Confirmed with Link: Devils re-sign Mirco Mueller (2 years, $850k AAV)

[Zippy316]

If by some chance he ever did, the broadcast would have dropped out a few moments to make sure no one remembered it ever happened.

Add this to the Merrill conspiracy

 

[NJDevs26]

It turned into Mueller vs Merrill because Mueller's acquisition more or less led to (or just made easier) Merrill's departure. Hopefully Mueller can be as solid as Merrill defensively with a bit more production offensively and without missing 25-30 games a year.

 

[Emperoreddy]

It turned into Mueller vs Merrill because Mueller's acquisition more or less led to (or just made easier) Merrill's departure. Hopefully Mueller can be as solid as Merrill defensively with a bit more production offensively and without missing 25-30 games a year.

Well he looked very solid in preseason game 1, so that is a start.

 

[BenedictGomez]

It turned into Mueller vs Merrill because Mueller's acquisition more or less led to (or just made easier) Merrill's departure.

Yes, it's a completely logical conclusion.

Hopefully Mueller can be as solid as Merrill defensively with a bit more production offensively and without missing 25-30 games a year.

Especially with that extremely low-bar being set.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Yes, it's a completely logical conclusion.



Especially with that extremely low-bar being set.

I couldn't limbo under that bar, it is so low.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Well he looked very solid in preseason game 1, so that is a start.

He looked to be alot better skater than I had thought - and that shot is great.

He was definitely wandering around lost at times in his own zone, though - especially first period.

 

[NjDevsRR]

He looked to be alot better skater than I had thought - and that shot is great.

He was definitely wandering around lost at times in his own zone, though - especially first period.

His skating is phenomenal which is why I think Shero traded for him. The questions are his consistency and D Zone play. He was arguably the best defenseman last night which is a great start.

 

[JimEIV]

Never considered it Merrill vs Mueller....Always considered it Merrill vs Moore.

Adding a young defenseman for picks is a no brianer in my opinion. Keeping Moore, the worst defenseman in the league, over Merrill was a bad move.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Never considered it Merrill vs Mueller....Always considered it Merrill vs Moore.

Adding a young defenseman for picks is a no brianer in my opinion. Keeping Moore, the worst defenseman in the league, over Merrill was a bad move.

Debatable. I am not a fan of his dzone play but I do not think a defenseman who scored 12 goals in 60 games can be the WORST dman in the league. I am sure we can find some who played over 100 games who are worse.

 

[JimEIV]

Debatable. I am not a fan of his dzone play but I do not think a defenseman who scored 12 goals in 60 games can be the WORST dman in the league. I am sure we can find some who played over 100 games who are worse.

Not really debatable. He has one of the Worst ShotFor/Against in the league and literally is the the Worst CF% in the league among D with with over 1000 minutes.(EdIt: I think it was 800 minutes, I don't remember what criteria I used) His shots for were atrocious which lead me to believe the goals this season were a complete fluke.

See the thing that really doesn't make sense is Moore is a UFA at the end of this year. Merrill is an RFA at the end of this year. Merrill is a better player, I don't think that is debatable...It makes no sense to cut loose the better RFA and keep the worse UFA. EDIT: And I do think Merrill is much better than both Mueller(right now) and Moore. So the move is seemingly bad for now and bad for the future.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Not really debatable. He has one of the Worst ShotFor/Against in the league and literally is the the Worst CF% in the league among D with with over 1000 minutes.(EdIt: I think it was 800 minutes, I don't remember what criteria I used) His shots for were atrocious which lead me to believe the goals this season were a complete fluke.

See the thing that really doesn't make sense is Moore is a UFA at the end of this year. Merrill is an RFA at the end of this year. Merrill is a better player, I don't think that is debatable...It makes no sense to cut loose the better RFA and keep the worse UFA. EDIT: And I do think Merrill is much better than both Mueller and Moore. So the move is seemingly bad for now and bad for the future.

Yes we know that last part lol. Would be nice if Moore happens to score a ton of goals again this season. Maybe they would flip him for something at the deadline if Shero was smart enough to do so and another GM is desperate for blueline production.

 

[BenedictGomez]

Never considered it Merrill vs Mueller....Always considered it Merrill vs Moore.

Huh?

You made like 4,716 Merrill vs. Mueller posts, trashing Mueller, and in preference of Merrill.

 

[JimEIV]

Huh?

You made like 4,716 Merrill vs. Mueller posts, trashing Mueller, and in preference of Merrill.

Different things and different topics.


When people were flipping out about a second round pick...I did not. That is a cheap price for any serviceable defenseman and I had no problem with it. Never had a problem adding Mueller at all.

The protection list for the expanse draft is where I considered the issue Moore vs Merrill. I think protecting Moore a UFA and a terrible player over Merrill a RFA and our 2nd best LHD after Greene a colossal mistake....

