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

[Guadana]

I think it will be around 4.5/5M and I am fine with that. Especially if Mercer does a 2 yr deal for 3M per. I like Noesen too for 3RW role and am fine with Bastian at ~1.5M for 4RW

I think Devils should the same with Mercer as they did with Bratt - short term low cap deals.

I believe consensus is all about sign Trenin. He would be good because he played some solid minutes in Nashville, pk time, solid metrics. Yeah he will get some solid money, but all of our best players signed, Luke, Simon and Mercer can be bridged. It’s time to maximize the potential of the team.
So I would be glad if Devils will sign Trenin and Noesen - both are annoying to play against, both have some production potential.

 

[Monsieur Verdoux]

I'm liking the idea of Roslovic.

I think he was asked to do too much in Columbus, but seems like he's a positive possession player when he drops down the lineup.

Looks like he's been predominately a winger this year, but played C for a few of years with Columbus. Played PK last year and a bit this year with Columbus. Has played PP, but doesn't seem particularly good at it.

Only 27, so 7 years younger than Henrique. 40 point guy. Right shot. I can't imagine he'd command the same cost as Henrique.

He is soft and don't know how to defend.

 

[Smitty426]

What’s so good about Malenstyn other than he’s fast?

And I see he’s already 26, so he’s probably not going to be much worth really pining for.

I was thinking maybe he was only 22-23.

Bastian replacement easily
Played alot heavier than Nate has in yrs last night

 

[Guadana]

Bastian is very good defensively. Even when he can’t catch his minimal offensive groove. The best and the most important thing 4th line should do is surviving.

 

[Killing Joke]

Don't be shocked if we go after one of Bertuzzi or Debrusk (I'd rather Debrusk, he's younger, not injury prone, and not a headcase.)

I also hope we go Ulmark over Saros and Markstrom. Saros is great, but he sucks at screened shots due to his height. Markstrom is too old to be a viable option long term, and just kicks the goaltending issue down the road for two seasons, IF he doesn't fall off a cliff due to age. Ulmark also likely won't cost as much to get as Saros, Bruins have cap issues to worry about and trades to make if they want to keep Swayman, who would be my number one goalie target if Boston can't sign him due to the arbtration hearing and how Swayman was apparently annoyed with it.

We also need another top 4 dman. Siegs and Bahl ain't it.

 

[My3Sons]

He is soft and don't know how to defend.

He looks pretty good so far with the Rangers

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Bastian is very good defensively. Even when he can’t catch his minimal offensive groove. The best and the most important thing 4th line should do is surviving.

the problem is he is sooooooooo slow

 

[Guadana]

the problem is he is sooooooooo slow

We saw Toffoli this season and there are a lot of Holtz defenders. Bastian isn’t dramatically slow and he is very good positionally.

 

[Killing Joke]

Bastian is not worth keeping if you can upgrade with more speed. This team was noticeably slower than last year in the bottom 6 even before dipshit wasn't arrested and on trial for SA / GR.


Another guy we should go after, Roy from Vegas as a bottom 6 guy.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Bastian is signed through next year. No real reason to move on from him, he’s a solid 4th liner.

 

[ZYXWVUT]

Bastian is not worth keeping if you can upgrade with more speed. This team was noticeably slower than last year in the bottom 6 even before dipshit wasn't arrested and on trial for SA / GR.


Another guy we should go after, Roy from Vegas as a bottom 6 guy.

I think Roy has a bit more to give too, given he is indisputably behind three centers in Vegas, Eichel-Hertl-Karlsson. Only so many mins to go around, so a lot of nights he is only 11-12 mins or so.

Regarding Bastian, I could actually see Lindy campaigning (for lack of a better term) him for Buffalo to bring in for a mid round pick to be in the mix for their fourth line.

 

[tailfins]

He is soft and don't know how to defend.

I knew the soft part, wasn't sure on the defending.

If he he's reasonable / passable defensively, I still think he could be a fit.

 

[guitarguyvic]

See, when I think of a “soft” team I think of the leafs. It’s not about having useless goons like Ryan Reaves. It’s about protecting the puck, winning puck battles, being physically relentless and determined, having both mental and physical fortitude, not just willing to take punishment but dish it out hard too. The maple leafs are are a team that doesn’t have these things facing off against a team that does.

The devils are much much closer to what Toronto is than what Boston is. It has to change, somehow, or we’ll have the same fate.

 

[JimEIV]

See, when I think of a “soft” team I think of the leafs. It’s not about having useless goons like Ryan Reaves. It’s about protecting the puck, winning puck battles, being physically relentless and determined, having both mental and physical fortitude, not just willing to take punishment but dish it out hard too. The maple leafs are are a team that doesn’t have these things facing off against a team that does.

The devils are much much closer to what Toronto is than what Boston is. It has to change, somehow, or we’ll have the same fate.

One million times yes. This 100%

Not just the bolded, all of it! But especially the bolded

 

[My3Sons]

See, when I think of a “soft” team I think of the leafs. It’s not about having useless goons like Ryan Reaves. It’s about protecting the puck, winning puck battles, being physically relentless and determined, having both mental and physical fortitude, not just willing to take punishment but dish it out hard too. The maple leafs are are a team that doesn’t have these things facing off against a team that does.

The devils are much much closer to what Toronto is than what Boston is. It has to change, somehow, or we’ll have the same fate.

I’m always surprised that teams can’t see that a fighter doesn’t change the underlying nature of things even if it helps in narrow circumstances. Yes if MacDermid fights Rempe every single game it will help. Mostly because Rempe may have to fight in a bunch of other games and he will realize he needs to tone it down or get brain damage. But for the average playoff game there isn’t fighting. Based on his comments I think Fitz thinks the team needs to play with more pushback but guys like Jack and Bratt aren’t going anywhere so the trick is finding guys who can play with them who are maybe a bit more physical in the ordinary course of play.

