Devils Season so far, where we are after 25%

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

Thought it would be good to see what everyone's thoughts are after 25% of the season played. 

If you are going other , tell us why. 

[Nicomo]

Went with other on “most disappointing” - - has to be Nico for me. Ty has also sucked, but the term sophomore slump exists for a reason, and defense is a tougher position for young players. 

I’m much more irritated with our 5th year captain who has 2 goals in 21 GP, and has had way too many nights where he was barely noticeable.

I used to think Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was Nico’s absolute floor, but at this point it’s looking more like that could be his ceiling. I know he’s only 22 (turns 23 next month), but I expected a lot more from him this season. 

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

2 hours ago, Nicomo said:

Went with other on “most disappointing” - - has to be Nico for me. Ty has also sucked, but the term sophomore slump exists for a reason, and defense is a tougher position for young players. 

I’m much more irritated with our 5th year captain who has 2 goals in 21 GP, and has had way too many nights where he was barely noticeable.

I used to think Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was Nico’s absolute floor, but at this point it’s looking more like that could be his ceiling. I know he’s only 22 (turns 23 next month), but I expected a lot more from him this season. 

I was very close to putting Nico is as well on that list. But what is maybe more damming in terms of him not being on there is that actually I am at the point where I don't expect more from him. This is about his level, currently. 

I think he has the potential to take another step. But we are not there yet. 

[Nicomo]

16 minutes ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said:

I was very close to putting Nico is as well on that list. But what is maybe more damming in terms of him not being on there is that actually I am at the point where I don't expect more from him. This is about his level, currently. 

I think he has the potential to take another step. But we are not there yet. 

He’s never been this bad at putting the puck in the net before. He’s currently on pace for about 8-9 goals. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Good polls, a lot of tough choices.

I went with Bratt as the best...he's really stepped up and at times been very dynamic, but not like Hamilton or a couple of others are any less deserving.

Johnsson as my most surprising...we we practically begging Seattle to scoop him up in the expansion draft.  Some were upset when Bastian was taken instead of him.  

Severson as my worst...obviously you can make an argument for Ty, but I'm giving him a pass for now for two reasons:  1) Sophomore slump/still very young, and 2) fvcking nASS is not the guy to be mentoring anyone.  But Severson has been in the league for how long?  He's had his share of defenders for years (at times I was absolutely one of them), but maybe at the end of the day, he's simply just not good? 

Most disappointing...I went with Sharangovich, but I could have just as easily picked just about anyone on the list.  Blackwood is looking more and more like a guy who's going to run too hot and cold to be a true #1.  Makes us all realize yet again what we all had in Brodeur...so many kids come up and look promising, but never truly put it all together, or are simply exposed as not being anything special.  I get the feeling Blackwood's heading towards "Future 25-or-so-game backup who occasionally fills in as a #1 in a pinch" territory.

I thought the Devils record would be a little better, but that's based on expectations (hopes) before the season began.  If someone had told me that Hughes was going to miss 17 games (and other players would miss some games), I would've felt differently.

I don't think the Devils will make the playoffs, but I really hope that they do.  I think the Devils are still in "Let the season die on the vine if Plan A doesn't work out" mode.  If they want to give Ruff more time with different assistants (let him choose them...as the HC, if you're behind him, let him do that), I can live with it...it sucks, in that the Devils have tried the "Young coach we'll let grow into the job" route, AND the "Let's bring in an experienced vet" approach...neither has worked out.  nASS still being here for as long as he has been is a complete joke...do we ever get to the punchline? 

Something I was thinking about...obviously young players can come up and wow initially and then never build off that early success (or regress), but damn that seems to happen here a lot.  Remember how good Severson looked initially?  Butcher?  Smith?  Are the Devils just really that bad at developing players at the NHL level?

 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[DevsMan84]

Not sure how Hischier isn't even an option on the "Most disappointing" list.  I thought he was pretty obvious over some of the other guys on there.

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

3 hours ago, DevsMan84 said:

Not sure how Hischier isn't even an option on the "Most disappointing" list.  I thought he was pretty obvious over some of the other guys on there.

Yeah he should be. Like I said above, from my personal perspective I am not overly shocked by his play.

Although as Nicomo pointed out that goal projection is truly awful. 

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

4 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Good polls, a lot of tough choices.

I went with Bratt as the best...he's really stepped up and at times been very dynamic, but not like Hamilton or a couple of others aren't any less deserving.

