June 19, 2025 • 50 mins
The New Jersey Devils traded away Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators for Jeremy Hanzel and a 2025 4th round pick. Are the Devils making more space with their salary cap?
By Sam Woo and Nick Villano
http://JoinOurCrew.com
https://pucksandpitchforks.com
https://www.LetsGoDevils.com
RATE, REVIEW, AND SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-go-devils-podcast/id1371371669 #NJDevils #NHL #LetsGoDevils #LGD #Devils #NewJersey #NCAA #AHL
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/let-s-go-devils-podcast--2862943/support.
By Sam Woo and Nick Villano
http://JoinOurCrew.com
https://pucksandpitchforks.com
https://www.LetsGoDevils.com
RATE, REVIEW, AND SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-go-devils-podcast/id1371371669 #NJDevils #NHL #LetsGoDevils #LGD #Devils #NewJersey #NCAA #AHL
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/let-s-go-devils-podcast--2862943/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Happy Devils Wednesday. This is the State of the Fan address.
I'm your host Sam wuu here with Nick Milano of
Pucks and pitchforks dot com. Yes, that editor in chief.
That just catch you the latest news, the latest opinions
(00:35):
of all things New Jersey Devils streaming live on Facebook Live,
YouTube live, x live and Twitch on the Let's Go
Devil's network as the new season is kind of a
honest After the Florida Panthers round in the Stanley Cup
(01:02):
last night, two in a row, back to back, which
is very difficult to do. Over the Edmonton Oilers again,
lots to talk about. Are the Devil's making room? Are
they going to make some speace? Look, Tom Fitzgerald, Nick
(01:24):
is not wasting any time. You know, actions speak louder
than words. He roared like a lion on that presser
at the end of the season, the state of the team,
and we knew changes were going to be made. And
this was the first step today when he traded Eric
(01:49):
Halla to the Nashville Predators.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So there's a lot of different directions I want to
go into. The first one I want to go into first,
let's talk about the trade. So he traded Halla to
the Nashville Predators. Predators finally doing a so solid after
ragged doing us two straight years in trade negotiations, first
(02:13):
that U say sorrows two years ago and then this
past season with Ryan O'Reilly just completely spitting in our
face basically, but finally doing a so solid trading for
Eric Halla. They send their own fourth round pick, which
is basically like, it's close to a third round pick,
right they're picking like what fourth, fourth or fifth?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Utah's fourth?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Four?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Do you remember what what position they're in? Are they
like the fifth pick or the sixth pick.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Of the fourth round?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Right where they picking in the first round, the.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Sixth I didn't go on that they have a bad record,
so that's yeah. The so it's a high pick in
the fourth round. It's still a fourth round pick. Not
very likely that it's going to turn into an NHL player,
but it's happened before. I think Sharon Govich was a
(03:11):
or he might have been a fifth round pitch but anyway,
and they traded for a defenseman that you don't need
to know his name. No offense to the guy, but
he's a guy who played in the EHL last year.
He's at best the sixth HL defenseman, but I think
that there's not really a lot of seeing he's a
former six round pick. I think he was a Colorado
Avalanche traffick. Just fodder, right, It's just kind of like
(03:38):
extra guys you get thrown in there.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
The big deal here is the Devils.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Are now up to like fourteen point three million dollars.
They could spend this offseason. A couple thoughts here. Obviously,
you know, the extra like two and a half million
or whatever it ends up being just with the calculation
is huge, especially if you want to sign Luke's long term,
like say, like just to give a round number, Let's
(04:06):
say Luke, you sense for eight point two million over
eight years, and now you're sitting with six million dollars
or yeah, you're sitting with six million dollars left. But
prior to this deal it was four. Four means you
can't upgrade anywhere. Six means you can at least do
like one upgrade somewhere and then upgrade other places. Now
(04:31):
that brings me to my question for you, Sam, is
this the deal to open up space or do you
think they're gonna do more deals?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
I think they're gonna do more deals. And the only
reason why I say that it was Tom Fitzgerald was
pretty direct his last press conference in front of reporters
at the end of the season. He was very direct.
Right now, I wouldn't say he's on the hot hot seat,
(04:59):
but he he's at that crossroad where he's got to
make He's got to bring elevate this team from making
the playoffs to being doing damage in the Stanley Cup playoffs,
like getting to the third round, and you got to
(05:21):
cut the fat from this team and the next one
on the list, which is improbable. It'd be interesting, is plot.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
You'd have to throw his thing, but go ahead, keep going.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Well, the reason why I say improbable is there's a
lot of different things here. The amount of years now.
He didn't get a front loaded contract in terms of money. Yeah,
cash up front, but the AAV stays consistent throughout the
five years. So you're right, Nick, I will correct myself.
(06:03):
You're right on that point. Do you know anything about
his UH protection? Does he have a no trade clause?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
It it becomes I believe it becomes limited on July first,
Double check the ten team on July first. But now
you're talking semantics like you're really gonna block a trade
and then we're just gonna do it in a week
kind of thing. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
So the point I'm trying to make is he's I
think he's the next one on the block. That's my opinion,
because six million dollars is a lot of money to
be hogging. But if you're gonna quote unquote get Quinn Hughes,
the first step is you gotta lock Luke.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
That's what I say.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Lock him up to a cap friendly deal, open intended. Uh,
you know, very sick.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
But keep going, Sorry, I keep cutting off. I apologize.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Well, you're not gonna pay Luke Hughes fourteen point five
million a year, No, but.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
If you go up to nine, I don't think it's fine.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I consider that cap friendly for somebody. For somebody is
potential because you look at the value down the road
year four, five, six, seven of that contract. It's going
to be a bargain. Just like Jack Hughes, if he
wasn't getting hurt, that's a bargain in itself. It mitigates
quite a bit of risk. So I think, uh, you
(07:41):
know again, I think I think there's just gonna be
some changes. I mean, look, Thomas Tatar again. I know
this is little He's he's playing somewhere else. He's playing
in Switzerland right now. So a lot of these guys
are coming off the books.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, I mean the Lazar's come out with the books,
Bastian's come out the books, Dawling's coming out the books.
