Your New Jersey Devils Regular Season Thread: 2022-2023 Edition

[SterioDesign]

4 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

 

I don’t like the board ads either, but I disagree about watching on TV. I love watching games on TV, and I have no problem following them. To me, a game like baseball is much more enjoyable when you are actually there. It’s too boring to watch on TV. Not that it’s any more exciting when you’re there, but at least the atmosphere, you just kick back hang out and wash. Like a day in the park.

Do I enjoy going to hockey games more than watching them on TV? Absolutely. But terrible to watch on TV? Definitely not.

Yeah and while you don't get the atmosphere and everything. You can certainly see the "whole play" better from your TV at times than in some seats at the arena. you get one angle and whatever you see on the jumbotron for replays.

There's pros and cons to both but neither are terrible

[Nicomo]

I think hockey is the best sport to watch live, as it really highlights the speed of the game in person, but I don’t think it’s bad on tv at all. Maybe back in the day, but not now when pretty much everyone has a 60+ inch HD tv. 

[mfitz804]

12 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

I think hockey is the best sport to watch live, as it really highlights the speed of the game in person, but I don’t think it’s bad on tv at all. Maybe back in the day, but not now when pretty much everyone has a 60+ inch HD tv. 

100% this. Expected Accuracy % off the charts. 😉

[Nicomo]

 

[mfitz804]

Holtz and Bahl have been sent back to a Utica. 

https://www.nhl.com/devils/news/holtz-bahl-reassigned-to-utica--news/c-337910640

[Devil Dan 56]

Just now, mfitz804 said:

Holtz and Bahl have been sent back to a Utica. 

https://www.nhl.com/devils/news/holtz-bahl-reassigned-to-utica--news/c-337910640

I wonder if it’s a paper move or if anyone is coming up? Seems a little risky to have no one to play in case of injury. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

18 minutes ago, Devil Dan 56 said:

I wonder if it’s a paper move or if anyone is coming up? Seems a little risky to have no one to play in case of injury. 

I don’t see them not having a plan.

Kudos to Zetterlund…he’s basically not only having the year we were hoping Holtz would have, he’s basically taken Holtz’s spot for the foreseeable future.

A bit of a bummer because it looks like the “How To Be An NHLer on THIS team” crash course wasn’t enough.  As far as 2022-23 goes, Holtz is pretty much irrelevant, and that’s ok.  Let’s see where he is next year, as a 21-year-old.  

Edited November 22, 2022 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[Lateralous]

25 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

 

A bit of a bummer because it looks like the “How To Be An NHLer on THIS team” crash course wasn’t enough.  As far as 2022-23 goes, Holtz is pretty much irrelevant, and that’s ok.  Let’s see where he is next year, as a 21-year-old.  

At some point these guys need to get some game action.  Utica has 3 games over the next 4 days so maybe they just thought the time was right to get them into a few live games?    

[mfitz804]

1 minute ago, Lateralous said:

At some point these guys need to get some game action.  Utica has 3 games over the next 4 days so maybe they just thought the time was right to get them into a few live games?    

I think they should have sent Holtz down weeks ago at this point. Get him playing. 

Bahl as well, there’s nothing being accomplished having these young guys sit. Bahl should already be in for Smith anyway, that’s the kind of guy that you leave sitting around. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

35 minutes ago, Lateralous said:

At some point these guys need to get some game action.  Utica has 3 games over the next 4 days so maybe they just thought the time was right to get them into a few live games?    

Could be, but I feel like Holtz being sent down was not really the direction the Devils wanted to go in...I feel like this would have happened much sooner otherwise.  I do feel that Brylin was really working so hard with this kid with the hopes that he would be able to show enough in practice to get another look in an actual game.  

BUT, it could really be more of a testament to how well Zetterlund (and Tatar) have played, in that there's not much that this kid can do to force his way onto a team that simply isn't losing right now.  So along comes Plan B, and since that plan consists of Holtz playing in games again, I support it.   

Edited November 22, 2022 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[NJDevils1214]

9 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Could be, but I feel like Holtz being sent down was not really the direction the Devils wanted to go in...I feel like this would have happened much sooner otherwise.  I do feel that Brylin was really working so hard with this kid with the hopes that he would be able to show enough in practice to get another look in an actual game.  

BUT, it could really be more of a testament to how well Zetterlund (and Tatar) have played, in that there's not much that this kid can do to force his way onto a team that simply isn't losing right now.  So along comes Plan B, and since that plan consists of Holtz playing in games again, I support it.   

Other Jesper is really the one he had to out play. It's unfortunate he couldn't manage it, but Boqvist is known to be a responsible player in his own zone so I can't blame the staff for keeping him.

[Puckbuster]

Bahl and Holtz will get their chance next year.    They are 16-3 and this team is for real.  There is no need to shoehorn these two in.  I do wonder what happens when Palat returns.

[mfitz804]

3 minutes ago, Puckbuster said:

Bahl and Holtz will get their chance next year.    They are 16-3 and this team is for real.  There is no need to shoehorn these two in.  I do wonder what happens when Palat returns.

He plays, and I assume Boqvist goes. 

