2023-2024 NJ Devils season thread

[ButlerBulldog]

2 hours ago, Nicomo said:

4-7 in those games btw…

Idk, I’d just much rather have a really good player (top 2 on the team) as captain, even if he’s just a go out there and lead by example type, than some older guy like Greene or Salvador. 

Would anyone prefer Palat as captain just because he’s “cut his teeth” or whatever? I sure as hell wouldn’t. 

Yes, Nico’s absence was definitely felt by the rest of the group, as he stabilizes so many facets of the team’s play.

1 hour ago, MadDog2020 said:

It’s not his play; it’s his leadership abilities that NJD was talking about. And I get it. I’d like to see Nico more angry too; set the tone and the expectations. He can definitely improve there.

One thing I wonder about is whether he’s more the type who gets angry in private while leading by example in public.  Just a thought.

1 hour ago, Nicomo said:

And like I said he leads by example. They had the same captain last year when they were setting franchise records and winning playoff games. 

If Timo’s reaction to Nico being hurt is any indication, he’s an effective captain and leader.  I’m with you in thinking that the Devils have much bigger problems than him.

[Devilsfan118]

Forgive me if you guys have already talked about it, but I want to give Mercer credit for stepping up when Smith got boarded yesterday.

He's not a fighter obviously, and I think he gave up some serious size in the scrap. But that is what you want to see, your teammates stepping up when another team does something dirty.

I know he's had a rough year, and I know some folks are thinking he might be trade bait this offseason but I really hope we don't cut ties with him. He's still very young, he's the kind of kid you need in your middle six on a deep playoff team.

[Max20Characters]

Anyone else see the video of Timo on the bench yelling at Nico "shoot the puck! Shoot it!!"

[MadDog2020]

Just now, Max20Characters said:

Anyone else see the video of Timo on the bench yelling at Nico "shoot the puck! Shoot it!!"

Timo is all of us. 

[NJDfan1711]

9 hours ago, Nicomo said:

And like I said he leads by example. They had the same captain last year when they were setting franchise records and winning playoff games. 

Different cast of characters, and different coach. Look what happened when Brunette is gone and you lose a few key players.  That's exactly when you need your captain to take charge. 

Nico has his moments, and he can be a great contributors in a lot of ways.....sometimes. But his demeanor and his body language doesn't always suggest to me that he's putting the team on his back, particularly in hard times. 

But you're right, he's not at the top of the list of problems at all. He was just one of the many things I called out, and the list was in no particular order.

[NJDfan1711]

4 hours ago, Devilsfan118 said:

Forgive me if you guys have already talked about it, but I want to give Mercer credit for stepping up when Smith got boarded yesterday.

He's not a fighter obviously, and I think he gave up some serious size in the scrap. But that is what you want to see, your teammates stepping up when another team does something dirty.

I know he's had a rough year, and I know some folks are thinking he might be trade bait this offseason but I really hope we don't cut ties with him. He's still very young, he's the kind of kid you need in your middle six on a deep playoff team.

1000%.  I don't know if Nico was in the ice when it happened, but that's exactly the type of stuff I'm talking about with Nico.

If I'm the captain, I'm foaming from the mouth and ripping someone's head off after they took out two of our players last time. 

I'm not saying everyone has to be Scott stevens, he was a special player and those guys don't come around that often, but it's part of your job as Captain in my opinion to play with that inner rage and know when it's time to step up in certain situations .

[MadDog2020]

Some positive news; love Lazar. I hope he’s part of this thing for a long time. https://newjerseyhockeynow.com/2024/04/05/new-jersey-devils-curtis-lazar-nominated-bill-masterton-memorial-trophy-dougie-hamilton/?fbclid=IwAR3h6ZfU4AC8MCkfBkxdt6ax8L0s_CEnCLBxjF0EBs8SOhx3pgQiHcG36i8_aem_AWm0TtsN2PdpTZWlpnrzQPrh-lqXNj0ASMvR80nF8yhDgMVui9Wjy6mg85d58tlfRms#lumlcpong4h1r675gmg

[Devilsfan118]

11 hours ago, NJDfan1711 said:

1000%.  I don't know if Nico was in the ice when it happened, but that's exactly the type of stuff I'm talking about with Nico.

If I'm the captain, I'm foaming from the mouth and ripping someone's head off after they took out two of our players last time. 

I'm not saying everyone has to be Scott stevens, he was a special player and those guys don't come around that often, but it's part of your job as Captain in my opinion to play with that inner rage and know when it's time to step up in certain situations .

I've always thought Mercer would be captain material. 

Not necessarily here, with Nico probably keeping it for a long time, but I think Mercer is that kind of player. Great leader.

Edited April 5 by Devilsfan118

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

As far as Nico goes, I wish fans could simply appreciate the player that he is, instead of nitpicking the things that he isn’t.

He’s a PPG producer (remember when the idea of such a thing seemed as pipe dreamy as it gets?) who handles a lot of tough minutes and could absolutely win a Selke.  He’s also a solid team captain…not everything that currently ills can be traced back to him, as though if he only he did this or was more like that, the Devils would be so much better this year.  Team Captains of broken teams can only do so damned much.

[Nicomo]

45 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

As far as Nico goes, I wish fans could simply appreciate the player that he is, instead of nitpicking the things that he isn’t.