And Christy Flannery from The Hockey News reports that Dowling
dunt sounds like his agent is preparing for uh for agency.
It sounds like Dalling's, you know, a short but you
know it sounds like its time with.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
The Devil's is over.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Just and again like they've spoken like agent terms, like
we expect to hit market and that usually means that
the devils aren't interested.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
And honestly, like, I think a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Would celebrate Tom fitzgeral because that's you know, Tom Fitzgerald.
I wrote an article yesterday, and you ever write something
and then you're like, I really like what I wrote.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I really like this.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
One line that I wrote. Okay, I wrote that Tom
Fitzgerald wants to win negotiations and Bill Zito wants to
win hockey games. Bill Zito does not care about losing
a trade if it leads to like He doesn't care
what happens the guy. Once he's no longer there, it
doesn't get like it don't matter to me anymore. You
(09:03):
don't exist to me.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Whatever.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
He doesn't care about trading with the division, doesn't care
about all these egotistical things that I think.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Tom Fitzgerald cares about, or he did. I think he did.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
I think Tom Fitzgerald didn't want to trade assets that
made him look bad. I think you saw a little
bit of a turn there with the Alexander Holtz trade,
because that like that he clearly lost, like you didn't want,
you don't want Paul Cotter with the seventh overall pick.
(09:37):
But he made the deal and took the l But
he saw during the season, like when the prices were exorbitant,
he just was like, I'm just I can't.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Pay these, and I get it. I think I'd be
the same way. But Bill Zito's not like that.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
And Bill Zito's winning back to back championships and has
been to three straight final. You know, he took one
hundred and fifteen point player and a number one B
defenseman and traded them for and a first round pick
and traded for Matthew Kuchuk I just traded like and again,
(10:19):
a lot of people, including myself, saw some flaws in
that season from Huberdoh, and I wouldn't wanted to pay
him the contract that he got. But it's easy to
say that now. Wiger was the one that I thought
Hurt more. I thought Vega is a really good defenser,
and I still think he is. But he made that
move for Kachuk. He made the move like we forget this.
(10:39):
He traded for Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart within like
four months of each other. And Bennett was a guy
that was kind of floundering in Calgary. Was alright, but
he didn't look like this. I think it was a
sixth overall pick, didn't look like that guy. They traded
a second round pick and a prospect name a Meal,
something he didn't really turn into anything. So that was
(11:03):
a bold, rightful move to get a guy with talent.
And then when Ryan Hurt became available, he sent the
best price. He sent the first round pick in Devin
Levi h to Buffalo. Everybody thought Levi was like the
next thing, but I think they already had Night at
the time, so didn't really need Levi. They just signed.
(11:26):
They already had Bobrovsky. He signed to that ten million
dollars per year contract, and you know, he makes the
big move. Everybody thought Seth Jones was cooked, including myself.
I thought cook, I thought Jones was cooked. Jones finally
looks a little better this season. And then you know
he sent the big price, including Spencer Night to Chicago
(11:46):
to get Jones with retention, which is important there because
now they could spend their money, Like there's talks that
they could bring back ek blad, Marshand and Bennett and
those are all guys that are going in the sixth
to ten million dollar range and they can bring.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Back all three. What did you say?
Speaker 1 (12:05):
That's crazy? Right, But they have the space because they've they've.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Made the right moves.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
And I do think up until now, Fitzgerald has moved
around to win negotiations. He whether that's contract negotiations, I
think about it. He probably could have got Johnny Goodrou
to sign here, you know, rest in peace, like you know,
(12:32):
but Johnny Goudreau is smaller and there's an issue there.
But imagine Johnny Gaudreaux in this top six, you know,
like instead of Plot because that was the choice back then.
But he he didn't want to go to the number
that Gaudreau needed to sign with the Devils. Whether that's
because of the hospital in Columbus, or whether that's because
(12:54):
you know, where his wife wanted to work, or whether
that's because he's a flyers finger on whatever the case
might be. He could have gotten Gadreau if he just
spent the money. But I think that he's just had
this mindset to win every negotiation, and he's won a
lot of them. But that sometimes means you have to
(13:14):
walk away, and walking away means you don't get the player,
and not getting the player means that like you didn't
get the talent you wanted, and you know, sometimes it's smart.
I don't think you should have spent Simonemic Dawson Mercer
in the first round pick for Rhyinodroyd. I think it's
a terrible asset management. But at the same time, like
you're doing this all the time. I think that he
(13:35):
held under Dawson Mercer and didn't get Connor Hellibuck, and
Connor Hellibuck just won MVP of the league, so you know,
there's there's which I have a little bit of a
beef with.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
That one. Little bit, No, not so much. He won
the MVP. But in two thousand and seven, there was
this big debate about Marty Bordoor winning the VESNA and
the Heart Trophy in the same season, and the press,
the writers, the debate went on that no goalies have
(14:08):
their own MVP. Ye, that's the ves they can't win both.
And at the time, I'm like, that's hogwash. If you
dominate and you change the outcome of the season and
the game night in and night out, any player should
be up for the Heart Trophy. Now I'm glad that
(14:29):
Connor Hellibuck won the Heart Trophy and the VESIDA because
you know, I think jose Theodore back in two thousand
and two won it and and carry Price. Yeah, so
you know, again, I think a lot of it. I
think a lot of it was, you know, the Professional
Hockey Writers Association, you know, the way that the mindset
(14:52):
of that group. You know, it's like, okay, I think
they just for whatever reason, they didn't like lou and
they took it out on brutal, you know. And I'm
glad and I'm glad that it's happening. It's happened a
couple of times since two thousand and seven that a
goalie would win both and I had a big problem
with it back then, and uh, hearing the hell Buck
(15:14):
won both trophies, I'm glad that these voters have, let's
just say, evolved.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Yeah, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
And I don't think there was any other guy that
like clearly won it right, like they were talking about Kutcherov,
but like Tampa Bay was like Tampa Bay that impressive
that this year, I don't think so, Like obviously, like
McDavid's always in the conversation, but this isn't wasn't like
a student, Like wasn't McDavid hurt for part of the year.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Yeah, I mean any bad year for McDavid is probably
like top ten in the league, you know so.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
But yeah, no, I I I'm glad that Hella Buck
won it. I think it.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
I think it was the right move. He's the reason
that they were they win the President's Trophy. He did right,
they were. Yeah, he's the reason. Like he had such
a great season.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
All he needed to win.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
He could have been a devil.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I'll tell you what. He looks evil. If you look
at Hellibuck a little bit, Yeah, it almost looks like
he would have horns on his head.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
He looks like the guy. Did you ever watch the
Hunger Games movies?
