Todd Cordell: New Jersey Devils Q&A: On Hall's future, playoffs, Hischier, and more

If Hall walks next summer, though, who's to blame?

My deadline is December 1.

Teams that lose star players for nothing don't win championships; they fall right back to the margins.

Hall can get a taste as to what this team is like, but no Parise situation again for this organization. That is what truly put us through margin hell.

If Hall walks next summer, though, who's to blame?

My deadline is December 1.

Teams that lose star players for nothing don't win championships; they fall right back to the margins.

Hall can get a taste as to what this team is like, but no Parise situation again for this organization. That is what truly put us through margin hell.
- archromat

Hall controls where he signs but Ray Ray is the one who has to ensure the franchise doesn’t end up empty handed.

Hall doesn’t have a no trade or movement clause so Ray can send him anywhere and we have the cap space to make a trade work for any team. We could get a substantial return if it comes to that. Problem is Ray has been better at getting overpaid on weaker players the getting a lot for higher end guys.

Hall controls where he signs but Ray Ray is the one who has to ensure the franchise doesn’t end up empty handed.

Hall doesn’t have a no trade or movement clause so Ray can send him anywhere and we have the cap space to make a trade work for any team. We could get a substantial return if it comes to that. Problem is Ray has been better at getting overpaid on weaker players the getting a lot for higher end guys.
- Queenie_5_hole

That's true. I hadn't considered cap space as part of the Hall trade. Opens things up a bit more for an even better return.

The whole "you have to trade him if he doesn't sign" doesn't make sense. He wants to see results before making a decision, so if the team is doing well and makes the playoffs he'll resign. If you trade him he will guarantee sign with another team. He's going to play out the season with the team unless we're terrible for some reason.

There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that we let Hall go past the deadline if he hasn’t signed by then. Otherwise you get Richarded ala John Tavares. The team can not take the risk of him walking with no return.

Hall has until near the deadline to see results.

If he doesn’t sign by the deadline you pretty much have the same guarantee he isn’t signing here.

See Panarin. Duchene. Bobrovsky. Etc.

The whole Hall situation is a little easier for Ray Shero as he will be one of the only people who knows if Hall even has intentions of resigning or if he intends to test free agency after all that Shero has done In the last few years I think we can all be confident he will handle the situation and ensure we get something in return.

If he doesn’t sign by the deadline you pretty much have the same guarantee he isn’t signing here.
- Queenie_5_hole

This just isn't true. Win a round or two in the playoffs and he stays.

There is no way Hall stays in that toxic waste dump you people call NJ. CS is your goalie, PK is on the wrong side of 30 and Nico will bomb this year.

You heard it first from a Ranger fan.

This just isn't true. Win a round or two in the playoffs and he stays.
- Pomegrant

You can't risk losing him for nothing. I agree with the other poster that if he's not signed come the deadline we need to trade him, no matter where we are in the standings. Its just a risk we cannot be willing to take, we need to get something back for him. If we're in a playoff spot and competitive come the deadline, theres no reason he wouldnt sign an extension, unless he just doesnt want to be here. Agree with it or not, he should not be on this team past the deadline without an extension, simple as that

There is no way Hall stays in that toxic waste dump you people call NJ. CS is your goalie, PK is on the wrong side of 30 and Nico will bomb this year.

You heard it first from a Ranger fan.
- Brukie

Is this a new oil90 burner?

Pretty over the fan base writing him off as gone already because some idiot made up a fake story with his "insider sources".

NJ gave Parise a finals run - he still bolted.

I don't trust the whims of players. Columbus is what happens when you do...

Pretty over the fan base writing him off as gone already because some idiot made up a fake story with his "insider sources".
- Pomegrant

He gone.

Doomed.

Todd Cordell: New Jersey Devils Q&A: On Hall's future, playoffs, Hischier, and more
- Todd.Cordell

Great blog

NJ gave Parise a finals run - he still bolted.

I don't trust the whims of players. Columbus is what happens when you do...
- archromat

Yup

If Todd says Gardiner is better than Vatanen.. then I'm all for it.

Gardiner-Subban
Butcher-Severson
Greene-Smith

all is happy, except NONE of them are above average defenders.. by my memory and eye test.. and no fancy advanced stats. I'd be curious what the numbers would show.
Who are we deploying in the last minute of the game to protect a lead? The best defense is a great offense? In hockey if the other person has the puck, you have to defend.. read plays, gap control, take the body, use the stick, etc. Passing the puck up to the forwards comes after all that..

If Todd says Gardiner is better than Vatanen.. then I'm all for it.

Gardiner-Subban
Butcher-Severson
Greene-Smith

all is happy, except NONE of them are above average defenders.. by my memory and eye test.. and no fancy advanced stats. I'd be curious what the numbers would show.

