Todd Cordell: On Santini's crazy usage, Mueller's struggles & Johansson shooting the puck

Todd Cordell: On Santini's crazy usage, Mueller's struggles & Johansson shooting the puck
- Todd.Cordell

Great post Todd. Santini has impressed me. He has shown great poise and I think basing players on the CORSI and other advanced stats has it's place, but is far from representing the players total game. Just look at the Chyka's advanced stats dream team. Santini has played admirably for sure. I am still hopefull Mueller can find his game and make a solid bottom pairing with Moore or Santini. I feel it was a gamble worth making on shero's part as that D last season needed a major shake up. His moves have been low risk, and overall high rewards. My god what having a guy like Hedman or Karlsson would do to turn this team into a serious contender tho....

I suspect that Santini's underlying numbers have been dragged down in part because of the time spent with Mueller. If his usage remains similar they won't likely look any better, but even when that pair was together it was obvious who the weak link was. I don't think Santini will ever anchor a top-4 pairing, but he's solid enough to be a good number 4.

I was cooler on the Mirco Mueller trade than many and, though it's still very early, he's yet to give me any reason to reconsider my stance.

Were you? I don't remember anyone being high on that trade, and the people defending it were almost exclusively the regular blindly defend the GM idiots.

This is exciting. I don't think the Devils will end up in the playoffs this year, but they are closer than I thought. If Hischier can be that true #1 and they can find that stud on the back end they'll be close to a team that can truly compete. I'm not at all opposed to hoping for some more lottery ball magic.

Great post Todd. Santini has impressed me. He has shown great poise and I think basing players on the CORSI and other advanced stats has it's place, but is far from representing the players total game. Just look at the Chyka's advanced stats dream team. Santini has played admirably for sure. I am still hopefull Mueller can find his game and make a solid bottom pairing with Moore or Santini. I feel it was a gamble worth making on shero's part as that D last season needed a major shake up. His moves have been low risk, and overall high rewards. My god what having a guy like Hedman or Karlsson would do to turn this team into a serious contender tho....
- bikeguy99

CF% still is one of the best predictors of future goals/wins. That doesn't mean you should ignore context though.

Todd Cordell: On Santini's crazy usage, Mueller's struggles & Johansson shooting the puck
- Todd.Cordell

Good post, Todd. It's mind boggling that Santini was scratched the other night, but Hynes has a track record of such questionable moves with young d-men.

Todd Cordell: On Santini's crazy usage, Mueller's struggles & Johansson shooting the puck
- Todd.Cordell

Less mueller/lovejoy and more santini/prout.


Never thought I'd say that about prout.

Good post, Todd. It's mind boggling that Santini was scratched the other night, but Hynes has a track record of such questionable moves with young d-men.
- jersey1414

I wouldn't read too much into that. He had a horrible game against Ottawa.

I wouldn't read too much into that. He had a horrible game against Ottawa.
- CaptCrankypants

One bad game gets you scratched? For Lovejoy? Come on...

This week off sucks. Only positive is Schneider and Palms getting healthy. Otherwise as a fan this sucks.

I suspect that Santini's underlying numbers have been dragged down in part because of the time spent with Mueller. If his usage remains similar they won't likely look any better, but even when that pair was together it was obvious who the weak link was. I don't think Santini will ever anchor a top-4 pairing, but he's solid enough to be a good number 4.




Were you? I don't remember anyone being high on that trade, and the people defending it were almost exclusively the regular blindly defend the GM idiots.

This is exciting. I don't think the Devils will end up in the playoffs this year, but they are closer than I thought. If Hischier can be that true #1 and they can find that stud on the back end they'll be close to a team that can truly compete. I'm not at all opposed to hoping for some more lottery ball magic.
- CaptCrankypants

Most in here referred to Mueller as Helgeson Lite, most in here were right.

Mueller looks like a sad lost pup out there. Quit hockey and start running your own ice cream truck, Mr. Softee! A second and fourth rounder for this guy?!

This week off sucks. Only positive is Schneider and Palms getting healthy. Otherwise as a fan this sucks.
- SnipeDevil6

It's weird because they get so many back-to-backs but then a week off? Feel the spacing of the games could be better.

This week off sucks. Only positive is Schneider and Palms getting healthy. Otherwise as a fan this sucks.
- SnipeDevil6

Weak week indeed.

Most in here referred to Mueller as Helgeson Lite, most in here were right.
- smellmyfinger

It was Mini-Helgeson or Micro Helgeson. I don't think the real Helgeson has gotten a game in the NHL this year but he might be better then Mirco.