Speaker 1 (16:32):
I don't watch movies.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Okay, so he kind of looks like the game maker
in the first one.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
People out there will know what I'm talking about. I
think he looks like the game maker. Hold on, let
me see if I can find a picture.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Well, yeah, I mean he looks evil. I just wish
he won that one four Nations game. Then I went
to with missus Wou in Boston that beautiful feb Worry night.
Actually the other day I was actually, wow, right, totally
(17:11):
Toy looks like that guy and with the last name
Hella Buck, how can he not be a New Jersey Devil.
But we we thought about that with Chatan you're years
ago or maybe Paul Ranger playing on the Rangers, Like,
how come it didn't happen?
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Apparently didn't Lou want Satan and Satan didn't want to
come or something.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Is that what Satan said?
Speaker 1 (17:36):
You know what, I'll have to go back in time. Yeah,
I mean I probably heard that on the message board
somewhere back in those days.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
One of the things that's interesting about this, like a
lot of people talk about the players that are on
the Panthers. Now, you know Thomas Nosak just for Bequest,
Tavana Chak, dmit Youa Kolakov, all former Devils, but they
they all have played a very small role. Like cooler
(18:07):
Cob probably plays the biggest role, and that's it's.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Not that big.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
The guy who had the most in the former Devil
had the most impact on this team is Sonny Metow.
So Sonny Medaw was hired I believe he was hired
by lou Loula Morillo. But he's one of the foremost
analytics experts. He helps to put together I think, so yeah, Edmonton, Okay, yeah,
(18:31):
but he's like he's he's I think he's Bill Ziito's
right hand man and going to be a GM sooner
rather than later.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
But you know, it's one of those things.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
It's like, can you call it a fumble if you know,
these guys get hired in different organizations all the time
to better roles. So I don't want to say that
they fumble the bag, but it is interesting that this
guy who's just a savant at building rosters now or
it was part of the front office that does it
the best way.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
You know, he just lifted a cop after leaving New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
So I just thought that's that's that's kind of an
interesting point with Sunny Meadow. But yeah, go to buckspet
Trucks dot com. I wrote, I think there are three
lessons to be learned from the Panthers. I also think
there's one lesson that you should not learn. I don't
think the Devils should go after gritty players. That's not
(19:31):
what the Panthers did. Sam Bennett wasn't a gritty player
when he got signed, when he got traded, he was.
He was a top talent. Sam Ryan Hurt wasn't a
gritty player when he got signed. He was a top scorer.
Deles need to get scores and teach them. Sheldon Key's system.
Sheldon keep has a pretty good system, some bit of
Paul Marae's with the ideal for checking. When the Devils
(19:54):
were rolling in November and December, they were four checking
like mad, closing a ton of turnovers in your face,
really not.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Letting you breathe.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Do you remember, like what was it like seven or
eight games in a row that they allowed less than
twenty shots. Yeah, in December. That's the style they need
to play off season. Well, honestly, it doesn't even matter
down the season.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
That's just the style.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I think you're right. I think you're right, Nick, because
they played that style and for whatever reason after Christmas,
you know, they beat the Rangers on the twenty third,
on that Mattine game on a Monday, which still pisses
me off because of ESPN. But on the twenty seventh,
I believe we're twenty eighth on the road in Carolina
(20:35):
when uh, Marty nhis you know, when he was on
the team, was doing some bad acting and if whatever reason,
the Devil's just lost that that edge, that grit, which doesn't.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Make any sense because they beat Carolina the night before.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yeah, something changed overnight where and then they just never
got to I don't know what happened. It's it's it's
the mystery of the century. I have no idea how
it happened, or why it happened, or what happened. They
just like forgot how to play hockey.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
I don't understand it.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
I I do blame Keith for not getting them out
of that rut. That's the one thing where I was like,
keep he got it, like he like he did a
good job of like sticking with what worked in the
first half of the season, and he did change it
once started working, but what he was doing it just
like never stuck. Like the offense just stayed in the mud.
(21:35):
And then the injury started piling up and nobody was consistent.
Like Meyer would finally get going, and then Nico would
go on a little bit of a cold streak, or
you know, Hughes was hurt, but like he'd go on
he was going to a small cold streak when Bratt
was at his back, you know, and it was on
the same lines, like they just couldn't get Like Pullot
would score like three goals and five nights, but it
(21:55):
would be like the five nights that Jack Hughes scored
like two goals total, you know, or to you know,
two goals in five games. It's it was tough getting
everybody on the scene rhythm, and when you finally got
secondary scoring, then the top lines would would dry out.
You know, Dawston Mercer would score a goal, but then
you know, Dawson Mercer and Paul Cottor would put something
(22:19):
in the back of the net. But then you wouldn't
get anything from Nico or Brad or Meyer.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
So it's.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
It was getting an offensive consistency is the most important
thing for this team. And of course I think that
going after players is the most important part, and trading
Hollow is important because you know, I my ideal off season.
I'm gonna write about this, my ideal off season. And
(22:46):
I'm not asking a lot when I say ideal, like
I'm trying to be realistic, Like, of course I'd love
for them to trade for McDavid and Jason Robertson and
and all these other you know, like whatever, make it
all work. My ideal off season trade for Jared McCann
of the Seattle Kracken signed Christian Devoak to to play
(23:11):
on that fourth line, whether you have him play center
or you have him played wing with you Ho Lacanon
lacking Lackham, La Chimo. What's the new guy's name, La Lantico.
It's Lamicico. Lamic coo U Ho lamicicob.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
That second rounder?
