2021-2022 Around the League thread

[CarpathianForest]

9 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

I don’t know who either of them would pick. How do we know Ruff is any good at picking them?

You don't but at least Ruff has a little more hands on experience so he knows what type of assistants this team needs

[SterioDesign]

13 minutes ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

This is literally my point. He waited far too long. Nas was here for like 7 years and the defense has been disorganized to say the least.  Recchi was trotting out a terrible paint-by-numbers powerplay all season. Nothing was changed. That’s either on Fitz or Ruff. When you get 25-30 games into a season that isn’t going how you planned, something needs to change. 

We went through a season where our best players missed a large chunk of the season and where both our goalies got injured and finding a good replacement was almost impossible or not worth the cost for a temporary goalie.

We can hate on "non-decision" as much as we want. But nothing could have saved this season anyway and management knew this. As fans we just WANT to see something done to feel something is done. but there's no point doing things just for the sake of doing them either, if the season is lost, just prep for next one. Not like we were going for the cup or anything

[slasher72]

5-6 more years may sound far fetched but Nas survived for 5+ years so it wouldnt be a stretch to see Ruff stick around and get extended. Especially when our top players say they want him here and love playing for him. And if he does, he'd be developing our star players into their mid-late 20s with the rest in tow. The assistants will be "Fitzy Specials". And yes, we could certainly miss the playoffs during this time entire time period. And yes Ruff will come cheaper than Trotz or other available coaches, so a win for ownership. 

Sure, Fitz could swing for the fences and have an incredible offseason but the chances are he'd probably have a similar one to seasons past and stay the course. All I'm saying is there's a good chance we're stuck in this phase for longer than we anticipated. I hope I'm dead wrong. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by slasher72

[mfitz804]

6 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

We went through a season where our best players missed a large chunk of the season and where both our goalies got injured and finding a good replacement was almost impossible or not worth the cost for a temporary goalie.

We can hate on "non-decision" as much as we want. But nothing could have saved this season anyway and management knew this. As fans we just WANT to see something done to feel something is done. but there's no point doing things just for the sake of doing them either, if the season is lost, just prep for next one. Not like we were going for the cup or anything

Agree. But part of the prep for next season should have been moving on from this coaching staff. It couldn’t be any more obvious how bad they are (were). 

I don’t know what Ruff did, if anything, that warrants him not being chopped too. 

[jagknife]

9 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

Agree. But part of the prep for next season should have been moving on from this coaching staff. It couldn’t be any more obvious how bad they are (were). 

I don’t know what Ruff did, if anything, that warrants him not being chopped too. 

Jack's vote of confidence saved him, IMO

[MadDog2020]

1 minute ago, jagknife said:

Jack's vote of confidence saved him, IMO

I honestly think that’s what did it too. 

[mfitz804]

5 minutes ago, jagknife said:

Jack's vote of confidence saved him, IMO

 

3 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

I honestly think that’s what did it too. 

It’s kind of like how Charlie Bucket chose Grandpa Joe to go to the Chocolate Factory. He likes the old dude, maybe he can make him dance. 

[slasher72]

2 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

I honestly think that’s what did it too. 

Of course. When the face of the franchise wants a coach to stay, the GM and ownership are going to keep him happy. And I feel ownership also prefers Ruff because he doesnt break the bank. 

[Devil Dan 56]

25 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

We went through a season where our best players missed a large chunk of the season and where both our goalies got injured and finding a good replacement was almost impossible or not worth the cost for a temporary goalie.

We can hate on "non-decision" as much as we want. But nothing could have saved this season anyway and management knew this. As fans we just WANT to see something done to feel something is done. but there's no point doing things just for the sake of doing them either, if the season is lost, just prep for next one. Not like we were going for the cup or anything

I understand what you’re saying, but aren’t you tired of us punting seasons? Other than one magical run where Hall dragged us into the playoffs in the last game of the year, it seems we’re done by December every season.

And I don’t necessarily agree with the idea of giving up when things go wrong. I feel like it sends a negative message to the rest of the team. Fitz saying the “answer is in the room” was a huge cop out and showed he wasn’t interested in helping the situation at all. 

[Devil Dan 56]

25 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

I honestly think that’s what did it too. 

That was probably huge. I still think the leash needs to be short though. It’s important to listen to your team leaders but within reason. 

[mfitz804]

6 minutes ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

Fitz saying the “answer is in the room” was a huge cop out and showed he wasn’t interested in helping the situation at all. 