It was stated that Mueller is the Merrill replacement..so no loss. The idea that he just replaces Merrill is what I object to. And I've always said that in time he may very well be better, just wont be this season.... But the notion that Mueller could come in and give 20 or 30 games of 20+minute a night this season like Merrill has been doing is what I found objectionable. Or the notion that right now Mueller is anywhere close to Merrill.

Those are different topics.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Different things and different topics.


When people were flipping out about a second round pick...I did not. That is a cheap price for any serviceable defenseman and I had not problem with it. Never had a problem adding Mueller at all.

The protection list for the expanse draft is where I considered the issue Moore vs Merrill. I think protecting Moore a UFA and a terrible player over Merrill a RFA and our 2nd best LHD after Greene a colossal mistake....

It was stated that Mueller is the Merill replacement..so no loss. The idea that he just replaces Merrill is what I object to. And I've always said that in time he may very well be better, just wont be this season.... But the notion the Mueller could come and give 20 or 30 games of 20+minute a night this season like Merrill has been doing is what I found objectionable. Or the notion that right now Mueller is anywhere close to Merrill.

Those are different topics.

You just cannot say this until they play. Revisit at the halfway point of the season.

 

[JimEIV]

You just cannot say this until they play. Revisit at the halfway point of the season.

Well if we took that approach there would be no off season discussion

 

[NjDevsRR]

Well if we took that approach there would be no off season discussion

I'll take it.

 

[JimEIV]

I'll take it.

But seriously, you're expecting Mueller to be a semi-regular 20+ minute defenseman by mid season?

 

[NjDevsRR]

But seriously, you're expecting Mueller to be a semi-regular 20+ minute defenseman by mid season?

And what if Merrill is struggling to crack the lineup, cannot stay healthy or is getting 12 minutes a night and is struggling? We have to wait and see.

I have to see more of Mueller before I can make an assessment.

 

[My3Sons]

Not really debatable. He has one of the Worst ShotFor/Against in the league and literally is the the Worst CF% in the league among D with with over 1000 minutes.(EdIt: I think it was 800 minutes, I don't remember what criteria I used) His shots for were atrocious which lead me to believe the goals this season were a complete fluke.

See the thing that really doesn't make sense is Moore is a UFA at the end of this year. Merrill is an RFA at the end of this year. Merrill is a better player, I don't think that is debatable...It makes no sense to cut loose the better RFA and keep the worse UFA. EDIT: And I do think Merrill is much better than both Mueller(right now) and Moore. So the move is seemingly bad for now and bad for the future.

This is a very valid point. I have to imagine management took this into account when making this decision. Either they think Moore can bring more (thanks very much I'll be here all week remember to tip your waitress) back in a trade than Merrill at the deadline this year or they are doubling down on the skating issue or they are just that desperate for a few extra goals this season. I agree the thought process on players this season should be long term over short term. Great point that I'd be curious how an insider would answer.

 

[JimEIV]

And what if Merrill is struggling to crack the lineup, cannot stay healthy or is getting 12 minutes a night and is struggling? We have to wait and see.

I have to see more of Mueller before I can make an assessment.

That is a fair statement. We all need to see more.

But what Merrill is doing somewhere else has no bearing on OUR situation. Merrill might be the 5th worst defenseman in the league...But if he is better than the 4 LHD we using it would be helpful if he was here.

 

[HBK27]

Not really debatable. He has one of the Worst ShotFor/Against in the league and literally is the the Worst CF% in the league among D with with over 1000 minutes.(EdIt: I think it was 800 minutes, I don't remember what criteria I used) His shots for were atrocious which lead me to believe the goals this season were a complete fluke.

See the thing that really doesn't make sense is Moore is a UFA at the end of this year. Merrill is an RFA at the end of this year. Merrill is a better player, I don't think that is debatable...It makes no sense to cut loose the better RFA and keep the worse UFA. EDIT: And I do think Merrill is much better than both Mueller(right now) and Moore. So the move is seemingly bad for now and bad for the future.

The protection list for the expanse draft is where I considered the issue Moore vs Merrill. I think protecting Moore a UFA and a terrible player over Merrill a RFA and our 2nd best LHD after Greene a colossal mistake....

It was stated that Mueller is the Merrill replacement..so no loss. The idea that he just replaces Merrill is what I object to. And I've always said that in time he may very well be better, just wont be this season.... But the notion that Mueller could come in and give 20 or 30 games of 20+minute a night this season like Merrill has been doing is what I found objectionable. Or the notion that right now Mueller is anywhere close to Merrill.

Merrill being a RFA at the end of this season versus Moore being a UFA (particularly for a rebuilding team) was a SIGNIFICANT advantage for Merrill…and still the Devils chose to keep Moore instead. I understand if your preference was for Merrill over Moore, as I honestly wasn’t sure which one the Devils were going to protect, but to say it’s “not really debatable†is a huge stretch. Shero weighed all these factors and still chose Moore. Moore also received more ice time than Merrill, which shows how he views the two players. Certainly, more people had input into this decision than just the GM and coach (analytics department, scouting) and together they reached a different conclusion than you, so yeah…it’s certainly debatable.

