A 57 point pace playing 17 minutes a game with talented linemates including a spot on the top powerplay unit all while being outchanced and outscored 5v5? I'm happy that Zacha took a step forward this year, and I'm hopeful he takes another one next season, but I don't think people realize the deep hole that he started in.
Player grades
- Thread starter billingtons ghost
- Start date
A 57 point pace playing 17 minutes a game with talented linemates including a spot on the top powerplay unit all while being outchanced and outscored 5v5? I'm happy that Zacha took a step forward this year, and I'm hopeful he takes another one next season, but I don't think people realize the deep hole that he started in.
Goomba
Mario is a Devils fan
- May 7, 2021
- 730
- 491
What does his past have to do with his grade for this season?
He led the team in points. Thats an A+ no matter how you shake it.
billingtons ghost
Registered User
- Nov 29, 2010
- 10,576
- 6,835
A++ for the Nico name. Loved it when you coined it a few weeks back.
Edmonton East
BUT the ADvaNCEd STatS...
- Nov 25, 2007
- 6,492
- 2,450
My ratings were based on what I deem as reasonable expectations and actual performance vs abilities.
For example, Miles Wood had an excellent season for what he is. Anything below a B is ludicrous.
ChicksDigTheTrap
No quick fixes, no cutting corners and no cheating
Zacha started the year off with Johnnson and Goose. He played quite a bit of this season without talented line mates.
Darkauron
Registered User
Billdo
Registered User
That only works when you apply it to other players and why they're not producing around these parts...
glenwo2
LINDY RUFF NEEDS VIAGRA!!
I think you have to view Zacha as a tale of two seasons. First, you have the Zacha as center games. He didn't play great defense, he didn't do much on the penalty kill it seemed. He scored but the ice was generally tilted against his line. Second, you have the small sample size with Nico after he shook off the rust twice. To be fair, a decent number of those games were played after Zacha was injured. As a wing with Nico the ice didn't seem tilted against him and he was still scoring. His defense was a secondary concern on the wing and as a line, Nico, Zacha, and Bratt look to have promise. I can argue that when he played center he was miscast and if you asked Blackwood to play defense that you'd have to give him an excellent grade if he could at all function in that role. I sort of see Zacha similarly at this point. Grade him as the LW with Nico and Bratt. The rest of it is irrelevant at this point to me.
- Jan 24, 2007
- 7,359
- 7,786
Grades based on expectations + role.
Forwards:
Sharangovich A
The guy established himself as a building block. Only an A instead of A+ cause I hope he has even more room to grow and there was that stretch about 10 games in when he looked lost. He might be more important than Bratt today.
Wood B+
Love this guy's game and he's a great 4th liner. He was someone I wasn't sure should be protected before the season started. With that said great 4th liners paid almost 3 million dollars are a luxury, and not really core pieces. He might best serve the Devils as trade bait next deadline unfortunately, even though I really like watching him play.
Hughes B+
I was very worried about Hughes after his rookie year. Now I am less worried, but still see a major hole in his offensive game; namely his shot. Will it take 3 years to get up to average? 1 offseason? will it never come? I also thought he'd be better on the PP by now, given he'd have more space but his strength appears to be transition play. He needs to become a PP weapon next year, that's essential, and upgrading the shot may take longer. I think Gomez 2.0 is his floor more so than his projection. He's the most important Devils player, Devils need to do what they can to help him reach his full potential and take advantage of his unique skillset. He's going to be a positive valued top 6 center in this league for the next 8 years I think easily and those are so hard to find. TBD if he can be a star caliber player (i.e. someone in the top 10 of Hart trophy voting).
Kuokkonen B+
Kuokkonen to me is someone that should probably be a 3rd liner on the next Devils playoff team. I really like what he brings and he's an NHL player but unlike Sharangovich I don't really see his game going to another level. Still great work to establish himself as an NHLer and work his way up the lineup to the 1st line.
Zacha B+
The most polarizing player on the team established himself as a complimentary scoring winger. I hope he never plays C again and Fitz decides to add a C to make sure Zacha doesn't move there in case of injury. I don't see him as a building block necessarily and am willing but not eager to trade him in the right deal.
