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

MadDevil

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Feb 10, 2007
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It doesn't mean anything other than this league recycles more coaches than I do my cans and bottles. For whatever reason this league is wildly hesitant to think outside of the box and give coaches 3rd. 4th, 5th chances.
And if you're ever the hot new coach in USA hockey you'll get unlimited chances from American GMs. Just ask Hynes.

Although to be fair, as others have said many times, there are very few truly elite or truly terrible coaches out there. Most of them are just kind of adequate, with their own individual foibles that drive fans insane. Or coaches who fit a certain phase in a rebuild. I never thought Lindy was the guy to take the next step with this team, so in the long run it's probably better we got him out now to bring in somebody who can take that next step (assuming Fitz doesn't fumble his next coaching hire anyway).
 

Guttersniped

I like goalies who stop the puck
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Dec 20, 2018
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Not saying that, just don't lose both to Lindy Ruff who everyone from fans to certain players (cough Timo cough) to management ultimately held responsible for last year's disappointment. Even now fans are mocking the hire for Buffalo. You think the home woes this year were bad, the atmosphere at home would be toxic the minute they got back if they get pantsed over to that degree overseas.

Again if you’re claiming that losing to the Sabres is worse because Ruff is the coach I don’t see it.

I’m not so emotionally fragile that it matters and I assume (hope?) the Devils players are the same. I don’t care if random people I don’t know are mocking the hiring.

We can lose those first 2 games and still end up having an excellent season. We can win them and miss the playoffs.

We won the last time we started the season in Europe, as part of a 4 game win streak, and then we went 27-41-10 the rest of year.

Starting the season with a few losses would create a “toxic atmosphere” but winning quickly cures that.

Our “home woes” were from the 17-21-3 record and only from that record, the team needs to do better at home. The atmosphere never was bad at wins or even close games.
 

AfroThunder396

[citation needed]
Jan 8, 2006
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Miami, FL
Again if you’re claiming that losing to the Sabres is worse because Ruff is the coach I don’t see it.

I’m not so emotionally fragile that it matters and I assume (hope?) the Devils players are the same. I don’t care if random people I don’t know are mocking the hiring.

We can lose those first 2 games and still end up having an excellent season. We can win them and miss the playoffs.

We won the last time we started the season in Europe, as part of a 4 game win streak, and then we went 27-41-10 the rest of year.

Starting the season with a few losses would create a “toxic atmosphere” but winning quickly cures that.

Our “home woes” were from the 17-21-3 record and only from that record, the team needs to do better at home. The atmosphere never was bad at wins or even close games.
How quickly people have forgotten the first three games of last season (22-23) and the heater we went on after that.
 

Rhodes 81

grit those teeth
Nov 22, 2008
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Atlanta
I agree and I don't agree...I do think Buffalo was THE most likely landing spot by far, but I also think the NHL is a good old boys club that loves to recycle coaches and a lot of the pundits around the league think Lindy got a raw deal here due to goaltending and injuries. If they're thinking that, you know GM's are thinking that too.
If you have more free time than I do right now, you can go back through the last decade or so of Jack Adams nominees and coaches that were fired and see a clear trend line of goalies either under or over performing their career averages. Firing the coach and hoping it changes something is easier than changing over half your roster. That's why guys get 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances in this league. But at the end of the day most rosters that are getting results significantly better or worse than the sum of their parts are just riding the wave with goaltending or playing a style that minimizes the importance of goaltending.
 

Cheddabombs

Status Quo
Mar 13, 2012
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80% of the team this offseason

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ndkjr70

Registered User
Jan 30, 2023
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Hope all the timo doomers feel ashamed of their words and deeds
I’ve been on the wrong side of plenty stupid arguments in my life but I am proud to never have been considered on the “timo doomers” side.

a guy who spent his entire career as a physically imposing hard forechecking top-6 winger doesn’t just randomly become a contact-averse 4th liner lol
 

Triumph

Registered User
Oct 2, 2007
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It's a shame they couldn't get those bonus overages down. Really not sure why they took on Tanev's 25%. Unless they are trading for Markstrom this offseason and that was a favor he was doing for Conroy, it was a bad use of money if it cost them any dollars at all on next year's cap.
 

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