GDT: Devils vs. Blue Jackets - 7:00 PM - MSG+

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NJ07102

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There is no reason to worry about Jack Hughes. Hischier looked totally out of place in the beginning as well, he had Hall on his side and was half a year older when his rookie season startet. Hughes has no regular line mates, is really underweight and the whole club is a mess. He needs line mates that can actually play on his level and understand what he's doing. Put him on a better team with better line mates and he takes off.
 

NJDevs26

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There is no reason to worry about Jack Hughes. Hischier looked totally out of place in the beginning as well, he had Hall on his side and was half a year older when his rookie season startet. Hughes has no regular line mates, is really underweight and the whole club is a mess. He needs line mates that can actually play on his level and understand what he's doing. Put him on a better team with better line mates and he takes off.

Nico never looked out of place really, he had a goal scoring drought early in his career but was still putting up assists and doing other things.

And I'd like to give Hughes a pass on the whole bad linemates, bad situation type thing except don't most #1 overalls have to deal with this? That's why they're picked #1 overall, Nico actually got a bit of a soft landing compared to Hughes since he got a fullish season with MVP Hall on his line.
 

NJ07102

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Nico never looked out of place really, he had a goal scoring drought early in his career but was still putting up assists and doing other things.

And I'd like to give Hughes a pass on the whole bad linemates, bad situation type thing except don't most #1 overalls have to deal with this? That's why they're picked #1 overall, Nico actually got a bit of a soft landing compared to Hughes since he got a fullish season with MVP Hall on his line.

The first weeks Nico sat on his a$$ all the time and looked like a kid playing with men. He is an unbelievable quick learner and he rarely makes a mistake twice, which is a real asset. But like I said, he was older than Jack and I am sure Hughes will come along fine. Just give him better line mates and a real coach for a change...
 

devilsblood

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I was looking at who had some of the worst advanced stats at Natural Stat Trick and Hayden is in the top (bottom?) ten. Rooney is pretty bad, just a spare forward for pk, but Hayden shouldn’t be in the NHL. He’s an offensive black hole, not good defensively and going to be 25 at the end of the season so there’s no reason not to cut bait.

As a side note, Zacha is at best a forth liner on a average team. As a side side note, Boqvist has struggled but it seems like he worked well with Hughes and Simmonds, I’d like to see them play together again. (from Hockeyviz)
Rooney and Hayden also start in the defensive zone 3 times as often as they start in the offensive zone. So the #'s are skewed.

Are they good players? Nah, but they do take the tougher situations so some of the younger guys, like Jack Hughes(who starts in the offensive zone twice as much as he starts in the defensive zone) get easier assignments.
 

glenwo2

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Rooney and Hayden also start in the defensive zone 3 times as often as they start in the offensive zone. So the #'s are skewed.

Are they good players? Nah, but they do take the tougher situations so some of the younger guys, like Jack Hughes(who starts in the offensive zone twice as much as he starts in the defensive zone) get easier assignments.

Wayne Simmonds in the realm of the "GOOD" area? What type of chart is this? :laugh:
 

devilsblood

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Columbus' top4 is beter, than any defenseman Devils have, though. Great defense and goaltending sometimes win games not just in playoffs.
Last night was all about the goal tending.

Even with a significantly lesser top 4 D, the Devils battered the Jackets for 2 periods last night.

Last night was a game Devils fans would more easily brush off if the season hasn't been the nightmare it's been.
 

NJDevs26

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Last night was all about the goal tending.

Even with a significantly lesser top 4 D, the Devils battered the Jackets for 2 periods last night.

Last night was a game Devils fans would more easily brush off if the season hasn't been the nightmare it's been.

Unfortunately it was a perfect coda to Cory's career here after what happened the last three years and his star-crossed beginning.
 

devilsblood

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Wayne Simmonds in the realm of the "GOOD" area? What type of chart is this? :laugh:
I didn't really look at the chart.

But it's saying that Boqvist when on the opposite wing of Simmonds has been good. Boqvist has also been good with Hughes. It's probably when all 3 are together?

Neither Simmonds or Boqvist have been good when they are apart. But there is so much that effects that. Both when they are together and when they are apart.
 

glenwo2

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Unfortunately it was a perfect coda to Cory's career here after what happened the last three years and his star-crossed beginning.

Yep. I just had a feeling that after all that, Cory would give up a softy or two.

I wonder if the Jackets do the same to other teams as well?
 

MadDevil

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Yeah people are just looking at preseason predictions and not what's actually happening now.

Korpisalo/Merzlikins looked like they could be one of the worst goalie tandems in the league before the season, but they've actually been pretty decent, and Elvis now has 3 shutouts in his last 4 starts.
 

Camille the Eel

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McLeod is not even a good AHL player. He will go the same way as Quenneville. He will either be cut or traded for another bust. To be honest, there is not one guy in Bing who looks like an NHL impact player. Matsev is probably the one I have the highest hopes for and Zetterlund could be something too, but we certainly are not talking star potential here.
They are winning at the moment. That’s new in recent looks at them. Winning there reflects either increased talent, increased performance, or both. Winning on the farm bubbles up to winning in the big league. Look at Pittsburgh’s performance in the absence of Crosby, driven by a bunch of guys we never heard of in the NHL before this season.

I disagree about McLeod. But that’s just repeating. Time will tell.
 

My3Sons

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McLeod is not even a good AHL player. He will go the same way as Quenneville. He will either be cut or traded for another bust. To be honest, there is not one guy in Bing who looks like an NHL impact player. Matsev is probably the one I have the highest hopes for and Zetterlund could be something too, but we certainly are not talking star potential here.

