2022 Off-Season thread PT 2

[Devil Dan 56]

7 hours ago, SterioDesign said:

he was right tho

Because something happened with a west coast team? All he needed was to be within a 16 team range? 

This is right up there with those TV psychics. You keep things vague and broad and let people draw their own conclusions. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

BTW, re:  Capfriendly, they continue to list Nemec's ELC hit as counting towards the cap.  We'll see if he actually makes the team right out of preseason...not that it's a lot of money, but if he doesn't, the Devils would have a little more to play with.

 

So this team could look a LOT different by the start of next season:

UFA:  Tatar, Johnsson, Wood, Severson, Graves, Bernier, Haula

Guessing at the very least, four of these players will definitely not be back.  It wouldn't shock me that much if all seven were gone, but I can see one or two being retained.  Maybe Haula or Wood, if I had to throw out a guess...neither should cost too much.  I'd love it if Graves was kept, but it feels like whatever money might have been going his way was allotted to Marino.  

RFA:  Bratt, Blackwood, Sharangovich, McLeod, Bastian, Boqvist

Obviously Holtz, L Hughes, and Nemec will be joining the Devils sooner than later; hard to imagine that all three of them aren't taking the ice for the 2023 opener.  Been over it, but pretty mind-blowing that the Devils have all of four forwards on the current roster signed for next season:  Hughes, Hischier, Palat, and Mercer.  Gonna be some serious opportunities for guys like Thompson and Zetterlund...maybe guys like Foote get one last look before being written off.  Goes without saying that Bratt, Blackwood, and Sharangovich are playing for significant raises and term.  The latter three are probably expendable, but should be affordable.  Can't see any of them making more than $1.5 - 2 million AAV.  Still have to see what exactly is going on with McLeod, but he just feels like a guy who's ran his course here...even if he's really good at faceoffs.

[pumpkin cutter]

2 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

BTW, re:  Capfriendly, they continue to list Nemec's ELC hit as counting towards the cap.  We'll see if he actually makes the team right out of preseason...not that it's a lot of money, but if he doesn't, the Devils would have a little more to play with.

 

So this team could look a LOT different by the start of next season:

UFA:  Tatar, Johnsson, Wood, Severson, Graves, Bernier, Haula

Guessing at the very least, four of these players will definitely not be back.  It wouldn't shock me that much if all seven were gone, but I can see one or two being retained.  Maybe Haula or Wood, if I had to throw out a guess...neither should cost too much.  I'd love it if Graves was kept, but it feels like whatever money might have been going his way was allotted to Marino.  

RFA:  Bratt, Blackwood, Sharangovich, McLeod, Bastian, Boqvist

Obviously Holtz, L Hughes, and Nemec will be joining the Devils sooner than later; hard to imagine that all three of them aren't taking the ice for the 2023 opener.  Been over it, but pretty mind-blowing that the Devils have all of four forwards on the current roster signed for next season:  Hughes, Hischier, Palat, and Mercer.  Gonna be some serious opportunities for guys like Thompson and Zetterlund...maybe guys like Foote get one last look before being written off.  Goes without saying that Bratt, Blackwood, and Sharangovich are playing for significant raises and term.  The latter three are probably expendable, but should be affordable.  Can't see any of them making more than $1.5 - 2 million AAV.  Still have to see what exactly is going on with McLeod, but he just feels like a guy who's ran his course here...even if he's really good at faceoffs.

I think they have to list him as a starter here. We all know he’s not. Unless he blows our socks off in the prospects and pre games. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

On 8/2/2022 at 10:16 PM, mfitz804 said:

I’ve read nothing but bad about that guy for months. It gives me pause as to whether Luke would be better off in the AHL than staying there. 

Well, he's out:

Michigan fires hockey coach Mel Pearson (michigandaily.com)

And yeah, given how late in the game this decision has been handed down, gotta wonder if Luke would indeed be better off starting his pro career right away.  