Regardless, if we could send him down some time in the Bing might help. I think he'd have to clear waivers so that's not happening.

It's weird because they get so many back-to-backs but then a week off? Feel the spacing of the games could be better.
- Pomegrant

Yup. 4 back to backs in December alone and we are on the road for at least one or both games. Plus we still have our bye-week in January. We really got screwed with this schedule.

I thought the Mueller trade was the initial signal that we would be taking Nico and that Ray had gone out and got him another young Swiss player to bond with. I certainly thought the trade had more to do with the nationality then how much we liked Mueller as a player. I also thought that getting another Swiss player was kind of smart to make the transition that much easier for Nico, I also kind of think that was a big reason we grabbed that Senn kid but I am not 100% sure at the moment if he is Swiss or If I am remembering wrong lol.

Yup. 4 back to backs in December alone and we are on the road for at least one or both games. Plus we still have our bye-week in January. We really got screwed with this schedule.
- RubberBiscuitz

We still have a bye week in January?! I figured we were just getting our bye week early in the season. This is some bs!

Senn is Swiss. And 6'5.

Plus he is tied with Henrik Lundqvist in Stanley Cup wins.

I still don't mind the Mueller trade at the time. Maybe it doesn't work out, but considering the crazy market for D-men and the state of the Devils blue line, I don't mind Shero making a medium-risk-high-reward trade of giving a couple picks (of which we had many) for a young, albeit struggling D-man who was a first round pick just a few years prior. Making a trade like that naturally involves some risk in hoping said player finds his game and develops into the type of player people thought he would when he was drafted. It's still incredibly early and maybe he turns it around, but even if he doesn't I don't HATE that trade. Ray is a decently aggressive GM on the trade front (how many teams have made multiple trades such as the Palmieri, Hall, and Johansson trades the last few years?) and when you're aggressive like that not every trade you make is going to work out.

missed by 1 pick

https://www.nhl.com/player/adrian-kempe-8477960

I still don't mind the Mueller trade at the time. Maybe it doesn't work out, but considering the crazy market for D-men and the state of the Devils blue line, I don't mind Shero making a medium-risk-high-reward trade of giving a couple picks (of which we had many) for a young, albeit struggling D-man who was a first round pick just a few years prior. Making a trade like that naturally involves some risk in hoping said player finds his game and develops into the type of player people thought he would when he was drafted. It's still incredibly early and maybe he turns it around, but even if he doesn't I don't HATE that trade. Ray is a decently aggressive GM on the trade front (how many teams have made multiple trades such as the Palmieri, Hall, and Johansson trades the last few years?) and when you're aggressive like that not every trade you make is going to work out.
- MannySilvers

I hate the trade because it's not rocket science to find guys you know can play in this league. Franson and Polak and a bunch of other guys were cheap free agents who at least you could insert into the lineup and play decently. Now we threw away assets to get a guy we can't send down and can't use.

I also hate the trade because it looks like another example of this club not knowing what it's doing defensively. Ray has been outstanding with the offensive moves but Lovejoy, Prout, Mueller, and Moore (not to mention Quincey and Schelmko which were just serviceable) and we should all be concerned. I won't even mention how we handled Mozik and Auvitu. Or how they needed to purge Scott (frank)ing Stevens for this garbage defensive system that's BLEEDING scoring chances among the most in the league.

Basically we threw down a 2nd and 4th for Seth Helgeson when we already had Seth Helgeson. And at least Helgeson didn't play soft.

And yes Butcher was a great add but he was more a gift from the hockey gods and a product of Will Butcher's self determination then some brilliant thing done by Shero.

Friday's game is not looking promising with Palmieri missing practice again today, expected to miss tomorrow's game. Hopefully not Saturday also..

Friday's game is not looking promising with Palmieri missing practice again today, expected to miss tomorrow's game. Hopefully not Saturday also..
- SnipeDevil6

Schneider may still start one of them. If not we probably get Kinkaid/Wedgewood.

Friday's game is not looking promising with Palmieri missing practice again today, expected to miss tomorrow's game. Hopefully not Saturday also..
- SnipeDevil6

We can survive and get by without palms for a couple games.

And yes Butcher was a great add but he was more a gift from the hockey gods and a product of Will Butcher's self determination then some brilliant thing done by Shero.
- Queenie_5_hole

So Shero's pitch doesn't count for anything? Butcher could've went to 10+ teams