2023-2024 NJ Devils season thread

[Mindcrime30]

2 hours ago, RizzMB30 said:

I think Lindy staying on the same page with Fitz through and through, especially outwardly toward the media helped him keep his job

Great point - I think it works the other way as well. 

Fitz has an analytical hockey mind and is interested not just in team building, but the X's and O's of the game as well. Remember that he wanted to be a coach before he naturally gravitated to the GM path. Fitz was impressed with Lindy's ability to shape young players going as far back as the Panthers days in the 90's, which was a driving force behind bringing him in as coach. Fitz brought in Lindy as his guy to fill a perceived need, and the duo work together collaborating on things like lineups and systems/strategy play within that lineup.

Given the above it's easy to see how Fitz has a lot of patience with Lindy. In admitting Lindy isn't the guy for the job, Fitz has to admit the same of himself, as they work so closely together. Much easier to blame it on goaltending, injuries, or even puck luck, than to admit that their shared vision just isn't panning out.

To be clear I'm talking purely about the coaching role, which I think (and interviews have supported) Fitz has made himself part of. To me the solution moving forward is for Fitz to step back from day to day decisions and be the great GM he's proven himself as, letting Lindy sink or swim on his own accord as the coach. After that make a decision objectively based on the numbers.

Edited December 19, 2023 by Mindcrime30

[MadDog2020]

So apparently Daws was on the way to pick up his new dog when he got the call: 

 

[ButlerBulldog]

 

[smelly]

LeBrun -- Hamilton expected out balance of regular season, return expected late April/early May.  Over 9MM opens up.

 

This is not a surprise.  But it is good news.

 

Defenseman and G incoming.  Also should look at defensively responsible F with size.  Def can afford Hanifan/Tanev now if Fitz is interested in that direction.

Edited December 20, 2023 by smelly

[devlman]

43 minutes ago, smelly said:

LeBrun -- Hamilton expected out balance of regular season, return expected late April/early May.  Over 9MM opens up.

 

This is not a surprise.  But it is good news.

 

Defenseman and G incoming.  Also should look at defensively responsible F with size.  Def can afford Hanifan/Tanev now if Fitz is interested in that direction.

Tanev is a must. Any goalie with a pulse is a must. And yes, another top 9 fwd is needed to keep competition for spots alive. Sometimes a Holtz or a Bastian or a Palat (I can only wish) needs to sit. Hell even a Mercer, too.

[Nicomo]

23 minutes ago, devlman said:

Tanev is a must. Any goalie with a pulse is a must. And yes, another top 9 fwd is needed to keep competition for spots alive. Sometimes a Holtz or a Bastian or a Palat (I can only wish) needs to sit. Hell even a Mercer, too.

Please don’t start that again. That’s the exact opposite of what he needs. 

[devlman]

55 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

Please don’t start that again. That’s the exact opposite of what he needs. 

He needs ice time, yes. But that doesn’t give him a get out of jail free card to play subpar and be exempt from the occasional justified benching.

[NJDevs4978]

1 hour ago, Nicomo said:

Please don’t start that again. That’s the exact opposite of what he needs. 

Too late, Holtz played less than ten minutes again lol

I was actually glad Lindy sat Timo for a period earlier in the year, but other than that (or Severson against the Flyers last year) the vets usually get too exempt from the accountability. I’d even be fine with just skipping a couple shifts as a warning like he did with Nemec tonight.

Edited December 20, 2023 by NJDevs4978

[Nicomo]

Seeing a lot of people posting Devils merch they bought with the black logo without the circle. I’m cautiously optimistic it’s going to look pretty good if that is indeed what the stadium series jerseys are going to be. I didn’t get either of the RR’s, or the JJ, so I’m hoping I like this one enough to buy one. Maybe a  Luke or Nemec. 

[NJDevs4978]

I wonder why they aren’t ’officially’ releasing the logo before holiday shopping, if that’s what it is they’ve been teasing it for weeks in the tshirt toss.

Edited December 20, 2023 by NJDevs4978

[Oglethorpe13]

If you had the option to ditch lindy and pick up a new coach, who you trying to bring in? I like lindy, and he has an impressive resume, but feel like he's lost the room.

[jagknife]

10 minutes ago, Oglethorpe13 said:

If you had the option to ditch lindy and pick up a new coach, who you trying to bring in? I like lindy, and he has an impressive resume, but feel like he's lost the room.

I don’t think he’s lost the room, if anything he’s made it too comfortable for vets (hello Brendan Smith and Jonas Siegenthaler)

Green is an okay replacement in the interim 

[StarDew]

Every time I see Green I keep thinking Andy not Travis. 😄

Yes I know Andy is Greene for those abt to correct me. 😉 

Edited December 20, 2023 by StarDew

[MadDog2020]

1 hour ago, Oglethorpe13 said:

If you had the option to ditch lindy and pick up a new coach, who you trying to bring in? I like lindy, and he has an impressive resume, but feel like he's lost the room.