Bratt B
Came into the season late and with rust but ended up with a 50+ point pace. He needs to score 50+ points next season to shut up the haters, and prove he's as good as we all see him as being. I really like Bratt but think he's a bit overrated cause he brings flash, and once he gets caught and engaged physically he's easy to knock off the puck. With that said he brings a ton to the 2nd line and if he can establish himself on the PP should start piling up points.
McLeod B-
McLeod is a great 4th liner I think at this point. Unlike Wood though I think he's probably needed in NJ for a few more years cause Cs are so hard to find, in particular speedy Cs that can play the style Ruff wants to. He started to PK a bit and if he can do that effectively he might really have a place in NJ for a long time.
Bastian B+
Maltsev B+
Merkley C+
Studenic C+
Not much to say about these guys, they showed well at times but all look to be AHL tweeners to me. Maltsev got pretty crazy hype for a while and if he can play C that would be very helpful to NJ. Bastian I expect to lose in expansion which is unfortunate but tolerable.
Hischier C
Bit of nightmare season for him. Expect better things and health next year
Boqvist C
I wrote him off but he showed well at the end of the season. I project him to be the 5C next year and a scratch if everyone is healthy.
Johnsson D
We got hoodwinked by the boy wonder. I hope next year he's good enough in training camp that he makes the team, in some capacity, and excels. At this point I don't know what the role would be, seems like he should be in AHL in case of injury and to prove he's a cut above Holtz and Foote next year personally.
Former Devils
Zajac B-
I remember a few years ago thinking his contract was a nightmare. He never fell below replacement level for its duration and showed remarkable longevity. Thanks for the memories.
Palmieri D
Nightmare season for him in NJ. Looked bad, didn't seem to help Hughes develop at all, and likely won't get a contract offer from NJ this offseason. If someone showed me statistical analysis that losing him was addition by subtraction I wouldn't be surprised.
Gusev F
I thought at least one of Palmieri or Gusev were going to be re-signed when the season started. Gusev was beloved on this board last year. Insane what happened there. Coach + player mismatch? A failed experiment but one worth running I suppose.
Defensemen:
Smith A
The grades here seem to reflect recency bias. Smith established himself as a core piece, and a PP weapon in his rookie year. He will be a top 4 dman for NJ for the next 5 years. He is the only person in the organization you can say that about. Big season for him and I think he's got room to grow. You can't really ask for a better rookie year for a 20 year old (!!!) dman.
Severson B+
The best Devils dman. I wonder if he's going to be a member of the next Devils playoff team, or he's going to be moved in 1.5 years at the deadline.
Subban C+
Everyone's Subban grade likely reflects their expectations, I guess I expected more looking at some grades here. Only reason his grade isn't lower is he was so bad last year it was a bit of a bounce back. This season he lost his PP job, only really looked good next to Kulikov, and projects to have zero trade value next deadline at 50% retention. I can't give him a grade higher than C+ based on that reality and this trade was a clear loser for NJ.
Murray C
Uneven year for the big offseason acquisition. Basically lost his job to Kulikov and was dropped to the 3rd pair. The Devils are so desperate for dmen who won't get caved in I want him back at 2 years or under though.
Butcher D
He looked ok when he got playing time post deadline but appears to provide very little, especially if Smith is on the PP. He now doesn't appear likely to be in the NHL in 2 years.
Siegenthaler INC
I am worried by what I've seen so far though.
Former Devils
Kulikov A
This guy stabilized the 2nd pair and was a revelation given he was projected to be the 3rd pair / 7th dman behind Butcher possibly. Great signing by Fitz, would be happy if he came back to NJ for 2 years. Trading him for a conditional 3rd round pick was a mistake, I'll stand by that take.
Vatanen D
Vatanen looked bad for most of the season, which is a shame cause he was a solid Devil for many years. Don't expect him in the NHL next year.
Goalies:
Blackwood B+
Blackwood appears to be a 1A/B type at this time which is very valuable and needed in NJ. I don't know if bonafide starting goalies will even be a thing in 5 years or if we are headed for the hockey equivalent of "running back by committee" taking over in the NFL, but he should be expected to start 40-60 games for the next few years and be decent in those starts. That's a valuable piece to build around.