I also don’t know where you’re getting this notion that Merrill could come in and give “20 or 30 games of 20+ minutes a night†given that he surpassed 20 minutes in only 3 of the 51 games he played last year.

I’m also not sure about the stat you’re referencing with Moore have the worst CF% among d-men in the league, when it wasn’t even the worst on the team so maybe you can clarify that. From what I’m seeing on hockey-reference, Moore’s CF% was 46.9% - above Greene’s 46.7% and Lovejoy’s 43.2% (who certainly could’ve been dragging him down) and not too far off from Merrill’s 48.0%. So, what stats are you referencing?

Merrill wasn’t part of NJ’s plan for the future and/or they valued Mueller more long-term. Will be interesting to see how Merrill does going forward under a different coaching staff whether it be in Vegas or somewhere else. Hopefully Noesen has a productive season, as it would seem that he would’ve been the most likely expansion draft selection had Merrill or Moore not been exposed.

 

[BenedictGomez]

And what if Merrill is struggling to crack the lineup, cannot stay healthy or is getting 12 minutes a night and is struggling?

I'm not even sure he's going to start on an expansion team. It's dicey.

 

[JimEIV]

Merrill being a RFA at the end of this season versus Moore being a UFA (particularly for a rebuilding team) was a SIGNIFICANT advantage for Merrill…and still the Devils chose to keep Moore instead. I understand if your preference was for Merrill over Moore, as I honestly wasn’t sure which one the Devils were going to protect, but to say it’s “not really debatable†is a huge stretch. Shero weighed all these factors and still chose Moore. Moore also received more ice time than Merrill, which shows how he views the two players. Certainly, more people had input into this decision than just the GM and coach (analytics department, scouting) and together they reached a different conclusion than you, so yeah…it’s certainly debatable.

I also don’t know where you’re getting this notion that Merrill could come in and give “20 or 30 games of 20+ minutes a night†given that he surpassed 20 minutes in only 3 of the 51 games he played last year.

I’m also not sure about the stat you’re referencing with Moore have the worst CF% among d-men in the league, when it wasn’t even the worst on the team so maybe you can clarify that. From what I’m seeing on hockey-reference, Moore’s CF% was 46.9% - above Greene’s 46.7% and Lovejoy’s 43.2% (who certainly could’ve been dragging him down) and not too far off from Merrill’s 48.0%. So, what stats are you referencing?

Merrill wasn’t part of NJ’s plan for the future and/or they valued Mueller more long-term. Will be interesting to see how Merrill does going forward under a different coaching staff whether it be in Vegas or somewhere else. Hopefully Noesen has a productive season, as it would seem that he would’ve been the most likely expansion draft selection had Merrill or Moore not been exposed.

Moore's CF%5v5 was the lowest in the league(800 or 1000 minutes required I don't remember the criteria I used) by far at 44% no one was even close. He was something like 2% worse than anyone else in the group of 160 Defensemen. The numbers came from Hockey Analysis. Unfortunately that site is no longer available.


You might have looked at the wrong year for Merrill's minutes.

Merrill played 9 20+ minute games in a row this season with a total of 16 20+ minute games with a high of 27:38.

Check those minutes here
https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/m/merrijo01/gamelog/2017

 

[captainscott]

Not really debatable. He has one of the Worst ShotFor/Against in the league and literally is the the Worst CF% in the league among D with with over 1000 minutes.(EdIt: I think it was 800 minutes, I don't remember what criteria I used) His shots for were atrocious which lead me to believe the goals this season were a complete fluke.

See the thing that really doesn't make sense is Moore is a UFA at the end of this year. Merrill is an RFA at the end of this year. Merrill is a better player, I don't think that is debatable...It makes no sense to cut loose the better RFA and keep the worse UFA. EDIT: And I do think Merrill is much better than both Mueller(right now) and Moore. So the move is seemingly bad for now and bad for the future.

so whats the need for GM's you can just do everything on the computer with your advanced stats... moore is not the worst defensman in the league.. it makes perfect sense....the devils play in a league where the defensman have to be able to contribute to the breakout and offense and skate... moore does that... the devils need that .... so he is on the team...

merrill isn't that good and is not going to be very good... moore is better for this particular team.. and you have nothing to judge mueller on so not sure how yoiu can fairly make that assessment ... how many games have you actually seen mueller play? i am not saying you are right or wrong but to make the statement that mueller is worse than merrill is unfair . you have not seen him play... i don't think

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

I'm rooting for him, I saw a smooth skating 6'3 d man with a heavy shot. Having people believe in you can do a lot for a player.