GDT: Devil's @ Sens 7:30, MSG+

[devlman]

1 hour ago, titans04 said:

I didn't say they needed to sign a big name, they sat tight and it's starting to look like it may have been a mistake. Yet now in season it's going to be easier to upgrade the roster?

 Hopefully.

I agree it looks like we needed a few offseason additions. But we can't imply that didn't happen because Shero wasn't trying to make something happen.

[NJDfan1711]

13 hours ago, slasher72 said:

Here's a quick summary..

1. Goaltending is garbage. Kinkaid is a solid backup, Schneider is done and has zero confidence. 

I disagree that the goaltending has been garbage.  We know Schneider has issues, and whether or not he can turn it around remains to be seen, but Kinkaid has still not really had much experience shouldering the load all by himself, and as he continues to get the majority of starts, so far he's posted a .918 Save %, and he's played more games so far than all but 4 goalies in the league, and that's basically because the Devils have played less games than most teams.  The team hasn't played great lately and when they get exposed in certain areas, one thing we need as a fallback is a goalie who can steal games which is one thing I alluded to a day or two ago in an earlier post, and that's one thing Kinkaid isn't doing, but that doesn't mean he's been garbage.  Far from it, actually.  

[Satans Hockey]

The team has done pretty much what I've expected so far but my expectations were low considering our biggest upgrade from last season to this one is Erika replacing Deb. Who btw has been really great this year, she actually asks good questions and can coherently put sentences together and already seems to know more about the game in a month and a half than Deb knew in all her years here. 

[mfitz804]

2 minutes ago, Satans Hockey said:

The team has done pretty much what I've expected so far but my expectations were low considering our biggest upgrade from last season to this one is Erika replacing Deb. Who btw has been really great this year, she actually asks good questions and can coherently put sentences together and already seems to know more about the game in a month and a half than Deb knew in all her years here. 

One wears a lot of leather...one looks like they are made of leather. Point Erika. 

[jagknife]

15 hours ago, slasher72 said:

2. Zacha absolutely stinks for where we selected him. Let him toil in the AHL until he figures his game out. Unfortunately he's probably better off as trade bait. 

3. The defense is a joke with no physical presence. Greene needs to retire but he wont because the money is too good. 

4. Hall is great but will likely take off if Shero doesnt put together a winning team around him. And if he does, the team is seriously screwed. 

5. Ty Smith cant get here soon enough. 

Take away your first point and, for the most part I agree.

Simply put, I'm over Zacha, I'll slap the bust label on him and since its just a message board and I'm a nobody, it doesn't matter. Maybe he'll prove me wrong, but I'm doubting it.

I'm beyond over Greene. [Forest Gump voice] That's all I have to say about that.

I worry about Hall leaving, but there is a lot of time, relatively speaking, that upgrades and turnarounds can be made. I think once teams start to really fall out of the race and the pack starts to spread out, names will become available and Shero will HOPEFULLY do what he can. Staying put wont happen, at least I freaking hope not.

I really hope Smith makes the jump and doesn't become a Reid Boucher 2.0, lights it up in juniors and then..... nothing....

[Crisis]

For what it's worth, Hall was pissed off that Edmonton traded him and they weren't winning anything.  So I don't know where this sentiment came from that Hall needs to be winning to stay.  He's said it time and time again that he loves living in NJ.  It's going to take a few years for this team to become a contender so I think it's irrational to think that Taylor Hall needs this team to be winning RIGHT NOW in order for him to consider signing a contract extension next season.  Maybe if the franchise was a dumpster fire like Ottawa, but Shero has made it clear that he has a plan and everything we're hearing in the media sounds like Taylor has bought into it.

Maybe I'm being optimistic but I don't see any evidence of the contrary.

[NJDevils1214]

I'm sure if the opportunities were there in the off season the chances would have been taken had they made sense. Management has to have a timeline setup where they want the team to be projecting over the next 2-3 seasons, so if they didn't think this was the year to make the push then I just have to trust they know what they're doing.