Wedgewood B
He was supposed to be the third goalie and was forced to become the backup. He played above his head most of the year but also confirmed that he's not NHL backup goalie caliber. I guess he can remain as the 3rd goalie next year but really don't mind the Devils moving on.
Dell F
We had our pick in the goaltending carousel and we chose poorly. Dell on paper was the best 3rd goalie out there, to the point that he could have been reasonably expected to be Blackwood's backup. He got outplayed by Wedgewood and now is likely out of the NHL. Shame cause his goalie gear was awesome.
Forwards:
Sharangovich A
The guy established himself as a building block. Only an A instead of A+ cause I hope he has even more room to grow and there was that stretch about 10 games in when he looked lost. He might be more important than Bratt today.
Wood B+
Love this guy's game and he's a great 4th liner. He was someone I wasn't sure should be protected before the season started. With that said great 4th liners paid almost 3 million dollars are a luxury, and not really core pieces. He might best serve the Devils as trade bait next deadline unfortunately, even though I really like watching him play.
Hughes B+
I was very worried about Hughes after his rookie year. Now I am less worried, but still see a major hole in his offensive game; namely his shot. Will it take 3 years to get up to average? 1 offseason? will it never come? I also thought he'd be better on the PP by now, given he'd have more space but his strength appears to be transition play. He needs to become a PP weapon next year, that's essential, and upgrading the shot may take longer. I think Gomez 2.0 is his floor more so than his projection. He's the most important Devils player, Devils need to do what they can to help him reach his full potential and take advantage of his unique skillset. He's going to be a positive valued top 6 center in this league for the next 8 years I think easily and those are so hard to find. TBD if he can be a star caliber player (i.e. someone in the top 10 of Hart trophy voting).
Kuokkonen B+
Kuokkonen to me is someone that should probably be a 3rd liner on the next Devils playoff team. I really like what he brings and he's an NHL player but unlike Sharangovich I don't really see his game going to another level. Still great work to establish himself as an NHLer and work his way up the lineup to the 1st line.
Zacha B+
The most polarizing player on the team established himself as a complimentary scoring winger. I hope he never plays C again and Fitz decides to add a C to make sure Zacha doesn't move there in case of injury. I don't see him as a building block necessarily and am willing but not eager to trade him in the right deal.
Bratt B
Came into the season late and with rust but ended up with a 50+ point pace. He needs to score 50+ points next season to shut up the haters, and prove he's as good as we all see him as being. I really like Bratt but think he's a bit overrated cause he brings flash, and once he gets caught and engaged physically he's easy to knock off the puck. With that said he brings a ton to the 2nd line and if he can establish himself on the PP should start piling up points.
McLeod B-
McLeod is a great 4th liner I think at this point. Unlike Wood though I think he's probably needed in NJ for a few more years cause Cs are so hard to find, in particular speedy Cs that can play the style Ruff wants to. He started to PK a bit and if he can do that effectively he might really have a place in NJ for a long time.
Bastian B+
Maltsev B+
Merkley C+
Studenic C+
Not much to say about these guys, they showed well at times but all look to be AHL tweeners to me. Maltsev got pretty crazy hype for a while and if he can play C that would be very helpful to NJ. Bastian I expect to lose in expansion which is unfortunate but tolerable.
Hischier C
Bit of nightmare season for him. Expect better things and health next year
Boqvist C
I wrote him off but he showed well at the end of the season. I project him to be the 5C next year and a scratch if everyone is healthy.
Johnsson D
We got hoodwinked by the boy wonder. I hope next year he's good enough in training camp that he makes the team, in some capacity, and excels. At this point I don't know what the role would be, seems like he should be in AHL in case of injury and to prove he's a cut above Holtz and Foote next year personally.
Former Devils
Zajac B-
I remember a few years ago thinking his contract was a nightmare. He never fell below replacement level for its duration and showed remarkable longevity. Thanks for the memories.
Palmieri D
Nightmare season for him in NJ. Looked bad, didn't seem to help Hughes develop at all, and likely won't get a contract offer from NJ this offseason. If someone showed me statistical analysis that losing him was addition by subtraction I wouldn't be surprised.
Gusev F
I thought at least one of Palmieri or Gusev were going to be re-signed when the season started. Gusev was beloved on this board last year. Insane what happened there. Coach + player mismatch? A failed experiment but one worth running I suppose.
