Sam Woo: Same Old Devils Continues, Lose To Yotes 4-1

Are they not listening to RUFF OR IS HIS MESSAGE not getting across??

Its a coaches job all of them to get this bench going BEFORE they step on the ice...

Hughes trying to do too much by himself
Graves bad passes out of zone , PK - did he play ?? Blackwood -WOW bad game .

Ugh! We’ve been through some lean years lately. But this season is pathetic. It was easier in years past as the expectations were low. But this year we fantasized to be a bubble team and we have severely underperformed. We are stepping into the Buffalo Sabres ‘never ending rebuild model’ and it’s not pretty

Thanks Sam. Lets face some serious facts here. The 2022 playoffs are out of the question, we will be watching/rooting fo whoever is playing the Rags. So what does Fitz do? Well he could be on the phone with Vegas helping them with their cap situation (for exmple, take Dadonov and want either Brisson or 2023 first in return. Then flip Dadonov at half retained for this and next year for some other assets). Don't know if any of our tradeable assets will return anything of value. That leaves the draft, where top 10 is still worthwhile, but a dropoff after that. Fitz is in a pickle, but that is why he is paid to make hard decisions. Status quo will be unacceptable; this is getting tiring and the Rags are leaving us in the dust. Time for Fitz to be bold for the deadline.

Thanks Sam. Lets face some serious facts here. The 2022 playoffs are out of the question, we will be watching/rooting fo whoever is playing the Rags. So what does Fitz do? Well he could be on the phone with Vegas helping them with their cap situation (for exmple, take Dadonov and want either Brisson or 2023 first in return. Then flip Dadonov at half retained for this and next year for some other assets). Don't know if any of our tradeable assets will return anything of value. That leaves the draft, where top 10 is still worthwhile, but a dropoff after that. Fitz is in a pickle, but that is why he is paid to make hard decisions. Status quo will be unacceptable; this is getting tiring and the Rags are leaving us in the dust. Time for Fitz to be bold for the deadline.
- redmonsters

Agree with you. Enough sitting around and doing nothing. Playoffs were probably not happening either way, atleast my expectations werent to make it, but this is just awful. This team essentially has zero offense if Jack, Nico, or Bratt arent involved(hyperbole but you get the point) and goaltending is basically the worst in the league and singlehandedly losing this team games when they play well. All eyes need to be on Fitz now and he needs to do something. Legit do anything. Gotta be a coaching change or a trade to shake things up.

Our rental situation is not good so im not expecting anything there but i want to see Fitz to move a player(Zacha) off the roster at the deadline and make a hockey trade. Maybe try to make another Siegenthaler-esque trade as well. Maybe use our $14M capspace to eat salary and acquire assets. No idea if anything gets done by the deadline, but i want something to happen.

This offseason will be another busy one for him either way. This team needs a surefire top line scoring winger, another top 6 winger, depth on defense, and goaltending. He has a lot of work to do.

Give me one Fiala please

How can a team look so good for one period and then just fall apart the rest of the game?! Entire coaching staff needs to go.

Are they not listening to RUFF OR IS HIS MESSAGE not getting across??

Its a coaches job all of them to get this bench going BEFORE they step on the ice...

Hughes trying to do too much by himself
Graves bad passes out of zone , PK - did he play ?? Blackwood -WOW bad game .
- thechezman

It's coaching. This team has a losing mentality with no commitment or buy -in as a group. Most teams have that guy who drags them into the fight, a leader who gets chippy. It's easy to not notice the lack of blocked shots, or finishing checks that seem "meaningless", but the fact is that it all adds up to a better effort. I say it every time, but coaching 100% can be attributed to blocked shots, hits, fights, and overall bottom 6 production. We have been bottom 5 in all those catagories each of the past 3 seasons and it needs to be addressed. Some guys want to point the finger at Recchi, but I would sooner look towards Ruff. Nico needs to find a way to get through to the players as well. A good player in his own right, but I challenge anyone to find a captain that brings less leadership to the table. Fitz has been doing a solid job as GM, and we have some nice pieces, but we need a shakeup in a drastic way.