Are you watching any significant number of Bingo games? If so why do you see McLeod as worse than someone like Rooney or HAYDEN? I don’t expect any real offense from McLeod in the NHL but do expect decent defense and the ability to play PK and have a bit of physicality and win face-offs at a decent rate. Is he not capable of even that?
 
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Bleedred

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Unfortunately it was a perfect coda to Cory's career here after what happened the last three years and his star-crossed beginning.
It really should be his coda. I really thought he was actually due to have a good game (one where we start to read “Maybe Cory has something left? Great game by him! Is anyone else intrigued?” But he’s managed to be remarkably consistent with an .852% on the season. I think he was an .851% before his demotion. He had one good relief appearance in Toronto, before starting out well in relief against Washington, then letting in a brutal goal after we cut it to within one.

I think last night might have been one of his worst games ever as a Devil, that’s how had it was. Goals 1, 2 and 4 were all bad. The goal Blackwood allowed wasn’t good either, but he gets a pass because he isn’t an .852% on the season and he made saves in relief and wasn’t a .765% for the game.

If he ever does play here again (Senn should be playing over him) then Fitzy and even Harris both need to get up there say “We’re tanking”. There’s no need to see him again unless Blackwood, Domingue and Senn are all injured.

And don’t give him a chance for a market correction to raise his save percentage up to .896% or something like what happened last year after the same identical 9 game start. He had an .852% after 9 games last year (but about 65 or so fewer minutes played) too.

I feel like Ray Shero himself was making some of the “is anyone else intrigued and excited by Schneider’s play over the last 16 games and at the worlds?” Posts this offseason.
 
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NJ07102

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Are you watching any significant number of Bingo games? If so why do you see McLeod as worse than someone like Rooney or HAYDEN? I don’t expect any real offense from McLeod in the NHL but do expect decent defense and the ability to play PK and have a bit of physicality and win face-offs at a decent rate. Is he not capable of even that?

Yeah, I have an AHL TV subscription and basically watch all Bingo games. I don't really see him as worse than those two guys, but imho he won't amount to much more than those two. Which is basically a 4th rounder on a bad team. McLeod is pretty fast as far as skating, but his hands are not nearly as fast as his skates are and his vision isn't either. He can't break free, he doesn't really pass well. I hope I am wrong, but I believe he will never be a regular contributor on the NHL level.
 

guitarguyvic

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Yeah, I have an AHL TV subscription and basically watch all Bingo games. I don't really see him as worse than those two guys, but imho he won't amount to much more than those two. Which is basically a 4th rounder on a bad team. McLeod is pretty fast as far as skating, but his hands are not nearly as fast as his skates are and his vision isn't either. He can't break free, he doesn't really pass well. I hope I am wrong, but I believe he will never be a regular contributor on the NHL level.
The good news is that we have restocked the cupboard and we are building a winner.

Oh wait.
 

My3Sons

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Yeah, I have an AHL TV subscription and basically watch all Bingo games. I don't really see him as worse than those two guys, but imho he won't amount to much more than those two. Which is basically a 4th rounder on a bad team. McLeod is pretty fast as far as skating, but his hands are not nearly as fast as his skates are and his vision isn't either. He can't break free, he doesn't really pass well. I hope I am wrong, but I believe he will never be a regular contributor on the NHL level.

Thanks for the substantive explanation. I think if McLeod can settle in as a steady fourth line guy who also can play some PK at least he can have a role in the NHL.

I thought BASTIAN looked pretty good in his short stint with NJ last season. I have a feeling he was instructed to round out some parts of his game which he may be working on and that has resulted in an uneven season for him. NJ needs a guy like him if he can’t develop. Somebody needs to provide some of the ingredients Simmonds does.

Ultimately I agree with you that the AHL roster doesn’t seem to be developing any top six guys or any NHL defenders at all. As others have pointed out though the current AHL is basically a development league for bottom six guys. I guess if NJ can come out of this version of the team with two or three bottom six guys they have something to show for it.
 

NJ07102

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Thanks for the substantive explanation. I think if McLeod can settle in as a steady fourth line guy who also can play some PK at least he can have a role in the NHL.

I thought BASTIAN looked pretty good in his short stint with NJ last season. I have a feeling he was instructed to round out some parts of his game which he may be working on and that has resulted in an uneven season for him. NJ needs a guy like him if he can’t develop. Somebody needs to provide some of the ingredients Simmonds does.

Ultimately I agree with you that the AHL roster doesn’t seem to be developing any top six guys or any NHL defenders at all. As others have pointed out though the current AHL is basically a development league for bottom six guys. I guess if NJ can come out of this version of the team with two or three bottom six guys they have something to show for it.

Bastian is a guy who really could become a pretty good bottom liner, I agree with that. He is very strong and is a tremendous worker and could be a great guy to put in front of the net on PPs. McLeod I think has always done everything with his speed and at juniors was just able to blow past people. He obviously never needed to develop an alternative at that level and at the pro level speed alone is just not enough any more.
 
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AfroThunder396

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Michael McLeod has 52 points in 93 career AHL games

Adam Henrique had 59 points in 92 career AHL games

Just putting this out there. Not saying McLeod will ever get 30 goals or 50 points in the NHL but I think he'll settle in pretty nicely as a quality bottom-6 center. Which is fine, we need better players at every position. He's a hard upgrade over Rooney, Hayden, etc.
 
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