Expensive upgrades at this juncture of a team's rebuild can end up having really negative consequences down the road. I'd rather they be a little conservative now than overextend early and we end up falling back into a hole for 2-4 seasons. It isn't like we're the Rangers and can constantly, somehow, get other teams to bail us out of our stupid mistakes and sh!t contracts. NJ has a lot of dead weight coming off the roster, some top guys getting ready to re-sign in the next two seasons, and the FA market could have some decent upgrades available in 19-20. If Ray could somehow get Panarin either via trade and sign or off FA...plz god.

Edited November 8, 2018 by NJDevils1214

[Crisis]

7 minutes ago, NJDevils1214 said:

I'm sure if the opportunities were there in the off season the chances would have been taken had they made sense. Management has to have a timeline setup where they want the team to be projecting over the next 2-3 seasons, so if they didn't think this was the year to make the push then I just have to trust they know what they're doing.

Expensive upgrades at this juncture of a team's rebuild can end up having really negative consequences down the road. I'd rather they be a little conservative now than overextend early and we end up falling back into a hole for 2-4 seasons. It isn't like we're the Rangers and can constantly, somehow, get other teams to bail us out of our stupid mistakes and sh!t contracts. NJ has a lot of dead weight coming off the roster, some top guys getting ready to re-sign in the next two seasons, and the FA market could have some decent upgrades available in 19-20. If Ray could somehow get Panarin either via trade and sign or off FA...plz god.

Ray wasn't idle and made moves at the deadline and it ended up costing the team picks for essentially nothing but a first round exit (which some of you may see as being worth it).  On paper, Grabner looked like a perfect fit for this team and it just didn't pan out.  And Maroon looked good but we all know how that story went.  Can't imagine Shero didn't see that as a possible outcome when making that trade.

[NJDevils1214]

1 minute ago, Crisis said:

Ray wasn't idle and made moves at the deadline and it ended up costing the team picks for essentially nothing but a first round exit (which some of you may see as being worth it).  On paper, Grabner looked like a perfect fit for this team and it just didn't pan out.  And Maroon looked good but we all know how that story went.  Can't imagine Shero didn't see that as a possible outcome when making that trade.

Maroon was essential to making the playoffs last year. I'm happy with that trade even knowing the outcome. What I said in my post wasn't an implication that I thought Ray just say on his hands.

[Crisis]

10 minutes ago, NJDevils1214 said:

Maroon was essential to making the playoffs last year. I'm happy with that trade even knowing the outcome. What I said in my post wasn't an implication that I thought Ray just say on his hands.

Yeah totally, I was agreeing with you.  The posts about Ray not doing anything this offseason to shore up the team have been annoying me and what you said in your last post sums up my thoughts exactly.  He's shown plenty of competence during his tenure here so far that his restraint this offseason doesn't worry me one bit.

[MadDog2020]

1 hour ago, Crisis said:

He's shown plenty of competence during his tenure here so far that his restraint this offseason doesn't worry me one bit.

The only people it does bother are the reactionaries. To them, the job you do is only as good as the results of the last game. 

[MadDog2020]

1 minute ago, Kinkyisth3b3st said:

Ugh, why?

I'm allowed to love Shero for taking Lou's shambles and turning it into a team we can at least not be embarrassed about. That doesn't mean I have to love everything he does blindly. 

I've said since the beginning of the year, even when we were 4-0, Shero had an opportunity to make a fringe playoff team better and he didn't. I don't care what the reasons are, that is a fact and it's a sh!tty one. 

You can love a GM and still not blindly nod to everything he does. That doesn't make you a bad fan. 

I never said you or any of the other people getting on Shero were bad fans, man. But it’s been 13 games. While the results have been mixed, it’s a very small sample size. Now- if we’re still spinning our wheels the first week or so of December, okay. But it’s still very early. At least wait until the 20 game mark. That’s about the time the Henrique trade went down last year. 

[titans04]

7 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

I never said you or any of the other people getting on Shero were bad fans, man. But it’s been 13 games. While the results have been mixed, it’s a very small sample size. Now- if we’re still spinning our wheels the first week or so of December, okay. But it’s still very early. At least wait until the 20 game mark. That’s about the time the Henrique trade went down last year. 

