GDT: Your New Jersey Devils (37-15-5) vs. Los Angeles Kings (32-19-7), 7 PM, MSGSN

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Your own feelings on Holtz aside, he's a PPG player in the AHL as a 21 year old (and 20 last year) who would immediately become -- easily -- San Jose's top wing prospect.

As far as Grier's feelings on speed? Well, he's yet to make any trades so it's tough to see how he feels there. I can say he passed on an elite skating center in Owen Beck to take a player at the same position who is bigger, but not a great skater in Filip Bystedt. I felt San Jose had a godawful draft last year, but their premium seemed to be on size -- 7 of their 9 picks were 6'2 or over, and 3 of the 9 were 6'4 or over.

Every one of Grier's off season acquisitions was at least 6'0 tall.

So while it's too early to have a strong MO on Mr. Grier, the early inclinations seem to favor size over speed.

FWIW, I think the world of Holtz. I've said it multiple times on the main board that I would be completely okay with the Devils keeping him if the plan was to put in the top 6 but it clearly hasn't materialized so moving him while he still has the highest value is the smartest move. And that's the thing if he's already using the draft for those type of guys then he'd be less likely to trade for them to fill out his roster. Zetterlund is a guy I think they want a lot.

 

[DerekDevils30]

Just me or has Siegs looked better since his benching? I noted one misplay at the opposition blueline tonight that could have been trouble but overall I feel like he is back to his old ways of just being that steady force out there.

 

[njdevils1982]

Is there anything else? lol

exactly

 

[billingtons ghost]

Is there anything else? lol

Don't crap on my girl Erica. I think everyone says 'overtime game winning goal' to differentiate between regular game winning goals.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Just me or has Siegs looked better since his benching? I noted one misplay at the opposition blueline tonight that could have been trouble but overall I feel like he is back to his old ways of just being that steady force out there.

Yep, as much as we lose our minds about these benchings they've all worked. Makes you wonder why Wood wasn't benched at all.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I felt a little better about this game than the Montreal one after we got down a bunch.

I wasn’t too confident after giving up the go-ahead goal with 4 minutes left, but I didn’t see it coming either. Figured regulation would end 2-2.

The Kings are clearly better than the Habs, but I thought the Habs did alot to frustrate us last game. I didn't feel that way at all about this game -

We still had about five terrible breakdowns and three of them cost us - but it didn't feel at all like we were SLOPPY like we were in the first period last game and at times throughout the whole game.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Missed the game tonight completely. Hell of a thriller apparently. On the train home catching highlights now.

And our boyz Mercer, Nico, and tatar having a epic game?

Have Mercy!

 

[StevenToddIves]

FWIW, I think the world of Holtz. I've said it multiple times on the main board that I would be completely okay with the Devils keeping him if the plan was to put in the top 6 but it clearly hasn't materialized so moving him while he still has the highest value is the smartest move. And that's the thing if he's already using the draft for those type of guys then he'd be less likely to trade for them to fill out his roster. Zetterlund is a guy I think they want a lot.

I've always liked Holtz, just never as much as Mercer. Quite simply, Holtz needs to score to be effective, while Mercer affects the game positively on virtually every shift. This is why I was ranking Mercer over Holtz as the Devils #1 prospect right after the 2020 draft despite a lot of people saying I was biased or just nuts.

Right now, I think Holtz has more value to the Devils as a trade chip than as a future core piece. This isn't to say I don't think he will become a 30+ goal scorer, because I'm pretty confident he will in the right situation. I'm just not certain the right situation is New Jersey. If the Devils can't get Meier, I'd be fine with them turning Holtz into a Buchnevich or a Tom Wilson.

As for Zetterlund... well, I love the guy, but I try not to allow my personal biases to interfere with my analyses. As such, if he were the sticking point in a Meier deal, I'd absolutely include him in the deal, if the rest of the deal were logical for NJ. It would not feel good, but it would be the sensible thing to do.

 

[Devs3cups]

Had to change the avatar on y'all

Alternating between Nico and Jack, now back to the 1st Overall connection!

 

[Guadana]

I couldn't agree with you more on virtually everything you're saying here.

I'd also like to add that if the Devils were willing to give up Dawson Mercer (which I'll also add would be a monumentally stupid decision), the trade would be done already. Sharks' GM Mike Grier is no dummy, he wants to "win" his first huge trade, which he clearly would if he got Mercer-plus for Meier. But Devils' GM Tom Fitzgerald is also a smart man, and he's not trading a guy who could be a 30-goal scorer next year on an ELC for a guy who will score 10 more goals for $9 million dollars more per year.

Simply put, you don't really move the needle by trading your 4th best forward for a player who would be your 3rd best forward. When you factor in the difference in age and pay scale between Meier and Mercer? Well, the idea just gets dumber and dumber the more you think about it.

I'd still say the Devils are the front runner for Meier, because quite frankly no other team in the running has a better young talent base to trade from. The Devils can give a 1st and multiple players who would immediately become the Sharks best wing prospect (Holtz, Gritsyuk) or best defense prospect (Mukhamadullin, Casey) or in the running for top 2 defense prospect (Bahl, Okhotyuk).

