smelly Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 "Best case: Stanley Cup. Worst case: Last place overall. Seriously, I don't think there's a team in the league that's harder to forecast than the Devils." http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9752853/nhl-preview-2013-14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxpower Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 It's sarcastic, but it's true. Except I don't think the upside is as likely as the downside. IMO, they're a 3-6 in the division type team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevs4978 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 (edited) There's no way you can forecast anyone below Calgary imo and that's just naming one team. I would have said maybe Florida before their band of retread signings. I think the celing for the team is Conference Finals, and the floor is bottom eight-ten. So that's basically between 3-22, and I really don't remember another year where the range was that volitaile. Part of the problem is you don't know how long the old farts are going to stay healthy...and part of the problem is the division itself is so tight with a bunch of flawed teams you really don't know (other than a healthy Pens team) who'll rise to the top. Edited October 2, 2013 by NJDevs4978 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devilsrule33 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 (edited) There's no way you can forecast anyone below Calgary imo and that's just naming one team. I would have said maybe Florida before their band of retread signings. I think the celing for the team is Conference Finals, and the floor is bottom eight-ten. So that's basically between 3-22, and I really don't remember another year where the range was that volitaile. Part of the problem is you don't know how long the old farts are going to stay healthy...and part of the problem is the division itself is so tight with a bunch of flawed teams you really don't know (other than a healthy Pens team) who'll rise to the top. I think he was joking but stretching his point about how difficult it is to predict this team. No way anyone thinks the Devils could be the worse team unless Schneider is injured for the year. The Devils have been a very strange team. As bad as a team can be for the first half of 2010-2011. Then as good as you can be from a win-loss standpoint in the second half. A Cup Finalist in 2012, and we know about last year. Now you have losses of Kovalchuk and Clarkson after losing Parise. Sounds bad, but like he said, you have all the advanced stat based sites predicting great things. They are a polarizing team right now. Edited October 2, 2013 by devilsrule33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 This is actually the best assessment of the Devils I have seen from a relatively mainstream publication. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadevils Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 This is actually the best assessment of the Devils I have seen from a relatively mainstream publication. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD Agreed. Best assessment of the Devils and in terms of overall it BLOWS THE DOORS off of ESPN's main page NHL previews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Agreed. Best assessment of the Devils and in terms of overall it BLOWS THE DOORS off of ESPN's main page NHL previews. The Grantland assessment is basically saying "I have no friggin clue how the Devils are going to do." Basically he is leaving his prediction up in the air. The ESPN and other mainstream publications are probably pressured to come up with at least a somewhat solid prediction for each team so they don't have the luxury of leaving it up in the air. Also there is the ignorance factor as publications like ESPN barely pay attention to any hockey to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ELIAS6 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 "Best case: Stanley Cup. Worst case: Last place overall. Seriously, I don't think there's a team in the league that's harder to forecast than the Devils." http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9752853/nhl-preview-2013-14 EDIT:worst case: everyone on the team quits to go home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 (edited) It's pretty accurate, in terms that this team has a pretty good ceiling but a pretty low floor as well, and it's hard to get a real feel for them. At least this guy actually mentioned some of the other moves the Devils made, unlike ESPN, which left out just about everything. Schneider should help the Devils stay competitive within games, if he's given a fair chance. If Marty's in the .880-.890 range in save% come mid-November, and costing the Devils wins, then DeBoer has to do the right thing and give Schneider the majority of the starts...no waiting to see whether or not Brodeur gets it going. Schneider is not a kid...he's 27 and has earned the chance to be a true #1, and not be a caddy to an all-time great whose best days are clearly behind him. Really hoping for 50-55 starts for Schneider, and 27-32 for Marty. I think what is lost on a lot of outside prognosticators is how much having another viable (and YOUNG!) goalie who's also GOOD changes the picture. The Devils aren't in a position where they have to live with a 41-year-old goalie and hope for the best if he's struggling through the new year. This acquisition is really not getting the attention it deserves in a lot of previews, and I'm not sure why. As long as Schneider does what we all think he can, I do think the Devils should be competitive within games...the question will be can they score enough, and can the older bodies stay healthy. I'm guessing they will fall right in the middle of this wide range of what could happen...maybe a little above that. I think they're going to find their way into the playoffs. Edited October 2, 2013 by Colorado Rockies 1976 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ELIAS6 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 no real star players.... but with the addition of schneider who looks absolutely awesome, the team has definently added a handful of new faces and thank god subtracted a bunch of useless sh!t(poni, kostopolus, d'ags, sullivan etc.) if everyone clicks well which the pre season has looked pretty decent we could have something lethal on our hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 From a pure puck-stopping standpoint, it's hard to do much better than Schneider has over the past three seasons...a .931 save%. Of course, his workload is very likely to almost double over what it's been in those three years. He's made just 80 regular-season starts in that time. Marty was never the best pure puck-stopper, but he was freakishly durable and consistent throughout his prime, obviously brought more intangibles to the ice than anyone else ever to play his position (how many goalies have seen league-wide rules implemented that basically targeted them specifically), and showed the ability to raise his game during the Cup Final runs (especially #1, #2, and #4). Time will tell if Schneider can start 60+ games (Marty may have been able to pull off 70+ year after year, but I'm not asking that of anyone that's his heir apparent), do it at a consistently good to very good level, and do it in the playoffs as well. But at least the foundation appears to be there...he stops rubber. I'm definitely optimistic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevsMan84 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 It's going to be a little freaky when in a year or so you open up your Center Ice program and Brodeur is not listed on the roster list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck the Duck Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Really good assessment of this years team. It really is anyone's guess as to where we will stand in the end. I doubt that they will be worst in the league, or even the division, but there are too many new faces on this roster to reasonably predict anything at this point. Hopefully we can end up surprising a lot of the so called experts (I'm look at you everyone from ESPN), but, even if it is another bad year, they are set up to be an active player at the trade deadline and could stockpile a number of picks for 2014 and 2015. BTW...anyone notice that Linda Cohen is no longer a hockey expert and didn't make her annual "Rangers over Insert Western Conference Team Here" pick for the Stanley Cup. She is almost as much of a homer as Trautwig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triumph Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 (edited) That's funny since this is probably the only year in the last 15 where the Rangers are a credible Stanley Cup pick. Yeah, that profile isn't in depth, but it seems about right. The number of power plays given out last night make me wary because I think this NJ powerplay is going to be bad early on. Edited October 2, 2013 by Triumph Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLinfante Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Our boy Єklund (2.3% accurate) has us as 2nd in the division. He asserts that we "may win way more games than anyone expects", "are the best coached team in the division" and " will be the most frustrating team to play against in the league". It sounds kinda crazy, but I think he could be right....so long as we actually score goals. http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=54307&blogger_id=1#.Ukwu59Ksim4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Devils HAVE made deadline and near-deadline deals before...some of which were very signficant...not sure what Єklund (2.3% accurate) was talking about on that one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Eco Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 This is the best assessment so far. It takes a lot these days to write a season preview and not automatically write off the Devils as a last-place team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 This is the best assessment so far. It takes a lot these days to write a season preview and not automatically write off the Devils as a last-place team. Some of the ones I've read are basically along these lines: Devils lost Kovy. Devils lost Clarkson. Writer then makes both losses sound like death blows, even though Tri and some others have shown pretty conclusively that those losses aren't nearly as brutal as they're made out to be. Little to no mention of Schneider. Little to no mention of the Devils' offseason moves, unless it's to point out age (especially in Jagr's case). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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