Confirmed with Link: Nikita Gusev (VGK) to NJD (2020 3rd, 2021 2nd)

[Bramskii]

The 00- 01 Devils say hi

Give me one player on that team that you would put up against Hall and Hughes in a skills competition.

 

[NJDevs26]

I'm just talking from a pure skill standpoint

You're only looking at skill as forward potential. Even if you take out Stevens, Niedermayer and Brodeur (three first-ballot HOF'ers) along with Rafalski and only look at the forwards you still have guys like Elias and Mogilny, who are either HOF'ers or borderline at worst with Elias having a Hart-caliber year and Mogilny getting 43 goals, you had Sykora getting 35 goals, Arnott a point a game, Gomez with 60+ points, guys like Brylin getting 50 points playing 2nd-3rd line tweener, Madden getting 20+ goals on fourth line, McKay and Holik another 20+ on the third line, etc. This team okay you have one guy with HOF potential in Hall, two guys a LONG way off from knowing what they are or being in their prime with the centers, Palm who's good and a lot of decent, okay pieces after that. Bratt, who's a top six on this team would be fourth line or healthy scratch material on that team. This was all dead puck era production btw.

 

[Atas2000]

Russian folks- scouting report and reasonable expectations, plz

Panarin in his first year if you have a P.Kane. Slightly below that if you don't. No reason he can't reach modern day Panarin's level going forward. He is in the same mold. Primarily a playmaking winger who can drive a line, but he can score goals too and should be encouraged to shoot more. He can dispatch a PP unit on the left boards. Maybe not the fastest skater, but smart and elusive.

Don't bother him him when he is on the phone with his best buddy Kucherov. He might get some valuable advice.

 

[LeedsMonster]

Thoughts on the below?

While Coleman may not be everyones first thought as 2nd line RW what he would provide is sound defense, tenacious forechecking/physicality, and a shoot-first mentality to complement players who can pass him the puck. Simmonds and Zajac can grind down low and be complemented by Bratt's creativity.

Hall-Hischier-Palmieri
Gusev-Hughes-Coleman
Bratt-Zajac-Simmonds
Wood-Zacha-TBD
Hayden

Depending on comfort of having Vatanen play LD this would be the setup I go with. Still would prefer some way to acquire a legit top 4 LHD with size (>6' 2") and I would be fine moving one of Vatanen or Butcher to accomplish that.

Vatanen/Butcher-Subban
Greene-Severson
Smith-Butcher/Vatanen
Mueller-Carrick

PP1
Hall - Zajac - Simmonds
Subban - Palmieri

PP2
Gusev - Hischier - Hughes
Zacha - Severson/Butcher/Vatanen/Smith

Hischier plays net front / down low for tips and quick plays. Gusev and Hughes play respective half walls. Zacha plays left side for Palmieri esque shorts.

PK
Zajac-Coleman
Zacha-Bratt/TBD
Hischier-Bratt/TBD

The TBD could be the 4th line RW or Wood.

Greene-Subban
Vatanen-Severson

Can't see Smith or Butcher getting PK time.

I dont see how Gusev slots in over Bratt. He should start on the 3rd line until he proves hes better than Jasper. Coleman on line 2 is interesting though.

 

[Billdo]

How? Hes never played in the NHL, and hes 27. I hope he comes here and blows the **** up, but it's far from a sure thing.

He scores everywhere. World championships, Olympics, second most in a single season in the KHL, etc. Why won't he do it here?

 

[Bramskii]

You're only looking at skill as forward potential. Even if you take out Stevens, Niedermayer and Brodeur (three first-ballot HOF'ers) and only look at the forwards you still have guys like Elias and Mogilny, who are either HOF'ers or borderline at worst with Elias having a Hart-caliber year, you had Sykora getting 35 goals, Arnott a point a game, Gomez with 60+ points, guys like Brylin getting 50 points playing 2nd-3rd line tweener, Madden getting 20+ goals on fourth line. This team okay you have one guy with HOF potential in Hall, two guys a LONG way off from knowing what they are or being in their prime with the centers and a lot of decent, okay pieces after that. Bratt, who's a top six on this team would be fourth line or healthy scratch material on that team.

Again, what does that have to do with pure skill. I never argued that this roster has better players. The guys you mentioned would not fair well in a skills competition against the guys we have now.

 

[Classic Devil]

Give me one player on that team that you would put up against Hall and Hughes in a skills competition.

