Roger Mussa: Dominos - Devils at the Deadline

I can't see anyone trading for PK with his salary even if we retained half AND I'm not sure we should move him. With Kulikov, Murray and Vats all presumably gone at the end of the year if not today, who's playing defense next year? Severson, Smith and Siegenthaler? Maybe Butcher but who wants that at this point? Lindy doesn't seem to like him...

I feel like this is the typical NJ water treading event.
Trade for Jonas but let Kulikov go. Celebrate we are younger but not really better.

Also, don't trade Wood. He's 25. He fits this team. Is the idea we just move out anyone productive not named Nico or Jack? The trade returns aren't even that good this year. We should be trading cap space and not the few productive players we have. This is just part of the eternal rebuild process.

Leading the league in smallest payroll! These owners are turning us into a Mickey Mouse organization.

It looks like Toronto is giving up future for win now... This could mean if they fail in playoffs, they will need to recoup picks or prospects and prob ditch salary.


If this is true, I wonder if Marner or Nylander would be available this summer if Toronto loses.

You cant have 3 guys take up over 30 mil in cap and continue to lose.

Good read Roger. Very curious to see how management plays this out today and at the draft. I agree, at some point we need to start adding NHLers and not futures if we’re ever getting out of the cellar

These owners are turning us into a Mickey Mouse organization.
- Queenie_5_hole

Too early to tell however I do feel your fears.

We need to begin icing an NHL team next year.
We need to improve and not a bottom dwelling team while teams around us make strides.

This ownership's strategy needs to begin paying dividends soon to keep fans happy. The good old days Devils hockey is far removed and so is the pool of fans. WE need to reward the young fans who have not seen a playoff team in some time.

You cant have 3 guys take up over 30 mil in cap and continue to lose.
- Leniwm1

Like Buffalo? And we know what is happening with their top unproductive salary players.

I don't think Marner or Nylander would be part of a fire sale as they are young and productive. But a blockbuster could be in the cards if an early bow out happens.

Boquist , Studiinic, Merkey , Thompson are all AHL players .

Kulikov has played well,PK has played well.... Keep em both ( unlikely) .

Butcher looked terrible again. too hesitant before making a move for our system .

I like Johnsson and Murray keep em both also.


WE ARE ALREADY YOUNG ..

WE ALREADY HAVE DRAFT PICKS .

DRAFT in2021 is an UNKNOWN . and NOT A STRONG ONE .


Zacha -Nico -Bratt
Kuokkanen -Hughes- Shak
Johnsson - Mcleod - Wood
Foote -Mercer -Bastian
???=????

Bahl -PK
Smith - Walsh
Neiderthaler -Severson


also have Maltsev , Okhotyuk, Clarke , Holtz,Mukhamadulin ,

In a perfect world, the Devil's would trade to move up in the draft and collect a few more 1st round picks as well. Then we would draft Luke Hughes and trade the rest of our 1st round picks and a bevy of players to the Canucks for Quinn Hughes.

One can dream...

In a perfect world, the Devil's would trade to move up in the draft and collect a few more 1st round picks as well. Then we would draft Luke Hughes and trade the rest of our 1st round picks and a bevy of players to the Canucks for Quinn Hughes.

One can dream...
- tesau315

Triple H line

2015 draft...

Mcdavid, Eichel, Marner, all great talents. Mucho $$ - no cups

Zacha 0 cups, lots less $$ .

Was Zacha really a bad choice? Plays a two-way game better than those guys.

I will bet the Devils will have a better rounded, more complete team than these teams that are stuck with salaries that hamper the depth of a team.

Not saying if we had the chance to draft 97, to skip out. But as things played out, it ended up being not that bad i think.

Roger Mussa: Dominos - Devils at the Deadline
- Devils Advocate

I hope we are able to add some picks today. No more acquisitions. People seemed to defend my criticism against the Seig trade, and I stand by it. Why give up a 3rd for a guy we will now have to protect during the expansion as an unsigned RFA nonetheless? I haven't seen anything from his game that really stands out. Why is Butch not getting a real chance to prove himself during these games that really don't mean much? Smith could (I think is) very well be our 1LD, and Murray has been a solid 2, tho on a great team would likely be a 3rd pairing guy. I don't want to see us target more players that we will need to protect.

Hopefully Vats/Murray/Kuli can fetch us some picks. This season saw the least scouting in some time, and picks in rounds 2-4 could be absolute studs this year. So lets get as many as we can and have a shotgun spread across the draft board.