Love ya brother but you're one of the most volatile  guys here when the team sh!ts the bed on game night.  It's passion that runs through most of us.

[MadDog2020]

6 minutes ago, titans04 said:

Love ya brother but you're one of the most volatile  guys here when the team sh!ts the bed on game night.  It's passion that runs through most of us.

True dat. But I try to direct my blame at the rightful parties. Shero isn’t one of them yet. I’m trying to be more patient in my old age lol.

[titans04]

Rutherford was on a pitt radio station talking about how pissed he is and how he doesn't like what he sees on the ice at all. Changes coming soon if things don't change.  Again not sure we have much to offer but with Shero's history of reeling in ex-Pens maybe there's a deal to be made in there somewhere.

[Crisis]

27 minutes ago, Kinkyisth3b3st said:

Ugh, why?

I'm allowed to love Shero for taking Lou's shambles and turning it into a team we can at least not be embarrassed about. That doesn't mean I have to love everything he does blindly. 

I've said since the beginning of the year, even when we were 4-0, Shero had an opportunity to make a fringe playoff team better and he didn't. I don't care what the reasons are, that is a fact and it's a sh!tty one. 

You can love a GM and still not blindly nod to everything he does. That doesn't make you a bad fan. 

You're just as blindly assuming that he had the chance to make a deal and decided not to.  You have absolutely 0 insight into this and your bitching about it is obnoxious. 

[MadDog2020]

9 minutes ago, titans04 said:

Rutherford was on a pitt radio station talking about how pissed he is and how he doesn't like what he sees on the ice at all. Changes coming soon if things don't change.  Again not sure we have much to offer but with Shero's history of reeling in ex-Pens maybe there's a deal to be made in there somewhere.

Zacha and McLeod for Crosby and Malkin. Deal is two for two. MAKE IT HAPPEN RAY!! 😛

Edited November 8, 2018 by MadDog2020

[NJDevils1214]

17 minutes ago, titans04 said:

Rutherford was on a pitt radio station talking about how pissed he is and how he doesn't like what he sees on the ice at all. Changes coming soon if things don't change.  Again not sure we have much to offer but with Shero's history of reeling in ex-Pens maybe there's a deal to be made in there somewhere.

Most of the time the changes are management and not the players, but who knows I guess.

Imagine having a job where you show and up do sh!t work and your boss gets the axe and not you lol.

From TSN:

https://www.tsn.ca/dreger-penguins-f-sprong-on-trade-block-1.1206249

Edited November 8, 2018 by NJDevils1214

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 hour ago, Kinkyisth3b3st said:

Ugh, why?

I'm allowed to love Shero for taking Lou's shambles and turning it into a team we can at least not be embarrassed about. That doesn't mean I have to love everything he does blindly. 

I've said since the beginning of the year, even when we were 4-0, Shero had an opportunity to make a fringe playoff team better and he didn't. I don't care what the reasons are, that is a fact and it's a sh!tty one. 

You can love a GM and still not blindly nod to everything he does. That doesn't make you a bad fan. 

You'd have a much better case if the team was full of older vets that had already reached their top end.  That wasn't the case at all.  There were young players on this team that figured to improve.  It also wasn't crazy to think MoJo (if healthy) could be far more productive than he was last year.  Or that Palms wouldn't miss as many games, as he only missed two over the prior two seasons.  

As far as both MoJo and Mueller go, Shero gave up some solid picks to get both.  Last year they graded as incomplete.  Is it so terrible that Shero wanted to get another look at both of them?  Especially since MoJo had a fine year in 2016-17, and is obviously looking to up his value as he's in his walk year?

The problem with the general mass hysteria is that some people have decided after 13 friggin games that Shero not being active in the offseason has fvcked his team.  No patience at all here.  I hated the losses to the Lightning and Sens as much as anyone...who wouldn't?  But at the same time, Shero is already showing that he's willing to start tinkering sooner than later...sending Zacha to Bingo is a bigger move than people realize.  He easily could've gotten another 10 games or so, but that didn't happen...and I think Zacha figured pretty heavily (though a little cautiously) into the Devils' plans for 2018-19.  Some GMs would be very stubborn about trying to prove something in this case.  