I still maintain the answer was in fact on the room, he just didn’t know what the question was. 

[SterioDesign]

59 minutes ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

I understand what you’re saying, but aren’t you tired of us punting seasons? Other than one magical run where Hall dragged us into the playoffs in the last game of the year, it seems we’re done by December every season.

And I don’t necessarily agree with the idea of giving up when things go wrong. I feel like it sends a negative message to the rest of the team. Fitz saying the “answer is in the room” was a huge cop out and showed he wasn’t interested in helping the situation at all. 

I mean. I'm not loving sucking. But also i want us to build a team that can compete and win a cup. That's very different than building a team who can just squeeze in just to say that they made the playoffs. Which is what previous management desperately tried to do and ran us into the ground.

 I really told myself then that if we'd get anyone willing to make the right steps and be patient. And give time to the young guys to develop. That'd i'd gladly deal with rookies mistakes Vs Deboer benching Larsson for one mistake while salvadore and greene were getting away with murder every minute they were on the ice...

Well with all that context it truly helps my patience.

It's really about managing expectations. Last year before the season, analyzing everything, our division, our roster and everything. I told myself that we may... MAY squeeze in a wild card position if and ONLY IF everything went absolutely perfectly, no injuries, guys having amazing seasons, other teams sh!tting the beds and just having things going our way... 

So we went into the season and literally everything that could go wrong, went wrong. So going back to my personal expectation... i couldn't be mad and upset. I understand how because of all this, it was going to be another year of "a step back in order to take 2 steps forward". Which we will. We're in a better position now to get better in the future by getting the 2nd overall than having the... 15th pick or wtv and missing the playoffs by a point.

Anyway, that's how im choosing to see things and quite frankly it's making things a lot more tolerable

[Devil Dan 56]

24 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

I mean. I'm not loving sucking. But also i want us to build a team that can compete and win a cup. That's very different than building a team who can just squeeze in just to say that they made the playoffs. Which is what previous management desperately tried to do and ran us into the ground.

 I really told myself then that if we'd get anyone willing to make the right steps and be patient. And give time to the young guys to develop. That'd i'd gladly deal with rookies mistakes Vs Deboer benching Larsson for one mistake while salvadore and greene were getting away with murder every minute they were on the ice...

Well with all that context it truly helps my patience.

It's really about managing expectations. Last year before the season, analyzing everything, our division, our roster and everything. I told myself that we may... MAY squeeze in a wild card position if and ONLY IF everything went absolutely perfectly, no injuries, guys having amazing seasons, other teams sh!tting the beds and just having things going our way... 

So we went into the season and literally everything that could go wrong, went wrong. So going back to my personal expectation... i couldn't be mad and upset. I understand how because of all this, it was going to be another year of "a step back in order to take 2 steps forward". Which we will. We're in a better position now to get better in the future by getting the 2nd overall than having the... 15th pick or wtv and missing the playoffs by a point.

Anyway, that's how im choosing to see things and quite frankly it's making things a lot more tolerable

I think Fitz saying they were as aiming for a wild card spot and then falling so far off the mark is what has me so annoyed with last season  

Also I was giving the Devils a lot of my money every year which gives the losing an extra little sting. 

[mfitz804]

6 minutes ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

I think Fitz saying they were as aiming for a wild card spot and then falling so far off the mark is what has me so annoyed with last season  

Also I was giving the Devils a lot of my money every year which gives the losing an extra little sting. 

I get what you’re saying, but on the other hand, your two top goalies missed most of the season, your superstar center missed half the season, your free agent defenseman missed significant time and came back playing like he was compromised,  etc. 

I don’t think many teams could overcome that.

[SterioDesign]

Well exactly what MB3 and Mfitz just said.

I mean... im not trying to be an a$$hole or anything. But i straight up don't understand when people say "Fitz said he wanted to play meaningful games in march... then didn't do anything and didn't even care to save the season"

Completely leaving out incredibly important context. Like... insanely important context.

It's like if a father tells his family. If everything goes well with work, that i get my promotion and that i don't have to spend too much on car repair for my inspection this year. I'll get us a trip to Europe!"

Then he lost his job, his kid totalled his car, there's a flood in the basement that isnt covered by insurances and he gets cancer.

Then his wife and kids are like "I can't believe he told us we'd go to Europe and obviously we're not and he's just sitting on his hands not doing anything!!!" While the poor guy is just trying to somehow find a cheap car so he can get a new job. While still making full payment on the car he totalled. While getting cancer treatments.