Defensemen:
Smith A
The grades here seem to reflect recency bias. Smith established himself as a core piece, and a PP weapon in his rookie year. He will be a top 4 dman for NJ for the next 5 years. He is the only person in the organization you can say that about. Big season for him and I think he's got room to grow. You can't really ask for a better rookie year for a 20 year old (!!!) dman.
Severson B+
The best Devils dman. I wonder if he's going to be a member of the next Devils playoff team, or he's going to be moved in 1.5 years at the deadline.
Subban C+
Everyone's Subban grade likely reflects their expectations, I guess I expected more looking at some grades here. Only reason his grade isn't lower is he was so bad last year it was a bit of a bounce back. This season he lost his PP job, only really looked good next to Kulikov, and projects to have zero trade value next deadline at 50% retention. I can't give him a grade higher than C+ based on that reality and this trade was a clear loser for NJ.
Murray C
Uneven year for the big offseason acquisition. Basically lost his job to Kulikov and was dropped to the 3rd pair. The Devils are so desperate for dmen who won't get caved in I want him back at 2 years or under though.
Butcher D
He looked ok when he got playing time post deadline but appears to provide very little, especially if Smith is on the PP. He now doesn't appear likely to be in the NHL in 2 years.
Siegenthaler INC
I am worried by what I've seen so far though.
Former Devils
Kulikov A
This guy stabilized the 2nd pair and was a revelation given he was projected to be the 3rd pair / 7th dman behind Butcher possibly. Great signing by Fitz, would be happy if he came back to NJ for 2 years. Trading him for a conditional 3rd round pick was a mistake, I'll stand by that take.
Vatanen D
Vatanen looked bad for most of the season, which is a shame cause he was a solid Devil for many years. Don't expect him in the NHL next year.
Goalies:
Blackwood B+
Blackwood appears to be a 1A/B type at this time which is very valuable and needed in NJ. I don't know if bonafide starting goalies will even be a thing in 5 years or if we are headed for the hockey equivalent of "running back by committee" taking over in the NFL, but he should be expected to start 40-60 games for the next few years and be decent in those starts. That's a valuable piece to build around.
Wedgewood B
He was supposed to be the third goalie and was forced to become the backup. He played above his head most of the year but also confirmed that he's not NHL backup goalie caliber. I guess he can remain as the 3rd goalie next year but really don't mind the Devils moving on.
Dell F
We had our pick in the goaltending carousel and we chose poorly. Dell on paper was the best 3rd goalie out there, to the point that he could have been reasonably expected to be Blackwood's backup. He got outplayed by Wedgewood and now is likely out of the NHL. Shame cause his goalie gear was awesome.
Last edited:
MauDevils
Registered User
Zacha had 35 points in 50 games, Bratt had 30 points in 46 games. Zacha has, I'm guessing, the worst defensive impacts of any non-Gusev forward on the team, while Bratt has the best. I gave Bratt a "B" and Zacha a "C", that seems fair to me.
Alex NJD
Registered User
I'll give it a shot. We finished at about where I'd expected but I thought we'd be getting really solid goaltending and stealing games away. Instead we got pretty bad goaltending but had a lot of other guys exceed my expectations. Plus I finished school yesterday so I have a lot of free time on my hands now
Dell - F - Dude was terrible anyone who watched him could see it.
Crawford - F - Sucks he retired and left us with Wedgewood as our best backup goalie option
Palmieri - F - Expected to be a top 6 forward and was pretty much a trash can on skates stealing icetime from younger guys.
Gusev - F - Again expected to be a top 6 forward and was hot garbage, at least he didn't get as long a leash as Palms did.
Special Teams - F - Please bring in new coaches for PP/PK
Johnsson - D - Again expected to be a top 6 forward and was pretty bad though not as bad as Palmieri or Gusev. At least he meets an expansion exposure requirement
Vatanen - D - Large fall off from the Vatanen of the past few years. At least when he was here we saw less Carrick/Tennyson
Tennyson - D+ - He shouldn't be in the NHL in the first place so my expectations were low but his most memorable moments of the year were pushing dudes in Blackwood so he loses points for that.