Niedermayer, Mogilny, Elias, Gomez... not to say that they'd win necessarily, but they're not out of the ballpark given how they performed in a much more defensive era.

 

[AfroThunder396]

 

[Atas2000]

Потрясающий игрок. Шеро крадет еще один.

Nice try, Google.

 

[LeedsMonster]

Give me one player on that team that you would put up against Hall and Hughes in a skills competition.

Elias, Sykora, Gomez, Mogilny...theres four. How old are you?

 

[GameSeven]

Give me one player on that team that you would put up against Hall and Hughes in a skills competition.

That team had three HOFers and one that should probably be. It had 2 guys with 40+ goals and one with 35. Seven guys scored 20+ and the A-Line could absolutely run a train on a lot of teams today.

We're looking *much* improved, but lets pump the brakes just a little.

 

[NJDevils17]

Shero has added

Hall-Hischier-Palmieri
Gusev-Hughes-Bratt

Vatanen-Subban
Smith-Butcher

Yeeesh

 

[BenedictGomez]

I dont see how Gusev slots in over Bratt.

You dont see how the reigning KHL MVP should "slot in" over Bratt?

 

[Atas2000]

4.5 mil a year for a guy that never played in the NHL, anybody worried?

"Never played in the NHL" should be made into a meme depicting narrowmindedness. There is never played in the NHL and there is never played in the NHL.

 

[Bramskii]

Elias, Sykora, Gomez, Mogilny...theres four. How old are you?

I've followed the devil's religiously since the late 90s. Those guys mentioned are not on the same level skill wise as hall and Hughes.

 

[LeedsMonster]

He scores everywhere. World championships, Olympics, second most in a single season in the KHL, etc. Why won't he do it here?

Not saying he won't, just that he hasn't yet. Has 0 NHL goals so far, you know what I mean?

 

[Bramskii]

That team had three HOFers and one that should probably be. It had 2 guys with 40+ goals and one with 35. Seven guys scored 20+ and the A-Line could absolutely run a train on a lot of teams today.

We're looking *much* improved, but lets pump the brakes just a little.

You missed the point of my original post just as everyone else did..

 

[NJDevs26]

Again, what does that have to do with pure skill. I never argued that this roster has better players. The guys you mentioned would not fair well in a skills competition against the guys we have now.

You initially said the entire roster had more skill, not one or two guys would win a skills competition over anyone else. That's a lot more narrow and very subjective since there weren't a lot of skills competitions/three-on-three/shootout back in 2001 either.

 

[GameSeven]

You missed the point of my original post just as everyone else did..

No, I didn't, but skills competitions are simply not a metric by which I'd evaluate overall talent.

 

[LeedsMonster]

You dont see how the reigning KHL MVP should "slot in" over Bratt?

Lol...no, I dont. Hes done f*** all in the NHL yet, and until he proves it, I dont see how you play him over a guy who's proven his NHL worth right off the bat. This ain't the KHL

 

[NJDevs26]

Oh it was real in March, 2016 but most probably checked out by then or blocked it from memory. Green-Larsson, Schlemko-Moore, Merrill-Severson were on the back end.

How about the end of 'last' year if we're talking about woof-worthy lineups lol

 

[Bramskii]

No, I didn't, but skills competitions are simply not a metric by which I'd evaluate overall talent.

Good, neither would I. And I never suggested this team had more overall talent than any previous ones.

 

[NJDevs26]

Lol...no, I dont. Hes done **** all in the NHL yet, and until he proves it, I dont see how you play him over a guy who's proven his NHL worth right off the bat. This ain't the KHL

Why does Gusev have to slot in over Bratt? They can both be in the top six with Simmonds being a third liner plus. If anything maybe Gusev can at least put Bratt back at his natural LW slot.

 

[LeedsMonster]

I've followed the devil's religiously since the late 90s. Those guys mentioned are not on the same level skill wise as hall and Hughes.

They are though. I would take Elias in his prime over Hall 100 times out of 100. Hughes, ok you might have an argument.

 

[LeedsMonster]

Why does Gusev have to slot in over Bratt? They can both be in the top six with Simmonds being a third liner plus. If anything maybe Gusev can at least put Bratt back at his natural LW slot.

Does Gusev play on the right?

I know I'm coming off like I hate this guy, I dont. I'm just tempering my expectations. The Datsyuk and Panarin comparisons are a little much to me, until he proves it in the NHL.