Johnsson as my most surprising...we we practically begging Seattle to scoop him up in the expansion draft.  Some were upset when Bastian was taken instead of him.  

Severson as my worst...obviously you can make an argument for Ty, but I'm giving him a pass for now for two reasons:  1) Sophomore slump/still very young, and 2) fvcking nASS is not the guy to be mentoring anyone.  But Severson has been in the league for how long?  He's had his share of defenders for years (at times I was absolutely one of them), but maybe at the end of the day, he's simply just not good? 

Most disappointing...I went with Sharangovich, but I could have just as easily picked just about anyone on the list.  Blackwood is looking more and more like a guy who's going to run too hold and cold to be a true #1.  Makes us all realize yet again what we all had in Brodeur...so many kids who come up and look promising, but never truly put it all together, or are simply exposed as not being anything special.  I get the feeling Blackwood's heading towards "Future 25-or-so-game backup who occasionally fills in as a #1 in a pinch" territory.

I thought the Devils record would be a little better, but that's based on expectations (hopes) before the season began.  If someone had told me that Hughes was going to miss 17 games (and other players would miss some games), I would've felt differently.

I don't think the Devils will make the playoffs, but I really hope that they do.  I think the Devils are still in "Let the season die on the vine if Plan A doesn't work out" mode.  If they want to give Ruff more time with different assistants (let him choose them...as the HC, if you're behind him, let him do that), I can live with it...it sucks, in that the Devils have tried the "Young coach we'll let grow into the job" route, AND the "Let's bring in an experienced vet" approach...neither has worked out.  nASS still being here for as long as he has been is a complete joke...do we ever get to the punchline? 

Something I was thinking about...obviously young players can come up and wow initially and then never build off that early success (or regress), but damn that seems to happen here a lot.  Remember how good Severson looked initially?  Butcher?  Smith?  Are the Devils just really that bad at developing players at the NHL level?

 

 

It's an interesting point, I think younger players learn a lot from the people they are playing with. And this Devils team has no too quantity veteran presence. I would imagine players like Brian Rafalski and Paul Martin would have learned a lot from playing with Stevens and Niedermayer. 

Still think this forward group could use something like that. 

 

[Crisis]

Who's the blissfully blind mother fvcker that thinks we are making the playoffs this year?

[lazer]

 Who has been the most disappointing?

 

all the hype around hughes if he stays healthy, its hughes

 

im not surprised hes missed 25% of the season.

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

4 minutes ago, lazer said:

 Who has been the most disappointing?

 

all the hype around hughes if he stays healthy, its hughes

 

im not surprised hes missed 25% of the season.

When I saw you had posted in this I knew what was coming. Predictable. 

[lazer]

19 minutes ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said:

When I saw you had posted in this I knew what was coming. Predictable. 

so youre not disappointed in hughes season so far? also predictable

 

so im not allowed to discuss hughes now on a devils message board?  

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

2 minutes ago, lazer said:

so im not allowed to discuss hughes now on a devils message board?  

Sure you can...if you want to continue to do so in a way that makes you look like a complete ass, by all means, knock yourself out.  Never understood what exactly trolls get out of trolling, but go ahead, keep doing you.  I'll just ignore you from now on.  I have little doubt others will follow suit.

[SterioDesign]

7 minutes ago, lazer said:

so youre not disappointed in hughes season so far? also predictable

so im not allowed to discuss hughes now on a devils message board?  

He has 3 pts in 4games this season 2 of them playing off position and coming back from major injury.

There's just no way to frame this in any other way that you're incredibly biased negatively towards him and unfair at this point. 

[lazer]

6 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

He has 3 pts in 4games this season 2 of them playing off position and coming back from major injury.

There's just no way to frame this in any other way that you're incredibly biased negatively towards him and unfair at this point. 

alright, yeah im not buying the hype so i said my peace on it.

[SterioDesign]

9 minutes ago, lazer said:

alright, yeah im not buying the hype so i said my peace on it.

Well what were your expectations that weren't met that makes you feel that way?

I will repeat again. He played 4 games. 2 of them coming back from major injury and not playing his position. And he has 3 pts in 4 games. One of them being an absolute highlight reel.

What was your realistic expectations for him exactly? Like what was he supposed to do for you to be happy and not post 20 negative things about him every game. I'm waiting. 

Edited December 3, 2021 by SterioDesign

[titans04]

3 hours ago, Crisis said:

Who's the blissfully blind mother fvcker that thinks we are making the playoffs this year?

a day drinker here in the US.