He’s a PPG producer (remember when the idea of such a thing seemed as pipe dreamy as it gets?) who handles a lot of tough minutes and could absolutely win a Selke.  He’s also a solid team captain…not everything that currently ills can be traced back to him, as though if he only he did this or was more like that, the Devils would be so much better this year.  Team Captains of broken teams can only do so damned much.

I honestly feel bad for him. He’s now made the playoffs just twice in 7 seasons. Dude went from “I love to hockey” 

to…

 

2 GM’s, 4 HC’s, and a whole bunch of bad teams around him. Cut the man some slack ffs. 

As far as just appreciating what he is, I once thought he’d top out around a 70 point player, so I’m perfectly happy that he’s actually closer to a PPG. 

Edited April 5 by Nicomo

[Devilsfan118]

I'm certainly not going to be out here blasting Nico as captain by any means, but I'm an old fvck millennial who still probably overvalues the physical part of the game.  I'd prefer a captain who can go out there and physically dominate if need-be.

But again, I fully acknowledge this is probably a dated mindset.  

[MadDog2020]

🤣

[ButlerBulldog]

40 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

🤣

Six more games, and Smith is out of our lives for good.

[MadDog2020]

[nmigliore]

On 4/4/2024 at 8:14 AM, NJDfan1711 said:

We need a George Washington type guy who can play the role of Commander. 

I wish Pat Burns was still around. My all-time favorite Devils' coach. He'd be a perfect fit for this group IMO. 

[Lateralous]

13 hours ago, Devilsfan118 said:

I've always thought Mercer would be captain material. 

Not necessarily here, with Nico probably keeping it for a long time, but I think Mercer is that kind of player. Great leader.

I used to think this too but you can't have a guy as streaky as him be the captain.   He can go radio silent on the ice for whole months at a time.    

Edited April 6 by Lateralous

[MadDog2020]

https://www.nhl.com/devils/news/hughes-brothers-relish-chance-to-support-community-kids-feature?fbclid=IwAR3V9EC0ARyVKTec1J3xxIRU0FueAPuoUy7GrbqgD0HQE5kJ71ETFJka-jU_aem_AQXYY2JB2R-ZAepZRDXGOyNfRgLEVXMAkR9jvulZ1Ju4Wj8fHa0RtFMoiu4FbyPc-c4

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

4 hours ago, ButlerBulldog said:

Six more games, and Smith is out of our lives for good.

Almost seems like too many games…but with each one that passes that light the end glows ever so brighter…

[Nicomo]

8 hours ago, ButlerBulldog said:

Six more games, and Smith is out of our lives for good.

How tone deaf is the admin to even use Smith for stuff like this. 

[ButlerBulldog]

15 minutes ago, Nicomo said:

How tone deaf is the admin to even use Smith for stuff like this. 

That’s a good question.  If they were going for an all-defensemen group, why not photograph DeSimone since Marino didn’t practice?  I really want to know what Smith has on the Devils besides his being Lindy’s illegitimate son, as there’s absolutely no reason for him to be on the team anymore.

[DevilMinder]

Looking forward to the exit interviews by players at the end of the season. Maybe some real comments will be made?

[vincois]

To me, Mercer (see a lot of Mercer love here) is streaky not just scoring, but just being engaged.  He doesn't create much. I also think he did nothing to suggest he'll get a significant raise. 

[Puckbuster]

No way do I blame Nico or the rest of the players.  They had a sh!t coach with a sh!t system.  I, also, believe that the fish stinks from the head.  The GM did a horrible job during the season to salvage what was salvageable.  They win against the Yotes, Sabers and Sens they are in the last wild card spot.  That is all after the trade deadline.  I can’t imagine how deflating it must be to the players when your GM gives up.  Why should the players make that extra push when the boss isn’t.

[ButlerBulldog]

20 minutes ago, Puckbuster said:

No way do I blame Nico or the rest of the players.  They had a sh!t coach with a sh!t system.  I, also, believe that the fish stinks from the head.  The GM did a horrible job during the season to salvage what was salvageable.  They win against the Yotes, Sabers and Sens they are in the last wild card spot.  That is all after the trade deadline.  I can’t imagine how deflating it must be to the players when your GM gives up.  Why should the players make that extra push when the boss isn’t.

One would hope that the players take pride in their jobs and their performance in those jobs, which they’re fortunate to have.  Otherwise, I agree with you that Fitz has a lot to prove this offseason and needs to get several things right en route to making the team better.  The Devils cannot go through another season like this one.

[jagknife]

I had another one of my moments of mind wander during a running race this morning. If I get time in the next few weeks, I might give it some effort and try to quantify a theory: do the New Jersey devils actually have an accountability problem, or is it isolated to players trying to break into top 6 roles.

hypothesis: rookie/young forwards trying to make it on this team have been benched for “lack of effort, responsibility in the defensive zone, not giving x level of effort,” which others on the team also have been horrendously guilty of. But unless you are Jack Hughes, you are punished  for it. 

Zacha never would have worked here for a litany of reasons. Sharangovich was ostracized by Ruff, banished to the bottom 6, and then ripped for not producing. Now is given a chance with a bad Calgary team and is producing respectably. Now we have Holtz in the dog house.

is it really the players or do we have bad coaching with selective enforcement of “accountability” and atrocious management of skill matching within the lineup?