Speaker 2 (23:32):
No, the guy we just signed from Finland, Switzerland. We
just signed a guy eight hundred thousand dollars one way
deal used to play for the Canucks. Had it was
really good on the Canucks, like like really good for
a fourth liner. It was a really good fourth liner
for the Canucks. But I want Christian to Warak to
be the other guy, and then I want them to
(24:02):
I said this to the night. I can't remember who
the other person I want was. There's another center that
I want. I want to like really take centers. I
want centers because they don't. They have no depth at center,
and I think that you're gonna look really bad at
the end of the season if you saw it, like
(24:25):
it's bad to not have centers. And oh, I said,
get a guy like Rutger McGorty or the Kings Alex Lefroner.
I think the Kings Alex l'affronier has a lot of
really good metrics to show that he's on the present
pice of a decent breakout. I'm not talking about anthing huge,
(24:46):
but like fifteen to twenty goals. I think that this kid,
you know, he's he's generating a lot of offense on
his own and it's just not finishing. So he just
needs somebody to help him get over the top. So basically,
get a really good prospect, or you get a former
really good prospect who just hasn't done the NHL. Get
(25:06):
a really good center winging hybrid. So if you don't
get my Cann like i'd love Peterka, I'd love Brian Rust.
If Barrett Hayton is available in Utah, a guy to
go after him, one of those guys. And then I'd
say get either a McGarty a lot like one of
(25:26):
those guys who's like a high pedigree prospect who hasn't
done in the NHL yet, And then get a guy
like Christian Devorak who can be you know, he's basically
gonna replace our Colla, but play in a fourth line role,
like the line you really wanted.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
A guy like er Calla to play m So that
would be like my ideal of just those three signings.
And then.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Because what I think you're good on defense, and I
would do something like sign cab Kan to be a
third goalie. Cocan is another devil's playing in the foota organization,
but he got stuck his HL teams too good, so
he didn't get to be the third goalie. The checkers are.
(26:17):
They were in the Color Cup final. I gotta this
fell on me, so I gotta move that.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Well, you know it's copycat league, no pun intended. I
mean the Florida Panthers are that team and look are
they When they traded for Matthew could Chuck. It changed
the whole attitude.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
It did.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
It did, and hiring Pomerisee they went hand in hand
right at the same time. Yeah, So those two things
definitely were like the catalysts from changing them from a
team that could do really good in the regular season
to a team that could win a Stanley Cup.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Can I ask you something, mm hmmm, do you think
the Devils are really going to make a move for
Quinn Hughes. I like joking. I like joking around talking
about it.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
This offseason, though I thought I thought it was there,
But I think cooler heads have prevailed mm hmm. Like
Fitzgerald would have had to call them like three weeks
ago and paid an exorbitant price. They would have had
to pay market for Quinn Hughes. And I think I
think Tom Fitzgerald sees what we all see, that he's
two years away from a from free agency and there's
(27:35):
a good likelihood that we could sign him for whatever price.
He'd just say, he's just gonna tell us what the
price is gonna be. We're gonna sign him without sending assets.
But if they called them and they offered what Nashville
asked for for Ryan O'Reilly, which is Mercer Nemets in
a first they rather for, might just be like all right,
(27:57):
especially with how Nemets played in the playoffs. I think
that it would be a really big piece for them
to get. I think Mercer is going to break out,
whether he's on the Devils or not. I think he's
gonna break out next year, to the point of like,
I think it's gonna be a twenty goal score again,
twenty twenty five goals, I guess, not breaking out. I
think he could be like a sixty point guy. I
(28:19):
think he can be really good.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
And then.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
I think you're looking at the whole the whole landscape
of the Devils. Like again, I like the defense. I
wanted to touch on the pilot part.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Though. Plot's got a market, what a decent.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Market too, So what market are you thinking.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
I think you could get a similar price that the
Ducks got for Dumlin, a second round pick in a
mid tier prospect. And I know it's different because that
is a deadline deal and this is during the offseason.
But Plots got term and I think that's people are
gonna Unlike with halla Plot, I don't think there's a
(29:09):
risk to a lot of people. I think people like
Pilot's game and I think that with the with the
cap going up at the precipice that it is. I
think that a team like Detroit would really like like
Steve Eisman, will have to have him back. I think
Tampa would, you know, these are the obvious ones, but
(29:29):
like I think Tampa would at least consider it. I
want to discount the Ducks because they just traded for Crider.
They have the money to do it, but I don't
think that's the type of move that they they would make.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Are you and you know you look at like.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Chicago, who's a team that wants that veteran presence that's
gonna try to hit the.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Cap for I think that Chicago.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Is going to be like near the top of his
no trade list. But Toronto is a team that I
think would be interested in him. Winnipeg is a team
I think would be interested in him. Boston is a
team that I think would be really interested in him. Uh,
(30:16):
Columbus is a team that I think would be really
interested in him. I think he's gonna have a market,
And I think a team would give up a second
round pick and a prospect like like their seventh best prospect,
seventh to tenth best project, which is what Harmon Traff
was to us.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Again.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
And I think they're gonna take on the full contract
and be fine with it. But he's two years left, right,
two years left at six million?
Speaker 3 (30:39):
Yep, you know.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
And I think that plot's gonna have a market. We're
bad at a time, Sam, but I want I don't
want to leave before you ask you this. Do you
think they're taking calls on Dougie?
Speaker 1 (30:58):
I think they're taking calls on anybody.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
Do you think they're making calls on Dougie.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Making I do believe, this is my opinion. I do
believe that they are kicking the tires, so to speak,
with Dougie, just based on Fitzgerald's mindset during that last
(31:35):
that last oppressor.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
What do you think he's worth? Can you get a
first round pick for Dougie Hamilton.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
To a desperate team? You might, You might be able to,
but it's not gonna be. It's gonna be one of
those teams that you know it's gonna be twenty through
thirty mm.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
So and if that's the case, you might have to
take a contract back. Yeah, I mean, like I wonder if.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
I mean they want to trade Dougie Hamilton.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
No, I think this is not the right year to
trade douget. I also think this is not the right
year to have a ton of cap space.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
But I also think that I believe Dougie Hamilton had
what Plot had with his deal cash up front.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Am I correct on that he had cash in the middle,
cash in the middle, But I think a lot of
it has been paid out.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
He was getting paid, like, oh, it was twenty two
to twenty three. I wrote an.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Article about how everybody like they the Devil's what I think.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
It was like an eighty million dollars story, eighty one
million dollars salary cap that year.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
The Devils are paying ninety six million dollars in cash.
