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OT: NJ Devils 2023-2024 Thread



Ruff really is a beaut. Continuing to play Holtz on that joke of a 4th line - I'd sooner play Smith on the 4th line than Bastian. Haula has been terrible for weeks and gets 2nd line action. Miller still sits behind Smith.

Oh and no Meier.
Ruff is a friggin idiot

That’s a loser lineup
Tierney is an abomination and Lazar ain’t a top-9

Holtz is being wasted and why is Miller not in?
 
Ruff is a friggin idiot

That’s a loser lineup
Tierney is an abomination and Lazar ain’t a top-9

Holtz is being wasted and why is Miller not in?
There isn't another team in the NHL that ices a 4th line like that. 2 beer leaguers and a guy who so obviously benefits from more time w/NHL players. Holtz should be up with Hischier. Haula should move to the 3rd line and Lazar should drop to 4th. I'd rather play Smith than Bastian on the 4th line and have Miller take that last D spot.
 
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There isn't another team in the NHL that ices a 4th line like that. 2 beer leaguers and a guy who so obviously benefits from more time w/NHL players. Holtz should be up with Hischier. Haula should move to the 3rd line and Lazar should drop to 4th. I'd rather play Smith than Bastian on the 4th line and have Miller take that last D spot.
I approve of your lineup.
You should be the HC

Fire Lindy!
 
Nichols was given bad info bruh

Devils need a stronger backbone. Ulmark spears Toff and no one did anything
I think Nichols has it right and Fitz is trying to cover. This is the best time to trade McLeod, and I would rather get something than lose him for nothing later. Besides how else are we going to get a goalie and defensive defenseman? I don't want to trade a Nemec, Mercer, or Bahl to name a few.

This team's lack of togetherness and toughness really bugs me! Once the big bad Bruins saw that, it was open season. So long Timo, disgusting!
 
I think Nichols has it right and Fitz is trying to cover. This is the best time to trade McLeod, and I would rather get something than lose him for nothing later. Besides how else are we going to get a goalie and defensive defenseman? I don't want to trade a Nemec, Mercer, or Bahl to name a few.

This team's lack of togetherness and toughness really bugs me! Once the big bad Bruins saw that, it was open season. So long Timo, disgusting!

If Fitz trades him he is holding up a white flag to tank the season.

I’d trade Timo and Palat before him

McLoud brings it every game
 
If Fitz trades him he is holding up a white flag to tank the season.

I’d trade Timo and Palat before him

McLoud brings it every game
Most teams are up against the cap, so no way there is a market for Palat, and Timo's hurt. You must keep in mind the Hockey Canada case as well. The findings were are ready supposed to be out, so I would expect them soon.

McLeod is having his best year and is the top face off man in the league. In a perfect world you keep him, but teams want NHL talent to trade a starting goalie. You have to give up someone with talent to get talent.

Keep in mind when the injuries (hopefully) cease, McLeod will go back to not touching the puck much, as Jack and Nico will usually have it.

P.S.- Palat's contract is considered one of the worst in the NHL.
 
Most teams are up against the cap, so no way there is a market for Palat, and Timo's hurt. You must keep in mind the Hockey Canada case as well. The findings were are ready supposed to be out, so I would expect them soon.

McLeod is having his best year and is the top face off man in the league. In a perfect world you keep him, but teams want NHL talent to trade a starting goalie. You have to give up someone with talent to get talent.

Keep in mind when the injuries (hopefully) cease, McLeod will go back to not touching the puck much, as Jack and Nico will usually have it.

P.S.- Palat's contract is considered one of the worst in the NHL.
Are you aware McLeod plays on a different line as Hughes and Nico?
 
We could use a “Dick head” type of forward that can drop the mitts
Someone who plays sparingly but we use him in certain games. If the opponent takes liberties we send him out to go after their top players.
 
Are you aware McLeod plays on a different line as Hughes and Nico?
LOL Of course, my point there is he is a center, and even though most wingers can play center, this is something to consider.
 
Is it just me or did the TV production seem a little different or off tonight?

I know it was supposed to be a TNT game. But it ended up being blacked out in our area and on MSG instead.

Was MSG maybe using the TNT feed or angles?
 
LOL Of course, my point there is he is a center, and even though most wingers can play center, this is something to consider.
What's the consideration?

I wouldn't say most wingers can play center though.

The off ice is a legit consideration, and from what I've read anyone involved looks like a sexual predator.

But on ice he is becoming a core player.
 
Holtz played the best game of his career last night. He was everywhere. Maybe they have something with him next to McLeod, who is also becoming a force. Trading him would be foolish. He's the best faceoff man in the league and plays with an edge. If he's going to start burying a few now, he has tremendous value. When Meier returns, I drop him right onto that 2nd line with Hischier and Mercer, who both looked great. No disrespect to Palat, but he's an anchor on Hischier on that line. Defensively, I'd continue to roll with the same 3 pairings that played last night. I'm really impressed with Nemec's poise and steadiness so far.

Wish we could've gotten a look at Clarke last night - I'm sure his parents do too, considering they made the last minute trip down from Ottawa only to see Brendan Smith play, while their son ate chicken tenders in the scratch suite.

Now 12-5-1 in their last 18, they sit in the final WC spot just 1 point behind PHI, 2 points behind NYI and 4 points behind CAR - with games in hand on them all. No home letdown vs. CHI tomorrow.
 
Why? We have the best goaltending in the league as well as the toughest, most physical team! LOL!

