mfitz804 Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 44 minutes ago, Nicomo said: And you should take your terrible “he’s too small” type takes (what is this 1992?) to Facebook. Hughes put on 14 lbs of muscle between his 18 year old and 19 season. Anyone that bothers to actually watch the games can see a huge improvement in that regard. There’s actually no question about this, and it’s only a matter of time before people start realizing it. Guys are still going after him against the boards only to find that he’s either too fast to stop or just not as easy to bump off the puck as he was last season. I had the same observation about Nico his first season, and the same thing happened in his second season. He’s small, if it was in fact 1992 that would be a problem for him. But in today’s NHL, all kinds of small guys have all kinds of success. So I guess what I’m saying is, he’s lucky size doesn’t matter? Lol 16 minutes ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said: Is this.... Is this sarcasm? I am not sure but the GIF was pretty awesome. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrydevil Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 There's more than one way to build a good hockey team, and you need more than one type of player to be good. I don't see any evidence that the team is "structured" around Hughes. All I see is a talented playmaker who is growing in his role on the team. It's a critical role but even the biggest stars in the game need a supporting cast .... and a coach to put it all together. I do think this team needs more physical players, but your best offensive player doesn't have to be that guy. He could be that guy but he doesn't have to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Just now, Jerrydevil said: I don't see any evidence that the team is "structured" around Hughes. All I see is a talented playmaker who is growing in his role on the team. If anything, it’s being argued quite the opposite. Hughes needs better supporting players to be successful, and we don’t have those players on our roster at the moment. Not to mention, he was drafted less than two years ago. There hasn’t been time to structure anything around him. Bringing in younger, faster players isn’t because of Hughes, it’s because that’s what you need to be successful. But most of those young guys were already in our system, so that’s not exactly structuring around Hughes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerrydevil Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) 46 minutes ago, mfitz804 said: If anything, it’s being argued quite the opposite. Hughes needs better supporting players to be successful, and we don’t have those players on our roster at the moment. Not to mention, he was drafted less than two years ago. There hasn’t been time to structure anything around him. Bringing in younger, faster players isn’t because of Hughes, it’s because that’s what you need to be successful. But most of those young guys were already in our system, so that’s not exactly structuring around Hughes. I was responding to what Lazer said about Hughes being too small and the team being structured around him. I agree with you ... this is a puzzle and some pieces are missing --- pieces on his line and other lines and on the blue line. Edited March 10, 2021 by Jerrydevil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 10 minutes ago, Jerrydevil said: I was responding to what Lazer said about Hughes being too small and the team being structured around him. I agree with you ... this is a puzzle and some pieces are missing --- pieces on his line and other lines and on the blue line. Yes, I agree with you. I was pointing out that the argument that a team has been “structured” around a guy who has been on the team for not even two years makes no sense. How could having a roster full of guys that we’re in the organization before Hughes constitute structuring around him? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazer Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Right because now you need a finisher, an enforcer, a vet and so on all on the same line to make hughes work out. In the last two years alot has happend so thats not much of an arguement. Imo hall was a bad influence on hughes early on but thats besides the point, or is it if hughes can be hall 2.0 that takes devils to playoffs But hall had major injury to, so to me this is not devils hockey. The formula of getting a #1 and building around him in 2021, fine but to me, its not jack hughes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarDew Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 8 minutes ago, lazer said: Right because now you need a finisher, an enforcer, a vet and so on all on the same line to make hughes work out. In the last two years alot has happend so thats not much of an arguement. Imo hall was a bad influence on hughes early on but thats besides the point, or is it if hughes can be hall 2.0 that takes devils to playoffs But hall had major injury to, so to me this is not devils hockey. The formula of getting a #1 and building around him in 2021, fine but to me, its not jack hughes. Yeah, playing with Hall for less than 5 months was a real detrimental influence on Hughes. 🤦♀️ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devils Pride 26 Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Lazer I see where you’re thinking. I think the problem isn’t Hughes. The problem is the softness around Hughes. Hughes isnt going to overwhelm anyone physically, but he has elite vision and skating. You can absolutely build around Hughes - the Devils have the wrong pieces. Hughes is excellent in transitional hockey. However, putting him with Bratt and Johnson isnt a good fit. They keep putting him with players who excel at gaining the zone but other than that... don’t do anything else particularly well. Hughes excels at gaining the zone... let’s put him with guys who excel at keeping it in there. Don’t believe me? Watch the games, watch how easily teams breakout on the Devils when NJ turns it over in the o zone. Too many people under the puck and soft on the wall. Palmieri used to be decent at it, I don’t know what happened this year. He looks like Freisen and Langenbrunner the years they fell off a cliff. Nico is awesome at it and did a ton of behind the scenes work as a rookie Halls hart year. Understanding forechecks, staying on the defensive side of the puck. However, then you’re moving Hughes to wing. He needs to be with a digger that can go puck hunt in the corner. I’d like to see him with Wood. Sharangovich and Kouks deserve more shots too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 19 minutes ago, StarDew said: Yeah, playing with Hall for less than 5 months was a real detrimental influence on Hughes. 🤦♀️ Hall played 30 games total during Hughes' first season; not 100% sure Hughes played in all 30 of them, I am assuming he did. That'll fvck up a guy's career. 18 minutes ago, Devils Pride 26 said: He needs to be with a digger that can go puck hunt in the corner. I’d like to see him with Wood. Sharangovich and Kouks deserve more shots too. He clearly had a vibe going with Wood. I would also like to see him with Sharangovich as well, as I think he has been underperforming and playing with Hughes might elevate his game some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarDew Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 48 minutes ago, StarDew said: Yeah, playing with Hall for less than 5 months was a real detrimental influence on Hughes. 🤦♀️ Lazer, I was not agreeing with you in the least. I was being sarcastic hence the facepalm. btw thnx for the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 1 minute ago, StarDew said: Lazer, I was not agreeing with you in the least. I was being sarcastic hence the facepalm. btw thnx for the like. Yeah, I was wondering about that as well. I don't know lazer but I am assuming his English is perhaps not perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimaira_Devil_#9 Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 (edited) Kuokkanen seems to get moved between the taxi squad more than anyone else , but he is a more consistent performer than most. He is 8th on the team in points yet had some of the lowest TOI. I would like to see him get more time on the PP. Edited March 11, 2021 by Chimaira_Devil_#9 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfitz804 Posted March 11, 2021 Share Posted March 11, 2021 (edited) 1 hour ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said: Kuokkanen seems to get moved between the taxi squad more than anyone else , but he is a more consistent performer than most. He is 8th on the team in points yet had some of the lowest TOI. I would like to see him get more time on the PP. I agree with this. He has very quietly been better than average. If you look at the list of guys he’s outscored it’s not that impressive, but that’s meaningless. He is producing as he should. Edited March 11, 2021 by mfitz804 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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