Blackwood - C- - There are several arguments/excuses to be made in Blackwood's defense but the raw numbers are still pretty bad. I'm not super worried about him going forward but I feel a good 1B goalie is our biggest need this offseason
Carrick - C - Another AAAA dman who I didn't expect anything of but at least his most memorable moment was that one dope goal and not shoving people into Blackwood.
Merkley - C - Sometimes I see a potential 3rd liner with some playmaking ability and sometimes I wonder why he's playing. On the bright side he fulfills an expansion exposure requirement. Won't mind him as a 13th-14th forward next year.
Butcher - C - Played to my expectations. He's a 3rd pairing offensive guy meant to run the 2nd PP. He was asked to be much more at times. Scored at a 39 point pace so hopefully it entices Seattle.
Siegenthaler - C - Hard to judge based on small sample but I guess he was ok when he played.
Boqvist - C - Was pretty invisible most of the season at wing but started to definitely show some good flashes the last few weeks of the season, mainly at center. As of rn he's our leading candidate for 3C next year unless we bring someone in and that doesn't excite me.
Maltsev - C+ - Definitely think there is an NHL player in Maltsev but I'm not sure how high his ceiling could be.
Wedgewood - C+ - Played fine considering what he is.
Hischier - C+ - Injuries hampered his season and as others have pointed out he was bad in the first 3 games following his returns but 11 points in the other 15.
Foote - B- - Hard to judge based off the fact he averaged less than 10 minutes of ice time in 6 games but I thought he played well. Really liked his shot
Murray - B- - Thought he played pretty decent, great job by Fitz getting him for a 5th rounder. Hope we bring him back.
Subban - B- - Played well (though not 8 million well), especially right before he went down.
Bastian - B - Carved out a role for himself on this team. Might not be more than a 4th liner but I still hope Seattle doesn't take him.
Bratt - B - Played fine but did get really unlucky with shooting% and team shooting%. Still had a solid season overall though and with better luck would have been on 60+ point pace.
Hughes - B - More often than not the best player on the ice but pretty unlucky as well. Expecting him to explode in a year or two.
Severson - B - Played great to start the year and still played well throughout the year with his typical Severson moments.
Bahl - B - Wasn't expecting much especially with his AHL play but he definitely looked like be belonged during his stint in the NHL. I can definitely see some 2nd pairing upside there.
McLeod - B+ - Really good year from him, not sure his offense will improve enough to be a 3C but I think he can become a great 4C, wins faceoffs, plays PK, often times called on by Ruff to match opposing top lines, and will drop the gloves.
Kuokkanen - B+ - Scored at a 40 point pace as a rookie, does a lot of things well but not sure he shoots enough or has a good enough shot to be a true top 6 guy. Still a great utility knife winger as some have called him.
Zacha - A- - Obviously a big point of debate but this was his first year under an NHL coach not named John Hynes and he was our leading scorer. Just maybe a new coach and a move to wing are a big reason for his improvement.
Wood - A- - 4th liner on a 25 goal pace? No complaints there.
Smith - A - I had questions on his ceiling entering this year but it looks like he just might be a top pairing dman in the future and an important piece in the franchise going forward
Zajac - A - He played fine when he was here and hit 1000 games. Most importantly though his inclusion in the Palms trade somehow got us 1st that looks like it'll be 20th overall.
Sharangovich - A+ - If you told anyone here Sharangovich had 30 goal potential at the end of last year everyone on the board would probably call you crazy. Not sure how you can't be super happy with his season.
Dell - F - Dude was terrible anyone who watched him could see it.
Crawford - F - Sucks he retired and left us with Wedgewood as our best backup goalie option
Palmieri - F - Expected to be a top 6 forward and was pretty much a trash can on skates stealing icetime from younger guys.
Gusev - F - Again expected to be a top 6 forward and was hot garbage, at least he didn't get as long a leash as Palms did.
Special Teams - F - Please bring in new coaches for PP/PK
Johnsson - D - Again expected to be a top 6 forward and was pretty bad though not as bad as Palmieri or Gusev. At least he meets an expansion exposure requirement
Vatanen - D - Large fall off from the Vatanen of the past few years. At least when he was here we saw less Carrick/Tennyson
Tennyson - D+ - He shouldn't be in the NHL in the first place so my expectations were low but his most memorable moments of the year were pushing dudes in Blackwood so he loses points for that.