So there's a lot of guys that twenty two to
twenty three season like that. The the Devils needed all
of the playoff revenue that they got that year because
they were paying They.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Need the tax deductions as well.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Yeah, you know they were, uh, they were getting hammered
trying to see his Uh. Yeah, so this year is
a big one. And then it's then it's done. So
he's getting a ten point five to five million dollar
signing bonus. Last year he had a ten million dollar
(33:33):
base paying a two point six million dollar So that's
the interesting thing. If the Devils trade him late, he
has a ten point five million dollar signing bonus and
a one million dollar salary. So the Devil's pay that
signing bonus and then trade his salary elsewhere. A team's
gonna get a nine million dollar cap hit but a
one million dollar salary. And then next year it's a
(33:57):
seven point four million dollars signing bonus, one million dollar
base pay, and the year after that it's a five million.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Dollar base pay. So you're really looking.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
At a lot of this money has been paid, you know,
because last year it was twelve point six million. Year
before I was twelve point six million. So yeah, it's
all in the middle. I actually I wrote that article
last year twenty three twenty four is where they paid
(34:32):
like ninety three million dollars they did not get. They
did not get the playoffs that year. I I think
you're right. I think they're at least asking what he's worth.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Yeah, there's there's there is nothing wrong of getting a
evaluation of one of your players on the on the
open trade market. There's nothing wrong with that as long
as it doesn't get leaked to the.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Press, right right. Yeah, you don't want a guy to
feel that, you know the same.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Yeah, And you.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Don't want like Tom pastrow Is, He's done a lot
of good work rebuilding the reputation of the Devils and
having us be a destination for free agents that they'll
at least consider.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
You don't want to ruin that like the I don't.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
I think the Rangers are going to strike out in
free agency just because of how they've treated their players.
And you don't want to get into a position like that. Yeah,
because at least the Rangers have the gravitas of being
New York and playing Madison Square guard like you don't
have that.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
But the Devils have a lot going for them. I
know a lot of people are so down. I get it.
I get it, I get it, I get it, I
get it.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
I think this team. Do I think this team is
a contender today?
Speaker 1 (36:12):
No?
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Do I think this team? How many I wanted the
Devils to add five forwards. They've added two. They've just
they've subtracted one, but I kind of like built that in.
So they've added two. They added yuh, and then they
added grit Sick. Those were kind of the two easiest ones.
(36:37):
I need them to add three more difference makers. And
that's that's assuming that how many NAJO starts in the HL.
But I need I need a top six player so
that my can a rust A Paterca. I need a
third line center, like a good center, a good center,
(37:01):
one who can win face offs, one who can play
defensive matchups, one who.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Could really play well.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
And you got to get that guy at like three million,
So like that's the hard part, and then you gotta
get a good fourth liner. That's why I think Devorak
would be really good. You know, he's really he really
bounced back with Montreal this year after just being a
devastatingly bad trade uh for them.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
But you know, there's a lot of.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Really interesting players, definitely, But I don't want a ton
of cap space this year because I don't like free
agency outside of Marner. I think it's poison pill after
poison pill, and even Marner's kind of I mean, it's
a little bit of a.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Place kidding me, no, no, not at fourteen million.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Marner, I don't know. I think he's going to be
the next tailor Hole.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
Maybe Taylor Hall just playing in the Eastern Conference final,
though Martin's never done that.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Yeah, well put mart On on the Carolina Hurricanes.
Speaker 3 (38:13):
Rod Brandon w you might be doing that. That might
be exactly what happens.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
But I don't want I don't want to spend time
million dollars in Sam Bennett, I don't want to spend Actually,
you know, before we leave, this is the last thing.
I'll say, what's the highest you'd go per year on
Brad Marshand? Because I know you like him.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
I'd give him what he wants.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
You'd give him ten I will.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
If we just spent this whole podcast talking about Tom
Fitzgerald going bold. That's going bold, and I think he's
worth every penny he's gonna make. He's gonna make everybody better.
(39:01):
He's gonna have that impact, that emotional impact on the team.
That's a leader right there. That's the guy we want
it all wanted in plot.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
It all depends on how injured kovi Sevich and Hughes are.
But if he traded Dougie and just turned that money
into Marshand, I mean.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
I'd really like it.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
For now, if you could get him at three and
twenty seven, you pay him nine million dollars a year,
I'll tell you.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
I'll tell you the Marshawn effect. Okay, this past season
Boston Bruins, when he was on the Boston Bruins and
they played on the Four Nations team for Team Canada,
he was a leader. He was definitely a leader that
locker room. Canada wins that tournament. He gets traded the
(40:07):
Florida Panthers back to back the back appearances in the
Stanley Cup Finals. They're exhausted nick the amount of games
that they played, they're injured. But as soon as you added
injected Marshawn in that lineup in that organization. Now, when
he first came there, I think he was hurt, Wasn't
(40:29):
that he didn't play right away?
Speaker 3 (40:31):
Right? Yeah, he got traded when he was one.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
But as soon as he got going, he even got
I truly believe he even got Matthew Kachuck going. We
heard all the injuries that he played with. But once
I'm telling you, there's certain special players in all sports
where even in football, you can have this one player
(40:58):
that you know may not show up on on the
statue whatever, but even the kicker kicks better for whatever
reason because of that player. And I think one of
those players.
Speaker 2 (41:09):
I'll tell a quick story about just how mindset changes.
I think this was the year that Cleveland won the
title in basketball. I think I'm pretty like I'm trying
to make sure that the dots are connected, or maybe
they went to the whatever Cleveland was floundering.