[Puckbuster]

7 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

He plays, and I assume Boqvist goes. 

Oh yea, he definitely plays.  Boqvist seems the logical choice.

[Puckbuster]

I just want to share this great Bratt quote.

 

"Winning is awesome," Bratt said.

[nessus]

It will be interesting to see what Holtz does in the AHL this season. Utica’s center depth is trash, and they’re overall a much worse team than last season. Holtz will have to learn to do more on his own. It would be cool to see him and Nemec on the power play though. Nemec is still on unit 2 at the moment. 

[MB3]

So Eric Haula recently said in an interview that this team reminds him a ton of inaugural season Vegas. He said it’s a sort of indescribable “brotherhood” in the locker room, every single guy plays his ass off for every other guy. He said he’s never been in a locker room that’s this tight.

With that being the case, Brendan Smith makes a ton of sense. You don’t mess up a good thing and right now this is a really, really good thing. 

[mfitz804]

19 minutes ago, MB3 said:

So Eric Haula recently said in an interview that this team reminds him a ton of inaugural season Vegas. He said it’s a sort of indescribable “brotherhood” in the locker room, every single guy plays his ass off for every other guy. He said he’s never been in a locker room that’s this tight.

With that being the case, Brendan Smith makes a ton of sense. You don’t mess up a good thing and right now this is a really, really good thing. 

I wouldn't say a TON of sense, because hockey skills. 

[Devilsfan118]

13 hours ago, Nicomo said:

 

Not too proud to admit I just bought one.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

1 hour ago, MB3 said:

So Eric Haula recently said in an interview that this team reminds him a ton of inaugural season Vegas. He said it’s a sort of indescribable “brotherhood” in the locker room, every single guy plays his ass off for every other guy. He said he’s never been in a locker room that’s this tight.

With that being the case, Brendan Smith makes a ton of sense. You don’t mess up a good thing and right now this is a really, really good thing. 

Hear ya on not messing with mojo but pretty sure the one guy who's contributed almost nothing to this cause is Brendan Smith.  That being said, starting off 16-3 gives guys like him some more time to show that they can still be a part of this thing.  If anything, sending Bahl down appears to be a vote of confidence..."OK pal, we signed you thinking you could be a solid vet.  Now show us!"

[SterioDesign]

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Yeah crazy that a 16-3 team is actually looking UP at another team.  12/23 and 12/28...those games are gonna be nuts.

[devlman]

4 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Could be, but I feel like Holtz being sent down was not really the direction the Devils wanted to go in...I feel like this would have happened much sooner otherwise.  I do feel that Brylin was really working so hard with this kid with the hopes that he would be able to show enough in practice to get another look in an actual game.  

BUT, it could really be more of a testament to how well Zetterlund (and Tatar) have played, in that there's not much that this kid can do to force his way onto a team that simply isn't losing right now.  So along comes Plan B, and since that plan consists of Holtz playing in games again, I support it.   

They’re not going to make any lineup changes during this winning streak. This has nothing to do with Holtz’ crash course in being an NHLer not panning out. There’s no conclusion to draw from this other than the team keeps winning so no one is coming out of the lineup. This is a playing time or a paper move.

[mfitz804]

22 minutes ago, devlman said:

They’re not going to make any lineup changes during this winning streak. This has nothing to do with Holtz’ crash course in being an NHLer not panning out. There’s no conclusion to draw from this other than the team keeps winning so no one is coming out of the lineup. This is a playing time or a paper move.

It kind of has to be, otherwise it was total mismanagement to have those guys sitting around for that long. 

Also, I am assuming we aren't just going short two active roster spots...who is taking those spots?

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

4 minutes ago, devlman said:

They’re not going to make any lineup changes during this winning streak. This has nothing to do with Holtz’ crash course in being an NHLer not panning out. There’s no conclusion to draw from this other than the team keeps winning so no one is coming out of the lineup. This is a playing time or a paper move.

I gotta think if Holtz was showing enough progress in practice, he would've gotten another look at some point during this streak, with Boqvist taking a seat...nothing against Bo, but I don't think the Devils would ever think "We can't scratch him, or the streak might go kaput!"  Of course I could definitely see the Devils being concerned about a line of Mercer/Rango/Holtz being torched defensively.

Holtz is a former 7OA who was given a shot to start the season with the Devils; I don't think Plan A called for him to be scratched for a bunch of games and then be sent to Utica, but the Devils saw enough in those four games to make them not want to dress him.  I think the initial idea was more "OK, this kid is raw and needs work, but let's see if he can figure things out with the big club."  It just hasn't happened for him yet.

That being said, in no way am I suggesting Holtz is a bust or can't eventually work out.  It's more that I think we just gotta give up on this kid being some "fast track" developer...he's going to need time and work and it may be a couple of years before he's ready to start really producing at the NHL level.  He may ultimately not fit in here (but have success elsewhere), but it's way too early to know that.  I didn't think Zetterlund would be a part of this but he's kinda forced his way into the picture...at least for now.  It's a minuscule sample but he's put up 17 points in his first 28 NHL games.  He's holding his own.