Yeah. I understand that Grier is young and trying to find his rockie luck, but Chicago gm was young and fresh when traded DeBrincat. Situation can go in the opposit way very fast. Carolina can surprisingly trade Buchnevich,
Devils can trade Hayes with retention, blues can decide to trade up for earlier picks or just trade for fresh prospects etc.
And we don't know what Grier actually has on the table, what kind of plan he has - long term or fast retool, what his scouts think about options they have on the table. May be they think that Vilen or Ponimaryov or Ostlund is everything they can only dream about. We never know. Shero was thinking that Bahl was main piece of the trade.

And I don't know what to add about Nemec and Mercer. That was too much from the beginning. That was too much in a draft day and before when we talked about DeBrincat, too much when we talked about Fiala. I like Meier more than any of them or Johnny Gaudreaunee, but I just prefer to give quantity for quality. Not quality for quality. Meier is a great price to give what you mentioned, but we should have red lines.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Yeah. I understand that Grier is young and trying to find his rockie luck, but Chicago gm was young and fresh when traded DeBrincat. Situation can go in the opposit way very fast. Carolina can surprisingly trade Buchnevich,
Devils can trade Hayes with retention, blues can decide to trade up for earlier picks or just trade for fresh prospects etc.
And we don't know what Grier actually has on the table, what kind of plan he has - long term or fast retool, what his scouts think about options they have on the table. May be they think that Vilen or Ponimaryov or Ostlund is everything they can only dream about. We never know. Shero was thinking that Bahl was main piece of the trade.

And I don't know what to add about Nemec and Mercer. That was too much from the beginning. That was too much in a draft day and before when we talked about DeBrincat, too much when we talked about Fiala. I like Meier more than any of them or Johnny Gaudreaunee, but I just prefer to give quantity for quality. Not quality for quality. Meier is a great price to give what you mentioned, but we should have red lines.

Absolutely, agree with all of this 100%

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

The Kings are clearly better than the Habs, but I thought the Habs did alot to frustrate us last game. I didn't feel that way at all about this game -

We still had about five terrible breakdowns and three of them cost us - but it didn't feel at all like we were SLOPPY like we were in the first period last game and at times throughout the whole game.

There's a difference between a Bedard contender being up 2-0 on you and wondering what the f*** happened versus a good LAK team, like you said, scoring on a breakaway and a flubbed shot that got saved then on the stick of Arvidsson. Also didn't help Vanecek had his worst game on Tuesday which made the Devils skaters probably commit more to back checking as opposed to scoring down 2 and 3 goals at points in the game.

 

[Guadana]

I'd also like to use this opportunity to add that I strongly pulled for the Devils to draft Nikishin in 2020, just because I enjoy people knowing when I was right.

I hope Devils will focus more on mhl prospects this years with missing first and potentially second round picks this year. Its just a easier way to find players with higher potential in later rounds. They should think about successful euro overagers in khl/shl/etc.

 

[My3Sons]

When was the last time our 1st line scored 4 goals???

Who knows but tonight the third line did so it’s a win win

 

[Guadana]

I've always liked Holtz, just never as much as Mercer. Quite simply, Holtz needs to score to be effective, while Mercer affects the game positively on virtually every shift. This is why I was ranking Mercer over Holtz as the Devils #1 prospect right after the 2020 draft despite a lot of people saying I was biased or just nuts.

That was me, not you. proofs exists. You are always behind me.


(Not so always, often it is the opposite, its just not sound as good and cocky and doesn't make my post as epic)

 

[Dylan9z9]

I legit don't care if the Sharks are asking. If that's their ask a week from now, Timo is going to still be a Shark on March 4th.

NO team is trading players or prospects at that level.

Best they will get is multiple picks from the Blues and even then, zero chance St Louis trades their own pick in this draft.

We need one of our patented come from behind wins

Guess I called this one

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

At this point, with so many OT goals and my reactions, I fear my cat's going to become a Rangers fan

RangerCatto

 

[billingtons ghost]

Btw, was that Dawson's first OT goal?

Yes Erica said that

 

[Devs3cups]

Btw, Gordon brought us some good luck tonight. THANKS CHEF

 

[Guttersniped]

Yeah, here’s a bunch of heartwarming pics.

Spoiler: Group Hug!

Hischier is clearly the team’s best hugger.

Spoiler: Crane Fighting Style & More Hugs

Spoiler: Random Epicness

Tatar leads the way!

Haula goes vertical!

Fire bad!

Spoiler: Random ickiness

Joe Pantoliano is not pleased.

These dudes were a couple sections over and looked like things got a little chippy with them & Devils fans. No idea what exactly happened, or if it went beyond a some yelling, though.

 

[Alex NJD]

Had an awesome time at the game tonight. I was smiling all the way home

 

[NJDevs26]

RangerCatto

Beat you to it a few pages ago

 

[New Jersey Devils]

Nico‘s GTG celly is going to be a staple in Devils pregame hype videos for the next decade and a half.

 

[Bleedred]

Where the f*** did all these Fiala people come from?

The Traveling Jagr’s didn’t even have that many members.

 

[glenwo2]

I never want to hear (or rather SEE) any more Mercer-for-Meier crap ever again.

that is all.


(oh and even better news : The Rags lost in Regulation AGAIN! So the Devils got another crack at going up 6 points on them and they finally do it. NOICE!)