New Jersey exceeded expectations this season and now will be looking to shore up any weaknesses on the roster so they can do it again next year.
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45 Comments
Trade for John Gibson from Anaheim for one Graves and Blackwood
Would offer Tatar & Haula team friendly contracts @ 2.5 each. With the blue line looking pretty good and Bahl finally realizing hes 6’6 Id offer Severson a team friendly contract for 1-2 years. Sign Timo as his driving to the net has improved during the season and is exactly what the Devils need. Go for Hellybuyck, Vanecek the other way. Let Wood walk. Graves goes as his contract will be too much. Devils do need to add 2 grit-type players to make a decent run post season next yr.
What do you think about Lindy? whats about to happen ?
Get better on Goaltending and D.
Personally I let Tatar, Haula, Wood and Blackwood walk and just run it back with everyone else. If you can get Hellebuyck, awesome, I'd naw both my legs off to see him in a Devils jersey but if not I'm more than happy to see VV and Schmid be the duo in net next year. I'm inclined to think that VV's struggles in the playoffs are mental, I think a sit down with a sports psychologist could help him out a lot.
They need physicality. Speed isn't that overpowered on small nhl fields
Blackwood must go, too unreliable with health issues. Hellybuck will cost too much young talent and a long extension for a 30 yr old goalie is dangerous (see Price and Bobrovsky). Devils will need the cap space later on.
Devils should sign someone like Varlamov to a short term deal while Schmid/Daws develop. They need a more reliable starter in the playoffs and insurance for Vanacek.
Keep Haula and either Wood or Tatar, let Holtz/Foote/younger players earn a spot. Lock up Meier at $8MM. Bratt could get a bridge deal if he wants more than $7MM.
Devils will bring back 7 solid D, so only keep Graves or Severson, but both could walk.
No need for big FA signings, need that cap space for L Hughes, Mercer, etc.
If we're really lucky after this year, see if you can sign L Hughes to a $6MM per year extension for 8 years similar to Jack. He's already shown elite upside and he could be the Devils' version of Cale Makar.
I have high expectations for the Devils next year. I think Schmid has the potential to be a starter, but he is young so it could go either way.
Devils NEED to trade Bratt.
For your series on players who bounced around the league but only had material success with one team: Martin Lapointe. Darren McCarty’s career, between Red Wings’ stints would be interesting as well. 💁♂️
It will be nice to see a changing of the guard so to speak in the East. For like 10 years its been Caps and Pens and Lightning. I hope the NJD continue their success
Severson, Graves, Blackwood, Wood, and Bratt can wan be let go in my opinion. Bratt was good during the regular season, but he didn't impress me in the playoffs at all. I think for the most part they should continue to let the young kids develope, sign Timo, and definitely not fire the coach like many are insanely saying! The Devils are goingvto be incredibly good team for years to come. The young players have a winning attitude and they have the talent to do it. They are only going to get better, so Im pretty excited about the future of the team!!
RUN IT BACK!!!! Meier will be better next playoffs
I know Vanecek had a bad playoffs.. but he was very good during the season.
Haula is a goner.
NJ will be a much different team next season.
Luke & Nemec will be in the NHL next season. So will Foote & Holtz.
It will be interesting to see if NJ keeps any of their FAs in Haula, Tatar, Wood, Severson, Graves.
I feel Severson and Tatar have the best shot , however honestly, they all may be gone.
Keep Damon over Graves imo🤷🏽♂️
Devils need more size, they couldn't clear out the front of the net the entire series and left the Goaltending high and dry. Good fast team but the lack of big guys was all too apparent against the Canes in a the series.
Not sure I agree that the outlook is as positive as you say.
I would not give Bratt his ransom, he’s streaky and he was absolutely invisible in the playoffs. 1 empty net goal. Spent all his time losing edges or being outsized. His speed was nullified.
Keep Wood and McLeod together, say goodbye to Bastian, and add another winger who can play the boards to their line.
Adios Tatar, Graves, Haula, and Boqvist. Give up on Holtz, he never looked line an NHL level player at any time.
Keep Severson and develop Hughes and Nemec. The prospects of our D core is the bright spot on this team. Hamilton, big disappointment in the playoffs for the role he is supposed to fill. He looked lost at times.
Meier will cost more than he’s worth. I don’t think we’ll miss him. He can’t handle the puck and broke more plays than he finished with sloppy puck handling. Typical San Jose prototype – dominate in reg season but underachieve during playoffs.
Finally goaltending situation is really bleak at this point. And that’s where championships are built.
Thanks for the video! I just wanted to say that Meier’s +/- alone did not reflect his production in the postseason (especially the first round). While he didn’t have the point production, he was a pest to the Rangers all series and was robbed by Igor a few times. I think he passed the eyeball test more than someone like Bratt or Hamilton did (who both matched how their +/- would have suggested they were)
If Haula's wise, he'll move to a western team, that way he can at least get a conference final under his belt. Heck, just go to Edmonton, then Carolina guarunteed wins a cup and Canada gets another chance to cry. Win win for Erik.
Devils remind me of Rangers in that 2010-2014 window where everything was pointing up , I think Devils get a cup though in this stretch
As someone who felt pretty neutral about the devils to start the year, and was quick to dismiss the great start, this teams really won me over. Their speed is just so fun to watch. personally I hope they don’t make too many big changes in the off season. I won’t make the mistake of sleeping on them next year lol.
