hystyk28

This is exactly what the analytic department is saying to Fitzy when regarding trading assets for a goalie, especially one that will eat up a chunk of cap room. I am not in disagreement necessarily with it either. However, the goalies we had though just deflated this team. Not all goals are are equal and it seemed that there were a lot more savable goals from our tendy's. Although, let's be honest the team D stinks and is a major factor as well. Not sure, as this roster is constructed, that the "big fish" goaltenders out there will be enough to right the ship, as this team has gaping holes throughout the lineup. Personally, I would rather have a Jake Allen with an upgraded D and keep Holtz and Mercer. Let's find a way to deal with Palat, say IR or dump in San Jose/ANH for picks. D-men that you would need to get more creative with regarding cap space would be Pesci/Hanafin. That creativity could be in moving Hamilton. Tougher to do coming off this season, but maybe Dougie had his fill of area museums and would like to move to another location. You aren't winning anything with him on the roster IMHO, especially when you plan to ice Hughes/Nemec and possibly Casey. If we could get 2 players for nearly his cap hit, that would help this team tremendously. If all else fails, maybe a trade for Erik Gubranson, I am sure he would like out of that mess in CBJ. Let's trade for Gudas, although I bet NJ is on that 16 no trade list. You can send Siegenthaler back in that deal. Keep Schmid and Daws in A and maybe sign Stoli the Goalie, although not sure what price tag that might come with. The bottom 6 can be tinkered with, but the top 6 needs a shooter. If they could land Victor Olofsson that could be the shooter Jack needs. He has had a down season and a bunch of health bombs, so maybe that leads to discount shopping with him. Maybe Tatar on league minimum for 2 years is better than a Tierney on the 4th line, as long as he has buy in to his role of bottom 6. Another guy i would look at is Nick Foligno. Maybe bring Colin Miller back. I know a lot of spit ballin' in this post and admittedly I have not looked that closely at our cap situation moving forward. I think we do gain some cap space with the total going up a bit and Schneider's hit finally being gone. With all that said, this team really needs more than tinkering in my opinion and a mini overhaul is needed to make this a playoff threat. (Could this team ever beat Carolina?) Fitzy needs to think outside the box and if the front office just wants a goalie and 1 top 6 forward and leave the rest as is, then this team will be right around where it finished this year.

We will see, but don't be surprised to see Berube take a front office job with the Flyer's. You have been warned. The offer to coach in NJ, now here I am guessing...will have to be substantial to have him consider it.

Agreed, but that doesn't mean the Flyer's aren't preparing for life after Torts or have an insurance plan while he is here. I don't think the Devils have enough to keep him from going back to Philly. The desire to have him in the Flyer's organization is really strong. The contract $$$ will have to be large to have him come here and take that orange blood out of his thought process.

He lives in New Hope, PA. Not sure the Flyers won't be pushing hard to bring him back in the fold.

How about a trade with Nashville pre- draft order selection? Like hey we will give you our first unconditionally...if Trotz is a gambler...he might like that action...just the thought of getting Celebrini regardless of its actual likely hood is pretty intoxicating. Meanwhile, it is overwhelmingly likely we don't move up. If that lessens the cost for Saros then I am in...

They need men, not selfish boys that don't play a lick of team hockey.

Anyone have a channel outside of MSG that this game is on?

So we found Fitzy's burner account. Just kidding buddy...

I have some loose connections to multiple NHL teams...it is becoming normal to cater to stars. This is happening in juniors to the show....it is what these players know. Very few coaches exist now that are confident in being able to get or keep their job by going "old school" if you will.

Yeah, not sure I get the love for Markstrom...that playoff series he had against Edmonton a few years back...yikes he was bad. I like Saros. Not sure the advanced analytics department, who the owners believe in, will agree with the tradeoff in assets for an "elite" goaltender. I think that may have slowed down Fitzy along with potential player objections in his quest to get a goalie. Not sure we will ever know.

Come at??? it's a discussion...and trust me my words for Hamilton are the same they were from day 1 of the signing. BUT, his signing AND Palat's started to turn this organization's turn around. Big turning point for sure. We were on a very large chunk of no-trade lists around the league. This began a change in that regard.

Of course he has compete- but is he competing for himself? Or is he competing for the team? He will have to prove to me it's the latter. 1 minute to go in a tie game Game 7, last man with the puck coming out of the zone... what do you see going through your mind...I know what it looks like if it was Datsyuk or Crosby...I also know what it looks with Jack. He needs modify his play so that I won't envision that poor decision in my mind. That is the difference to me between playing for himself or the team. His compete to go by that forechecker is there though...he wants to walk that player for sure, plenty of compete...motivation is wrong. I have seen it at every level of hockey i have been involved in. I am sure he was like that 8, he will most likely be that way at 28, unless someone helps teach him....think Steve Yzerman's journey to a Cup winner.

Too late, right? It was already more than prevalent this season. Quite honestly, it started the second we drafted him.(not saying they shouldn't have) I believe that Green even said in his presser, when alluding to Holtz that some players would never sit...I took that as 43 Hughes since the entire Devil's fan base seems to be singing that song.

Agreed. I think he does lie in between the 2, but Rafalski generated a ton of offense. Of course, kind of following my theme in the previous post he had rock steady D men as partners, which the Devils are 100% devoid of having in the lineup.

Yeah Nemec is beyond fine...I was just saying you can't have him in the lineup AND with the likes of Bahl, Marino, Hughes and Hamilton. Let's not forget Seamus Casey in the wings...same type of D. I think more of Rafalski than Nieds with Nemec, as Nieds was another level. But yeah, I have way more hope for Nemec than Hughes being rock solid back there.