Blackwood - C- - There are several arguments/excuses to be made in Blackwood's defense but the raw numbers are still pretty bad. I'm not super worried about him going forward but I feel a good 1B goalie is our biggest need this offseason
Carrick - C - Another AAAA dman who I didn't expect anything of but at least his most memorable moment was that one dope goal and not shoving people into Blackwood.
Merkley - C - Sometimes I see a potential 3rd liner with some playmaking ability and sometimes I wonder why he's playing. On the bright side he fulfills an expansion exposure requirement. Won't mind him as a 13th-14th forward next year.
Butcher - C - Played to my expectations. He's a 3rd pairing offensive guy meant to run the 2nd PP. He was asked to be much more at times. Scored at a 39 point pace so hopefully it entices Seattle.
Siegenthaler - C - Hard to judge based on small sample but I guess he was ok when he played.
Boqvist - C - Was pretty invisible most of the season at wing but started to definitely show some good flashes the last few weeks of the season, mainly at center. As of rn he's our leading candidate for 3C next year unless we bring someone in and that doesn't excite me.
Maltsev - C+ - Definitely think there is an NHL player in Maltsev but I'm not sure how high his ceiling could be.
Wedgewood - C+ - Played fine considering what he is.
Hischier - C+ - Injuries hampered his season and as others have pointed out he was bad in the first 3 games following his returns but 11 points in the other 15.
Foote - B- - Hard to judge based off the fact he averaged less than 10 minutes of ice time in 6 games but I thought he played well. Really liked his shot
Murray - B- - Thought he played pretty decent, great job by Fitz getting him for a 5th rounder. Hope we bring him back.
Subban - B- - Played well (though not 8 million well), especially right before he went down.
Bastian - B - Carved out a role for himself on this team. Might not be more than a 4th liner but I still hope Seattle doesn't take him.
Bratt - B - Played fine but did get really unlucky with shooting% and team shooting%. Still had a solid season overall though and with better luck would have been on 60+ point pace.
Hughes - B - More often than not the best player on the ice but pretty unlucky as well. Expecting him to explode in a year or two.
Severson - B - Played great to start the year and still played well throughout the year with his typical Severson moments.
Bahl - B - Wasn't expecting much especially with his AHL play but he definitely looked like be belonged during his stint in the NHL. I can definitely see some 2nd pairing upside there.
McLeod - B+ - Really good year from him, not sure his offense will improve enough to be a 3C but I think he can become a great 4C, wins faceoffs, plays PK, often times called on by Ruff to match opposing top lines, and will drop the gloves.
Kuokkanen - B+ - Scored at a 40 point pace as a rookie, does a lot of things well but not sure he shoots enough or has a good enough shot to be a true top 6 guy. Still a great utility knife winger as some have called him.
Zacha - A- - Obviously a big point of debate but this was his first year under an NHL coach not named John Hynes and he was our leading scorer. Just maybe a new coach and a move to wing are a big reason for his improvement.
Wood - A- - 4th liner on a 25 goal pace? No complaints there.
Smith - A - I had questions on his ceiling entering this year but it looks like he just might be a top pairing dman in the future and an important piece in the franchise going forward
Zajac - A - He played fine when he was here and hit 1000 games. Most importantly though his inclusion in the Palms trade somehow got us 1st that looks like it'll be 20th overall.
Sharangovich - A+ - If you told anyone here Sharangovich had 30 goal potential at the end of last year everyone on the board would probably call you crazy. Not sure how you can't be super happy with his season.
Lou is God
Registered User
So you have Smith ranked based on just play alone as the 4th best defenseman on the team? Actually tied for 4th with Bahl and Butcher.....each to their own but that makes little sense.
Billdo
Registered User
Felt it right to add to mine on the first page should anyone choose to take a gander and tell me why I'm wrong.
The 29th Pick
Still Alive !
Looks like Smith and Sharangovich are keepers, everybody gives them high marks.
I like them two/too
I like them two/too
Edmonton East
BUT the ADvaNCEd STatS...
- Nov 25, 2007
- 6,492
- 2,450
Sharangovich was by far the best player (most impressive) on the team relative to reasonable expectations from my view.
Heck, after Zacha, there's a strong case to be made he was the best player in general (regardless, inarguably top 5). That's insane.
