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GDT: Devils at Ducks, 3/1/2020 8pm Eastern


mfitz804

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Just now, Nicomo said:

Can you at least admit he creates a lot of great chances? Almost nightly. I’d be much more concerned if he wasn’t even doing that. And he was truly “invisible” like some have claimed. 

I mean, he makes some nice passes, is that the same as "creating a lot of great chances, almost nightly"? I think thats an exaggeration. He does enough that you know the tools are there, he just needs to work on them. 

There were a number of games where he didn't do anything exciting whatsoever except skate fast and then lose the puck. 

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Just now, mfitz804 said:

Agreed, though Hall getting traded isn't part of my analysis. We sucked well before that happened. 

I think the uncertainty swirling around the Hall situation was a MAJOR distraction early on. 

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5 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

I mean, he makes some nice passes, is that the same as "creating a lot of great chances, almost nightly"? I think thats an exaggeration. He does enough that you know the tools are there, he just needs to work on them. 

There were a number of games where he didn't do anything exciting whatsoever except skate fast and then lose the puck. 

What else would I be talking about though? He’s a playmaker. Making passes that send guys in alone, or are basically tap ins (that guys somehow managed to flub) are absolutely creating prime chances. 

I guess he could be getting breakaways that he never score on like Miles Wood or something, but I’m actually more encouraged by vision and anticipation than just being really fast. 

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Just now, Nicomo said:

You’re just a glass half empty guy in general. It’s not just with Hughes. 

Can you at least admit he creates a lot of great chances? Almost nightly. I’d be much more concerned if he wasn’t even doing that. And he was truly “invisible” like some have claimed. 

Doesn't Wood get lumped into that same category?  Didn't Cordell used to write extensively about how BB8 creates a lot of chances?

I care about points and wins, not chances.

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1 hour ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

I think we see a very different Jack Hughes next year. As @Colorado Rockies 1976 said, he’s not used to this kind of thing. He’s almost always been the best guy on the ice so this is probably very new to him. I think what we saw in the Detroit game (including when he bristled when it was suggested that he was manhandled) is that he’s frustrated with this season. He seems like the kind of competitive guy who isn’t going to just accept things. Hughes probably comes into camp very motivated next year. 

Tell that to the Hughes Hot Takers™️

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1 minute ago, Nicomo said:

What else would I be talking about though? He’s a playmaker. Making passes that send guys in alone, or are basically tap ins are absolutely creating chances. 

I guess he could be getting breakaways that he never score on like Miles Wood or something, but I’m actually more encouraged but vision and anticipation than just being really fast. 

My issue was more with the idea that he does it a lot and on a nightly basis. That hasn't been true for a lot of games. Sometimes its once a game, sometimes not at all. 

 

\Again, I am not disagreeing with you and I think there's something there to be encouraged by, but the way you're saying it, it sounds like he's the second coming and everyone else is just fvcking it up. 

 

4 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Doesn't Wood get lumped into that same category?  Didn't Cordell used to write extensively about how BB8 creates a lot of chances?

I care about points and wins, not chances.

I also like Wood, he's a weird animal but he does draw penalties and does create more opportunities than his style and talent should permit. 

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2 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

My issue was more with the idea that he does it a lot and on a nightly basis. That hasn't been true for a lot of games. Sometimes its once a game, sometimes not at all. 

 

\Again, I am not disagreeing with you and I think there's something there to be encouraged by, but the way you're saying it, it sounds like he's the second coming and everyone else is just fvcking it up. 

 

I also like Wood, he's a weird animal but he does draw penalties and does create more opportunities than his style and talent should permit. 

To be honest, I have noticed Wood more the past 5 or so games than Hughes.

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9 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Doesn't Wood get lumped into that same category?  Didn't Cordell used to write extensively about how BB8 creates a lot of chances?

I care about points and wins, not chances.

If you’re blaming an 18 year old rookie for lack of wins therein lies the problem. 

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2 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

To be honest, I have noticed Wood more the past 5 or so games than Hughes.

He isn’t as good, but guaranteed he works as hard if not harder than everyone on the ice every night. Chaos on skates. I’d have him on my 4th line all day. 

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1 minute ago, MadDog2020 said:

No. Implying he’s a bust waiting to happen is though (and to be fair, that’s more Daniel than you).

Fair.  I just don't understand why posters here somehow seem to have crystal balls saying he will eventually succeed but me saying there is reason to worry I am just talking out of my ass.

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4 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Fair.  I just don't understand why posters here somehow seem to have crystal balls saying he will eventually succeed but me saying there is reason to worry I am just talking out of my ass.

I just don’t think there’s much reason to worry, and that’s where we differ. The kid gets the benefit of the doubt this year, seeing as how he’s 18, weighs 160 pounds soaking wet, and is a string bean on skates playing against men on a nightly basis. And despite that, the flashes are there. The talent is evident. Let him fill out and put on 15-20 pounds. The future is bright for Jack. 

