2019 Offseason Thread

[Devilsfan118]

1 minute ago, mfitz804 said:

I think we should also chant you suck at the opera. 

I feel like we say that every season. 

 

With us or with the K??

Us, not KHL.

[CommonDreads]

1 minute ago, mfitz804 said:

I think we should also chant you suck at the opera. 

I feel like we say that every season. 

 

With us or with the K??

With us, the article claims.

I definitely want Pavs on this team, I'd be real sad to see him go. Our bottom 6 is weaker without him and he's an excellent penalty killer.

 

[mfitz804]

Just now, Devilsfan118 said:

Us, not KHL.

 

Both seemed appropriate. 

[Nicomo]

Since there’s jersey talk going on in this thread I have a question for you guys that are really into them, if big lips #9 ends up not re-signing, I need opinions on who I should replace him with if I strip my Edge 2.0? I’ve always really wanted a Stevens jersey, but would that just feel wrong on an Edge? I have a bit of OCD, and it would probably bother me a bit that it wasn’t accurate to any jerseys he actually ever wore. Or should I just get someone from the 08-17 era Devils like Zajac, maybe? 

[mfitz804]

8 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

Since there’s jersey talk going on in this thread I have a question for you guys that are really into them, if big lips #9 ends up not re-signing, I need opinions on who I should replace him with if I strip my Edge 2.0? I’ve always really wanted a Stevens jersey, but would that just feel wrong on an Edge? I have a bit of OCD, and it would probably bother me a bit that it wasn’t accurate to any jerseys he actually ever wore. Or should I just get someone from the 08-17 era Devils like Zajac, maybe? 

As a jersey collector, I would say yes, Stevens would be wrong. 

When stripping a jersey, I tend to prefer replacing a single digit with a single digit, to cover up any evidence. That would leave you very few options. 

That said, especially on red jerseys, Exclusive Pro Sports (who customized the on ice jerseys during the Edge era) does a very good job of removing all of the glue. 

I don’t think you can go wrong with a Zajac at this point. 

[Nicomo]

6 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

As a jersey collector, I would say yes, Stevens would be wrong. 

When stripping a jersey, I tend to prefer replacing a single digit with a single digit, to cover up any evidence. That would leave you very few options. 

That said, especially on red jerseys, Exclusive Pro Sports (who customized the on ice jerseys during the Edge era) does a very good job of removing all of the glue. 

I don’t think you can go wrong with a Zajac at this point. 

Ugh it’s actually a white. And the only other player I was thinking from that era is Madden (I already have Brodeur and Elias). So 11 wouldn’t cover up 9 very well? I’ve had a bunch of jerseys done with EPS, but always blanks. Never stripped one before. 

[Nicomo]

Maybe Colin White...

I do miss the bruisers in today’s game. 

[mfitz804]

7 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

Maybe Colin White...

I do miss the bruisers in today’s game. 

The glue removal on the white is always trickier. Unless you strip it and you see no glue at all, which is very unlikely, I would stick with the single digit. Colin White is a good choice.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

4 hours ago, mfitz804 said:

I feel like we say that every season. 

The big difference is that I feel like in the past, a number of fans were hoping he'd become a Top 6 (or at least show signs of becoming that someday), and more of an offensive contributor (understandable when a player is taken #6 overall).  I really don't care about where he was drafted anymore...I've reached the point where I'm hoping that he simply can contribute and be a solid player, be an intangibles guy.  Be a top PK guy and a guy who can help to shut down other lines.  And pop in 15-20 goals and put up 40-45 points.  No, it's not glamorous, but if Nico and Jack can do what we think that they can, the Devils won't need Zacha to be a Top 6 guy, and that's really a win.  I'm all for putting players in positions where they have a legit chance to succeed...I don't know if that ever would've happened if Zacha was gifted second-line minutes out of necessity.

Of course, if Zacha shows enough in the next season or two that another team thinks that Zacha might have Top 6 potential, but he's become expendable here (kinda like Henrique did), and you can use him to fill another need, so be it.  Not like everyone who's currently in uniform will be still be here when this team is (hopefully) good enough to think about being a legit Cup contender. 