Speaker 3 (41:27):
And then they traded for I think.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
I think it was Timothy Moskoff, and Moscow wasn't the
best player in the world, but it was adding that
that trust from the front office and the impact that
that had in the locker room, and that took them
all the way to the NBA Finals. And Brad Marshan
(41:56):
would scare the living daylights out of me as a player,
just as like as a contract. But at the same
time it would scare me because of the injuries. Is
he going to like is his body gonna break down soon?
Is he trying to cash out because he's worried like
he feels it, he feels that his body is breaking down,
(42:20):
And that would be my concern. Is he gonna get
a major groin injury like pilot never looked the same.
Is he going to get a shoulder injury and just
lose his shot? That would be my concern.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
That's my concern with every player in this league, to
be honest.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
I know, but he's he's been injured, like he's he
gets a hip surgery every year.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
Yeah, like it's I mean, that's my.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Concerns job to find a butcher going.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
But that's a bold move that I think what moved
the needle. I do think that's a needle. I think
Brad Marshan this I'm gonna sound crazy when I say this,
but I think Brad Marshan moves more needles than Sam Bennett.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
I I I agree with you. Sam Bennett is a
great player. But he's gonna get He's gonna get big money,
big money, and then you have to weigh in, you know,
the analytics, you know whatever, and by the capitologists will
(43:22):
go crazy over it.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
The last thing I'll say to everybody, look at how
Florida scored. Look at how Florida scored in that Stanley
Cup final. They didn't score a lot of dirty goals.
We scored a lot of skill for goals. And maybe
that that that rough and tumble nature opened up space
(43:46):
for them to take the shot. I think it's repeatable
by the roster you have with the Devils. The only
guy I'll listen to about like, I think Jack Hughes
is a hard news player. I think he does play
like that. I think he plays very similar to Marshand.
He's just much much much smaller as far as like frame, like,
(44:09):
he's much more slender. They've Jack Hughes put on twenty
pounds of muscle, which he can. He's he's out of
the sling, so he can lift and he can you know,
he can, he can work out. I think he can
play Brad Martian style. Not you know that Brad Marshand
is a special being, but I think he can play
that kind of style. Probably overstating a little bit. I
(44:38):
think he can play a style where he'll he's fearless,
you know where he'll he'll skate between hits because he
trusts his talent. Yeah, but the one I'll listen to
is Brat. I was a little concerned, Like every year
I've got like, it's fine, I get it. It's a
lot of luck in the playoffs, a lot of that.
Like this year, I was like this is now kind
(45:00):
of a trend where he hasn't really shown up to
that next level. Not saying I want a trade Brat,
I don't want to. I think that he's an important
cog in your team and he drives a lot the
regular season. You have to figure out why it's not
working in the postseason and if he needs to change,
(45:22):
like I think it's because he's tentative and would rather
pass than shoot. I think you just need to change
his mentality this season and just be like, make the
play that makes the most sense, don't be unselfish if
unselfish is not the right move. And you know sometimes
like he played, he had eighty hits, right or he
had ninety hits. He had just under one hundred hits
(45:43):
this year, so he's he's hitting people, but he got it.
Speaker 3 (45:46):
Like in the playoffs, you have to.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Come to play. And I know he had the shoulder injury,
but he has to come to play. So that's one
guy less. Two Lego was great in the playoffs. Timo
was great in the playoffs. I think you got pieces
and I think this defense can win in the playoffs,
and I think Jacob Marksham can win in the playoffs.
This Devil's team is built, right, it's just missing pieces.
(46:14):
If you get a McCann, if you get a Devorak,
if you get if you hit on the risk. And
that's the thing. Panthers hit on the risks. The Devils
have to hit on their risks. Whether it's McGroarty, whether
that's dij Peterka, you know, it's it's you gotta hit
(46:36):
on the risks.
Speaker 1 (46:38):
You know.
Speaker 2 (46:38):
Vegas took a chance on Holts. They thought that that
could be a guy that turns into Sam Bennett.
Speaker 1 (46:42):
Right.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
Didn't work out for them, But those are the types
of guys you gotta go after, like a Holts type.
It's crazy as it sounds to like sign up for
that again. I think those are the types you gotta
go after. There's a couple other you know, Oh, you know,
you know one other thing that I think would an
interesting thing to talk about Sam before we go, I go.
Speaker 3 (47:03):
I know, we got like one minute.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
Left, but I advocated for the Devils to offer sheet
Will Cooley from the Rangers.
Speaker 1 (47:13):
You said that on the last podcast.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
I believe, Oh I did.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Okay, I wrote that before okay, Oh, I think I
wrote it after I said it. The other guy that
I think they should consider all offer sheet these only two.
I would even consider Simon Holstrom from the Islanders. I
think he's another guy that hasn't hit a ceiling yet.
It's kind of pretty far away from a ceiling. And
(47:36):
you could get him for like a first and a
third in the offer sheet and sign him for five
years and really like he looks. I think he's a
guy who could be a thirty goal scorer. I think
both of them, Cooley and Holstrom, I think could both
be thirty goal scorers in the right situation. Put him
next to Jack Hughes next year and they'll explode.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
And there you have it from Nick Vollano some pictureorks
dot com. So what are you plugging?
Speaker 2 (48:03):
So I'm gonna write about Wholstrom? Uh tonight or tomorrow.
I gotta see what's on the docket. Jenny Streeter is
writing a story about Eric Holla and just his impact
on the Devil's that's coming out tonight.
Speaker 1 (48:15):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (48:15):
John Bailey already wrote about Holla. He just wrote about
the trade as a as a newspiece. It's up in
Boxpittricks dot com. He also wrote about kind of that
dichotomy of Alexander Holton, Anton Londell and kind of the
mistake that that the twenty twenty draft ended up being.
Speaker 3 (48:34):
I wrote a bunch of stuff.
Speaker 2 (48:35):
I wrote about Luke Hughes and the mistake the Devils
can't make I wrote about.
Speaker 3 (48:39):
I already said that.
Speaker 2 (48:40):
I wrote about the three things that Devils need to
learn from the Panthers. Really interesting stuff, but just digging
into like the data. I'm gonna write about five trade
targets that I think the Devil should make. I'm gonna
write about free agency is gonna be nonsense. We're gonna
(49:00):
write a bunch of draft stuff of Jersey Joe just
put out his mock drafts. Go check that out. Uh,
he picked every Devil's pick. See see what he's picked out,
I wrote. Yeah, So there's there's gonna be There's gonna
be articles every single day, multiple articles every single day.
