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

[My3Sons]

I think you saw a tide change this year.

After Rempe hurt a second Devil even the media was saying the Devils should probably go out and injure a Ranger because that’s the only way to reign in other goons.

Goons like/need to be the center of attention. They can’t be effective playing hockey but if they’re what people are talking about then they’re being effective and will keep getting paid.

Making goons fight other goons sure looks like a failing attempt to curb goon antics, it didn’t appear to slow any cheap shots against the Devils. If anything I think it emboldens the goons to do more. Only mutually assured destruction of good player injuries will have the other team’s coach telling his goon to calm down.

What sort of a strategy would this be? is there a name for it? Sounds interesting.

 

[Devils731]

What sort of a strategy would this be? is there a name for it? Sounds interesting.

As the inventor of this conceptsarcasm and a fan of WWE, I propose when a guy takes out an opponent in an attempt to curb future injuries to teammates as the 731; a reference to Rey Mysterio’s 619.

 

[My3Sons]

As the inventor of this conceptsarcasm and a fan of WWE, I propose when a guy takes out an opponent in an attempt to curb future injuries to teammates as the 731; a reference to Rey Mysterio’s 619.

Didn't Ray Mysterio wrestle 100 years ago? How old are you grandpa? If you are going to claim credit for the sociopath strategy that is so in vogue all of a sudden you have to advocate for it here and put up with the slings and arrows.

 

[JimEIV]

Adding MacDermid to team full of cupcakes is completely useless.

That's not to say that I don't want him...but he's not going to changes this soft easy to play against team. Without some ill-mannered abrasive players that can take a regular shift throughout the lineup MacDermid is nothing more than a sideshow and nothing of a deterrent.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Adding MacDermid to team full of cupcakes is completely useless.

That's not to say that I don't want him...but he's not going to changes this soft easy to play against team. Without some ill-mannered abrasive players that can take a regular shift throughout the lineup MacDermid is nothing more than a sideshow and nothing of a deterrent.

That's what most of us have been saying, you don't get harder to play against because you have some goon on your bench staring at the opposing bench. You get harder to play against with guys in your top 6/top 4D being tough to play against. It's a shame a guy like Zadarov is going to get overpaid but it is what it is.

 

[Bleedred]

I would say MacDermid is easy to play against, because he sucks and gets humped all over the ice by the other team when he's out there.

The fact that he's tougher than everyone else doesn't make him hard to play against.

This is hockey, not boxing, wrestling or other fighting sports.

 

[MadDevil]

Exactly, this is what Smith was supposed to be but then he was a regular. It worries me that Macdermid could be the same and a downgrade at that.

To be fair, this season Smith probably played so much because of the injuries on defense and him killing penalties.

Not that I think signing MacDermid for 3 years is a smart move, but I think it's less likely he ends up being a regular than Smith. If he does something has gone horrifically wrong again and Fitz probably won't be around to see the end of that contract.

 

[Billdo]

Adding MacDermid to team full of cupcakes is completely useless.

That's not to say that I don't want him...but he's not going to changes this soft easy to play against team. Without some ill-mannered abrasive players that can take a regular shift throughout the lineup MacDermid is nothing more than a sideshow and nothing of a deterrent.

Who do you suggest we move for some sandpaper?

 

[TrufleShufle]

Who do you suggest we move for some sandpaper?

Thought we needed a miter saw, now we need sandpaper too? These analogies are getting hard to keep track of.

 

[NjDevsRR]

The collab no one wanted lmao, Tank looking like he lost 150+ lbs

 

[JimEIV]

I would say MacDermid is easy to play against, because he sucks and gets humped all over the ice by the other team when he's out there.

The fact that he's tougher than everyone else doesn't make him hard to play against.

This is hockey, not boxing, wrestling or other fighting sports.

Still that element of "toughness" is necessary....you don't have to beat anyone up but you do need guys that willing and able to do anything to win.

Watching Bennett and Marchand is the epitome of it. No regular skater on our roster is willing or able to play a game like that and if we find ourselves in that type of game we're pretty much done.

 

[JimEIV]

Who do you suggest we move for some sandpaper?

I'd move anyone for the right deal.

But these things don't get quick fixed...you have to change a culture and a mindset.. you need all of your players to become a little more willing to occasionally play an ugly game and take advantage when the situation presents itself.

I don't think adding a guy by itself does it...the team needs to be overall a little grittier, a little meaner. You don't have to be big or strong to do what Bennett did to Marchand... Just willing.

 

[Ripshot 43]

View attachment 872435

That was nice of you to stop and take a picture with Subban.

 

[NJDevs26]

To be fair, this season Smith probably played so much because of the injuries on defense and him killing penalties.

Not that I think signing MacDermid for 3 years is a smart move, but I think it's less likely he ends up being a regular than Smith. If he does something has gone horrifically wrong again and Fitz probably won't be around to see the end of that contract.

He's never played a single playoff game and a contender just offloaded him for a 7th rounder at the deadline, I feel so much better about signing him for THREE YEARS. Fitz completely jumped the shark because of Rempe the way Drury did because of Tom Wilson.

 

[NjDevsRR]

That was nice of you to stop and take a picture with Subban.