Craig Berube is a name that’s interesting 

[Oglethorpe13]

Just seeing how many other teams have cut their coach, and feel like lindy can't be too far off of "next in line". Read some rumors on brind'amour, granted he still has his job, but his contract is almost up. Think he'd be a great coach here if he's available and interested. Still hard to think Carolina doesn't resign him. Just playing the "what if" game, over the past few games. I'm not in panic mode quite yet.

[RizzMB30]

31 minutes ago, Oglethorpe13 said:

Just seeing how many other teams have cut their coach, and feel like lindy can't be too far off of "next in line". Read some rumors on brind'amour, granted he still has his job, but his contract is almost up. Think he'd be a great coach here if he's available and interested. Still hard to think Carolina doesn't resign him. Just playing the "what if" game, over the past few games. I'm not in panic mode quite yet.

I was sitting here trying to come up with a name other than Pete DeBoer and that's a great one. I really like Brind'Amour. CAR and he have a lot of history. I don't see them dropping him while they are still good and winning. They are hitting a stretch of bad too, but they'll bounce back. I think Paul Maurice seems like a pretty good coach too.

I think Bruce Cassidy and Montgomery have proven their value and I think Torts would maybe be okay. Marty St. Louis would be great. Jon Cooper is good. Brunette has been great in NSH. Now I'm just naming off various NHL coaches, but at the end of the day I think Ruff is fine. Like I've said before, if he loses the room, then fair enough, bring in somebody new. 

I would fully expect this team to take anywhere from 20-40 games to adjust to a brand new coach no matter who you bring in. 
 

 

[NJDfan1711]

8 minutes ago, RizzMB30 said:

I would fully expect this team to take anywhere from 20-40 games to adjust to a brand new coach no matter who you bring in. 
 

 

I was thinking almost the exact same thing, and that's precisely why I don't expect Lindy to go anywhere. I'm not certain he's getting all he can out of the team, given the inherent talent of the group, but we're above 500 and not even halfway through the season.  Canning the head coach right now, given the circumstances, is too great a risk and would put an otherwise average to above average season in jeopardy of going to waste. 

In order for a firing and subsequent hiring of a new coach to be considered a successful move at this juncture, the team would have to go on a deep playoff run, which wouldn't be impossible, but I don't think a new coach is necessarily gonna get us to that point any quicker or more easily than Lindy will. 

[Oglethorpe13]

Good input, fellow posters. Just some random thoughts on an off day. That's why I like to converse here. I'm not a jersey native, so fellow devils fans are few and far between in my neck of the woods.  I always like to hear you folks' takes on whatever effects the black and red

[NJDfan1711]

2 hours ago, Oglethorpe13 said:

Good input, fellow posters. Just some random thoughts on an off day. That's why I like to converse here. I'm not a jersey native, so fellow devils fans are few and far between in my neck of the woods.  I always like to hear you folks' takes on whatever effects the black and red

Likewise. I consider myself as diehard of a Devil's fan as anyone, but to me this place is as good as it gets in terms of Devils content and knowledge, and I really rely on and respect the thoughts and opinions of those here who are close to the team and live in the area. 

[NJDevs4978]

Among realistic options atm Boudreau, but I doubt we get a name coach like him or even Berube. Unfortunately, Green and Kevin Dineen are the most likely options if Ruff ever got canned mid season and neither is that inspiring either.

[NJDfan1711]

21 minutes ago, NJDevs4978 said:

Among realistic options atm Boudreau, but I doubt we get a name coach like him or even Berube. Unfortunately, Green and Kevin Dineen are the most likely options if Ruff ever got canned mid season and neither is that inspiring either.

Green and Dineen don't excite me much.  I'd like Trotz or Boudreau. 

[Satans Hockey]

Not gonna try to derail the thread too much but I just don't get this. The guys can wear them anywhere in the building but the ice, I thought the whole idea of the league/PA not having guys wear them on the ice was to avoid the few who have an issue with wearing them stand out by choosing to not wear them. Now if they come into the building without them it's the same thing because people will point out who won't be wearing them. 

Thankfully won't be a issue with our team anyway as the guys seem to be vocal about supporting everything, especially Jack. 

Just doesn't make any sense to me, the league is so silly. I still can't believe they didn't wear the hockey nights cancer jerseys, you know, can't offend the cancer lovers out there 

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Satans Hockey

[NJDevs4978]

23 minutes ago, NJDfan1711 said:

Green and Dineen don't excite me much.  I'd like Trotz or Boudreau. 

Trotz has a job though, he wanted to try his hand at GM’ing

[Satans Hockey]

Miller out tonight but thankfully not just healthy scratched for no reason, poor kid is gonna get hosed on birthday gifts though lol... 

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by Satans Hockey

[NJDfan1711]

16 minutes ago, NJDevs4978 said:

Trotz has a job though, he wanted to try his hand at GM’ing

sh!t, I forgot he's GM of the Preds.

This is probably unfair, but Berube doesn't really interest me simply because of how bad he was as a player.

I know just because a guy wasn't necessarily the greatest player himself doesn't mean he couldn't be a better coach, and on the flip side we've all seen that great players don't always make great managers either, but I just have some doubts and concerns as to whether a guy like that could truly help and coach up all of the stars and talent that we have on our team.