Potential 30 goal scorer as soon as next season. Does a lot of stuff off the puck right and finds seams consistently. Which is wild for a player with minimal NA experience and on such a crap team.
No clue how anyone could give him below an A....
Heck, after Zacha, there's a strong case to be made he was the best player in general (regardless, inarguably top 5). That's insane.
Potential 30 goal scorer as soon as next season. Does a lot of stuff off the puck right and finds seams consistently. Which is wild for a player with minimal NA experience and on such a crap team.
No clue how anyone could give him below an A....
Yeah, I had him behind Severson, PK, and Kulikov. I understand if some don't agree. PK and Kulikov got the toughest assignments. Severson was just great all around, although like I noted, up and down a bit. I thought Bahl was great in the few games he played. Long term I don't think he'll be able to do what Smith does, but I was thrilled with what he showed. I noted that I like Butcher quite a bit more than most of the board seems to. Just a difference of opinion, he certainly has his warts.
I certainly didn't see Smith's grade as a bad thing, I expect him to keep improving and playing more consistently at a high level.
BurntToast
Registered User
Sharangovich: S Ranking
If you include both professional leagues, he scored over 30 goals this year. He was on pace to break the Devils record for most goals by a rookie (21 in 82gp). He formed a duo that jump started two different centers. He indirectly helped the Devils get a 1st rounder this year. The second center happens to be 1OA Jack Hughes. Everyone’s outlook on Hughes might be drastically different without Yeezy. Ranked high among rookies in many categories.
If you include both professional leagues, he scored over 30 goals this year. He was on pace to break the Devils record for most goals by a rookie (21 in 82gp). He formed a duo that jump started two different centers. He indirectly helped the Devils get a 1st rounder this year. The second center happens to be 1OA Jack Hughes. Everyone’s outlook on Hughes might be drastically different without Yeezy. Ranked high among rookies in many categories.
- Oct 22, 2002
- 9,435
- 4,051
Coaching grades:
Ruff: B - I thought we were competitive most nights and style of play is much better compared to Hynes. The biggest tick for Ruff is the development of the young players.
Nassareddine/PK: D - Very close to an F. It seemed to me on the eye test that the penalty kill unit got much better after Zajac and Palmieri was traded. Hischier returned, McLeod got more minutes and performed well and the introduction of Sharangovich on the PK unit, gave us a SH goal threat. Overall, I wouldn't be disappointed for Nas to move on.
Recchi/PP: F - Absolute disaster and should result in Recchi being fired in the offseason. I don't know how you can justify bringing him back.
Ruff: B - I thought we were competitive most nights and style of play is much better compared to Hynes. The biggest tick for Ruff is the development of the young players.
Nassareddine/PK: D - Very close to an F. It seemed to me on the eye test that the penalty kill unit got much better after Zajac and Palmieri was traded. Hischier returned, McLeod got more minutes and performed well and the introduction of Sharangovich on the PK unit, gave us a SH goal threat. Overall, I wouldn't be disappointed for Nas to move on.
Recchi/PP: F - Absolute disaster and should result in Recchi being fired in the offseason. I don't know how you can justify bringing him back.
njdevils1982
Hell Toupée!!!
the only reason palmieri was on the PK was nico being out….and he was a disaster…..
…..and now i again call out poster @Steelman for his claim that palms was worth 6x6 in signing again…where did you go?
Devils 2020-21 team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - part XIV
and i rarely shit on people's posts ….but this was over the top…..and then they poof! …. vanished
- May 1, 2011
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- 57,919
I think this was the same poster that got mad at me a few seasons ago for saying that 2014 Quick and 2009 Fleury were passengers to their team’s cup wins.
njdevils1982
Hell Toupée!!!
my favourite part was claiming that palms was valuable due to his PK ability which is hilarious considering he played 13 seconds and 18 seconds per game in the pervious 2 seasons and then goes on to ask if i even watch the games?
comical shit indeed
No, I was the poster that got mad at you for demanding NJ keep Cory throughout the term of his deal with NJ and then your stubborn insistence that they negotiate a long term deal for him when it was obvious to everyone else that his hip was held together with paper clips and duct tape and those end of season runs where he played well were just illusions. How you missed that was beyond me.
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