Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - offseason part I

[NJDevs26]

Yes technically the offseason isn't till another week, but with this being elimination day it might as well start tonight.

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[MartyOwns]

we’re still in it, boys. f*** math

 

[Xirik]

we’re still in it, boys. f*** math

Aye aye sir!

 

[glenwo2]

3 games remaining for Bratt to get one goddamn point.

I don't care how he gets it even if it's a fortuitous secondary assist.

Just get it, dammit.

It's the only thing that makes me give a sh*t with these remaining games.

(and it's killing me)

 

[NjDevsRR]

 

[Emperoreddy]

I just want to not suck anymore and have only drafts and offseasons to look forward to while everyone else gets ready for the playoffs.

We were supposed to be past this horseshit

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

I just want to not suck anymore and have only drafts and offseasons to look forward to while everyone else gets ready for the playoffs.

We were supposed to be past this horseshit

Well I don't have the highest opinion of this 23-24 Devils, they aren't exactly the Lou rosters of yesteryear. They should be able to rebound fairly quick if Fitz doesn't have a disaster class offseason, but results are results so I can't totally blame you.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Well I don't have the highest opinion of this 23-24 Devils, they aren't exactly the Lou rosters of yesteryear. They should be able to rebound fairly quick if Fitz doesn't have a disaster class offseason, but results are results so I can't totally blame you.

Idea of another full calender year before we maybe get back to the playoffs just blows chunks

 

[MadDevil]

It'll just make it that much sweeter when they win the whole f***in' thing.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Positives from 23/24:

Jack was a top 5 pt producer when healthy. A PPG player with one arm.

Nico almost got to 30 goals and was over a PPG after he was concussed.

Same with Timo once he got healthy. He was a beast.

Bratt with his best season.

Nemec being a two way stud as a kid.

Luke with a franchise record breaking offensive season as a rookie dman.

Allen looking great which can help next season.


Give this squad a better bottom 6. One D upgrade. One more goalie and a good coach. And they will be coming back for vengeance next season.

 

[Devs3cups]

These guys better come with a chip on their shoulder next season, cause it’s gonna get rowdy.

I have no doubt they will.

 

[Bleedred]

#SackGreen

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Idea of another full calender year before we maybe get back to the playoffs just blows chunks

I feel ya man, it hurts, but I'm also trying to be optimistic for the fact that's what sports are. Do I know this core is 100% gonna bring back a Cup to NJ? No I don't but I'm not gonna be a miserable f*** like Frank the Tank for example or someone of that effect.

These guys better come with a chip on their shoulder next season, cause it’s gonna get rowdy.

I have no doubt they will.

The core guys have been fine the past week and a half. This team had any depth, a coach worth his job title and a goalie and they'd be in 1st or 2nd in the Metro and probably the whole East

 

[britdevil]

Positives from 23/24:

Jack was a top 5 pt producer when healthy. A PPG player with one arm.

Nico almost got to 30 goals and was over a PPG after he was concussed.

Same with Timo once he got healthy. He was a beast.

Bratt with his best season.

Nemec being a two way stud as a kid.

Luke with a franchise record breaking offensive season as a rookie dman.

Allen looking great which can help next season.


Give this squad a better bottom 6. One D upgrade. One more goalie and a good coach. And they will be coming back for vengeance next season.

My outlook on this core has taken a serious knock.

Maybe they aren't as good as we think they are?

Worrying.

 

[Guadana]

These guys better come with a chip on their shoulder next season.

These guys better come with a health on their shoulder next season.

 

[BurntToast]

The teams depth got decimated pretty quickly. The Devils: Lost Nico for a few weeks. Lost Jack for a few weeks, plus a decline after return. Lost Timo for a few weeks plus a decline for most of the season. They also lost a crappy human who also happens to be a good 3C, having a career year. Palat once again missed large chunks of time. The replacements for the bottom 6, not named Lazar/Holtz sucked.

Dougie out for the year since Nov, Miller staring the season injured, Siegs injured and everyones regression. We better hope Hughes and Nemec avoid the sophomore slump.

The goalies, got hit in the balls this year figuratively and literally.

Fresh start next year. Maybe the Devils win the latto?

 

[NjdevilfanJim]

Some of the talk on here is like mind boggling it's not uncommon for a young team to have the success they had to struggle the following year to maintain It....Let alone with all the significant injuries that occurred that alone would trash most teams....Cause for concern absolutely doubt in Fitz has increased yes because if Calgary ownership doesn't stop that trade he would have vastly overpaid for Markstrom a first plus a roster player plus rumored....The team with better health will bounce back the most critical paths are management getting the next coach right and adding some better depth players that are difficult to play against...I know they have no interest iN KK in goal but he has shown he can play .......

