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The 2021 Offseason Thread


jagknife

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About as "so what" as it gets, but teams make little "depth for depth" deals like this all of the time.  With guys like Sharangovich and Kuokkanen showing some promise (and other forwards coming through the ranks), Merkley was expendable.  Didn't feel like he was going to have much of a future here (unless a ton of guys get hurt, and he gets some time with the big club as a result).  

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4 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

It wasn't long ago that Devils fans, including ones here, were calling Merkley part of our future after his first 4 games.

He was as expendable as they come and he was the one I really wanted the Kraken to take in the expansion draft.

In fairness, last season other players simply climbed over him on the depth chart.  Not that I thought that he was a star in the making, but enough's happened that there wasn't much reason to keep giving him looks. 

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6 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

In fairness, last season other players simply climbed over him on the depth chart.  Not that I thought that he was a star in the making, but enough's happened that there wasn't much reason to keep giving him looks. 

The other players who climbed over him were rookies and other players who were simply better.  Players who are worth keeping around actually stick around and not get penciled in as part of the future after 4 games.

Edited by DevsMan84
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Just now, MB3 said:

yes I too find it absolutely appalling that people change their opinion on a player after a full calendar year of poor and uninspired play. 

I find it equally appalling when people who say that we should slow our roll and wait after 4 games get attacked on here.

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2 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

The other players who climbed over him were rookies and other players who were simply better.  He will only get time in SJ for similar reasons.

It doesn't really matter who climbed over him...just that it happened, and it didn't look like he was going to find a way to climb back over those who left him behind...those guys are simply better than him.  Maybe that gives him extra incentive in SJ, but the guess here is he is what he is...a guy approaching his mid-20s who's never going to be quite good enough to be more than a fill-in call-up.  

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I must be in the minority but I thought that Merkley always looked tidy when he played. He had his flaws but he wasn't the worst player on the ice. 12 points in 31 games isn't too shabby for a fourth liner. 

But RHD are thin on th ground so it's depth need for depth need I guess. 

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7 minutes ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said:

I must be in the minority but I thought that Merkley always looked tidy when he played. He had his flaws but he wasn't the worst player on the ice. 12 points in 31 games isn't too shabby for a fourth liner. 

But RHD are thin on th ground so it's depth need for depth need I guess. 

Yeah i actually liked him quite a bit. He always brought energy and made things happen with his limited ice time or appearances. Not that i believed he was going to be a star for us or anything but i always thought he was pretty good.

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23 minutes ago, MB3 said:

yes I too find it absolutely appalling that people change their opinion on a player after a full calendar year of poor and uninspired play. 

“Blake Coleman is nothing but a role player” ~ that guy

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Great trade for Utica. Jaros will have some chances when someone will hirt. In other time he will be partner for our left defensemen in Utica. 
I really like this depth trade. We have hard need in depth guy for Merkley who has 0.01% chance to be regular NHL player with his tool set and can went in Europe for free\be picked on waivers.

Edited by Guadana
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18 minutes ago, MB3 said:

Can I quote you on this when you have your annual off-season meltdown because the Devils haven't done anything fourteen minutes into Free Agency? Or does this logic only work for those who fall on the pessimist side of the glass-half-full debate?

I guess even though I do not recall any meltdowns.  At least not like the ones you have in almost every GDT loss.

Conversely, can I reference this conversation when the team is not doing well and you have your usual angry petulant child meltdown schitck on almost every GDT loss?

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1 hour ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

It doesn't really matter who climbed over him...just that it happened, and it didn't look like he was going to find a way to climb back over those who left him behind...those guys are simply better than him.  Maybe that gives him extra incentive in SJ, but the guess here is he is what he is...a guy approaching his mid-20s who's never going to be quite good enough to be more than a fill-in call-up.  

He was literally penciled in by some of our fans (one in particular) as being a mainstay on our third line for years to come.  He's literally a AAAA player where he only draws into a decent lineup when players are either injured or suspended.

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4 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Let's just let the cat out of the bag, you were the person I was thinking of the most with saying Merkley is a piece of our future after 4 games.

I’m sure I was. I live rent free in your head for some reason. Anyway, I liked Merkley, but I certainly didn’t view him as some actual core piece. So as usual you’re just being hyperbolic to sh!t on people’s opinions who you don’t like. 

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Just now, MB3 said:

hhaha holy sh!t whenever I see you post I wonder how difficult it must be that you spend so much time on a forum where *literally* nobody likes you.

I've got my haters but I've also got my fans. And I do it for my fans, love you all ❤️ 

lol I can name several people who have literally left this forum because of you.  Hell you made it an art to chase away any new member here if they don't post the way you see fit. Yet I am the most hated LMFAO.

You have not changed a single thing about your personality in the 11 years and you still act like the 18-year old drama queen mean girl that you were back then.

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6 minutes ago, CarpathianForest said:

Your father was a hamster and your mother smelled of elderberries

I usually look about like this after reading most of your posts…

image.gif.9e14d66e00003f53093c61c0cf2d41dd.gif

but you quoted one of my favorite comedies of all time so maybe I’ve misjudged you lol. 

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2 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

He was literally penciled in by some of our fans (one in particular) as being a mainstay on our third line for years to come.  He's literally a AAAA player where he only draws into a decent lineup when players are either injured or suspended.

Probably out of pure hope, more than anything else (I don't remember who said what about him, at the time he was acquired).  Not like Merkley was the "big get" in that Hall deal anyway...I'd say Bahl and the first-rounder were.  Merkley was more of a throw-in who had "former first-rounder" on his resume, for whatever that's worth.  Given his age at the time, you see if he can still turn into something at the NHL level, but if he doesn't, you move on...especially once it's clear other players are better.    

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