The New Jersey Devils 2021-22 Regular Season Thread

[DevsMan84]

Just now, mfitz804 said:

Marty is too dad bod chubby to be an "empty suit", just sayin'. 

After reading several articles about the jerseys since they were released, I have come under the belief that Marty had little to no input on the design.  The team saw how Devils fans (and hockey/jersey fans in general) reacted to the leaked design and decided to throw him under the bus.

[mfitz804]

1 minute ago, DevsMan84 said:

After reading several articles about the jerseys since they were released, I have come under the belief that Marty had little to no input on the design.  The team saw how Devils fans (and hockey/jersey fans in general) reacted to the leaked design and decided to throw him under the bus.

You don't HAVE to give a serious answer to an obviously ridiculous post lol. 

[DevsMan84]

1 minute ago, mfitz804 said:

You don't HAVE to give a serious answer to an obviously ridiculous post lol. 

I just drank some chocolate almond milk so I am full of sugar and ready to go.

[DevsMan84]

So it looks like Corey Masisak is leaving covering the Devils for the Athletic and instead will be covering the Sharks.

His replacement is Shayna Goldman who will be covering both the Devils and Rangers along with analytics and fantasy sports.

So now, we are down to a team-employed "reporter" and a part-timer from the Athletic for our beat going forward.  L-O-L.

[Crisis]

2 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

So it looks like Corey Masisak is leaving covering the Devils for the Athletic and instead will be covering the Sharks.

His replacement is Shayna Goldman who will be covering both the Devils and Rangers along with analytics and fantasy sports.

So now, we are down to a team-employed "reporter" and a part-timer from the Athletic for our beat going forward.  L-O-L.

This is your fault for wishing him away.

I hope you're happy now.

[DevsMan84]

1 minute ago, Crisis said:

This is your fault for wishing him away.

I hope you're happy now.

It was inevitable IMO.  I think this is what the Devils really wanted.

[MadDog2020]

29 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

So it looks like Corey Masisak is leaving covering the Devils for the Athletic and instead will be covering the Sharks.

His replacement is Shayna Goldman who will be covering both the Devils and Rangers along with analytics and fantasy sports.

So now, we are down to a team-employed "reporter" and a part-timer from the Athletic for our beat going forward.  L-O-L.

Looks like I’ll be cancelling my Athletic subscription then. 

[devlman]

41 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

So it looks like Corey Masisak is leaving covering the Devils for the Athletic and instead will be covering the Sharks.

His replacement is Shayna Goldman who will be covering both the Devils and Rangers along with analytics and fantasy sports.

So now, we are down to a team-employed "reporter" and a part-timer from the Athletic for our beat going forward.  L-O-L.

That sucks. Careful what you wish for. Replacement doesn’t sound good at all.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Man...really does feel like more than ever, this entire organization is at a crossroads:

Ownership has shown a willingness to allow their GMs to spend when it's part of the GM's plan, but outside of that, they're inconsistent and hard to read...the arena has really taken on their personalities, from the "Everyone from 'Jersey' likes the same things" homages and here-and-there upgrades to the leaks that apparently won't ever be fixed and the bathrooms that are practically SCREAMING for the slightest bit of TLC (and have been for YEARS).  Those who are making too many of the decisions come off as micromanaging corporate dorks who have little idea as to what the fans actually want...the Jersey jerseys are the latest example of this.  They actually truly BELIEVED that we would all see 'Jersey' and think it was the best fvcking thing ever.  If they would actually take the time to get to know their fanbase just a LITTLE, instead of continually assuming what makes us Jersey folk tick, so much of this constant disconnect could so easily be avoided.

The GM is no dummy, but seems more preoccupied with the future than the present, and this sh!t has got to stop, NOW.  Enough with pivoting right over to punting seasons away when Plan A hits a roadblock.  Or being patient to a fault.  I was OK with bringing in an experienced, veteran coach, but Ruff is what he is at this point...a retread who's probably better off as a transitional coach than the guy who will take you to the next level.  The assistants are a joke...how many years exactly does nASS get to prove that he is not anyone who's going to help turn things around?

