UPDATE 3/11/22 - Wood Practicing (Non-Contact) Again - Had Hip Surgery 11/8/21

[mfitz804]

I don’t know if we need to make a trade to cover a gap left by Miles Wood, but as we have many other gaps as well, it’s probably a good idea. 

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

8 minutes ago, RunninWithTheDevil said:

Maybe a deal for Marchessault? Not sure what the cost would be though, probably higher than not

Its one where I am not sure he fits the age profile, he soon turns 31. His contract has two years to run at least so he won't be on th books for long. But at the same time what would you have to give up for a potentially short term return. 

Riley Smith is apparently someone who might beon the block because of his contract. Might be a lower outlay. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 minute ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said:

Its one where I am not sure he fits the age profile, he soon turns 31. His contract has two years to run at least so he won't be on th books for long. But at the same time what would you have to give up for a potentially short term return. 

Riley Smith is apparently someone who might beon the block because of his contract. Might be a lower outlay. 

The problem when it comes to improving the team via trade, is there's not really a whole lot at Utica that will fetch a difference-maker...maybe Holtz + other pieces, but I want to give Holtz some time here before even thinking about moving him...I'm not going to pretend that he's a sure thing, but it feels like out of the current crop of "what's their future?" kids, that he's got the best hot. 

The Devils would have to look at trying to pull off a quantity-for-quality trade, more than likely...say any two or three of Boqvist/Thompson/Zetterland/Walsh/Foote (or anyone else who want to throw in there) + a draft pick.  Or if you're ready to wave the white flag re:  Sharangovich, maybe include him too.  But still not sure what pieces from that group will bring back.  

[EdgeControl]

Happened on the last year of his contract, at least he gets his 3.5 mil this year. Dam good 4th round pick. Best of luck

[RunninWithTheDevil]

Posted to his Instagram story minutes ago

[NJDevils1214]

6 minutes ago, RunninWithTheDevil said:

Posted to his Instagram story minutes ago

Good stuff! I really hope this works out. I definitely feel like he is missed.

[SterioDesign]

i don't know if he'll be back this season but if he could at least come back for a few weeks at the end just so we get a sense of if he can still play and what he could bring next season. Important info for Fitz for the summer

[MadDog2020]

29 minutes ago, RunninWithTheDevil said:

Posted to his Instagram story minutes ago

Awesome news!

22 minutes ago, NJDevils1214 said:

Good stuff! I really hope this works out. I definitely feel like he is missed.

He is definitely missed. He brings speed and sandpaper we could sorely use.

[MB3]

he’s an RFA. qualifying him only costs 1y/$3.5m (its “base salary in final year” not “cap hit” or “AAV”, smart bit if contract setup by his agent). 

I can’t imagine he won’t at the very least he qualified. He’s worth $3.5m to a team that will struggle to hit the floor next season after PK’s contract goes bye bye.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

On 1/9/2022 at 2:43 PM, MB3 said:

he’s an RFA. qualifying him only costs 1y/$3.5m (its “base salary in final year” not “cap hit” or “AAV”, smart bit if contract setup by his agent). 

I can’t imagine he won’t at the very least he qualified. He’s worth $3.5m to a team that will struggle to hit the floor next season after PK’s contract goes bye bye.

New Jersey Devils Salary Cap, Draft Picks, and Player Contracts - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

Bratt figures to get a healthy raise...gotta think Zacha will get one too, especially if he picks it up, but yeah, with PK's money coming off, that's a lot of money to play with.  I won't be surprised to see Graves extended.  Three Devils are already making $7+ million AAV, but there's teams a LOT top-heavier than that.  And outside of Nico, Jack, and Dougie, no one else is signed long-term.    

Will be interesting to see how the D-corp is handled...gotta think Luke and Muk will be joining the Devils within the next two years (two more cheap ELCs).  Siegenthaler is making a case for being extended.  Smith is obviously having a brutal time, but I'm not ready to give up on him.  

Yeah, definitely not going to hurt the 2022-23 Devils to qualify Wood for a season...the cap room is absolutely going to be there.  Also can see Fitz pulling off a mid-tier signing or two this offseason...gotta think Holtz makes the team next year, which will be a cheap cap hit.  And I just don't see enough in Utica that can be counted on to fill spots on the cheap.      

[DevsMan84]

If push comes to shove and someone in this group has to go then right now my vote would be for Zacha.  After showing promise last season, he has seemingly fell back to Earth and is playing like Zacha of old.

[mfitz804]

12 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

If push comes to shove and someone in this group has to go then right now my vote would be for Zacha.  After showing promise last season, he has seemingly fell back to Earth and is playing like Zacha of old.

You could argue that last season was “almost” his breakout year.

[RunninWithTheDevil]

5 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

You could argue that last season was “almost” his breakout year.