I will bet the Devils will have a better rounded, more complete team than these teams that are stuck with salaries that hamper the depth of a team.
- Leniwm1

Very good point. And time will tell.

I think the game has changed so much since the last lockout and especially in the last 5 years that draft strategies of 5-10 years ago are irrelevant today.

But I do hope you are right in the Devils being a well rounded team. I think smart salary allocation is key in today's NHL.

...Why give up a 3rd for a guy we will now have to protect during the expansion as an unsigned RFA nonetheless? I haven't seen anything from his game that really stands out. Why is Butch not getting a real chance to prove himself during these games that really don't mean much?
- bikeguy99

I think you hit the point on the head.
Sieg and maybe Butcher get exposed.
Id rather lose Sieg (or a third) than other assets to Seattle.

Our D blows and a third rounder has like a 5% chance of ever playing in this league. Sieg isnt the big answer but for what he is, the price was fine

2015 draft...

Mcdavid, Eichel, Marner, all great talents. Mucho $$ - no cups

Zacha 0 cups, lots less $$ .

Was Zacha really a bad choice? Plays a two-way game better than those guys.

I will bet the Devils will have a better rounded, more complete team than these teams that are stuck with salaries that hamper the depth of a team.

Not saying if we had the chance to draft 97, to skip out. But as things played out, it ended up being not that bad i think.
- Leniwm1

.. I usually agree with you, but who drugged you in your sleep last night? YES, he was a bad choice at 6th overall. He was when we drafted him and he still is now. I'm taking McDavid, Eichel or Marner over Zacha, no matter what the cap hit is. Those guys are game changers in the league. It's important to have a Zacha, but you can't win the game 0-0.. you need scorers, and not just "scorers", but young, dynamic, fast, snipers. These 3 guys are infinitely more valuable than Zacha, and I'd rather have either of them over any of the guys we have on our team. Heck, I'd trade Nico, Jack and Zacha for any of those 3 straight up. They're among the top offensive players in the league, and will be for the next decade. Those guys don't grow on trees and missed out for one reason or another.

I think you hit the point on the head.
Sieg and maybe Butcher get exposed.
Id rather lose Sieg (or a third) than other assets to Seattle.
- Devils Advocate

I've seen enough of the same with Butcher. I'd rather keep Sieg, a guy ready to contribute, and a type of player that we don't have in the system elsewhere. Yea we have Bahl, but we don't know if he'll pan out, and he's years behind Sieg anyway. We have a "Butcher" in Smith, Walsh, etc. We need guys to play defense.

I think you hit the point on the head.
Sieg and maybe Butcher get exposed.
Id rather lose Sieg (or a third) than other assets to Seattle.
- Devils Advocate

Siegenthaler won't be exposed.

Boquist , Studiinic, Merkey , Thompson are all AHL players .

Kulikov has played well,PK has played well.... Keep em both ( unlikely) .

Butcher looked terrible again. too hesitant before making a move for our system .

I like Johnsson and Murray keep em both also.


WE ARE ALREADY YOUNG ..

WE ALREADY HAVE DRAFT PICKS .

DRAFT in2021 is an UNKNOWN . and NOT A STRONG ONE .


Zacha -Nico -Bratt
Kuokkanen -Hughes- Shak
Johnsson - Mcleod - Wood
Foote -Mercer -Bastian
???=????

Bahl -PK
Smith - Walsh
Neiderthaler -Severson


also have Maltsev , Okhotyuk, Clarke , Holtz,Mukhamadulin ,
-thechezman

Boqvist has looked good in the last two games. He seems to be creating more, and is less tentative now that he knows he is getting a stretch of playing time. Studenic played one game, and Thompson played 3, no one has any idea what they are right now, but now more than ever is the time to let them play.
Also, what can you possibly like about Johnsson? He hasn't scored a goal in 27 games and has 3 point in that timespan!
Not trying to be a jerk, but I just don't see how you can say Boqvist, Studenic, and Thompson are AHLers in the same breath as "I like Johnsson."

.. I usually agree with you, but who drugged you in your sleep last night? YES, he was a bad choice at 6th overall. He was when we drafted him and he still is now. I'm taking McDavid, Eichel or Marner over Zacha, no matter what the cap hit is. Those guys are game changers in the league. It's important to have a Zacha, but you can't win the game 0-0.. you need scorers, and not just "scorers", but young, dynamic, fast, snipers. These 3 guys are infinitely more valuable than Zacha, and I'd rather have either of them over any of the guys we have on our team. Heck, I'd trade Nico, Jack and Zacha for any of those 3 straight up. They're among the top offensive players in the league, and will be for the next decade. Those guys don't grow on trees and missed out for one reason or another.
- MartysBetter88

My point was kind of- an NHL team tries to win a cup.if you are paying these people crazy salaries and have nothing to show for it other than personal stats and jersey sales, AND zacha playing a great two way game ( who cares where he was drafted, if he fills a role and does it well) then kind of puts us on par with these teams that are paying crazy salaries.