Speaker 3 (49:17):
Like I'm gonna try to.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
Get like at least three articles a day for you
people for the rest of the month.
Speaker 1 (49:24):
Through pitchforks dot com. Yeah, we'll have a covered draft
free agent frenzy. It's my favorite time of the year.
Speaker 3 (49:35):
Actually, we love it. Yes, take it in all right.
Speaker 1 (49:40):
Well, I want to Thank all those tuning in, seeing
a lot of familiar faces like Matt four Ted, Steve Engel,
Max Andrew Harvey. Lots of people all right, you gonna
get out of here, David, Oh yeah, tell them to
(50:01):
get yeah. David Decker of can Toyota Route forty six
and beautiful Ledgewood in New Jersey. Go to David Decker
and Tom Sam and Nick Sancha until next time. Let's
go Els,
Happy Devils Wednesday. This is the State of the Fan address.
I'm your host Sam wuu here with Nick Milano of
Pucks and pitchforks dot com. Yes, that editor in chief.
That just catch you the latest news, the latest opinions
(00:35):
of all things New Jersey Devils streaming live on Facebook Live,
YouTube live, x live and Twitch on the Let's Go
Devil's network as the new season is kind of a
honest After the Florida Panthers round in the Stanley Cup
(01:02):
last night, two in a row, back to back, which
is very difficult to do. Over the Edmonton Oilers again,
lots to talk about. Are the Devil's making room? Are
they going to make some speace? Look, Tom Fitzgerald, Nick
(01:24):
is not wasting any time. You know, actions speak louder
than words. He roared like a lion on that presser
at the end of the season, the state of the team,
and we knew changes were going to be made. And
this was the first step today when he traded Eric
(01:49):
Halla to the Nashville Predators.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
So there's a lot of different directions I want to
go into. The first one I want to go into first,
let's talk about the trade. So he traded Halla to
the Nashville Predators. Predators finally doing a so solid after
ragged doing us two straight years in trade negotiations, first
(02:13):
that U say sorrows two years ago and then this
past season with Ryan O'Reilly just completely spitting in our
face basically, but finally doing a so solid trading for
Eric Halla. They send their own fourth round pick, which
is basically like, it's close to a third round pick,
right they're picking like what fourth, fourth or fifth?
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Utah's fourth?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:40):
Four?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Do you remember what what position they're in? Are they
like the fifth pick or the sixth pick.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Of the fourth round?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Right where they picking in the first round, the.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Sixth I didn't go on that they have a bad record,
so that's yeah. The so it's a high pick in
the fourth round. It's still a fourth round pick. Not
very likely that it's going to turn into an NHL player,
but it's happened before. I think Sharon Govich was a
(03:11):
or he might have been a fifth round pitch but anyway,
and they traded for a defenseman that you don't need
to know his name. No offense to the guy, but
he's a guy who played in the EHL last year.
He's at best the sixth HL defenseman, but I think
that there's not really a lot of seeing he's a
former six round pick. I think he was a Colorado
Avalanche traffick. Just fodder, right, It's just kind of like
(03:38):
extra guys you get thrown in there.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
The big deal here is the Devils.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Are now up to like fourteen point three million dollars.
They could spend this offseason. A couple thoughts here. Obviously,
you know, the extra like two and a half million
or whatever it ends up being just with the calculation
is huge, especially if you want to sign Luke's long term,
like say, like just to give a round number, Let's
(04:06):
say Luke, you sense for eight point two million over
eight years, and now you're sitting with six million dollars
or yeah, you're sitting with six million dollars left. But
prior to this deal it was four. Four means you
can't upgrade anywhere. Six means you can at least do
like one upgrade somewhere and then upgrade other places. Now
(04:31):
that brings me to my question for you, Sam, is
this the deal to open up space or do you
think they're gonna do more deals?
Speaker 1 (04:39):
I think they're gonna do more deals. And the only
reason why I say that it was Tom Fitzgerald was
pretty direct his last press conference in front of reporters
at the end of the season. He was very direct.
Right now, I wouldn't say he's on the hot hot seat,
(04:59):
but he he's at that crossroad where he's got to
make He's got to bring elevate this team from making
the playoffs to being doing damage in the Stanley Cup playoffs,
like getting to the third round, and you got to
(05:21):
cut the fat from this team and the next one
on the list, which is improbable. It'd be interesting, is plot.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
You'd have to throw his thing, but go ahead, keep going.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
Well, the reason why I say improbable is there's a
lot of different things here. The amount of years now.
He didn't get a front loaded contract in terms of money. Yeah,
cash up front, but the AAV stays consistent throughout the
five years. So you're right, Nick, I will correct myself.
(06:03):
You're right on that point. Do you know anything about
his UH protection? Does he have a no trade clause?
Speaker 2 (06:15):
It it becomes I believe it becomes limited on July first,
Double check the ten team on July first. But now
you're talking semantics like you're really gonna block a trade
and then we're just gonna do it in a week
kind of thing. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
So the point I'm trying to make is he's I
think he's the next one on the block. That's my opinion,
because six million dollars is a lot of money to
be hogging. But if you're gonna quote unquote get Quinn Hughes,
the first step is you gotta lock Luke.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
That's what I say.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Lock him up to a cap friendly deal, open intended. Uh,
you know, very sick.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
But keep going, Sorry, I keep cutting off. I apologize.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Well, you're not gonna pay Luke Hughes fourteen point five
million a year, No, but.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
If you go up to nine, I don't think it's fine.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I consider that cap friendly for somebody. For somebody is
potential because you look at the value down the road
year four, five, six, seven of that contract. It's going
to be a bargain. Just like Jack Hughes, if he
wasn't getting hurt, that's a bargain in itself. It mitigates
quite a bit of risk. So I think, uh, you
(07:41):
know again, I think I think there's just gonna be
some changes. I mean, look, Thomas Tatar again. I know
this is little He's he's playing somewhere else. He's playing
in Switzerland right now. So a lot of these guys
are coming off the books.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Yeah, I mean the Lazar's come out with the books,
Bastian's come out the books, Dawling's coming out the books.
