RizzMB30 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 The Fitz presser is good. A lot of good info in there. Fitz said he wants to focus on the RFAs now. UFA's will test market, said he may circle back with a UFA if they don't sign somewhere or get offers. Said that he see's Kevin Bahl as a viable replacement for Ryan Graves if the price is right. Fitz mentioned Bahl specifically when talking about Graves leaving and mentioned Nemec coming in and replacing Severson per what he's hearing from Nemec's coaches. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MadDog2020 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 (edited) AND YOU GET EIGHT YEARS! AND YOU GET EIGHT YEARS! Fitz has been about as bold as any NHL GM as I can remember…I’ve never seen this firm of a commitment to a young core EVER. So many GMs would go the bridge route here and there, even with the bigger names, but that’s not even in Fitz’s playbook…and it’s going to be interesting as hell to see how this all plays out as the seasons unwind…but even if this somehow doesn’t pay off, I fully understand what he’s doing, and have absolutely NO issues with any of it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a commitment to the greater good…both Timo and Bratt could’ve said “I’m testing the market” and gotten more, just because UFA tends to work that way. Yet neither did…and they basically signed RIGHT back up with damned near no hesitation or drama. It still blows my mind that all of these guys are here and locked up and not one of them is making over $9 million AAV. Yeah there will be dicey cap moments and painful trades down the line, but that’s how it goes. But at least Fitz has put together his team in a way where he has a great chance to enjoy more flexibility down the line than anyone could possibly expect. Impossible not to have full faith and trust in the guy, that’s for damned sure. Thank you Fitz. THANK YOU! Edited June 29, 2023 by Colorado Rockies 1976 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDfan1711 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 Looking at line combinations, this makes a ton of sense to me and is as good of a lineup I've seen in years, and I'm not just talking Devils. I mean league wide. This is just downright stupid depth and skill. I mean, it's everything you want. The top two likes are speed and skill, the third line is grit with experience and skill, and the fourth line is size and grit. Mercer - Hischier - Meier Bratt - Hughes - Toffoli Palat - Haula - Holtz Bastian - McLeod - Boqvist With Foote/Lazar/Clarke/Thompson all viable depth candidates this year. And that's if a guy like Tatar doesn't re-sign, and if Wood is gone. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 9 minutes ago, NJDfan1711 said: Looking at line combinations, this makes a ton of sense to me and is as good of a lineup I've seen in years, and I'm not just talking Devils. I mean league wide. This is just downright stupid depth and skill. I mean, it's everything you want. The top two likes are speed and skill, the third line is grit with experience and skill, and the fourth line is size and grit. Mercer - Hischier - Meier Bratt - Hughes - Toffoli Palat - Haula - Holtz Bastian - McLeod - Boqvist With Foote/Lazar/Clarke/Thompson all viable depth candidates this year. And that's if a guy like Tatar doesn't re-sign, and if Wood is gone. I get the feeling Holtz won’t be a part of the Devils this year unless someone gets hurt. I think part of the reason Toffoli was acquired was to not have to try to make Holtz happen this year. Toffoli does absolutely seem like a one-year move…just don’t see how Fitz will have the money to re-sign him with all the other (much younger) players that he’ll have to pay. So I do think if Holtz plays well enough, there will be a spot open for him in 2024-25. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevils1214 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 9 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said: I get the feeling Holtz won’t be a part of the Devils this year unless someone gets hurt. I think part of the reason Toffoli was acquired was to not have to try to make Holtz happen this year. Toffoli does absolutely seem like a one-year move…just don’t see how Fitz will have the money to re-sign him with all the other (much younger) players that he’ll have to pay. So I do think if Holtz plays well enough, there will be a spot open for him in 2024-25. I don't disagree but I really hope Holtz proves me wrong. Also, keep in mind, something like 2.2m in dead cap coming off the books in the next yearor so and I heard Fridge say the cap increase next season could be like 4million. I assume that money goes to Mercer and not Toffoli, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 Just now, NJDevils1214 said: I don't disagree but I really hope Holtz proves me wrong. Also, keep in mind, something like 2.2m in dead cap coming off the books in the next yearor so and I heard Fridge say the cap increase next season could be like 4million. I assume that money goes to Mercer and not Toffoli, though. I think this year is all about getting Holtz tons of minutes and lots of games and working on his overall game…in Utica. And then he’ll come into preseason next season almost with a job to lose, if all goes well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanMac16 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 (edited) Was checking the odds last night on the Cesar's sports book for the next stanley cup champ to make a bet on our boys and was pleasantly surprised to see they have us tied for 3rd most likely to win the cup next year. Not sure why Col is above us? We finished higher than them in the standings and made it further in the playoffs but it is what it is. Edited June 29, 2023 by SeanMac16 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RizzMB30 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 (edited) 4 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said: I get the feeling Holtz won’t be a