And yeah, not saying that the Canucks and Flyers are anyone to emulate, but geez, it is NOT too early to fvcking do SOMETHING before another season slides effortlessly into oblivion.  Like many posters here, I've been patient, I've often given the organization the benefit of the doubt, and I've tried to be optimistic.  But if they just sit back and in a couple of months The Three Stooges are still coaching the team and the Devils are firmly in seventh place, I am gonna be just as pissed as Hamilton likely will be...because no way that guy signed here thinking this franchise would still be in potential punt mode.     

[MadDog2020]

12 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Man...really does feel like more than ever, this entire organization is at a crossroads:

Ownership has shown a willingness to allow their GMs to spend when it's part of the GM's plan, but outside of that, they're inconsistent and hard to read...the arena has really taken on their personalities, from the "Everyone from 'Jersey' likes the same things" homages and here-and-there upgrades to the leaks that apparently won't ever be fixed and the bathrooms that are practically SCREAMING for the slightest bit of TLC (and have been for YEARS).  Those who are making too many of the decisions come off as micromanaging corporate dorks who have little idea as to what the fans actually want...the Jersey jerseys are the latest example of this.  They actually truly BELIEVED that we would all see 'Jersey' and think it was the best fvcking thing ever.  If they would actually take the time to get to know their fanbase just a LITTLE, instead of continually assuming what makes us Jersey folk tick, so much of this constant disconnect could so easily be avoided.

The GM is no dummy, but seems more preoccupied with the future than the present, and this sh!t has got to stop, NOW.  Enough with pivoting right over to punting seasons away when Plan A hits a roadblock.  Or being patient to a fault.  I was OK with bringing in an experienced, veteran coach, but Ruff is what he is at this point...a retread who's probably better off as a transitional coach than the guy who will take you to the next level.  The assistants are a joke...how many years exactly does nASS get to prove that he is not anyone who's going to help turn things around?

And yeah, not saying that the Canucks and Flyers are anyone to emulate, but geez, it is NOT too early to fvcking do SOMETHING before another season slides effortlessly into oblivion.  Like many posters here, I've been patient, I've often given the organization the benefit of the doubt, and I've tried to be optimistic.  But if they just sit back and in a couple of months The Three Stooges are still coaching the team and the Devils are firmly in seventh place, I am gonna be just as pissed as Hamilton likely will be...because no way that guy signed here thinking this franchise would still be in potential punt mode.     

 

[lazer]

go back to when the new owners were new, and youll see that these warnings were there by me and beetlebum, which in part got him banned

 

i saw the toxicity of this board and the culture that stems from the leadership down, this is pretty basic stuff.

 

now, look whos claiming these ideas as their own 

 

i dont even have a problem with the owners at all now. besides being too heavy on stathletes stuff.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Dare I ask lazer...who exactly is claiming what ideas as "their own"?  (Hint:  no one, everyone is venting about the current situation).  And if anything, the idea with any "new" ownership is to at least give them a chance and some time.  Though the way they treat their fanbase like we're all cut from the same exact cloth is frustrating, I do think they'll give their GM a shot to put a team together, and give him financial backing.  As far as the on-ice product goes, I think it's now on Fitz, much more than it's on ownership...it's looking more and more like he has a serious coaching issue.  Like I said, the owners will allow a GM to spend on player contracts; Nico and Jack were given pretty pricey extensions with no fuss.  Hamilton signed for big money.  And they've been willing to spend on parts of the arena...but other parts remain neglected, and there's been plenty written about the food offerings.    

[NJDevils1214]

3 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Dare I ask lazer...who exactly is claiming what ideas as "their own"?  (Hint:  no one, everyone is venting about the current situation).  And if anything, the idea with any "new" ownership is to at least give them a chance and some time.  Though the way they treat their fanbase like we're all cut from the same exact cloth is frustrating, I do think they'll give their GM a shot to put a team together, and give him financial backing.  As far as the on-ice product goes, I think it's now on Fitz, much more than it's on ownership...it's looking more and more like he has a serious coaching issue.  Like I said, the owners will allow a GM to spend on player contracts; Nico and Jack were given pretty pricey extensions with no fuss.  Hamilton signed for big money.  And they've been willing to spend on parts of the arena...but other parts remain neglected, and there's been plenty written about the food offerings.    