Who are we deploying in the last minute of the game to protect a lead? The best defense is a great offense? In hockey if the other person has the puck, you have to defend.. read plays, gap control, take the body, use the stick, etc. Passing the puck up to the forwards comes after all that..
- MartysBetter88

If we signed Gardiner we could move either Vats or another defender for assets. Not a horrible idea. But I’m also curious how Vats plays this year.

That said I don’t think we are signing anyone else and that’s fine.

If we signed Gardiner we could move either Vats or another defender for assets. Not a horrible idea. But I’m also curious how Vats plays this year.

That said I don’t think we are signing anyone else and that’s fine.
- Queenie_5_hole

I'm my mind the only way we move Vats is if we're getting a top 4 left side D, or coaches think Smith can be ok th ere, which is a gamble since we've seen little of him at this level. With that said, Vats was our best dman before Subban was brought in.. So I'm not so eager to move him for picks or whatever u can get for a ufa mid pair dman.

Man I am pumped for this new season!!

I do like how Todd lays out his line suggestions/expectations, if I read correctly...

Hall - Hischier - Bratt
Gusev - Hughes - Palmieri

and for the bottom 6 ~

Coleman - Zajac - Simmonds
Boqvist - Zacha - Wood

Which is exciting if it plays out like this, and as long as Goose, Hughes and Boqvist can hang, the above is pretty likely to be the lineup.

Thinking about being hard to play against, and going along the lines of interchangeability on the bottom end, which is always apart of the rotation as people get injured; I think Wood and Simmonds, coupled together, with just about any center would be a tough pair to play against and draw a lot of penalties. Coleman is somewhat of a pest also, is a Center, and maybe could draw as many penalties as the those two are certain to take. I think it would be a thorny line to play against if the three of them were put on a line.

The only problem then if they did put the aforementioned on a line, then who of Zacha/Boqvist would play the off wing with Zajac. However, all three are centers, and as often as they get kicked off the dot these days, it wouldn't hurt to have 3 centers on the one line. What if you ran (I know it is totally taboo to put Zajac anywhere but C) ~ Zajac on RW and let Zacha take his role as 3rd line C.

Zajac is getting older, is not always going to be here and it seems that Zacha's destiny is that role, especially if his main strength in defensive applications. Kind of funny if you think about it. Zubrus, Zajac, and now Zacha lol. Apparently your name has to start with a Z and you will be a defensive two way center that rarely scores goals that plays for the Devils. I think this would allow Zajac to have more freedom, help groom Zacha, and would still be the defensive player as always, just one step removed from the responsibility. Zacha seems to roll and move around a lot, they could both almost act as centers really.

....with Boqvist-Zacha-Zajac (or any combo of those 3) as a 3/4 line

I can't help but think Wood-Coleman-Simmonds as a 4/3 line would be a sick combo and a pain in the ass for the competition to play against.

THE HYPE TRAIN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXoW-Jm5eHM

Man I am pumped for this new season!!

I do like how Todd lays out his line suggestions/expectations, if I read correctly...

Hall - Hischier - Bratt
Gusev - Hughes - Palmieri

and for the bottom 6 ~

Coleman - Zajac - Simmonds
Boqvist - Zacha - Wood
- TRDevil

Did you bother to read what Todd wrote, Bonqvist is not going to come to the NHL and play on the fourth line, if he doesn't make the team he will go back to Sweden and wait another year.

I'm my mind the only way we move Vats is if we're getting a top 4 left side D, or coaches think Smith can be ok th ere, which is a gamble since we've seen little of him at this level. With that said, Vats was our best dman before Subban was brought in.. So I'm not so eager to move him for picks or whatever u can get for a ufa mid pair dman.
- MartysBetter88

The Vats situation is going to be dictated by his contract status. I’m not eager to trade him but if we can’t sign him Ray would need to consider it. That’s why adding Shatts or Gardiner might be a good move.

Did you bother to read what Todd wrote, Bonqvist is not going to come to the NHL and play on the fourth line, if he doesn't make the team he will go back to Sweden and wait another year.
- cu45161

The Boqvist situation is going to get settled in training camp. It will be NHL or back to Sweden; but he literally could play on any line.

What line he starts on might not matter that much. People get injured. Line combos change. Todd didn’t say he absolutely wouldn’t play 4th line. Just it’s not ideal and he might not stay stateside.

Conversely if he is fighting for a 4th line role the team might decide they’d rather have a grinder like Hayden in anyway.

The only thing absolute is he won’t be in the AHL.

The Vats situation is going to be dictated by his contract status. I’m not eager to trade him but if we can’t sign him Ray would need to consider it. That’s why adding Shatts or Gardiner might be a good move.
- Queenie_5_hole

I really hope Ray doesn't go after Shattenkirk.