Edited September 10, 2019 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[mfitz804]

39 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Be a top PK guy and a guy who can help to shut down other lines.  And pop in 15-20 goals and put up 40-45 points.

That’s two years worth of stats for him. If he were scoring 15-20 goals and 40-45 points a season, I would agree, that’s a decent bottom 6 guy. But he hasn’t been anywhere close to that output, though if he played a full season last year, he might have gotten to 15 goals. 

I just don’t see any improvement in the guy after 3 seasons. You can keep hoping it happens, but how long before we just know it won’t?

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Just now, mfitz804 said:

That’s two years worth of stats for him. If he were scoring 15-20 goals and 40-45 points a season, I would agree, that’s a decent bottom 6 guy. But he hasn’t been anywhere close to that output, though if he played a full season last year, he might have gotten to 15 goals. 

I just don’t see any improvement in the guy after 3 seasons. You can keep hoping it happens, but how long before we just know it won’t?

If the reports of a 3-year deal are true, I give him this season and next (as long as he doesn't completely stagnate or regress)...by then, I need to know if he can be some approximation of Zajac 2.0.  Zacha probably shouldn't have been up here as early as he was, so I'll give him a pass on his first year...maybe even his second, to an extent.  Last year's start was infuriating for sure.   

He did finish with 20 points over his last 30 GP (8 G and 12 A), so assuming that this latest minor surge isn't yet another tease, it's not crazy to think he might be capable of 40-45 points if he can play 80+ games.  But like I've said in other posts, I'm done with the teases.  He can't be invisible to start the season and start becoming a healthy scratch in November, and then slowly but surely appear to be making progress in late January or so.  It may sound like I'm championing him to an extent, but truthfully he's on a VERY short leash with me...I've already defined what I hope he can be, and I need to see real signs that he can become that, and I need to see them immediately.  Not after 2/3rds or so of the season, where we're all just about at the end of our ropes yet again with him.  Been there done that. 

[titans04]

2 hours ago, Devilsfan118 said:

Us, not KHL.

Bummer.

🤣

[DevsMan84]

2 hours ago, Satans Hockey said:

I don't care either way about the you suck chant but it's a hockey game not the opera.

True, but when the arena gets more fired up about the you suck or Rangers suck chant far more than even a Let's Go Devils chant, something isn't quite right here.

[mfitz804]

11 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

If the reports of a 3-year deal are true, I give him this season and next (as long as he doesn't completely stagnate or regress)...by then, I need to know if he can be some approximation of Zajac 2.0.  Zacha probably shouldn't have been up here as early as he was, so I'll give him a pass on his first year...maybe even his second, to an extent.  Last year's start was infuriating for sure.   

He did finish with 20 points over his last 30 GP (8 G and 12 A), so assuming that this latest minor surge isn't yet another tease, it's not crazy to think he might be capable of 40-45 points if he can play 80+ games.  But like I've said in other posts, I'm done with the teases.  He can't be invisible to start the season and start becoming a healthy scratch in November, and then slowly but surely appear to be making progress in late January or so.  It may sound like I'm championing him to an extent, but truthfully he's on a VERY short leash with me...I've already defined what I hope he can be, and I need to see real signs that he can become that, and I need to see them immediately.  Not after 2/3rds or so of the season, where we're all just about at the end of our ropes yet again with him.  Been there done that. 

If you are giving him another 2 years to develop, I wouldn't say that's short leash. At least not as long as my meme-ing ass is still around lol. 

[mfitz804]

Just now, DevsMan84 said:

True, but when the arena gets more fired up about the you suck or Rangers suck chant far more than even a Let's Go Devils chant, something isn't quite right here.

Agreed. If you are gonna be excited for chanting, do it across the board. 

I would have to say I am quite done with the "Kill Kill Kill" think on the PK, it's completely irritating to listen to that for two minutes (or whatever portion thereof we are in the D-zone). That bothers me WAY more than "you suck". 

The "Rangers Suck" thing I don't mind, its all of the add-ons that are not clever and just idiotic at this point. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Just now, mfitz804 said:

If you are giving him another 2 years to develop, I wouldn't say that's short leash. At least not as long as my meme-ing ass is still around lol. 