part of the Devils this year unless someone gets hurt. I think part of the reason Toffoli was acquired was to not have to try to make Holtz happen this year. Toffoli does absolutely seem like a one-year move…just don’t see how Fitz will have the money to re-sign him with all the other (much younger) players that he’ll have to pay. So I do think if Holtz plays well enough, there will be a spot open for him in 2024-25. I think Toffoli was acquired as purely insurance in case Holtz doesn't make the team this year. It's plopping Toffoli right in front of Holtz on the depth chart on the right side. We have Mercer, Toffoli and Holtz/Boquist. One of Holtz and Boquist will not be here by end of next year. I hope Holtz makes it an easy decision to move from Boqi and keep Holtz. If Holtz plays well, then Toffoli slots in great on the 3rd line alongside Haula-Palat if he forces the coaching staff's hands. Holtz is the biggest question mark on the team now. We don't even really need him to be great, we just need him to be a good complimentary piece to the core like Toffoli is likely to be. Improvement of his play without the puck. If Holtz is in Utica all year long, you might as well just move the kid. It means there wasn't a lot progress made from the start of the last season to now. Fitz has stated recently that our window is now/opening. It's be a complimentary piece on the pro team this year (and hopefully build himself into a core player) or we need to explore other options. Just my honest two cents. He wasn't better than Zetterlund OR Boqi last year. Would have rather kept a Zetterlund and sent Holtz the other way for Meier if the team was that low on Holtzy. My question to you would be who do you think plays Bratt-Hischier-Mercer Meier-Hughes-Toffolli Palat-Haula- ???? here ???? Foote-McLeod/Lazar-Bastian If it's not Holtz, I gotta think it's going to one of Clarke or Boquist barring another addition. If you add another player for that spot, you'll lock Holtz out barring injury. I guess what I am saying is if you're going to give that roster spot to a newcomer, you won't have the spots for Clarke, Boquist, or Holtz and I'd rather have one of those guys in that spot than another new addition. Edited June 29, 2023 by RizzMB30 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 29, 2023 Share Posted June 29, 2023 4 hours ago, RizzMB30 said: I think Toffoli was acquired as purely insurance in case Holtz doesn't make the team this year. It's plopping Toffoli right in front of Holtz on the depth chart on the right side. We have Mercer, Toffoli and Holtz/Boquist. One of Holtz and Boquist will not be here by end of next year. I hope Holtz makes it an easy decision to move from Boqi and keep Holtz. If Holtz plays well, then Toffoli slots in great on the 3rd line alongside Haula-Palat if he forces the coaching staff's hands. Holtz is the biggest question mark on the team now. We don't even really need him to be great, we just need him to be a good complimentary piece to the core like Toffoli is likely to be. Improvement of his play without the puck. If Holtz is in Utica all year long, you might as well just move the kid. It means there wasn't a lot progress made from the start of the last season to now. Fitz has stated recently that our window is now/opening. It's be a complimentary piece on the pro team this year (and hopefully build himself into a core player) or we need to explore other options. Just my honest two cents. He wasn't better than Zetterlund OR Boqi last year. Would have rather kept a Zetterlund and sent Holtz the other way for Meier if the team was that low on Holtzy. My question to you would be who do you think plays Bratt-Hischier-Mercer Meier-Hughes-Toffolli Palat-Haula- ???? here ???? Foote-McLeod/Lazar-Bastian If it's not Holtz, I gotta think it's going to one of Clarke or Boquist barring another addition. If you add another player for that spot, you'll lock Holtz out barring injury. I guess what I am saying is if you're going to give that roster spot to a newcomer, you won't have the spots for Clarke, Boquist, or Holtz and I'd rather have one of those guys in that spot than another new addition. I think re: Holtz, it’s more about the Devils having largely wasted a year of his development, and needing to do a reset where they start over, get him playing in every game (with lots o’ minutes) and have him working on his ENTIRE game. Because his game does need that much work. I start the season with Boqvist, as this year is kinda last chance for him. Even Holtz doesn’t have a spot this year, there is a very good chance there will be one for him there next year. He’ll be 22, which is still pretty young. If Holtz is progressing so well next year that he’s making a real case to join the big club next year, great. But I still target 2024-25 as the real “C’mon Alex let’s GOOOOOOOOO!” season. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJDevils1214 Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 Poor Wood was tired of being on a bad team. I wonder who is going to give him a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puckbuster Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 17 hours ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said: AND YOU GET EIGHT YEARS! AND YOU GET EIGHT YEARS! Fitz has been about as bold as any NHL GM as I can remember…I’ve never seen this firm of a commitment to a young core EVER. So many GMs would go the bridge route here and there, even with the bigger names, but that’s not even in Fitz’s playbook…and it’s going to be interesting as hell to see how this all plays out as the seasons unwind…but even if this somehow doesn’t pay off, I fully understand what he’s doing, and have absolutely NO issues with any of it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a commitment to the greater good…both Timo and Bratt could’ve said “I’m testing the market” and gotten more, just because UFA tends to work that way. Yet neither did…and they basically signed RIGHT back up with damned near no hesitation or drama. It still blows