On the other hand, I hammered the seasons points total under of 88.5 and that is looking like a slam dunk unless they go on an absolute tear. So, keep on sucking this season Devs. Lottery bound again.

It's coaching. This team has a losing mentality with no commitment or buy -in as a group. Most teams have that guy who drags them into the fight, a leader who gets chippy. It's easy to not notice the lack of blocked shots, or finishing checks that seem "meaningless", but the fact is that it all adds up to a better effort. I say it every time, but coaching 100% can be attributed to blocked shots, hits, fights, and overall bottom 6 production. We have been bottom 5 in all those catagories each of the past 3 seasons and it needs to be addressed. Some guys want to point the finger at Recchi, but I would sooner look towards Ruff. Nico needs to find a way to get through to the players as well. A good player in his own right, but I challenge anyone to find a captain that brings less leadership to the table. Fitz has been doing a solid job as GM, and we have some nice pieces, but we need a shakeup in a drastic way.

On the other hand, I hammered the seasons points total under of 88.5 and that is looking like a slam dunk unless they go on an absolute tear. So, keep on sucking this season Devs. Lottery bound again.
- bikeguy99

you are the Geertsen of blog comments

you are the Geertsen of blog comments
- Pomegrant

How can a team look so good for one period and then just fall apart the rest of the game?! Entire coaching staff needs to go.
- FAZOOL

Hell yeah

Hell yeah
- shvingter88

These owners will not pay for 2 coaching staffs. They are here for the rest of the season.

These owners will not pay for 2 coaching staffs. They are here for the rest of the season.
- redmonsters

Hopefully this isnt the case, because their contracts dont end at the end of the season. They still have 1 more year after this year.

Owners are too cheap to fire Lindy and pay two coaches at once. I doubt they even know what’s going on with the Devils, they aren’t a huge priority among all the other teams they own

John Hynes is a good coach.

"Nico needs to find a way to get through to the players as well. A good player in his own right, but I challenge anyone to find a captain that brings less leadership to the table."

(I couldn't get quotes to work.)

Are you in the room with the team? Please share some of your insight as to why Nico is or isn't a good captain.

"Nico needs to find a way to get through to the players as well. A good player in his own right, but I challenge anyone to find a captain that brings less leadership to the table."

(I couldn't get quotes to work.)

Are you in the room with the team? Please share some of your insight as to why Nico is or isn't a good captain.
- gmarz16

Agreed that Nico is far from the problem. The play of his game night in and out should be an example to everyone on this team. Unfortunately there are a number of players who should not be in the NHL or are playing in the line-up above their capabilities. No leadership in the world can turn that into a playoff contender. The solution is for ownership and GM to evaluate this team and make some bold changes. Otherwise we will be stuck in mediocrity for another decade. Enough is enough.

Man, I would give up so much to get DeBrincat from Chicago(who is supposedly available)

Man, I would give up so much to get DeBrincat from Chicago(who is supposedly available)
- vlongo4419

Love his talent, hate that he would still be 5'7 here also.
Even if this team somehow got into the playoffs, we would be run over by a larger stronger team. In addition to the massive lack of talent we need to upgrade all over the roster, we need larger forwards for the top lines not smaller ones. (unless we are moving one of the two 5'10 100and nothing centers and replacing them with men sized players).

yeah, can't have players who don't meet the tall/60 requirement. you can't be a 30 goal scorer in this league unless you are tall.