I said two years as long as he's not stagnating and is showing progress.  Like I said, if he's scuffling around for the first 1/2 to 2/3rds of 2019-20 and then seems to be figuring it out yet again later in the year, I'm gonna be pissed.  I can't see a repeat of last season with him. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Just now, mfitz804 said:

Agreed. If you are gonna be excited for chanting, do it across the board. 

I would have to say I am quite done with the "Kill Kill Kill" think on the PK, it's completely irritating to listen to that for two minutes (or whatever portion thereof we are in the D-zone). That bothers me WAY more than "you suck". 

The "Rangers Suck" thing I don't mind, its all of the add-ons that are not clever and just idiotic at this point. 

As far as the "Kill kill kill" goes, it was the vuvuzela guy that I couldn't stand...especially since the one guy was a like a five-year-old with thundersticks, who couldn't resist not playing with his lil' toy for more than a minute or two.  Not only would he blow on the vuvu between "Kills" (as in "Kill" - horn - "Kill" - horn), he'd use it to punctuate everything else, to an annoying degree.  By the end of the second period, I wanted to find that guy and beat him over the head with that fvcking vuvuzela.  Couldn't stand him.

Edited September 10, 2019 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[DevsMan84]

FWIW the "vuvuzela guy" pretty much disappeared off of the FB groups once the Devils decided the party is over with that damn thing and his schtick was gone.

Regarding Zacha, 3 years is about the most I would feel comfortable with term.  The money is alright, though I would feel anything over $1.25M would be an overpayment for him anyways.  It is still low enough to be hardly felt at all.  However, it also makes the Wood contract look even worse by comparison lol.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

5 minutes ago, MB3 said:

I. fvcking. hate. the vuvuzela guy.

it is awful. nothing sucks the mood out of a building quicker than "DEVILS GOAL SCORED BY NUMBER 13, NICOOOOO HISCHIERRRR (bwaaaaaaaaaap) ASSISTED BY NUMBER 8, WILL BUTCHER (bwaaaaaap!?) AND NUMBER 63, JESPER BRATT (bwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaap). Time of the goal 13:40 (BWAP BWAAAAP BWAAAAAPPPP BWAPPPPP BWWAAAAAAAAAAAP). 

I was trying to think of how to "spell" that sound, and you fvcking nailed it:  BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP.  That's EXACTLY what it sounded like.  And for some reason seeing it spelled out made laugh my ass off.  So thank you.

[mfitz804]

Clearly, the only person who likes a vuvuzela is a guy with a vuvuzela. Everyone else is annoyed by him. 

[DevsMan84]

2 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

Clearly, the only person who likes a vuvuzela is a guy with a vuvuzela. Everyone else is annoyed by him. 

He had his supporters believe it or not.

[Neb00rs]

Goose has arrived. 

 

[ajsgolf]

What do we take away from the prospect games?  Satisfied with the play of Hughes, Smith, Boqvist, etc?  Any other prospects that look promising?  I didn’t get to watch much of the games when I was at work, was too busy.  I know, that’s a bad excuse for a die hard but didn’t want the work piling up.

[Crisis]

5 minutes ago, ajsgolf said:

What do we take away from the prospect games?  Satisfied with the play of Hughes, Smith, Boqvist, etc?  Any other prospects that look promising?  I didn’t get to watch much of the games when I was at work, was too busy.  I know, that’s a bad excuse for a die hard but didn’t want the work piling up.

This article was written with you in mind, my dude

https://www.nhl.com/devils/news/10-takeaways-2019-prospects-challenge/c-309014442

[Devil Dan 56]

1 hour ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

I said two years as long as he's not stagnating and is showing progress.  Like I said, if he's scuffling around for the first 1/2 to 2/3rds of 2019-20 and then seems to be figuring it out yet again later in the year, I'm gonna be pissed.  I can't see a repeat of last season with him. 

I think he showed a little more consistency once he came back from the AHL. He's got the talent. Much like his agent, though, it's a mystery if he'll ever use it. He's a perfect replacement for Zajac if he can figure it out.