Like... this is literally what those fans sounds like to me.

Edited June 16, 2022 by SterioDesign

[mfitz804]

10 minutes ago, MB3 said:

devils were a “if everything goes right, they might squeak into the playoffs” team in the offseason. 

and then quite literally everything went wrong. expectations should’ve been adjusted and if they weren’t that doesn’t seem like Fitz’ fault, if I’m being honest. 

It’s ok, it’ll all be fixed once we trade for Knight and DeBrincat, sign Gaudreau, and get Trotz to coach. 

[mfitz804]

1 minute ago, SterioDesign said:

Well exactly what MB3 and Mfitz just said.

I mean... im not trying to be an a$$hole or anything. But i straight up don't understand when people say "Fitz said he wanted to play meaningful games in march... then didn't do anything and didn't even care to save the season"

Completely leaving out incredibly important context. Like... insanely important context.

It's like if a father tells his family. If everything goes well with work, that i get my promotion and that i don't have to spend too much on car repair for my inspection this year. I'll get us a trip to Europe!"

Then he lost his job, total his car, there's a flood in the basement that isnt covered by insurances and he gets cancer.

Then his wife and kids are like "I can't believe he told us we'd go to Europe and obviously we're not and he's just sitting on his hands not doing anything!!!" While the poor guy is just trying to somehow find a cheap car so he can get a new job. While still making full payment on the car he totalled.

Like... this is literally what those fans sounds like to me.

Sometimes your analogies take a real left turn and leave me in “huh?” land. This is not one of those times, it’s exactly right. 

[CarpathianForest]

Fitz was too busy watching his son play for the Pens to be bothered

[MadDog2020]

4 minutes ago, CarpathianForest said:

Fitz was too busy watching his son play for the Pens to be bothered

His son plays for Buffalo

[Nicomo]

45 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

Sometimes your analogies take a real left turn and leave me in “huh?” land. This is not one of those times, it’s exactly right. 

Yeah, he went a bit dark with the cancer, but as an analogy -  it’s spot on. 

[CarpathianForest]

1 hour ago, MadDog2020 said:

His son plays for Buffalo

My mistake. Either way we gotta get these motherfvcking Penguins off this motherfvcking team!

[DevsMan84]

11 hours ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

That was probably huge. I still think the leash needs to be short though. It’s important to listen to your team leaders but within reason. 

To me this line is the big one with Fitz.  Like I said earlier at best it means he is incompetent.  At worst his hands are being tied by those above him.

I don't doubt Fitz will try to do some things in the offseason; it depends on what kinds of things he will do.  Will he do another picks and parts for another team's most expendable player kind of deal?  Will he sign a big free agent only to dump another player on an expiring contract and have to pay another team with a pick to do that the same afternoon?  Give up 2nd and 3rd rounders for another project who has fallen short of his draft selection?

If those are the types of moves he ends up making and everyone declares he won the post-season, pardon me while I not celebrate after recent PTSD.

[DevsMan84]

9 hours ago, mfitz804 said:

It’s ok, it’ll all be fixed once we trade for Knight and DeBrincat, sign Gaudreau, and get Trotz to coach. 

Trotz apparently turned down $7M a year to coach the Flyers.  I doubt the owners would shell out anywhere near that amount for him while they swim around in their big vault of money a la Scrooge McDuck.

[slasher72]

4 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Trotz apparently turned down $7M a year to coach the Flyers.  I doubt the owners would shell out anywhere near that amount for him while they swim around in their big vault of money a la Scrooge McDuck.

This. The owners own a portfolio of professional sports teams, and the Devils are just one of many. They likely have very little emotional investment in this team and want to get as much ROI without breaking the bank. Art Rooney, George Steinbrenner, or Wellington Mara they're not.

[Lateralous]

One other point is that if you include the #2 in the upcoming draft, we have three top 10 picks on board that are not yet on the roster.  Assuming Slaf is the pick, all three address major holes in the roster when they do arrive, if they pan out of course.   The Devils are far from a finished product that is just wildly underachieving.     

At least with respect to the prospects, I think Fitz has done a nice job taking a long term approach and not rushing guys up 

14 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

Give up 2nd and 3rd rounders for another project who has fallen short of his draft selection?

We're actually at the point where we have a pretty deep prospect pool and these type trades can make a lot more sense than when Shero was doing them.   I don't know if Palmieri qualifies as falling short of his draft position but imagine if we could land that type of player now for just a 2nd and 3rd?