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Positives from 23/24:

Jack was a top 5 pt producer when healthy. A PPG player with one arm.

Nico almost got to 30 goals and was over a PPG after he was concussed.

Same with Timo once he got healthy. He was a beast.

Bratt with his best season.

Nemec being a two way stud as a kid.

Luke with a franchise record breaking offensive season as a rookie dman.

Allen looking great which can help next season.


Give this squad a better bottom 6. One D upgrade. One more goalie and a good coach. And they will be coming back for vengeance next season.

I agree with all of this, I just am unsure doing those things I highlighted will be as easy to do as we all expected/expect. The thinking was always "NJ got the hard part out of the way: they acquired elite young talent signed to team friendly contracts." This year has been eye opening in terms of how important it is to have a strong supporting cast, that plays in a way that supports that core and how you want to play.

The season really died when McLeod got arrested imo. He was a guy who never scored a ton so he was deemed a borderline replacement level guy in the offseason, but he played with pace and could go into corners and the dangerous parts of the offensive zone. Replacing him will not be easy, there really aren't that many guys that play at his speed and with his size. NJ will have to pick one or the other (e.g. Nosek versus Boqvist).

I just see adding all those things as being hard and/or expensive. NJ will have to do things like take Markstrom's full cap hit, or give Zadorov or Trenin a contract that makes us wince. It will be worth it, the time is now, but get ready.

 

[Omar Little]

Thoughts on the below?

NJ trades

2025 1st
Bahl
Holtz

VGK trades

Thompson
McNabb
Roy

CGY trades
Markstrom @50%
Vladar @ 50%

NJD receives

Markstrom @50%
Roy
McNabb

VGK receices

Bahl
2025 1st
Vladar @ 50%

CGY Receives

Thompson
Holtz

 

[HBK27]

 

[Guttersniped]

I didn’t give a shit about this when it happened so I still don’t care.

Edit: This is a little trolly from Novo.

 

[Blackjack]

I didn’t give a shit about this when it happened so I still don’t care.

Edit: This is a little trolly from Novo.

Same, I enjoyed watching the preseason wins. Never felt they had any relevance to the regular season in either a promising or foreboding way.

 

[RandoDoomer]

I just want to not suck anymore and have only drafts and offseasons to look forward to while everyone else gets ready for the playoffs.

We were supposed to be past this horseshit

Sigh...yeah. I'm old, fan since '88, so I saw all the glory days. But my 22-year-old daughter has essentially been watching a rebuild her entire time as a fan. She finally got a taste of the playoffs last year, and then this year it's basically been garbage time hockey since January.

2003 feels like a lifetime ago. Fans younger than their early 30's don't even remember those days. Ugh. I'm off to YouTube to relive my youth now. Probably will start with Game 7, Period 3 of the Senators series from '03...

 

[Better Call Sal]

I know many are reacting emotionally to what transpired this season, and can understand why. But I think when we look back on this season, we'll better appreciate how much adversity the team had to go through all season long. Fragile goaltending, poor coaching in hindsight, injury after injury to our top guys, he who shall not be named getting arrested midseason.

I get that it sucks in the moment. I feel the same way everyone else does. The consistent inconsistency all year was enough to drive a fan mad. But I remain steadfast in my belief that we have the right pieces in place, it's about finding those final ones to make it all come together.

I look forward to washing our hands clean of this season and moving into the offseason. My sincere hope is that this makes the core group hungrier knowing that despite all of the above, it was there for them to take up until the final week had they performed even slightly better. Even if their play didn't warrant it, they still were not far from being in the mix.

 

[Guttersniped]

Sigh...yeah. I'm old, fan since '88, so I saw all the glory days. But my 22-year-old daughter has essentially been watching a rebuild her entire time as a fan. She finally got a taste of the playoffs last year, and then this year it's basically been garbage time hockey since January.

2003 feels like a lifetime ago. Fans younger than their early 30's don't even remember those days. Ugh. I'm off to YouTube to relive my youth now. Probably will start with Game 7, Period 3 of the Senators series from '03...

It’s not been garbage time since January, we still had a real chance at the playoffs way after that.

We played meaningful games in February, and due to the playoff race being so weak, in March too. We just lost too many of those meaningful games.

Not saying anyone had to like it, or enjoy it, but that’s different than being out by Dec.