Timo Meier is in a regular practice jersey for morning skate in Vegas. Might not mean much because it's morning skate and not a practice, but we'll see what Ruff says afterwards.
- vlongo4419

He didnt take initial line rushes, but subbed in for a few. Looks like Schmid will be starting tonight too.

He didnt take initial line rushes, but subbed in for a few. Looks like Schmid will be starting tonight too.
- vlongo4419

No reason to rush him back. Hope they give him til the Arizona game up next...

No reason to rush him back. Hope they give him til the Arizona game up next...
- Queenie_5_hole

Agreed. Totally fine giving him all the time he needs. Sunday or back home on Tuesday for his first game in front of the home fans would be nice too.

guys i just need a little bit of joy in my life and that joy is timo meier.

Yeah the sense i get from him is that hes good enough defensively, but wont provide anything offensively. Throws a lot of hits and is scrappy. Not a great skater. But signed for 2 more years at only 1M, so hes probably Woods replacement on the 4th line beyond this season. Cost certainty 4th line replacement for the big extensions we likely have coming? Dont hate it, dont like it. Meh is a great description lol.
- vlongo4419

Why didn’t we go after Brendan Lemieux?
Wouldn’t be be better than Lazar?

Why didn’t we go after Brendan Lemieux?
Wouldn’t be be better than Lazar?
- Jazzmaster30

lol no

Why didn’t we go after Brendan Lemieux?
Wouldn’t be be better than Lazar?
- Jazzmaster30

Lemiuex is terrible lol, and is an awful human. Lots of talk around the league that hes hated in pretty much every locker room hes been in

Lemiuex is terrible lol, and is an awful human. Lots of talk around the league that hes hated in pretty much every locker room hes been in
- vlongo4419

I don’t know him personally…..just talking as a hickey player….he will drop the gloves.

I don’t know him personally…..just talking as a hickey player….he will drop the gloves.
- Jazzmaster30

So will Lazar, and Lazar can actually play defense. Lemiuex just cheap shots players and takes penalties. Plus Lemiuex is a UFA and Lazar has term for cheap. The cost certainty there is important for the big extensions we should have coming.

Ruff confirms Meier has been cleared for contact, but they wanna get him into some more practices before getting him into the lineup.

Lemieux is good if you need a guy to bite somebody. Not sure we need a guy who bites people though.

3pm team is set

Shara Hughes bratt
Mercer Nico Meier
Palat haula tatar
Wood lazar Bastian

Id run:

Tatar-Nico-Mercer(this line is way too hot to breakup right now imo)
Meier-Jack-Bratt
Sharangovich-Haula-Palat
Lazar/Bo-McLeod-Bastian

Wood can just sit the press box until he becomes a free agent this summer.

Funny enough McLeod has actually been solid offensively lately which you wouldn't expect. It would be nice for him to actually figure out how to play defense at some point though since Ruff loves putting him out there to take faceoffs and get caved in for the shift.

Fitz confirms on ESPN that he is expecting Luke Hughes to join the Devils immediately after his Michigan season ends, whenever that may be.

Fitz says that he and Bratts agent have been talking, and he says, "We've actually put something on his plate, just waiting back for a response."

Funny enough McLeod has actually been solid offensively lately which you wouldn't expect. It would be nice for him to actually figure out how to play defense at some point though since Ruff loves putting him out there to take faceoffs and get caved in for the shift.
- Pomegrant

I thought Mikey made a clear jump this year from fringe NHLer to solid 4th line center.

Anyway, thrilled with the deadline because we landed Meier. Lazar isn't a big move, but it's fine. I'd rather make the right moves then more moves.

Fitz confirms on ESPN that he is expecting Luke Hughes to join the Devils immediately after his Michigan season ends, whenever that may be.

Fitz says that he and Bratts agent have been talking, and he says, "We've actually put something on his plate, just waiting back for a response."
- vlongo4419

Encouraging except the response is usually 'we want more money'.

Fitz confirms on ESPN that he is expecting Luke Hughes to join the Devils immediately after his Michigan season ends, whenever that may be.

Fitz says that he and Bratts agent have been talking, and he says, "We've actually put something on his plate, just waiting back for a response."
- vlongo4419

Has he ever mentioned anything about Nemec being called up?

Encouraging except the response is usually 'we want more money'.
- Queenie_5_hole

Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money

While lazar may not be flashy, I think he will help the team in different areas, just listened to his conference and he sounds like he knows he isn't expected to do more than he can and doesn't want to mess with anything

Has he ever mentioned anything about Nemec being called up?
- Leniwm1

Not that i've seen. The only update on Nemec i've seen was a month or two ago from the AGM Dan MacKinnon saying that they have an internal gamescore model they run for Utica games, and send to NJs management after every game, and Nemec essentially tops the gamescore charts for nearly every game that Utica had played at that point.

Not sure he gets into any games this year without some kind of major injuries(and we've already seen that he didnt get the call when Marino was out for a while). Probably just letting him cook this year, which im fine with.

He’s gonna score the GWG in the Conference finals for us.
- RubberBiscuitz

And the odds of Mike Rupp scoring the Stanley Cup Winning goal, let alone 2 that night in 03 were similar

You know Fitz received calls on Sev and Wood. It looks like both are staying. I think its cool he's gonna let them stay on the team and see how far we go. Unless the offers were horrible, but Im being optimistic. They were part of the team when we sucked, so he is giving them a chance to win. From that standpoint Im ok with Wood playing out the season.

If he can just stop trying to do too much and play a caveman style game he can def be effective.

And smith in the doghouse? Finally?

Lemieux is good if you need a guy to bite somebody. Not sure we need a guy who bites people though.
- Pomegrant

But dude we should have drafted him

But dude we should have drafted him
- shvingter88

Yea that ship has sailed. It’s still ridiculous that we were penalized by losing a freaking 1st round pick for the Kovy deal. Leave it to Bettman to make an example of the Devils.