[2ELIAS6]

Really wanted to pick that we are going to make the post season, but I had to be honest with myself. Especially how disappointing they’ve looked the last couple games. If they don’t figure something back out and quick we will start fading away fast

[Rob_Ottawa]

Blackwood is really my biggest disappointment. From the vaccine sh!t show to mediocre, inconsistent play, just not a great year so far. Our team is built on speed, not team defense, so our only hope is rock solid goaltending and so far we aren't getting it. Getting really sick of down x goals in the first goddam period too.

Edited December 3, 2021 by Rob_Ottawa

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

1 hour ago, lazer said:

so youre not disappointed in hughes season so far? also predictable

 

so im not allowed to discuss hughes now on a devils message board?  

[Jerrydevil]

I had Ty Smith as most disappointing because the Devils need him to be capable to be a playoff contender, and he's very far from capable.

[NJDevils1214]

10 hours ago, Nicomo said:

He’s never been this bad at putting the puck in the net before. He’s currently on pace for about 8-9 goals. 

 

11 hours ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said:

I was very close to putting Nico is as well on that list. But what is maybe more damming in terms of him not being on there is that actually I am at the point where I don't expect more from him. This is about his level, currently. 

I think he has the potential to take another step. But we are not there yet. 

I alluded to this in Min GDT, but I am wondering if there is something medically wrong with Nico(in the vein of something like Sal's head issues). He got hit in the face with a slap shot and I am starting to wonder if he is having some lingering issues.

I am also wondering if there is a dark cloud of sorts forming around the team. The entire group seems almost pre-defeated some nights like morale is at an all time low.

[titans04]

Nico's 250 games into his career and wearing a C, I certainly hope he figures it out sooner rather than later.  If it's a long term head issue well then that's worst case. But I think we maybe grasping at straws here (hopefully) for a handful of guys just not getting it done. There's still some time to turn it around even if we don't sniff the playoffs again. But let's not be done playing meaningful games by the end of the month.

[EdgeControl]

We are stinking at the wrong time, these next 13 games are the season. We need to put a serious string together  like 9 or 10 out of 13. Not seeing us doing that unfortunately.

[nessus]

As others have said, the only players that have stood out for me in a positive way are Bratt, Johnsson, Mercer, and Hamilton. I will add that Hamilton, in particular, has been a bright spot on this team. No matter who was hot or cold on the team, Hamilton has been consistently productive. With the way he went from a strong team to a significantly weaker team this year, you would almost expect his production to dip a bit. But not Dougie, he has kept up his play regardless of all that.

As for everyone else, they each seem to fall into one of several categories:

Neutral: Zacha, Graves, Subban, Siegenthaler. You're mostly getting what you expect from these guys based on recent seasons' performance. I was hoping Zacha would take another step forward, but he has fewer points than Nico, who has been disappointing for everyone. I've been a huge Zacha fan since the beginning, but even I'm starting to see what the naysayers think of him to some degree. I still think of him as one of the Devils' best offensive weapons, but when he's off his game, there can be a lot of turnovers, poor decisions, and low effort plays. Hoping he can clean that up.

A lot left to be desired: Tatar, Hischier, Sharangovich. I think all three of these players have overall been disappointing, but have been on a generally positive trajectory. Hischier, in particular, I am confident will continue elevate his game, as he slowly has been. Shara looks lost often, but he showed so much promise last season that it might premature to write him off.

These guys are  still on the team?: Kuokkanen, McLeod, Bastian. Bastian deserves some time, but Kuokkanen and McLeod are two guys that I thought would have significant roles on this team. Neither of them has shown much of anything this year, and I don't think faceoffs are enough to keep McLeod around.

Terrible: Smith, Severson. Smith is clearly going through growing pains and will get better with time. Severson, on the other hand, was set up to thrive in Ruff's system, especially with a more limited role. He has struggled, and will need to pick his game up soon if he is going to be a part of this team's future.

Inconsistent goaltenders: self explanatory.

I should also mention that Vesey has been a pleasant surprise. Doesn't move the needle all that much, but he has had some big moments, and was definitely worth the PTO and low risk contract.

Overall, this has made for the season to be quite disappointing for me. I thought this would easily be a bubble team, but instead, I find that the team has a deceivingly average record. The silver lining is I think that a lot of these players can wake up and have a strong remainder of the season.