[mfitz804]

1 minute ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Well, he's out:

Michigan fires hockey coach Mel Pearson (michigandaily.com)

And yeah, given how late in the game this decision has been handed down, gotta wonder if Luke would indeed be better off starting his pro career right away.  

There you have it. 

I think the added year at the NCAA level will do him good, but I feel like the AHL would also. If he is still going to stay at Michigan, I would rather it not be with the toxic coach that might be referring to him as “Jew”. 

[pumpkin cutter]

luke's ass better stay in michagan .

[andy]

On 8/5/2022 at 2:34 PM, pumpkin cutter said:

luke's ass better stay in michagan .

Why would you want him to stay in Michigan?

[Nicomo]

6 minutes ago, andy said:

Why would you want him to stay in Michigan?

Because it’s probably what’s best for his development? Quinn did 2 years there, and Luke probably isn’t ready for the NHL yet. He doesn’t even turn 19 until next month. 

[mfitz804]

7 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

Because it’s probably what’s best for his development? Quinn did 2 years there, and Luke probably isn’t ready for the NHL yet. He doesn’t even turn 19 until next month. 

I don’t know if I agree with the whole “that’s what Quinn did” as a reason for Luke to do it, they’re two different people and players, but I do feel like he needs more development.

Are we expecting him to do one more year at Michigan and then straight to the NHL, or are we also throwing an AHL season in there before he joins the big team? 

[Nicomo]

36 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

I don’t know if I agree with the whole “that’s what Quinn did” as a reason for Luke to do it, they’re two different people and players, but I do feel like he needs more development.

Are we expecting him to do one more year at Michigan and then straight to the NHL, or are we also throwing an AHL season in there before he joins the big team? 

But they play the same position, and a overall very similar style of game. With the instant success Quinn had in the NHL, there’s really no reason not to try and replicate the exact same trajectory for Luke. 

27 minutes ago, MB3 said:

luke probably isn’t the type of prospect who needs a whole season, if any time at all, in the AHL. 

This. 

You don’t really see a player as talented as Luke in AHL much these days. At least not for any significant amount of time. Guys like Byram and Drysdale had a cup of coffee down there, but that’s about it. 

The US born players like the Hughes brothers and Jake Sanderson seem to be bypassing the AHL all together. 

[MadDog2020]

 

[mfitz804]

5 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

 

 

[andy]

On 8/6/2022 at 11:14 PM, Nicomo said:

Because it’s probably what’s best for his development? Quinn did 2 years there, and Luke probably isn’t ready for the NHL yet. He doesn’t even turn 19 until next month. 

Why is Michigan better for his development than the AHL?

[devlman]

I wonder when we’ll hear more on McLeod’s Team Canada assault involvement. If he was involved then there’s no way we comes back. 4C would be up for grabs. I expect they keep Boqvist at 3C.

[mfitz804]

7 hours ago, andy said:

Why is Michigan better for his development than the AHL?

The best answer anyone gives is “it worked for his brother”. 

I’m not opposed to it, but now it’s a new coach, maybe new system, etc., I think it’s valid to wonder whether the AHL is a better place for him to develop. 

[MadDog2020]

7 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

The best answer anyone gives is “it worked for his brother”. 

I’m not opposed to it, but now it’s a new coach, maybe new system, etc., I think it’s valid to wonder whether the AHL is a better place for him to develop. 

It doesn’t really matter what we think. He’s doing another year at Michigan. The coaching situation hasn’t changed anything. 

[Nicomo]

9 hours ago, andy said:

Why is Michigan better for his development than the AHL?

 

1 hour ago, mfitz804 said:

The best answer anyone gives is “it worked for his brother”. 

I’m not opposed to it, but now it’s a new coach, maybe new system, etc., I think it’s valid to wonder whether the AHL is a better place for him to develop. 

It’s not just his brother though. Like I mentioned in my previous post - none of the top young defensive prospects (Makar, Heiskanen, Seider, Byram, Power, Drysdale, Sanderson, etc) have spent any significant time in the AHL in recent years. The trend seems to be to leave them wherever they’re currently playing (college, junior’s, Europe) until they’re ready to make the jump directly to the NHL. 