my mind that all of these guys are here and locked up and not one of them is making over $9 million AAV. Yeah there will be dicey cap moments and painful trades down the line, but that’s how it goes. But at least Fitz has put together his team in a way where he has a great chance to enjoy more flexibility down the line than anyone could possibly expect. Impossible not to have full faith and trust in the guy, that’s for damned sure. Thank you Fitz. THANK YOU! I agree 100%! And that trade with Poile today really shows his loyalty to people he works with. I respect that a lot and like you said, if it doesn’t pan out with cup, I still appreciate what he did to give the Devils the best chance to win one. Trustworthiness, loyalty and integrity are qualities I look for in people I associate with personally and professionally and Fitz has shown that every step of the way. Those are the kind of people you fall on the sword for. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicomo Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 1 hour ago, NJDevils1214 said: Poor Wood was tired of being on a bad team. I wonder who is going to give him a shot. Canucks are supposedly interested in him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagknife Posted June 30, 2023 Author Share Posted June 30, 2023 6 hours ago, NJDevils1214 said: Poor Wood was tired of being on a bad team. I wonder who is going to give him a shot. 5 hours ago, Nicomo said: Canucks are supposedly interested in him. While i have seen no direct rumors linking the two, him going to toronto and playing like he did for most of last season would be outright hilarious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincois Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 I thought I read RFA's must be qualified by 5 PM today? Wonder which players (of other teams) might be available? I'm sure names have been out there available for trade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunninWithTheDevil Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 13 minutes ago, vincois said: I thought I read RFA's must be qualified by 5 PM today? Wonder which players (of other teams) might be available? I'm sure names have been out there available for trade. Let's go for Lafreniere and bury him in the AHL where he belongs 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 (edited) I get the feeling Fitz is going to sign a couple of his RFAs today. No idea which two. Assuming Nemec’s hit will soon join the cap fray, Fitz has about $9.3 million left to play with for Boqvist, Bastian, McLeod, and Bahl. Edited June 30, 2023 by Colorado Rockies 1976 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2ELIAS6 Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 Something tells me that Mcleod is that one who is asking for more than what fitz wants to pay out. We shall see. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 5 minutes ago, 2ELIAS6 said: Something tells me that Mcleod is that one who is asking for more than what fitz wants to pay out. We shall see. Same, I have a feeling he’s looking for $3+ million AAV. And I don’t think Fitz has any interest in going anywhere near that for any of these RFAs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lateralous Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 27 minutes ago, RunninWithTheDevil said: Let's go for Lafreniere and bury him in the AHL where he belongs Will he accept playing on the second line in Utica behind Holtz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 2 minutes ago, Lateralous said: Will he accept playing on the second line in Utica behind Holtz? Has he earned it? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RizzMB30 Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 (edited) 32 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said: Same, I have a feeling he’s looking for $3+ million AAV. And I don’t think Fitz has any interest in going anywhere near that for any of these RFAs. If I am McLeod's agent, if I can squeeze another 500k out of NJ, I'd try and do it. Everyone wants a bottom 6 center who dominates the faceoff circle game in and game out. Last year this same time we were talking about how he might never play in the NHL again due to his indiscretions and his WJC incident. If anyone is trying to squeeze a little more out of NJ it's likely him or Boquist. He increased his value this year compared to last. Have to remember, Fitz has a replacement for McLeod right in his back pocket and his name is Curtis Lazar. Cheaper and will do the same things that McLeod wants to get paid for. It hurts McLeod's argument that "nobody else brings what I do." While I'd love to give him 3m for being a 4th line center who proved he can play 3rd line in a pinch. He's worth 2-3 and I don't know if I would blame his agent for trying to negotiate up to 3m. You have to give Fitz credit if he tells McLeod to take a walk or that we can't afford what he wants to get paid, especially considering we have Curtis Lazar just sitting here as a 13th forward or taking Wood's spot as a contingency. Edited June 30, 2023 by RizzMB30 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 McLeod will be one of those guys that the Devils lose to UFA in time. I get the feeling that whatever he signs for, it wil be just long enough to take him to UFA…where he’ll get a solid overpayment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunninWithTheDevil Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 27 minutes ago, Lateralous said: Will he accept playing on the second line in Utica behind Holtz? 24 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said: Has he earned it? The kids are "alright..." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Rockies 1976 Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 Just now, RunninWithTheDevil said: The kids are "alright..." If those are the alright kids then I’d hate to see the bad kids… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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