From last year's roster they are losing Wood, Tatar, Graves and Severeson. In the long run will they be better off? Absolutely. So they are letting the kids play in the hopes that - when they reach their potential - hopefully they will have been better off. That's what a smart GM does, but apparently that is only an option for other GMs. I'd say that - right now - their roster is considerably weaker than it was last year. Hell, everyone is female dogging about our D for some reason - ours is better than theirs is right now.
- Slump Buster

Wood has been pretty bad the last couple seasons, once teams figured out all he has is fast straightline speed with no hands he became pretty ineffective and took bad penalties, was also on the 4th line and didn't play special teams so not a big loss

Severson was a decent loss but Hughes will be taking his spot and while there may be some defensive pains initially, Hughes will be the better player and his offense should make up for some of his defense especially since the devils play a fast transition game

Graves was an up and down defensive dman but nemec if ready should be able to come in and be steady and reports from the AHL was he was already their best dman and was impressive

Tatar is a dime a dozen

I wouldn't say the devils roster is weaker than last year at all

A full year if Meier who will have camp and he joined the devil's last year missing time due to injury

Toffoli is an improvement over tatar

Chances are the devils re-sign the 4th line and have lazar who is steady defensively and on pk

Offensively devils improved and that doesn't include if holtz can step up

Defensively may be a little question mark with Hughes and nemec but Hughes looked good the couple games he played and his style fits the style the devils play, nemec we will see

I don't doubt much of that. You conveniently left out Dahlin and Power.

They finished 10 wins better because they play some semblance of defense and had better starting goaltending for most of the year.
- Slump Buster

Why would I include Dahlin and Power when I said bottom half?

Wood has been pretty bad the last couple seasons, once teams figured out all he has is fast straightline speed with no hands he became pretty ineffective and took bad penalties, was also on the 4th line and didn't play special teams so not a big loss

Severson was a decent loss but Hughes will be taking his spot and while there may be some defensive pains initially, Hughes will be the better player and his offense should make up for some of his defense especially since the devils play a fast transition game

Graves was an up and down defensive dman but nemec if ready should be able to come in and be steady and reports from the AHL was he was already their best dman and was impressive

Tatar is a dime a dozen

I wouldn't say the devils roster is weaker than last year at all

A full year if Meier who will have camp and he joined the devil's last year missing time due to injury

Toffoli is an improvement over tatar

Chances are the devils re-sign the 4th line and have lazar who is steady defensively and on pk

Offensively devils improved and that doesn't include if holtz can step up

Defensively may be a little question mark with Hughes and nemec but Hughes looked good the couple games he played and his style fits the style the devils play, nemec we will see
- dmarsden2988

Good Post

I think siegenthaler is a bit overrated, he had a nuts start and then it cooled way off, to the point where he was a regular scratch at times (even in the playoffs). I agree Marino and Graves clear Samuelsson and Lyubushkin though.
- Michael Ghofrani

What would you offer Graves? would 4 years at $4.75mm be enticing enough?

And the goalposts move again. How many games did Nemec and Hughes play for them last year? so the futures talk is fine when it suits your argument. Again, Marino matches up with Samuelsson. They didn't have one, they went out and got one. Sure, Siegenthaler is probably slightly better than Joker. Lets not pretend that the bottom half of their D corps LAST YEAR was anything to write home about. I would have taken our D over theirs.
- Slump Buster

I am confused, so devils had blackwood who was terrible, sabres D was better but gave up what 75 goals more?

Wasn't like vanecek and Schmid are vasey or igor who are world class goalies

I'm not saying the devils D are top in the league but not sure you are giving them credit

Wood is a bottom of the roster, inconsistent mercurial player.

They replaced Tatar with Toffoli. Upgrade.

They were able to replace the pair of Graves and Severson, who they believed would get bigger contracts then they deserved, internally with 2nd overall and 4th overall picks.
- kingcong39

Is their D going to be the better one 2 or 3 years from now if we don't make any moves? Absofreakinglutely. I am not at all knocking their GM - he has done a good job. So their plan is to let the kids grow rather than running out to get D so they can "win now". Interesting.... Isn't it safe to say that their D this year will be worse than last year? They are going into the season knowing this? I've heard over and over again that a playoff team can't go into a season with their hopes pinned on rookies.

I don't understand why they are still employed, honestly.
- kingcong39

EWWTBH

I am confused, so devils had blackwood who was terrible, sabres D was better but gave up what 75 goals more?

Wasn't like vanecek and Schmid are vasey or igor who are world class goalies

I'm not saying the devils D are top in the league but not sure you are giving them credit
- dmarsden2988

This actually isn't about the Devils at all. Some on this board are shot in the rear with other GMs that have more moves credited to their names. There is a playoff drought filter through which they view our organization. Your GM has done a fine job.

I am confused, so devils had blackwood who was terrible, sabres D was better but gave up what 75 goals more?