Not to mention spending money on PK to try and keep Hall. I don't think ownership has looked frugal yet...in fact, I would say our previous owner looked more set in certain ways than new ones.

[lazer]

along the lines of that they were tanking and a rebuild among other things, at the time nobody could admit it.

 

we thought they cared more about the venue and at the same time, were too involved in hockey ops.

 

so either way its past cause i didnt trust whats his name oniell, but its in the past.

 

imo they got pk to protect "he who must not be named" but, either way. 

 

 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

GMs like Lou, Shero, and Fitz aren't guys who'd want to be around for an ownership-induced tank.  

We've been over it many times...Lou was never going to stop trying to Band-Aid what could no longer be Band-Aided...it was simply time for him to go.  Shero tried and was creative with what little he had in real assets to use in deals, but in the end, too many of his moves didn't pay off...and he had to try to rebuild both the big club and the AHL team from near-scratch.  Fitz sold when it made sense to sell (and did well in getting pieces back, especially first-round picks), and he's not going after players like Hamilton if he's not interested in trying.  This is clearly NOT supposed to be another "no playoffs but more experience for our kids" kind of year...and this is why Fitz can't just sit back and hope that this all somehow sorts itself out.  You signed a 28-year-old D who isn't likely to be as good as he is right now for the entirety of his deal.  No one was asking for a Cup this season, but let's at least begin to see some real urgency.      

That being said, I don't think the Devils ever really set out to tank (there's obvious measures they could have taken if they really wanted to go that route...like sitting Blackwood when he was hot for a diminished Schneider, among other things).  I think enough's gone wrong that some of these Devils teams simply didn't play as well as was hoped for.

50 minutes ago, NJDevils1214 said:

Not to mention spending money on PK to try and keep Hall. I don't think ownership has looked frugal yet...in fact, I would say our previous owner looked more set in certain ways than new ones.

They've never given me the impression that they won't spend on players...there's been some complaints about the payroll, but I think both Shero and Fitz really covet having flexibility...and the fact is there wasn't enough of a core to go out an overpay for guys who would've given us some backpage splashes, but probably wouldn't have made that much of a difference...they weren't going to spend just to spend.  If a guy like Panarin had wanted to come here, I have no doubts that the Devils would've tried to sign him...but the top guys weren't coming here for a while, and given the state of the team, who could blame them?

BUT, they need to start being more attentive to what seems to them to be "the little things".  They have the friggin' money to fix leaky roofs and to give the damned bathrooms a refresh.  And the concessions need some serious improving.  Once upon a time having a brand-new building had us all excited, but the building itself is old news now...it opened 14 years ago.  Yes, the owners have colored in some of the areas that needed it, but the building itself is in a weird place...somehow it's become more blah than it should be.  For me, being able to watch the game (and hopefully a competitive team) in reasonably comfortable seats is usually enough...but I get that a lot of people want more than that.  They want good and somewhat fairly priced food and drink (and not have to stand in line forever to get them) and souvenirs, decent bathrooms...can't see why that shouldn't happen.       

[SterioDesign]

Yeah i mean.

We were literally last in the NHL on the PK last season. Why Nas got another chance... i don't know but his leash really should be very very short this season considering that. We're now standing at 22nd on the PK. Not the worst but it did cost us games.

The PP is now second last in the league. Only team worse than us is Arizona, which is a joke team at the moment. And last year we were 28th.

This alone is very very very fair ground to fire both Nas and Recchi. Nas especially. I truly but truly don't understand. We've seen actual GOOD coaches being let go cause the team was just not responding anymore. Yet he's straight up bad and NEVER brought good results and he's still there. It makes absolutely no sense at all

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

2 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

Yeah i mean.

