 2 games and 80 minutes, and they were the only 80 minutes of hockey he played that year. I'm assuming he was injured for the whole year.

After some research, it appears he was just a third goalie stuck behind Billy Smith and Chico Resch.

The Islanders trading for him has gotta be one of the weirdest things, as they already had Smith and Resch, both of whom were already well established vets and already elite by that time.

 

[Oneiro]

Wouldn’t worry about that at all to be honest.

I don’t think you can win 4 playoff series en route to a cup with three guys who are gamblers, even if they comprise the best offensive D corps. in the league.

I’m not saying I expect Luke or Nemec to develop that way but if neither of them are better in zone defenders than Hamilton, yeah, I’d worry. Easy bar to clear, though.

 

[My3Sons]

Wouldn’t worry about that at all to be honest.

They are young and untested. it's a reasonable thought. I expect that their talent level will allow them to succeed but until they are functional in the NHL it will be a question no matter how great they are outside the NHL. I can almost guarantee you that numerous non-Devils fans will post about Luke being terrible or a bust or whatever miserable insult they can think of when he has the typical growing pains.

 

[Whaddagoal]

My only beef with Dougie is this:

1) A bit slower than expected
2) Sometimes he makes a really baffling decision when up at the PP point when there is time to think. It happens to most players randomly, but he tends to have it happen more frequently than expected.

The contract, 9m is high, but if he produces points better than most of our forwards not named Jack, Nico, Jesper (Bratt), then he is doing his job.

The 9m was the UFA price, and of course, he is worth about 7 - 8m if he were not a UFA, but it is what it is as he was the sought out UFA at that time. Sevs is great, but can't do all the things Dougie does. Sevs does some things really well, but he isn't as dominant as Hamilton can be.

My other main concern would be the long-term, how long can Dougie keep up his play as he ages...

 

[AfroThunder396]

Dougie's foot speed is absolutely a problem and I WILL continue to complain about it endlessly, but when you have an outright possession monster on defense locked up in his prime you have to accept the warts that come with that.

 

[guitarguyvic]

How anyone can think that Severson is a more valuable piece worth keeping than Hamilton is beyond my comprehension. Hamilton is on pace to produce amongst the top 3 d-men in Devils history. His defense is mediocre but his negatives very clearly don't outweigh his positives.

Long-term I worry about how his speed will impact his effectiveness. But by that time we will have Luke and Nemec in the fold, with the salary cap increased, and the ability to bury his cap hit at least partially.

 

[Bleedred]

Dougie is HUGE in person, so him being slow is expected.

 

[MasterofGrond]

I think there's definitely a level where his foot speed could burn us down the line as he ages, but his game isn't exactly predicated on it so I think there's a good amount of leeway. And since I think Luke especially is going to be a 5v5 god rather than a PP specialist, I think there's plenty of room for everybody to flourish.

And if we gotta pay a pick or two to lose that contract at the tail end of it while we're competing, so be it.

 

[HBK27]

I'm not too worried about Hamilton.

He's still just 29, so should have more than a few good years left in him.

He has a NMC through the following 2 seasons when he'll be 30 & 31.

From there, his contract is structured to make him easier to move if need be, as he then only has a 10 team no-trade clause.

He also has a $10.55M signing bonus leading into his 32 year old season - which would leave a possible acquiring team (post bonus payout) on the hook for just $14.65M in salary over 3 years.

Heading into his 33 year old season, there's a $7.4M bonus, which would leave an acquiring team on the hook for just $6.25M in salary over two years.

If the wheels really fall off and they need to buy out the final year of his contract, it's a $5.5M / $1.75M cap hit, which isn't too bad either.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Yeah Dougie will absolutely be tradeable to a bottom feeder because of the salary structure.

But let's get this back on track, we beat the motherf***ing canes, baby. That's a good team and one that I think always plays us well.

 

[hidek91]

Just finished watching, huge win. Giving up two shorthanded goals is dreadful but it's nice to finally have some puck luck and find ourselves on the winning end of a close game.

 

[Billdo]

But technically, that doesn't mean he plays good defense. Those stats can also show the puck is on his (or his linemates's) stick more and they generate more offense zone time and chances vs. goals against. I mean you can infer either way, but we all know he and his line have the puck in ozone more, so yes it generates less goals against, etc, but not because their defense is good, but more because their offense/pressure is so good.

If they want to infer that is defense, i guess yes, but that is not really touting he defensively is best in league by defensive play.

I'd say Hughes a better forechecker than Bratt... and hounds better...

(Oh and don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Bratt is BAD at defense, I just find that interpretation of that meaning he is best defensive forward very misleading)

The best defense is a good offense or something someone said sometime.

 

[MartyOwns]

if haula is so good at propping up his linemates, put him with someone who needs the help. jack doesn’t

 

[My3Sons]

if haula is so good at propping up his linemates, put him with someone who needs the help. jack doesn’t

Presumably he and Tatar would form 2/3 of the league's most dominant line.

 

[njdevils1982]

I recall Richard, he was called "King Richard" if memory serves.

your memory is correct

 

[Whaddagoal]

So do we keep together Mercer - Boq - Mcleod together (whomever was the center)

Was that them getting lucky, or was that actual chemistry... ?

 

[My3Sons]

your memory is correct

My wife disagrees. According to her I’m never correct. To be fair the dogs agree with her.

 

[Better Call Sal]

So do we keep together Mercer - Boq - Mcleod together (whomever was the center)

Was that them getting lucky, or was that actual chemistry... ?

You have to at least give them another game together.

It’s hilarious how they were thrown together off the end of a PP shift and they ran away with the game.