As MB3 stated - basically the simple answer is they’re too good for the AHL, and don’t need to ride the bus down there for an entire year. 

Edited August 8, 2022 by Nicomo

[mfitz804]

1 hour ago, MadDog2020 said:

It doesn’t really matter what we think. He’s doing another year at Michigan. The coaching situation hasn’t changed anything. 

You could make this argument about 99% of the topics on this page. I don’t think that prevents us from discussing them. 

[mfitz804]

7 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

As MB3 stated - basically the simple answer is they’re too good for the AHL, and don’t need to ride the bus down there for an entire year. 

He’s too good for the AHL, so let him play in college? How does that even make sense? Is it your belief that the NCAA is more competitive than the AHL? 

[mfitz804]

1 minute ago, MB3 said:

curious at what the 1% would be 

Fair point. 

[mfitz804]

5 minutes ago, MB3 said:

in college at that level he’ll be playing against wildly skilled kids his age, will have excellent coaching, chartered planes to games, etc. 

the AHL is mostly 30-year-old “won’t ever make it” guys. it’s chippier (dirtier) and the coaching simply isn’t on the same level as the top-levels of college. 9 hour bus rides drinking olde english out of a brown paper bag, etc. 

there’s a reason most top NA prospects aren’t there for very long. 

Ok, that makes sense. 

[Nicomo]

Just now, mfitz804 said:

He’s too good for the AHL, so let him play in college? How does that even make sense? Is it your belief that the NCAA is more competitive than the AHL? 

No, but I’ve given you half a dozen examples of similar top defensive prospects to Luke, that have never played a minute in the AHL (or very little in the case of Drysdale ). Idk why the coaches and GM’s are choosing to bypass the AHL for these guys, but they are. So I expect to see the same with Luke, just based off recent history. 

Now granted - some of the Euro guys were at least playing in professional leagues like Heiskanen and Seider, but the ones that just stayed in juniors (Byram for example) were basically playing against the same age and type of competition as the American kids that go the college route. 

[mfitz804]

Just now, Nicomo said:

No, but I’ve given you half a dozen examples of similar top defensive prospects to Luke, that have never played a minute in the AHL (or very little in the case of Drysdale ). Idk why the coaches and GM’s are choosing to bypass the AHL for these guys, but they are. So I expect to see the same with Luke, just based off recent history. 

Now granted - some of the Euro guys were at least playing in professional leagues like Heiskanen and Seider, but the ones that just stayed in juniors (Byram for example) were basically playing against the same age and type of competition as the American kids that go the college route. 

Yeah I understand it, I guess as a parent “everyone else does it” isn’t really a great explanation to me. 

I’m not advocating for or against the NCAA or the AHL, I just would like to see Luke progress and I hope the new coach is not an impediment to that. 

[Nicomo]

4 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

I’m not advocating for or against the NCAA or the AHL, I just would like to see Luke progress and I hope the new coach is not an impediment to that. 

*This new guy sounds pretty encouraging to me. 

Notable NHL players that have worked with Naurato include Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Jacob Trouba, Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor, JT Compher and Andrew Copp.

https://mgoblue.com/news/2022/8/7/brandon-naurato-named-interim-head-coach-of-ice-hockey.aspx

*not technically new, as he was at Michigan last year. So at least Luke is already familiar with him. 

[mfitz804]

12 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

*This new guy sounds pretty encouraging to me. 

Notable NHL players that have worked with Naurato include Zach Werenski, Quinn Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Jacob Trouba, Jack Hughes, Kyle Connor, JT Compher and Andrew Copp.

https://mgoblue.com/news/2022/8/7/brandon-naurato-named-interim-head-coach-of-ice-hockey.aspx

*not technically new, as he was at Michigan last year. So at least Luke is already familiar with him. 

Sounds like it shouldn’t be an issue.