And if I had a dime for every time you had Florida pulling ahead of the Devils and leaving them in the dust last season...well, you know that story.  All I'm saying is that some fans REALLY need to calm down and let more than one-sixth of the season play out before declaring Shero's current approach as a complete failure.  I think he's at least earned THAT.

Edited November 8, 2018 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[DevsMan84]

I don't think it's their record after 13 games that is alarming.  It is how they are losing.  This is now what 3 times in the last 6-7 games where we were spotted 2 goals and still lost.  That's really unacceptable.  One of them was against Tampa which is understandable as they are a powerhouse, but to do that against teams like Ottawa is stunning.  The players literally went from blazing on the ice to looking like their feet were in quicksand 10 minutes into the first period.

I understand that there is another team on the ice with the Devils, but I really don't like seeing this becoming a pattern.  This may just be a stretch of bad luck or bad effort that resolves itself eventually, but I don't think it is completely out of line for people to be alarmed.  Even Hynes in his post game presser questioned where the compete level of the team went.

This last 8-9 game stretch just as a feeling of those 2013-2017 years where it seemed like the team had to be damn near perfect for the entire 60 minutes just to grind out a win.  While the team does have issues, I think there is enough talent on the team to where I feel we are beyond that.  Perhaps I am just kidding myself in thinking that?  I really don't know.

Edited November 8, 2018 by DevsMan84

[DevsMan84]

5 minutes ago, Kinkyisth3b3st said:

I don't think it's mass hysteria and I don't think there's a single person on the forum that has said the phrase "Ray Shero has fvcked this team". It's weird that I feel like I keep needing to add "Ray Shero has done a fantastic job as GM since taking over from Lou" and "again I really like Shero". 

I feel like I'm in an argument with my wife right now where she keeps pretending I said something worse than I did. No, babe, I said "I agree your friend lost a lot of weight" not "I want to fvck your friend's brains out"

There were a ton of players available to make a huge impact on this team in July and it's disappointing none of them are wearing Devils sweaters this season. 

Now that's hitting close to home lol.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I didn't say anyone used those exact words.  But some are sure acting that way.  

Again, Shero had reason to think there were players that he already had that could have an increased impact.  And with 69 games still left to play, that could still happen.  He can also make an in-season deal if Plan A doesn't work out...Shero definitely doesn't strike me as a guy who won't change course if things aren't going to according to plan.

[DevsMan84]

2 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I didn't say anyone used those exact words.  But some are sure acting that way.  

Again, Shero had reason to think there were players that he already had that could have an increased impact.  And with 69 games still left to play, that could still happen.  He can also make an in-season deal if Plan A doesn't work out...Shero definitely doesn't strike me as a guy who won't change course if things aren't going to according to plan.

My only worry is what that deal could be.  Outside of Severson, Wood and maybe McLeod, what kind of assets do we have that we could give in a trade that both moves the needle and won't involve core players (Nico, Hall, Palms, etc)?  I just think that if a mid-season move is made it will probably sting pretty good.

[RunninWithTheDevil]

1 hour ago, Kinkyisth3b3st said:

Ugh, why?

I'm allowed to love Shero for taking Lou's shambles and turning it into a team we can at least not be embarrassed about. That doesn't mean I have to love everything he does blindly. 

I've said since the beginning of the year, even when we were 4-0, Shero had an opportunity to make a fringe playoff team better and he didn't. I don't care what the reasons are, that is a fact and it's a sh!tty one. 

You can love a GM and still not blindly nod to everything he does. That doesn't make you a bad fan. 

 

What magic wand would you have liked him to wave? You have NO clue what offers were made and moves attempted behind the scenes.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

2 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

My only worry is what that deal could be.  Outside of Severson, Wood and maybe McLeod, what kind of assets do we have that we could give in a trade that both moves the needle and won't involve core players (Nico, Hall, Palms, etc)?  I just think that if a mid-season move is made it will probably sting pretty good.

Cross that bridge when we come to it.  Just too early to know who's available.  Also gotta see how many of the Devils' prospects make themselves more attractive as the season goes on.  I don't kid myself...guys like Q are Blandisi-type throw-ins.