We were literally last in the NHL on the PK last season. Why Nas got another chance... i don't know but his leash really should be very very short this season considering that. We're now standing at 22nd on the PK. Not the worst but it did cost us games.

The PP is now second last in the league. Only team worse than us is Arizona, which is a joke team at the moment. And last year we were 28th.

This alone is very very very fair ground to fire both Nas and Recchi. Nas especially. I truly but truly don't understand. We've seen actual GOOD coaches being let go cause the team was just not responding anymore. Yet he's straight up bad and NEVER brought good results and he's still there. It makes absolutely no sense at all

The PK has actually been killing a lot of chances lately, but it feels like smoke and mirrors, and it also feels like it’s only a matter of time that things will even back out.  Also impossible to have any faith in them with the game on the line.

[MadDog2020]

20 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

Yeah i mean.

We were literally last in the NHL on the PK last season. Why Nas got another chance... i don't know but his leash really should be very very short this season considering that. We're now standing at 22nd on the PK. Not the worst but it did cost us games.

The PP is now second last in the league. Only team worse than us is Arizona, which is a joke team at the moment. And last year we were 28th.

This alone is very very very fair ground to fire both Nas and Recchi. Nas especially. I truly but truly don't understand. We've seen actual GOOD coaches being let go cause the team was just not responding anymore. Yet he's straight up bad and NEVER brought good results and he's still there. It makes absolutely no sense at all

I TRULY have no idea what Fitz is waiting for here. 

[SterioDesign]

5 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

I TRULY have no idea what Fitz is waiting for here. 

it's extremely bizarre. The only logical thing i can think of is that Fitz feel like he didn't give Nas a lot to work with in term of players. So that he feels like he need to give him a "legit chance" with better players. Which he has this year. 

But again. Any way i spin this comes down to... Nas should have a very very short leash this year. I don't think i've ever been this puzzled by a coach still being here. Years ago he should have been fired but instead he was hired as the fvcking head coach. THEN he should have been fired but no he was given another chance as an assistant. Makes no sense at this point

[mfitz804]

Maybe tonight they will play all of the defensemen as forwards and vice versa, Jack’s in goal and Dougie Hamilton is in the NJ Devil costume. 

[lazer]

2 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

GMs like Lou, Shero, and Fitz aren't guys who'd want to be around for an ownership-induced tank.  

We've been over it many times...     

That being said, I don't think the Devils ever really set out to tank (there's obvious measures they could have taken if they really wanted to go that route...like sitting Blackwood when he was hot for a diminished Schneider, among other things).  I think enough's gone wrong that some of these Devils teams simply didn't play as well as was hoped for. 

lou and shero are not around

i never said they were tanking now, that they were and did. 

schneider in for blackwood come on man; it probably cost wood his hip and schneider his groin.

that is some hard azz kool aid youre drinking, which sounds good now after reading that drivel.

 

 

Edited December 6, 2021 by lazer

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Oh well, tried to have dialogue with you, my mistake.

[SterioDesign]

1 hour ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Oh well, tried to have dialogue with you, my mistake.

you gave him too much respect 😉

[Devil Dan 56]

Great news! The unfortunately unchanged coaching staff has decided on same line combos that couldn’t crack the mighty armor of Ottawa. Johnsson Mercer and Bratt are kept as far away from each other as humanely possible. 

So basically, throw poop against wall. See what sticks. Then scrape the thing off wall that sticks and separate it. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

19 minutes ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

Great news! The unfortunately unchanged coaching staff has decided on same line combos that couldn’t crack the mighty armor of Ottawa. Johnsson Mercer and Bratt are kept as far away from each other as humanely possible. 

So basically, throw poop against wall. See what sticks. Then scrape the thing off wall that sticks and separate it. 

Yesterday when I went to the game, it was with a bud...most of the rest of the time, it's with my daughter.

I plan on taking her out for a pre-game dinner Friday night (this is going to become more of a norm, as I'll get much more bang for my buck than I will for any current concourse offerings), and then to the game.

Right now I'm not sure if this makes me a good dad or a really sh!tty one.