Ummmmmm where is you backup goalie??

not a devils fan but Im bored so here I go

1. Hughes or Clarke
2. Martinez (if you can get him) and a backup
3. Holtz, Foote, Bahl
4. 7th in the Metro 20th in league
5. Bastian

I don’t know the Flyers cap situation very well, but that seems underwhelming for JVR. 43 points in 56 games last year (~63 over a full season), and he’s still scoring goals. $7M isn’t ideal, but it’s not that he’s stopped producing. Butcher to me has been declining since his rookie year, but a change of scenery should help. I just don’t know if he’s the type of defenceman the Flyers need too

Q:Who should the Devils draft with the 4th pick?
A: Luke Hughes

Q: Who should the Devils sign or trade for in the offseason?
A: Sign- Mikael Granlund, Antti Raanta, and Ian Cole Trade- Any bad contract with 1 or 2 years left to help reach cap floor and get more picks, and or trade for a good player a team can't afford to keep that we can get for cheaper then normal value. Can't think of any rn, but you should understand the concept.

Q: Which players that were not in the NHL last year (or played less than 10 games), will make the jump this year?
A: Holtz, Bahl, Foote

Q: Where do you think the Devils will finish in the standings?
A: 3rd metro, 11th in league. (Dream big right )

Q: Who will Seattle pick in the Expansion Draft
A: Will Butcher

Q: What is your ideal lineup for next year? (Full lineup + Special Teams)
Sharangovich Hughes Kuokkanen
Bratt Hischier Granlund
Johnsson Zacha Holtz
Wood McLeod Bastian

Foote

Smith Severson
Siegenthaler Subban
Bahl Cole

Blackwood
Raanta

Powerplay 1
Holtz Hischier Bratt
Hughes Smith

Powerplay 2
Sharangovich Zacha Kuokannen
Severson Subban

Penalty Kill 1
Hischier Sharangovich
Siegenthaler Cole

Penalty Kill 2
McLeod Bastian
Bahl Severson

I forgot lol

Blackwood could play every game if he wants

Thank you!

I hope Kraken don't take Bastian

Flyers don't have a good cap situation and are looking to clear cap space to sign defensemen in free agency. Many Flyers fans have been selling low on JVR. I've seen his value around a 3rd or 4th.

Thank you!

What's your reasoning for breaking up the Zacha-Nico-Bratt line? When they played together, they were on fire

1) You nailed it ... must be Clarke or Hughes.

2) I dont like JVR for this team, but the rest seem reasonable (Coleman my personal fav) ... could also consider Saad or Schwartz, both of whom I believe would be strong veteran adds. HOWEVER, my preference would be likely unattainable... Danault as shut down 3C behind Nico & Hughes makes team infinitely better. Yet, I cant imagine him signing in NJ & obviously, beefing up D / signing a strong backup GK are higher priorities.

3) At Forward, Mercer (at RW), Foote & Holtz. Mercer & Holtz may start in AHL, but jump up fairly quickly. On Blueline, Some combination of Walsh, Vukojevic, Okhotyuk & Bahl rotating in line up, as well as, moving up & down from AHL. None of the Russians yet.

4) 70 - 75 points ... last place metro, a few rough patches for young squad, but clearly on upswing as season progresses.

5) Agreed Johnsson... though Butcher & Bastian are fair money bets, depending on how Seattle plays rest of field.

6) TBD by Free Agency & receipts of Cap Dumps, if applicable. Looking forward to seeing how Fitzgerald plays this offseason.

1. Who should the Devils draft with the 4th pick?
Hughes, Clarke, Power or Eklund

2. Who should the Devils sign or trade for in the offseason?
Will answer in two parts.
Players on multi-year deals or will sign multi-year contracts: a young d-man with high breakout success rate. A back-up goalie. A right-handed C/RW for 3rd line.
Players on 1-year deals or will sign 1-year deals: A veteran d-man, a replacement for whomever gets taken at expansion draft, maybe a veteran winger, maybe a net front PP guy...all guys who can be easily dealt at deadline.

3. Which players that were not in the NHL last year (or played less than 10 games), will make the jump this year?
Holtz, Foote, Mercer, for sure, will get shots. Bahl probably as well. I think Walsh (especially if Subban dealt), Clarke and maybe Okhotyuk. My darkhorse names would be Schnarr (if Bastian goes to Seattle), Schmid or Daws (if they don't sign goalie), and Jeremy Hellickson (if he signs).

4. Where do you think the Devils will finish in the standings?
Who is in our division? I think the combination of 10-months off...and the COVID interuption slowed this team down below what they are capable of. I'd expect to spend first half of season in 6th or 7th, and with second half surge, finish in 5th, just outside playoffs.