The age under Lou was successful because he got players that bought into a system, played "their" role and we won as a team. Madden was exceptional as shut down because that was the role given to him. That was his only responsibility.

Why cant Zachas role be a great two way centerman? Look at Bergeron, Zacha has just as much skill as Berg and he ended up being a Boston great.

Hope this makes sense. Im kind of all over.

I can't see anyone trading for PK with his salary even if we retained half AND I'm not sure we should move him. With Kulikov, Murray and Vats all presumably gone at the end of the year if not today, who's playing defense next year? Severson, Smith and Siegenthaler? Maybe Butcher but who wants that at this point? Lindy doesn't seem to like him...

I feel like this is the typical NJ water treading event.
Trade for Jonas but let Kulikov go. Celebrate we are younger but not really better.

Also, don't trade Wood. He's 25. He fits this team. Is the idea we just move out anyone productive not named Nico or Jack? The trade returns aren't even that good this year. We should be trading cap space and not the few productive players we have. This is just part of the eternal rebuild process.

Leading the league in smallest payroll! These owners are turning us into a Mickey Mouse organization.
- Queenie_5_hole

Kulikov, Murray and Vats are easily replaceable/upgradable. I agree, we need to add an NHL forward or 2 this offseason. I like where we're headed, with Hischier being the "vet" of the team in 5 years.. with Holtz/Mercer being 4 years younger, and then you'll have this year's pick coming in. Our team will have a core that's young when we're competitive, which is ideal.. and we can add UFAs as we need.
But this group can't be on an island.. trying to all learn to NHL together at the same time. Even with the greatest coaching staff, I think you need the on-ice leadership from your peers. .. and lord knows we don't have the greatest coaching staff anyway.

My point was kind of- an NHL team tries to win a cup.if you are paying these people crazy salaries and have nothing to show for it other than personal stats and jersey sales, AND zacha playing a great two way game ( who cares where he was drafted, if he fills a role and does it well) then kind of puts us on par with these teams that are paying crazy salaries.

The age under Lou was successful because he got players that bought into a system, played "their" role and we won as a team. Madden was exceptional as shut down because that was the role given to him. That was his only responsibility.

Why cant Zachas role be a great two way centerman? Look at Bergeron, Zacha has just as much skill as Berg and he ended up being a Boston great.

Hope this makes sense. Im kind of all over.
- Leniwm1

Zacha has just been bad as a center this year, i would much rather use him as a winger at this point and let him be a shooter. I forget who it was, but someone on twitter broke down his center and wing splits and its amazing the difference. The conclusion was pretty much that when he is on the wing, his centers are better than with anybody else. And when he is at center, his wingers are worse than with any other center

Kulikov to the Oilers

Zacha has just been bad as a center this year, i would much rather use him as a winger at this point and let him be a shooter. I forget who it was, but someone on twitter broke down his center and wing splits and its amazing the difference. The conclusion was pretty much that when he is on the wing, his centers are better than with anybody else. And when he is at center, his wingers are worse than with any other center
- vlongo4419

Center, wing... either, my point still stands.

I think you hit the point on the head.
Sieg and maybe Butcher get exposed.
Id rather lose Sieg (or a third) than other assets to Seattle.
- Devils Advocate

Exactly. Not knocking Seig. He is solid. So are other guys being valued far less, waived, or about to be UFA's that we can target after the expansion draft. But the timing of this deal makes no sense. He doesn't generate offense. Neither do other good D like Coburn, who we could have attained for a 7th. Or Mete, who I consider a better D than Seig, yet is on Waivers. We are likely losing Vats for absolutely nothing, and most if you look at 3rd party teams who retain cap, it seems a 4th is worth more than 1M. So, I really don't understand this move from the Devs when we could have made an addition that didn't require a good pick.

I like the 1st that Fitz brought in, and hopefully more Devs fans are happy after seeing that Hall could only fetch a 2nd with Lazar as well. It's just tough so see Gusev fetch nothing, Vats likely bringing back nothing, and a 3rd shipped out on a guy who really hasn't done a lot to show he is more than a 3rd pairing guy.

Sens claim Mete. Stars claim Vatanen