 

[MB3]

21 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

If push comes to shove and someone in this group has to go then right now my vote would be for Zacha.  After showing promise last season, he has seemingly fell back to Earth and is playing like Zacha of old.

why would push come to shove? are the devils suddenly pouring out the seams with top-6 forwards? 

[mfitz804]

39 minutes ago, MB3 said:

why would push come to shove? are the devils suddenly pouring out the seams with top-6 forwards? 

If anything you could argue we’re short a few. 

[titans04]

1 hour ago, mfitz804 said:

You could argue that last season was “almost” his breakout year.

[DevsMan84]

15 hours ago, MB3 said:

why would push come to shove? are the devils suddenly pouring out the seams with top-6 forwards? 

I am not sure if I would consider 1G and 3A in his last 16GP as top 6 level production.

[mfitz804]

15 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I am not sure if I would consider 1G and 3A in his last 16GP as top 6 level production.

His PavelBoner has not yet subsided. 

[Nicomo]

2 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

His PavelBoner has not yet subsided. 

I recommend watching some footage of the Devils power play…

[MB3]

28 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

I am not sure if I would consider 1G and 3A in his last 16GP as top 6 level production.

I'm not sure I'd use a hand-picked sample size as evidence that he's easily replaceable on a bottom-5 NHL roster.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 hour ago, DevsMan84 said:

I am not sure if I would consider 1G and 3A in his last 16GP as top 6 level production.

Given the full-season (although it came over three seasons) sample that preceded this, I have to at least give him the rest of this season to see if he can start producing again.  But yeah, if he disappears for the rest of the year, I'm open to moving him...that being said, given that he's arb-eligible, things would be a little murkier...Devils could let things go to arbitration, see what the settlement is, and then either let that contract become a "Show Me" deal, or then deal him...of course, given that he'd be on a one-year deal and heading into UFA (I think), not sure how much he'd fetch in a return.

The last 16 games have been disappointing, no doubt, but I do think he did enough to not give up on him before the season's over.  

Also fair to wonder who's really pushing Zacha at this point.  Anytime any of the Utes are called up, they've pretty much done nothing offensively.  The Devils are already a major longshot to sniff the playoffs...they might as well try to figure out if that 82-game stretch was legit or not.    

Edited January 11 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[mfitz804]

58 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

I recommend watching some footage of the Devils power play…

I kind of just wanted to say PavelBoner. 

[DevsMan84]

1 hour ago, MB3 said:

I'm not sure I'd use a hand-picked sample size as evidence that he's easily replaceable on a bottom-5 NHL roster.

That sample falls in line with the rest of his career minus a 40ish game stretch last season.

[DevsMan84]

1 hour ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Given the full-season (although it came over three seasons) sample that preceded this, I have to at least give him the rest of this season to see if he can start producing again.  But yeah, if he disappears for the rest of the year, I'm open to moving him...that being said, given that he's arb-eligible, things would be a little murkier...Devils could let things go to arbitration, see what the settlement is, and then either let that contract become a "Show Me" deal, or then deal him...of course, given that he'd be on a one-year deal and heading into UFA (I think), not sure how much he'd fetch in a return.

The last 16 games have been disappointing, no doubt, but I do think he did enough to not give up on him before the season's over.  

Also fair to wonder who's really pushing Zacha at this point.  Anytime any of the Utes are called up, they've pretty much done nothing offensively.  The Devils are already a major longshot to sniff the playoffs...they might as well try to figure out if that 82-game stretch was legit or not.    

I am not advocating for trading him now for peanuts.  What I am saying is that given the recent raises and soon-to-be raises for guys like Bratt, Graves, etc and ones further down the line (Mercer), push comes to shove then if there is an odd-man out I would rather it be Zacha.  For most of his career of nearly 350 games he has been invisible minus a 40ish game stretch last season.  I am not going to want to give a guy a payday based on something he did in 20-21 season for future 22-23 and beyond seasons.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

3 minutes ago, DevsMan84 said:

That sample falls in line with the rest of his career minus a 40ish game stretch last season.

2019-20 (final 20 GP):  5 G, 9 A, 14 Pts

2020-21 (50 GP):  17 G, 18 A, 35 Pts

2021-22 (first 14 GP):  7 G, 4 A, 11 Pts

Total:  84 GP, 29 G, 31 A, 60 Pts

That's a pretty decent-sized sample...it's not like the Devils have had a whole lot of players lately who've been able to do that.

Re:  your most recent post, the Devils are in a bit of rock and a hard place with him...if he's meh to flat-out unproductive the rest of the season, teams will try to get him on the cheap...if he picks it back up, does it really make sense to deal him, assuming the Devils don't re-sign him long-term, and he's on a one-year arb-settlement deal?  And that there doesn't seem to be much in Utica capable of providing much offense with the big club?

The big question that hasn't been fully answered yet...did the sample above truly represent him turning a corner (which would render the games that came before it pretty much moot), or was it a fluke?  That's what the Devils have to find out.