5. Who will Seattle pick in the Expansion Draft
100% depends what moves we make before expansion draft, and consequently, who we protect.
If we do nothing, Will Butcher or Andreas Johnsson.

6. What is your ideal lineup for next year? (Full lineup + Special Teams)
Realistically,
Zacha -- Hischier -- Bratt
Foote -- Hughes -- Holtz
Sharangovich -- Kuokkanen -- [+New Guy or Mercer or Clarke]
Wood -- McLeod -- Bastian

Smith -- Severson
Bahl -- Subban
Siegenthaler -- [New guy]

Blackwood
[New guy]

PP1:
Holtz -- Hischier -- Wood
Hughes -- Smith

PP2:
Zacha -- Sharangovich -- Foote
Bratt -- Subban

PK:
Sharangovich -- Zacha
McLeod -- Bastian

I'd take that plan, sign me up

1.Who the devils draft?
Gauge where Luke is gonna fall and move to that spot. But Luke Hughes to keep Jack in town and hope Luke is a solid player

With whatever pick the isles get grab Scott Morrow. RHD fits a severe need

2. I think Getzlaf would be a great mentor and have him on a one year deal on the third line and trade him to a contender come march. Sign Goodrow and Cole to two year deals to bring experience and depth. Trade with a strapped team.
Then Driedger as back up

3.Non-NHLers in the NHL. I think success in Utica is more important than major ice time in NJ. Foote getting 35 games would be great and Holtz finishing the year with the club would be what I’d like to see. Main goal should be for Utica to compete in the Calder playoffs, let those guys play in some “meaningful” games.

4.Where they finish. Honestly late twenties for the last time. Get this team ready to compete in 2022. Have everything planned and bring in the right guys over the next two off seasons to get the team into the playoffs the next season. At the deadline hopefully PK Miles and Getzlaf can be moved.

5. Seattle. I really think Johnsson actually makes sense, they want some players that have term so they can grab some valuable RFAs. He can certainly play middle six for them and he’s a good candidate to bounce back and find new scenery.

6. Line up

Zacha-Hischier-Bratt
_____-Hughes-Sharangovich
Kuokkanen-Getzlaf-Boqvist
Wood-McLeod-Bastian

Smith-Cole
Murray-Severson
Siegenthaler-Subban

Blackwood
Driedger

I think trades are a little too hard to include

Thank you! I like the idea of Coleman coming back, but I think he rather go to a contender or go home (Dallas)

Thank you! I really like this plan. My only gripe is putting Holtz and Foote right away in the top 6. I don't think we should rush them unless they are 100% ready.

Another plan for the middle 6 is
Kuokkanen-Hughes-Sharangovich
Foote-Coleman-Holtz

Next year, Kuokkaken and Sharangovich move to the 3rd line and Foote and Holtz get promoted to the 1st/2nd line

Thank you! Some pretty ironic about the Bing Devils/Utica Devils are that they were worse than the NJ Devils last year lol. They only won 6-7 games last year.

But I like the idea of not rushing the young guys into the lineup

If we grab Hughes with that first pick, I am all for taking a 2nd dman, but would rather a more defensive or two-way player.
Lambos, Chayka, Svozil, etc

Morrow is offensive dman.
(Also, I would take Behrens over Morrow if we did grab offensive d-man).

My "ideal lineup" has them earning spots.
But I agree that Foote, Holtz or any prospect should not be rushed.

Also, I want to see if there is a 3rd piece that could work with Bratt and Hughes.
The analytics with those two together are amazing - getting about 2/3rds of possession, scoring chances.
But neither are natural shooters.
And definitely want to keep Zacha and Nico together.

So maybe....
Zacha -- Hischier -- Sharangovich
Bratt -- Hughes -- Holtz
Foote -- Boqvist -- Kuokkanen
Wood -- McLeod -- Bastian

or...
Kuokkanen -- Hischier -- Zacha
Sharangovich -- Hughes -- Bratt
Foote -- Boqvist -- Holtz
Wood -- McLeod -- Bastian

We need one more stable piece for that 3rd line for everything to fall in place.
In an idea world, Mercer shows up to camp and blows the doors off.

100% ... I've always thought Dallas myself. Im most interested to see what kind of contract he receives. Guy is so valuable, hope he gets his due

It's tough to break up Zacha-Nico-Bratt, but I like that 1st option a lot

He is already building a place in Dallas.

That's hilarious... sounds like he has a handshake deal in place already... much better tax situation there, as well. Happy for him. Good player, Great Devil.