Nothing To See Here GIF by Giphy QA
 
Holtz played the best game of his career last night. He was everywhere. Maybe they have something with him next to McLeod, who is also becoming a force. Trading him would be foolish. He's the best faceoff man in the league and plays with an edge. If he's going to start burying a few now, he has tremendous value. When Meier returns, I drop him right onto that 2nd line with Hischier and Mercer, who both looked great. No disrespect to Palat, but he's an anchor on Hischier on that line. Defensively, I'd continue to roll with the same 3 pairings that played last night. I'm really impressed with Nemec's poise and steadiness so far.

Wish we could've gotten a look at Clarke last night - I'm sure his parents do too, considering they made the last minute trip down from Ottawa only to see Brendan Smith play, while their son ate chicken tenders in the scratch suite.

Now 12-5-1 in their last 18, they sit in the final WC spot just 1 point behind PHI, 2 points behind NYI and 4 points behind CAR - with games in hand on them all. No home letdown vs. CHI tomorrow.
Holtz did play his best game. Good to see.
 
Is it just me or did the TV production seem a little different or off tonight?

I know it was supposed to be a TNT game. But it ended up being blacked out in our area and on MSG instead.

Was MSG maybe using the TNT feed or angles?

Didn’t recall seeing anything noticeably different…
 
What's the consideration?

I wouldn't say most wingers can play center though.

The off ice is a legit consideration, and from what I've read anyone involved looks like a sexual predator.

But on ice he is becoming a core player.
In a cap league you can't have too many core players. Like many, he is having his best year in a contract year, thus he will be in line for a raise. While the cap is scheduled to go up, it will not be enough to fit everyone. You should always trade on a high.

Remember our hated rival had to jettison Boyle and Callahan to name a couple. They didn't due this because they wanted to, they did it for cap reasons! As such they went down a few years. If not him, then who? You can't get a goalie like Gibson without value in the trade, and you can't keep everyone making over 5 million, plus sign young studs like Mercer, if you are paying bottom 6 specialists 2 or 3 million a year. The math doesn't work!
 
In a cap league you can't have too many core players. Like many, he is having his best year in a contract year, thus he will be in line for a raise. While the cap is scheduled to go up, it will not be enough to fit everyone. You should always trade on a high.

Remember our hated rival had to jettison Boyle and Callahan to name a couple. They didn't due this because they wanted to, they did it for cap reasons! As such they went down a few years. If not him, then who? You can't get a goalie like Gibson without value in the trade, and you can't keep everyone making over 5 million, plus sign young studs like Mercer, if you are paying bottom 6 specialists 2 or 3 million a year. The math doesn't work!
Gibson isn't even good, and would be a cap killer. No way I trade McLeod for him.

McLeod is also RFA. This year is a contract year, just as last year, and potentially next year, are contract years.

McLeod at $2 mil per would be a steal.
 
Gibson or whichever goalie Fitz trades for is going to require we give up talent. This includes a player or two on the big club more than likely. Fitz can only keep a McLeod if he finds GM'S dumb enough to take a Palat contract, or trade someone like Bratt's contract away. Still given our hole in goal, no current #1 pair worthy defenseman, and young players like Mercer, L.Hughes, Nemec, and Bahl there will not be enough money to stay under the cap!
 
Gibson or whichever goalie Fitz trades for is going to require we give up talent. This includes a player or two on the big club more than likely. Fitz can only keep a McLeod if he finds GM'S dumb enough to take a Palat contract, or trade someone like Bratt's contract away. Still given our hole in goal, no current #1 pair worthy defenseman, and young players like Mercer, L.Hughes, Nemec, and Bahl there will not be enough money to stay under the cap!
Wait are you saying we trade Bratt?

I'm not sure we trade for a goalie as the market is just too tight. Teams aren't willing to trade good goalies, and if they are it's because they are soon to be 30 year old UFA's.

Have to hope Daws can hold the line and Vitek and or Schmid find their footing.
 
Wait are you saying we trade Bratt?

I'm not sure we trade for a goalie as the market is just too tight. Teams aren't willing to trade good goalies, and if they are it's because they are soon to be 30 year old UFA's.

Have to hope Daws can hold the line and Vitek and or Schmid find their footing.
I wish we could still build a team like we did in 2000, but you can't in a hard cap league. If you want to sign the Mercer's and Nemec's of the world, and keep the McLeod's, you are going to have to jettison salary like say Bratt's. Again it is impossible to keep everyone.

The talk has been Fitz wants a #1 goalie, and yes they are expensive and around 30. This is why I would have drafted Askorov instead of Holtz. However Fitz waited most drafts to the late rounds to grab one and now we have issues.
 
Pat Verbeek is looking for MORE than the Sharks got for Timo Meier in a trade for Gibson. They want a young star they can build around, plus other assets. This is probably why McLeod's name was floated because he is a step down from their ask.

With this in mind, there is chatter that Fitz is talking to Calgary about Noah Hanifan, and quite possibly J. Marksstrome ( G ). Option 2 now might be the goalie in San Jose not named Blackwood.

Mercer and Schmid need new contracts this year. Luke Hughes and Nemec need them next year. Anyway you slice it, the Devils are going to have to make room under the cap, so expect some cost cutting somewhere! Right now a good GM could clear his cap space enough to offer sheet someone like Dawson Mercer, and Fitz would have to let him walk.
 
Jesus Christ...can the Western conf teams literally ever win a game? We're desperately fighting for a playoff spot here, and Ottowa is the only team out of 5 they manage to beat.
 
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