Wasn't like vanecek and Schmid are vasey or igor who are world class goalies

I'm not saying the devils D are top in the league but not sure you are giving them credit
- dmarsden2988

His cognitive discourse button has malfunctioned, good luck.

Awesome, thanks for sharing. Any idea which one of these names is the one that Gerbe was alluding to?
- Slump Buster

Not sure. Master scout gerbe knows more then me lol

Why would I include Dahlin and Power when I said bottom half?
- sbroads24

Last I checked, when analyzing a team's defense, it is best to look at all 6 players.

Honest question. Don't you think that Toronto or Edmonton would have switched out their 2022 opening night 6 D for our opening night 6 D?

Last I checked, when analyzing a team's defense, it is best to look at all 6 players.

Honest question. Don't you think that Toronto or Edmonton would have switched out their 2022 opening night 6 D for our opening night 6 D?
- Slump Buster

Dude you said their bottom D like Joker and Boosh were comparable to Siegenthaler and Graves/Marino etc. So I responded to that point.

You're going all over the map here trying to fall on the sword for Adams

Cal Foote and The Assman will be UFAs.

Cal Foote and The Assman.
- TheSabresTaco

Nothing wrong with a little fetish porn

Is their D going to be the better one 2 or 3 years from now if we don't make any moves? Absofreakinglutely. I am not at all knocking their GM - he has done a good job. So their plan is to let the kids grow rather than running out to get D so they can "win now". Interesting.... Isn't it safe to say that their D this year will be worse than last year? They are going into the season knowing this? I've heard over and over again that a playoff team can't go into a season with their hopes pinned on rookies.
- Slump Buster

Hughes has been ranked as one of the best defensive prospects in the league and the style he plays matches the style the devils employ so if the puck is on his stick he can be dangerous, sure his d game will need some work but he didn't seem too out of place the games he was in, including a highlight reel OT winner for his 1st career goal, and he can be a game changer

Nemec is more a question mark as he is still very young but from what reports have said is he handled the AHL very well and while he isn't an offensive dman he is steady both ways

Time will tell but it's not like they are just regular plugs

I would expect some kind of gritty/big boy/looks the part type pick at 39. I don't think everyone at the draft table wanted Benson and you can probably guess which faction did.

Mirror image of last years draft. Exactly half the picks will be glow numbers wise. And the other half will be some variation of "look how big he is!"
- Michael Ghofrani

They, as an organization, set their board before the draft. I can assure you he was their consensus #1 by the time their pick was due.

Cal Foote and The Assman will be UFAs.
- TheSabresTaco

Who is the Assman?

Not sure. Master scout gerbe knows more then me lol
- Sabretooth9

According to Gerbe 3 more days and Buffalo signs Patrick Kane

Dude you said their bottom D like Joker and Boosh were comparable to Siegenthaler and Graves/Marino etc. So I responded to that point.

You're going all over the map here trying to fall on the sword for Adams
- sbroads24

That's what you're missing - I am not. Quite the opposite. I can call a spade a spade, and so many of you see this organization through the lense of the playoff drought (Washed and the others have no problems admitting this). So yeah, I appear to be a shill for Adams because I can objectively view what has happened and say that some things were good and other things weren't. Sure, should have upgraded 4D last year. That's the big dereliction of duty? Every roster has at least one. UPL and Comrie didn't work last year, just like some goaltending did work on half of the teams last year. That's objective analysis.

Forton and Devine. Im all for different schools of thought, but there are probably modern eye-test scout guys who are far better at their job than those two. Just counting the days till their contracts are up.
- Michael Ghofrani

Devine has been here for like 25 years, what makes you think they'll give him the boot now.

Who is the Assman?
- washedup20

asplund

asplund
- TheSabresTaco

Foote would be interesting, Asplund was one of the players who didn't excel under Granato so pass.

That's what you're missing - I am not. Quite the opposite. I can call a spade a spade, and so many of you see this organization through the lense of the playoff drought (Washed and the others have no problems admitting this). So yeah, I appear to be a shill for Adams because I can objectively view what has happened and say that some things were good and other things weren't. Sure, should have upgraded 4D last year. That's the big dereliction of duty? Every roster has at least one. UPL and Comrie didn't work last year, just like some goaltending did work on half of the teams last year. That's objective analysis.
- Slump Buster

So to clarify Adams was right in passing on trading Mitts for McDavid.

The Hawks are idiots, they wasted the #1 overall pick on a midget!
- sabrerob

Only win 3 cups joke is on them

They, as an organization, set their board before the draft. I can assure you he was their consensus #1 by the time their pick was due.
- TheSabresTaco

It was the group's final decision but no Benson was not everyone's top guy. That much im confident in.

I should clarify, I dont mean the other guys dont like Benson or his upside (I doubt he'd make a first round selection if it annoyed 40% of his staff or whatever), but rather that if the analytics department wasn't around, there's a good chance he wouldnt be the pick at 13.