 

[Goptor]

Tampa was a soft, underachieving team until their top players started playing dirty. Only point of getting a fighter is to show the top guys how to play in the league.

Some of Hughes, Bratt, Hischier, Mercer, etc. need to play like that. They'll be good at it also. Its not playing the body along the boards every time. Its the slashes to the shins when an opposing player skates by that gets you through the playoffs.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Tampa was a soft, underachieving team until their top players started playing dirty. Only point of getting a fighter is to show the top guys how to play in the league.

Some of Hughes, Bratt, Hischier, Mercer, etc. need to play like that. They'll be good at it also. Its not playing the body along the boards every time. Its the slashes to the shins when an opposing player skates by that gets you through the playoffs.

Tampa had their 2015 run to the Finals to give some good added experience to Stamkos , Kucherov , Hedman , Johnson , Vaslivesky , Killorn & Palat. All players who were eventually part of their back to back Cup wins.

Their teams in both of those Cup wins were just flat out stacked. They also have a great coach in Jon Cooper who had been their coach since the 2013 season. They learned the most I'm sure from getting swept by the Blue Jackets in the 2019 playoffs because they won the Cup the following year. The point is that it takes a few playoff appearances for the players to get comfortable and learn what it takes to win but at the end of the day you need the right combo of skill/depth/coaching/goaltending to get it done.

When I think of a similar team to Tampa who have had their share of disappointments in the playoffs it seems to be the Hurricanes.
Brind'Amour has been their coach for 6 seasons now and they have tinkered the hell out of that team over the years while keeping core guys around (Aho , Slavin , Pesce , Terevainen , Necas , Svechnikov , Staal). This year they have a good shot at winning it all but if it happens it's pretty clear that they didn't get things right in a matter of 2 or 3 playoff appearances.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Tampa was a soft, underachieving team until their top players started playing dirty. Only point of getting a fighter is to show the top guys how to play in the league.

Some of Hughes, Bratt, Hischier, Mercer, etc. need to play like that. They'll be good at it also. Its not playing the body along the boards every time. Its the slashes to the shins when an opposing player skates by that gets you through the playoffs.

* @My3Sons intensifies*

 

[My3Sons]

Tampa was a soft, underachieving team until their top players started playing dirty. Only point of getting a fighter is to show the top guys how to play in the league.

Some of Hughes, Bratt, Hischier, Mercer, etc. need to play like that. They'll be good at it also. Its not playing the body along the boards every time. Its the slashes to the shins when an opposing player skates by that gets you through the playoffs.

18 sociopaths

 

[NjDevsRR]

18 sociopaths

Insert @Guttersniped sicko meme

 

[Bleedred]

Bastian seemed like he wasn’t that great earlier in the season. I even wondered if maybe he wouldn’t start the season on the NHL team next season.

Then he left the lineup with injury and we were reduced to players on the 4th line that were throwbacks to the bums we were calling up back in the Shero days at the very beginning of the rebuild.

And then I was begging for Bastian back.

 

[Clam Jensen]

18 sociopaths

I will support this notion to my last dying breath. The devils need to live by the “eye for an eye” code. When Smith broke Bedards jaw last year, Murphy had that egregious charging headshot on Nico that wasn’t called, but if the roles were reversed, I’d be ecstatic.

Rempe goes after, let’s say, Bratt next year? Bahl better catch Mika with a chicken wing. Cousins goes after Jack for whatever reason? Someone better line up Lundell.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

See, when I think of a “soft” team I think of the leafs. It’s not about having useless goons like Ryan Reaves. It’s about protecting the puck, winning puck battles, being physically relentless and determined, having both mental and physical fortitude, not just willing to take punishment but dish it out hard too. The maple leafs are are a team that doesn’t have these things facing off against a team that does.

The devils are much much closer to what Toronto is than what Boston is. It has to change, somehow, or we’ll have the same fate.

Don’t see the similarities at all with the way the teams are constructed. Their problem is how top heavy they are. They have 3 players making at least 10.9 million, soon to be 4 with Nylander’s deal kicking in next year. We have 0.

How many more “grit” guys do they have to add before that narrative goes away? If anything they went way too far with the supposedly “hard to play against” players. Edmundson sucks ass. Reaves sucks ass. Lyubushkin sucks ass.

 

[guitarguyvic]

Don’t see the similarities at all with the way the teams are constructed. Their problem is how top heavy they are. They have 3 players making at least 10.9 million, soon to be 4 with Nylander’s deal kicking in next year. We have 0.

How many more “grit” guys do they have to add before that narrative goes away? If anything they went way too far with the supposedly “hard to play against” players. Edmundson sucks ass. Reaves sucks ass. Lyubushkin sucks ass.

The error here is thinking that it’s only the “grit” role players that need to possess the characteristics in question and that the top players can get away with being soft. One of Toronto’s problems is that their core is too soft. That’s where the similarity is.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

The error here is thinking that it’s only the “grit” role players that need to possess the characteristics in question and that the top players can get away with being soft. One of Toronto’s problems is that their core is too soft. That’s where the similarity is.

I don’t think so. I think that is just what is said when teams fail. How is being “soft” John Tavares’ problem and not, you know, that’s he’s just an okay player making 11 million dollars a year?

Colorado is far more similar to our group in play style and the way their cap was allocated when Mac was on that bargain deal. But we know you won’t make that comp for very obvious doomer reasons.