The Devils are just getting started. They have the potential for a Black Hawks type run of multiple cups. I don't even think they have to do anything big, but just let their young players develop. Yet they have the room and flexibility to add some crafty veterans to speed up the process some. And I think those should be off season acquisitions, not trade deadline moves, which have proven to be mostly a waste of time. I mean moves like Carolina made in adding Paul Stastny. I've gotten shit every time I've mentioned Patrick Kane in comments on other videos in connection with other teams, but, depending on the price, I think he'd be a good add for the Devils the way Stastny has been for the Canes or Zach Parise has been for the Islanders. Not as the "savior" delusional Rangers fans saw him as, but as a nice add for scoring depth in case of injuries. Again, it all depends on how much money he wants.
Bratt and Vanecek for Hellebuyck and Ehlers
I'm SO looking forward to see what we're going to do.
Future is bright. They will resign Timo Meier. They have two terrific young, first pair potential defensive men, also some money to lock up one or two of their young forwards, But they need some improvement in goal. They need to clear Blackwood’s salary off their books. But I wonder if Lindy Ruff is the coach to “put them over the top”?-I guess time will tell.
Unpopular opinion:
Erik Haula looks like Ethan Hawke
EH = EH
Haula should go to a Western conference team next year and win the conference at least
Hamilton and a goalie for Hellybuck
Players Devils must sign: Tatar, Haula, Graves, Meier, Sharangovich, Bastain, amd most importantly Bratt
They are basically what the Leafs were 6 years ago only they already won a playoff round and their core guys are on very reasonable contracts.
make sure you include Derek Grant in Anaheim. The guy seems to do well there.
Bernier is still the property of the New Jersey Devils. There are more goalies as the plot thickens. lol.
As I said to a Devil fan below. You'll always have money to spend, NJ cant bring players to Newark because noone is waiving a no-trade clause to come to a shithole. Thats how they ended up with Timo
What do people expect to happen with Meier? I doubt he signs a long term deal for under 9mil, he'd take the QO and go to market
Probably both Severson and Graves don't come back. I've seen people saying buyout smith but that makes no sense. Let him be the 7th d man if he doesn't make opening day. L Hughes and bahl are everyday players. Maybe nemec is ready next season we don't know yet. Give Holtz the opportunity for next year, Gritsyuk if he comes over from KHL. Resign Haula, I think the other 4 ufas don't come back. Let blackwood go if we can get anything for him great and give schmid the chance to prove he's the starter and elite for next season. I like helleybuck but he will cost a decent amount. Its a price I don't think we need to pay. Resign all rfas no reason to lose value for nothing. But sharangovich or boqvist need new starts. I like both players a lot and think they were mistreated especially boq. But we need to open spots in the lineup for younger guys to make their mark. Which leaves me with Bratt. Dude was a 30 goal scorer this year. He has a lot of value and will help any team. But he isn't this elite first-line superstar! He's a great second line depth winger! A luxury piece, not gritty with little defensive upside. I think Devils trade him. I think you use him to get back into the first round this year or use him in part of a deal to upgrade to more of true winger that fits more with Hughes. Connor would be a solid option, or maybe Nylander if they are blowing it up. Bright future but this summer really determines most of it!
Drop wood bring in Holtz.
Sell Blackwood for whatever you can get.
Try to get Nemec in and get rid of Graves.
Trade Bratt if it's clear he doesn't want to be a team player and take his worth on this team. Lots of teams out there he could be worth more on.
Sign Timo 💯. Production wasn't great but the guy was there doing good things from the moment we signed him and he just got better and better.
Keep palat, ditch Tatar, keep Bastian, move Boquist if Clark or someone can step in.
So many options for this team. Sever me until October.
Erik haula is close to being this generations mike sillinger. Not a star but someone every team wants to be the key roleplayer
Blackwood and severson 100% gone. Graves tatar most likely gone. Haula and sharangovich are toss ups.
LGD 🔴⚫️
Timo Meier is a decent player, but he's not a $10,000,000 player. His career high is 76 points, and has never been a point per game player. He's a $7,000,000 player at most.
Let Timo go to market. He was useless all playoffs and worth barely 7-8 mil …
McLeod is one of those players who always makes the right play and plays hard… worth a first round pick Just not high.
VERY bright. Keep Haula, Severson, Graves, and Tatar if he plays ball. Keep Sharangovich, he is going to be good. See haw bad Timo wants to stay by how willing he is to play ball. If so, keep him, he is our modern day Bobby Holik. Keep McLeod, Bastian, Bahl. Then see what you have left. Mackenzie is probably gone. Bratt is such a tough call. If he takes a many year deal for about 7 million per, make room for him if possible. I feel confident moving ahead with Akira and Vitek.
Great analysis of the Devils cap space. Fitzgerald did say he was "optimistic" w Timo signing and didn't think we just rent him. I do believe there is value w tje Swiss guys on the team and living and playing in the Metro area. He's young w no wife n kids.
Jesper is going to have settle for Devils to give him a little less than he thinks or maybe he is a piece in the Hellybuck move u discussed?
Graves and or Severson are gonna be replaced by Nemec n Hughes, although I like to see veteran D man around.
Dougie looked tired in Canes sereis but it was a long grind.
I would like to see more of a platoon job w VV and Akira. Possibly V played a bit more than he was accustomed too amd his confidence looked shot in the end. Either way both exceeded expectations.