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7 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I clearly said points and wins in my post lol

Right. But we all knew Hughes was going to need to be eased in this year. He never “played against men.” So while I’m disappointed with his point totals, I’m not putting our lack of success on him. Or at least he’s not high on the list. Guys like Subban, Cory, and the other vets that were expected to lead this team are the ones that should be held accountable. 

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I think it's certainly fair to be extremely disappointed in the season Hughes has had to date. I don't think that necessarily means he's a bust or or will be anything close to it over his career. At the same time I don't think it's a slam dunk he's going to be the second coming.  We get on minus man yet if you look at the projected numbers for the rest of the season Hughes is going to beat him out easily for the green jacket by 6 strokes.

There are flashes of nice plays but they aren't consistent and as Mfitz has pointed out there's games where he's invisible. To me it can't always be about his linemates. He's hasn't been productive no matter who his linemates have been. If you look at where he stands points wise within the team (that's extremely limited talent wise on the whole) it's dreadful.  He projects out at 27 points and -31. If someone would of put those numbers out at the beginning of the season they would of been laughed at.  He like most others have been part of the reason why this team hasn't played a meaningful game in weeks/months.  

Hopefully he can regroup over the off season and take whatever steps are necessary to elevate his game starting with game 1 next season. The expectations aren't going to go away when you're the #1 pick. 

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9 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Fair.  I just don't understand why posters here somehow seem to have crystal balls saying he will eventually succeed but me saying there is reason to worry I am just talking out of my ass.

This is not what happened though. A couple people started the bust talk, some others (myself included) countered with examples of some great players that struggled early on, and were then mocked because they were “too long ago” or something. 

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The Cory thing is probably more complicated than just being able to get rid of him.

He's making 6 million and very few teams will want to take that on. He's clearly not hurt so there's no LTIR. Do the owners want to pay him that kind of money to sit in the minors? Probably not. Do you buy him out?  They may not want to do that either. They are currently paying for part of Hall, Vats, and  Simmonds, plus what’s left of Cammalleri and Kovalchuk’s contracts. For all we know they are sick of paying dead cap space.

 What I do know is if that we absolutely can’t go into next season with Blackwood, Schneider, and Senn as our top 3. There needs to be another veteran able to jump in. Let Senn be the guy in Binghamton for the next year

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1 minute ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

 What I do know is if that we absolutely can’t go into next season with Blackwood, Schneider, and Senn as our top 3. There needs to be another veteran able to jump in. Let Senn be the guy in Binghamton for the next year

For your health, I recommend you just come to terms with the fact that we'll be trotting Blackwood and Cory out there as our duo next season.  I've gone through the stages of grief and have arrived at acceptance already and it'd probably be for the best that you do the same.

Jokes aside - it's probably going to happen.  When Cory falters we'll be stuck desperately looking for a goalie, again.  It is what it is.

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Watched the game last night as best I could but was trying to keep my newborn settled for large stretches of it, so just now catching up.  A few random thoughts:

  • For a total lack of goal scoring, it's funny how when he does score, Zacha seems to get two.  I know there's a big group on here that call him a bust and want to move on from him but when you get past his draft position and who was taken after him, he's clearly a useful middle 6 guy.    Hopefully with the chemistry he's showing with Bratt, he can get to 40 points for the season. 
  • I not worried about Hughes at all until I see him come out next season and struggle.   
  • As many have said, don't fall for the Schneider late season routine again.   Nothing against the guy but it is just time to move on.  We can't go another 2/3rd of a year or longer stretch without him contributing a win, which he's already done twice.   
  • Just like it was super encouraging to see Nico breaking out before his injury, you have to really feel good about the way Bratt has been playing.  He looks like he's going to be a major piece of the core with what we're seeing right now.    
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2 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

I just don’t think there’s much reason to worry, and that’s where we differ. The kid gets the benefit of the doubt this year, seeing as how he’s 18, weighs 160 soaking wet, and is a string bean on skates playing against men on a nightly basis. And despite that, the flashes are there. The talent is evident. Let him fill out and put on 15-20 pounds. The future is bright for Jack. 

Yup, look at what Nico looked like his rookie year, and I think Jack is even smaller. A rookie Nico playing between Wood and Simmonds wouldn’t have put up 50 points. 

But Jack could pass for 15, he is that small. He needs to do whatever Nico did between years 1 and 2.

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9 minutes ago, Devilsfan118 said:

For your health, I recommend you just come to terms with the fact that we'll be trotting Blackwood and Cory out there as our duo next season.  I've gone through the stages of grief and have arrived at acceptance already and it'd probably be for the best that you do the same.

Jokes aside - it's probably going to happen.  When Cory falters we'll be stuck desperately looking for a goalie, again.  It is what it is.

Fitz should be fired over it if this happens. 

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2 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

You’re assuming he’ll have the job...

Well, he’s the GM until he’s not. And I do think he gets the job. 

I would also probably worry a little less about a totally new GM with no relationship to Cory bringing him back. 

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