What Excites You about Next Season?

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

I like that, while we probably won't win much more than last year, we shouldn't be a boring team. It's been a solid 5 years of just boring, slow, uneventful hockey for the most part. If anything else we should at least be a better team from an entertainment stand point.

I think we'll be a younger, faster team. Hopefully a bit better able to score, too.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

I think we'll be a younger, faster team. Hopefully a bit better able to score, too.

Even when the team was "good" a few years ago, they were consistently bottom-5, if not dead last in the league in terms of generating shots. At the time, they were limiting opponents so successfully that they still came out ahead, but I think we all learned that when you're not turning your possession into goals or even chances, you're much more likely to get sunk by bad bounces or poor goaltending.

At this point, I feel fairly confident saying there's no where for the offense to go but up.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Even when the team was "good" a few years ago, they were consistently bottom-5, if not dead last in the league in terms of generating shots. At the time, they were limiting opponents so successfully that they still came out ahead, but I think we all learned that when you're not turning your possession into goals or even chances, you're much more likely to get sunk by bad bounces or poor goaltending.

At this point, I feel fairly confident saying there's no where for the offense to go but up.

True. I guess once you hit rock bottom like our offense basically has, there's nowhere to go but up.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I like that, while we probably won't win much more than last year, we shouldn't be a boring team. It's been a solid 5 years of just boring, slow, uneventful hockey for the most part. If anything else we should at least be a better team from an entertainment stand point.

See I can get on board with overall poor results if it comes with reasons to believe the team is moving in the right direction and some more exciting play.

Losing while watching Cory get shelled all night is no fun.

 

[None Shall Pass]

I hope there's a $1 hot dog night. I have a personal record to break.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

Im excited to see this team rebuild, finally. No more patching the leaks with some washed-up-used-to-be-clutch players. Im excited to know that there might be a bright future in a couple of years to come.

 

[kiwidevil]

A few Rookie forwards to get 30-40 points and Zacha not in the NHL.

 

[Techno Devil*]

To see what happens with this team now that 'the rules' no longer apply. In the past decade and a half the Devils have produced some teams so thin with talent that I still can't believe they made the playoffs. Yet, they exceeded expectations. On the other side of the spectrum, we're all aware that both on-ice and off-ice decisions as of late have left the club snakebitten and golf-course-ridden.

It wouldn't matter to me whether they replaced Lou with Ken Holland and Scotty Bowman. I think I'm still going to feel like I just threw a toddler into the deep end for the first time.

Also, Yann Danis. Ive heard whispers that a vezina-jennings combo isn't out of the question this year.

 

[Sykie]

Excited may be a big word, as I honestly don't have high hopes for this team.

But I will be curious to see our young defensmen evolving. And that include Moore who still have intriguing potential...

Sad to see Zubrus out of the line-up though. He was my favorite forward along with Patty.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

3 on 3 OT.

That's about the only thing I'm excited for. That and maybe hearing a coach that can give a good interview. Been a long time since we've had that.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

To quote the great EPL coach Mourinho:

Winning is never boring.

Glad to know that some fans here are ok with losing all the sudden for whatever reason.

Last five years? Interesting 2012 was boring...OOOFFF FAAAAAA....

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

To quote the great EPL coach Mourinho:

Winning is never boring.

Glad to know that some fans here are ok with losing all the sudden for whatever reason.

Last five years? Interesting 2012 was boring...OOOFFF FAAAAAA....

losing and having a direction is much different than losing and having no plan

which is seemingly where we've been the past 3 years.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

losing and having a direction is much different than losing and having no plan

which is seemingly where we've been the past 3 years.

There is context to the last three, which has been discussed ad nasuem.

losing is not ok at anytime. It hurts the fanbase, locker room and culture of a team. the first part has been realized, I have noticed attendance and tickets requests way down the last few seasons.

losing with "direction", interesting and I agree to a point. I expect the team to build upon last year not regress.

The problem with losing (which has started post last lockout) is it needs to stop asap.

The last five comment being boring was an interesting considering the team did go deep in a playoff run. If that's boring, I don't know what to say.

 

[DevilsFanInFla]

I think when we discuss losing being tolerable, not acceptable, we mean it in the sense of "if we're losing but improving, it means the losing will stop sooner than later". At least that's how I refer to it. Last season was just losing while getting worse with no apparent end in sight. My belief is that with our new approach, we will see the trend of losing stop and likely sooner than later rather than the train wreck of last season. I am not ok with losing in the general sense but I can accept it as a necessary part of a learning curve where the players improve and the losing is greatly reduced. I expect this to be the case with this team and I am excited for that.

 

[HobokenIrish]

Losing is a Disease..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN-aCYVVtyo

I am looking forward to see our Young D make progress and some young forwards step in and to see what they can do. Cory of course too is someone to look forward to.