Love his talent, hate that he would still be 5'7 here also.
Even if this team somehow got into the playoffs, we would be run over by a larger stronger team. In addition to the massive lack of talent we need to upgrade all over the roster, we need larger forwards for the top lines not smaller ones. (unless we are moving one of the two 5'10 100and nothing centers and replacing them with men sized players).
- JagrBombs19

His size is irrelevant to me when he's scoring at 40 and 50 goal paces. We need goal scorers, and he's one of the best in the league. And hes only 24. That is our biggest need outside of goaltending.

yeah, can't have players who don't meet the tall/60 requirement. you can't be a 30 goal scorer in this league unless you are tall.
- Pomegrant

Yeah, bc i totally said the guy sucked and would never make it in the NHL bc he isnt tall enough. You really need to get laid or something man, losing sucks but you've been pretty awful lately in your tone and lack of respect for other devils fans. Do you yourself have small man's disease? Have I hit a nerve (que the internet tough guy response)?

My point to V or other people capable of having a conversation, is we cant expect to win deep in the playoffs when our forwards are the same size as the mights on ice at intermission. There needs to be a guy who can go to the front of the net, draw defenders to him to open space and lanes, fight for position there (be large and strong enough not get hurt in the net front battles) AND protect Hughes who is clearly drawing attention with how good he is.

If height meant anything we should clearly trade Bahl for 4 first at the deadline

Yeah, bc i totally said the guy sucked and would never make it in the NHL bc he isnt tall enough. You really need to get laid or something man, losing sucks but you've been pretty awful lately in your tone and lack of respect for other devils fans. Do you yourself have small man's disease? Have I hit a nerve (que the internet tough guy response)?

My point to V or other people capable of having a conversation, is we cant expect to win deep in the playoffs when our forwards are the same size as the mights on ice at intermission. There needs to be a guy who can go to the front of the net, draw defenders to him to open space and lanes, fight for position there (be large and strong enough not get hurt in the net front battles) AND protect Hughes who is clearly drawing attention with how good he is.

If height meant anything we should clearly trade Bahl for 4 first at the deadline
- JagrBombs19

I get the point that this team needs to get larger up front for the playoffs, i dont necessarily agree, but this team isn't even close to sniffing the playoffs. We gotta be able to get there first, then you can worry about that. I wouldn't pass on a guy who is 10th in the league in goals scored since he entered the league just because of his size. Size is incredibly overrated. I don't care if he's 5'2 or 6'4, if he can score and score consistently then we need to be in on it.

Wants to have a discussion and goes straight to ad hominems. For years our team drafted the "big" strong player who could play both sides of the puck and for years we got horrible players who aren't anywhere near the NHL. The tough guys who "play in the dirty areas" are dime a dozen in the NHL and not the players you build your team around. This discussion where your team needs to be big to be competitive doesn't mean anything. Somebody posted average team height stats a while ago and we were like top 10 in average height and the spread between teams was at most 2 inches.

What is there even to have a discussion about in player assessment when you're talking about a guy's height. Either he is tall or he isn't.

I get the point that this team needs to get larger up front for the playoffs, i dont necessarily agree, but this team isn't even close to sniffing the playoffs. We gotta be able to get there first, then you can worry about that. I wouldn't pass on a guy who is 10th in the league in goals scored since he entered the league just because of his size. Size is incredibly overrated. I don't care if he's 5'2 or 6'4, if he can score and score consistently then we need to be in on it.
- vlongo4419

I agree we are not close, but my concern in the interim is that Hughes and Hischier will be pounded on continually unless we get some players who can discourage the abuse to our smaller stars. Dislocated shoulder here, broken whatever there and it adds up overtime as the body breaks down with age. I am not saying I want goons, I don't need a specific height over _x_ to want a player. As I said originally I love Debrincat's talent. If you acquire him and put him with Hischier, that is a formula with the potential to create excitement for sure. I just believe you need to offset that line with someone who can go to the net and offer up some grit/protection each shift and the current makeup of the top 6 is lacking that. Bringing in another talented under sized top 6 forward makes the need for some talented sizeable players greater.

Speed and skill are great. They make for exciting highlights that are fun to watch, but it takes more then that to win in the playoffs, which should be the end goal of this blueprint, no? In a few years I'd like for this team to do more then just make the playoffs.

If he can be acquired at a low cost, great lets do it, but what would you be willing to give up to get him? Or what do you think Chicago would want for him?