 

[RNCDevil]

I don't think being a dirty SOB is it either. For me it's players that never shy away from contact on offense, backcheck and don't do flyby stick checks--they generally win contested situations IF they cannot outskate the opposition regularly (like Bratt...but he also was fine with the occasional body check). Brayden Point is a hard player in my opinion. The Tkachuks, Bennets, Ekblads, Nelsons, Pietrangelo, JT Millers...I just don't know who that is on the Devils. It was McRapey.

On defense they either win the puck with great effort in the corners, stand up to forechecks (mentally and physically) or, like Trouba, put the forward on his ass on a given play if they lack the footspeed. They don't get walked. They don't let a pass to a wide open player in the slot happen. They are not part of shift where they are hemmed in for two minutes.

 

[HugeInTheShire]

I can't believe signing a 4th liner/AHL player is causing so much drama. This signing has zero effect on anything. He'll likely be a healthy scratch or get waived and brought back up when they need him.

It's not that serious people.

 

[NjDevsRR]

I can't believe signing a 4th liner/AHL player is causing so much drama. This signing has zero effect on anything. He'll likely be a healthy scratch or get waived and brought back up when they need him.

It's not that serious people.

 

[NJDfan86]

Yea I get what you are saying, but you keep painting it as this big move by saying "over reaction" and "loading up." He signed a nothing contract that can be buried very easily.

"Teams have fighters again? Ok, lets lock up the best one on a contract that doesn't matter and not have to think about goons for 3 years."

He absolutely still can add to the lineup in a number of ways, with players who play the game harder and have skill. Trade for better depth, all of that. This was putting in very little effort to fix something that wasn't that big of a deal.

Talking about it like its a precursor to what's to come and the new direction of the team is just panicking at this point.

- I evaluate every choice or move the team makes - I care about the thought process that the front office has as well as the results.

- Teams don’t have fighters again, that was my point - Rempe and his behavior created a short fighting resurgence that isn’t going to last, that’s why i pointed out that like 60% of Rempe’s PM came against the Devils. Stocking up for a situation that is unlikely to exist moving forward.

- I didn’t say they couldn’t also sign more players like I described, but if they do MacD even warrant a roster spot? No other team could even talk to MacD for another month and a half why sign this deal now?


Nothing about this shows a well reasoned and thought out process. The only defense we have is that we can bury him in the minors for less than his cap hit which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

 

[My3Sons]

He's never played a single playoff game and a contender just offloaded him for a 7th rounder at the deadline, I feel so much better about signing him for THREE YEARS. Fitz completely jumped the shark because of Rempe the way Drury did because of Tom Wilson.

If MacDermid plays four games and fights Rempe at the start of each game and then twice after that and Rempe doesn't injure anyone because he's in the box the whole game and then thrown out MacDermid will have done his job and it will have been worth it. If Bastian and Siegs don't get head shotted you don't think that's worth anything? What is it was Jack and Bratt being subject to cheap shots? Now, whether the new coach and MacDermid understand that this is his value and what he needs to do is another story. Frankly, you'd think over a million dollars to make sure Rempe is removed from four games would make MacDermid and the Devils organization both happy. He can sit in the press box for the other 78 games.

- I evaluate every choice or move the team makes - I care about the thought process that the front office has as well as the results.

- Teams don’t have fighters again, that was my point - Rempe and his behavior created a short fighting resurgence that isn’t going to last, that’s why i pointed out that like 60% of Rempe’s PM came against the Devils. Stocking up for a situation that is unlikely to exist moving forward.

- I didn’t say they couldn’t also sign more players like I described, but if they do MacD even warrant a roster spot? No other team could even talk to MacD for another month and a half why sign this deal now?


Nothing about this shows a well reasoned and thought out process. The only defense we have is that we can bury him in the minors for less than his cap hit which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

I potentially disagree. See the above portion of my post. If they see it like I do it makes perfect sense.

 

[Stephen Gionta]

Nothing about this shows a well reasoned and thought out process. The only defense we have is that we can bury him in the minors for less than his cap hit which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

The Devils can bury him in the minors for the entirety of the cap hit.

And the Devils clearly decided they wanted to keep this player. Fans may never know the exact reasons of why. Much of it may be behind the scenes. This was clearly well thought out process by the Devils staff.

 

[RNCDevil]

I don't think people are upset with the signing or certainly the player. It's the concern around management behaving in a reactionary manner with a cure for the wrong disease.

 

[TrufleShufle]

- I evaluate every choice or move the team makes - I care about the thought process that the front office has as well as the results.

- Teams don’t have fighters again, that was my point - Rempe and his behavior created a short fighting resurgence that isn’t going to last, that’s why i pointed out that like 60% of Rempe’s PM came against the Devils. Stocking up for a situation that is unlikely to exist moving forward.

- I didn’t say they couldn’t also sign more players like I described, but if they do MacD even warrant a roster spot? No other team could even talk to MacD for another month and a half why sign this deal now?


Nothing about this shows a well reasoned and thought out process. The only defense we have is that we can bury him in the minors for less than his cap hit which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement.

The only defense you said at the end is everything. What's the downside of signing him that isn't mitigated by that right there.

If you need him, you got him, if you don't, who cares.

 

[Ripshot 43]

nope

 

[My3Sons]

nope

Who are you, my wife?