I don't think we will be particularly good this year so I'm sure I'll start obsessing over Auston Matthews, Puljujarvi, Thachuk, and others in September. I also look forward to following our prospects in the OHL, WHL, college, etc... One of which I hope is Zacha. Would like to see him have another year in the OHL, unless he really blows it away at camp.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

I get Losing learning a new system like under Lemaire in his return stint but the turnaround was epic.

If Hynes is as good as advertised, they should at the least be better than last season and I expect them to be in the mix/competitve and not a doormat team.

 

[Devils Dominion]

The continued development of our young defensemen
Lars comes out of his shell
Cory/Kinky duo
Coach Hynes and his new system
Improved team speed/less dead weight
The forward competition in camp (Coleman, Stef, Kalinin, Boucher, etc)
Travis re-birth
Cammy-Zajac-Palmieri
Greene named captain & deservedly so
Patty's probable last season as a Devil (enjoy watching him while we can)
Merrill bounce back
Rico steps up to the next level
Moore surprisingly good
Zacha lighting up juniors after a promising 8-game stint in NJ
Improved/enhanced marketing & fan relations
Possible Marty & Lou nights

 

[DevilsFanInFla]

I get Losing learning a new system like under Lemaire in his return stint but the turnaround was epic.

If Hynes is as good as advertised, they should at the least be better than last season and I expect them to be in the mix/competitve and not a doormat team.

This is honestly what I expect. I think we'll be better than last season, not that it would be difficult to do that. I expect some growing pains as the players learn a new system/culture/way of life but I do expect them to become better quickly. The talent level is there for a number of players and I expect they will thrive in this new era. It will probably be rough out of the gate but once they adjust, I don't see us being a doormat for anybody. We may not make the playoffs but we won't be a pushover.

 

[GhostofKenKlee]

This is honestly what I expect. I think we'll be better than last season, not that it would be difficult to do that. I expect some growing pains as the players learn a new system/culture/way of life but I do expect them to become better quickly. The talent level is there for a number of players and I expect they will thrive in this new era. It will probably be rough out of the gate but once they adjust, I don't see us being a doormat for anybody. We may not make the playoffs but we won't be a pushover.

Pretty much sums it up for me as well.

It's a fairly low bar and expectation for sure.

The team is fixed and on the path to a better way in net and d. The forward may suprise us. At worst, to me a 10 point improvement and at best, in the mix for the wild card spots.

I also like that the team is not getting love, they never got love in any era any way.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Losing is a Disease..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN-aCYVVtyo

Didn't even have to click - The Natural - a favorite of mine.

 

[HobokenIrish]

Also excited to see how Santini, Wood and Dudek do at Boston College!!

Also Shero's kid and Fitzgerald's kid are both playing there. It's like a Devils farm team

 

[HobokenIrish]

Didn't even have to click - The Natural - a favorite of mine.

Redford was definitely a little old for the role at the time but whatever it's such an amazing movie

 

[Hisch13r]

Matthews and Puljujarvi
Zacha hopefully lighting it up in Sarnia
Larsson, Severson continue to play great
Schneider getting a Vezina nomination

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

Matthews and Puljujarvi
Zacha hopefully lighting it up in Sarnia
Larsson, Severson continue to play great
Schneider getting a Vezina nomination

Have i missed out on Puljujärvi? Did we draft him?!

Edit. Yeah, im a bit out of it, thought he was way too young to be draft-eligible yet. Nice to see yo peeps excite about a finnish prospect, the kid is a beast. Barkov-style quiet and patient clutch player.

 

[JerryGigantic]

3 on 3 OT.

That's about the only thing I'm excited for. That and maybe hearing a coach that can give a good interview. Been a long time since we've had that.

Haha. J-Mac was a dear in headlights, Pete was full ****** and Lou was Lou.

Really like the head coach and GM hires, spearheading the first legit "rebuild" and not "reload" in the Lou era. So much dead wood cleared away. Going to be interesting to watch, as everyone is rightfully picking us to be a bottom 5 team in the league.

I think Schneids could pick up where he left off and be Vezina worthy, in front of a D Corps that needs to develop together, without the likes of Sal and Zids and Petey Jr. and, of course, Fraser... They will have their break downs, but I like the entire defense, up and down, in terms of potential. (And think John Moore may end up being a fan favorite, as he will fight anyone but isn't a traffic cone.)

And I think Ray has a few moves left, likely during training camp, to get us another top six type forward.

On paper we are terrible, but hoping "fast, attacking and supportive" is a more entertaining version of hockey than we have had to endure for the last two terrible seasons, where NJ was an elephants graveyard of spent veteran players.