And Christy Flannery from The Hockey News reports that Dowling
dunt sounds like his agent is preparing for uh for agency.
It sounds like Dalling's, you know, a short but you
know it sounds like its time with.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
The Devil's is over.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Just and again like they've spoken like agent terms, like
we expect to hit market and that usually means that
the devils aren't interested.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
And honestly, like, I think a lot of people.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Would celebrate Tom fitzgeral because that's you know, Tom Fitzgerald.
I wrote an article yesterday, and you ever write something
and then you're like, I really like what I wrote.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
I really like this.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
One line that I wrote. Okay, I wrote that Tom
Fitzgerald wants to win negotiations and Bill Zito wants to
win hockey games. Bill Zito does not care about losing
a trade if it leads to like He doesn't care
what happens the guy. Once he's no longer there, it
doesn't get like it don't matter to me anymore. You
(09:03):
don't exist to me.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Whatever.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
He doesn't care about trading with the division, doesn't care
about all these egotistical things that I think.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Tom Fitzgerald cares about, or he did. I think he did.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
I think Tom Fitzgerald didn't want to trade assets that
made him look bad. I think you saw a little
bit of a turn there with the Alexander Holtz trade,
because that like that he clearly lost, like you didn't want,
you don't want Paul Cotter with the seventh overall pick.
(09:37):
But he made the deal and took the l But
he saw during the season, like when the prices were exorbitant,
he just was like, I'm just I can't.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Pay these, and I get it. I think I'd be
the same way. But Bill Zito's not like that.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
And Bill Zito's winning back to back championships and has
been to three straight final. You know, he took one
hundred and fifteen point player and a number one B
defenseman and traded them for and a first round pick
and traded for Matthew Kuchuk I just traded like and again,
(10:19):
a lot of people, including myself, saw some flaws in
that season from Huberdoh, and I wouldn't wanted to pay
him the contract that he got. But it's easy to
say that now. Wiger was the one that I thought
Hurt more. I thought Vega is a really good defenser,
and I still think he is. But he made that
move for Kachuk. He made the move like we forget this.
(10:39):
He traded for Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart within like
four months of each other. And Bennett was a guy
that was kind of floundering in Calgary. Was alright, but
he didn't look like this. I think it was a
sixth overall pick, didn't look like that guy. They traded
a second round pick and a prospect name a Meal,
something he didn't really turn into anything. So that was
(11:03):
a bold, rightful move to get a guy with talent.
And then when Ryan Hurt became available, he sent the
best price. He sent the first round pick in Devin
Levi h to Buffalo. Everybody thought Levi was like the
next thing, but I think they already had Night at
the time, so didn't really need Levi. They just signed.
(11:26):
They already had Bobrovsky. He signed to that ten million
dollars per year contract, and you know, he makes the
big move. Everybody thought Seth Jones was cooked, including myself.
I thought cook, I thought Jones was cooked. Jones finally
looks a little better this season. And then you know
he sent the big price, including Spencer Night to Chicago
(11:46):
to get Jones with retention, which is important there because
now they could spend their money, Like there's talks that
they could bring back ek blad, Marshand and Bennett and
those are all guys that are going in the sixth
to ten million dollar range and they can bring.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Back all three. What did you say?
Speaker 1 (12:05):
That's crazy? Right, But they have the space because they've they've.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Made the right moves.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
And I do think up until now, Fitzgerald has moved
around to win negotiations. He whether that's contract negotiations, I
think about it. He probably could have got Johnny Goodrou
to sign here, you know, rest in peace, like you know,
(12:32):
but Johnny Goudreau is smaller and there's an issue there.
But imagine Johnny Gaudreaux in this top six, you know,
like instead of Plot because that was the choice back then.
But he he didn't want to go to the number
that Gaudreau needed to sign with the Devils. Whether that's
because of the hospital in Columbus, or whether that's because
(12:54):
you know, where his wife wanted to work, or whether
that's because he's a flyers finger on whatever the case
might be. He could have gotten Gadreau if he just
spent the money. But I think that he's just had
this mindset to win every negotiation, and he's won a
lot of them. But that sometimes means you have to
(13:14):
walk away, and walking away means you don't get the player,
and not getting the player means that like you didn't
get the talent you wanted, and you know, sometimes it's smart.
I don't think you should have spent Simonemic Dawson Mercer
in the first round pick for Rhyinodroyd. I think it's
a terrible asset management. But at the same time, like
you're doing this all the time. I think that he
(13:35):
held under Dawson Mercer and didn't get Connor Hellibuck, and
Connor Hellibuck just won MVP of the league, so you know,
there's there's which I have a little bit of a
beef with.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
That one. Little bit, No, not so much. He won
the MVP. But in two thousand and seven, there was
this big debate about Marty Bordoor winning the VESNA and
the Heart Trophy in the same season, and the press,
the writers, the debate went on that no goalies have
(14:08):
their own MVP. Ye, that's the ves they can't win both.
And at the time, I'm like, that's hogwash. If you
dominate and you change the outcome of the season and
the game night in and night out, any player should
be up for the Heart Trophy. Now I'm glad that
(14:29):
Connor Hellibuck won the Heart Trophy and the VESIDA because
you know, I think jose Theodore back in two thousand
and two won it and and carry Price. Yeah, so
you know, again, I think a lot of it. I
think a lot of it was, you know, the Professional
Hockey Writers Association, you know, the way that the mindset
(14:52):
of that group. You know, it's like, okay, I think
they just for whatever reason, they didn't like lou and
they took it out on brutal, you know. And I'm
glad and I'm glad that it's happening. It's happened a
couple of times since two thousand and seven that a
goalie would win both and I had a big problem
with it back then, and uh, hearing the hell Buck
(15:14):
won both trophies, I'm glad that these voters have, let's
just say, evolved.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Yeah, yeah, I agree.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
And I don't think there was any other guy that
like clearly won it right, like they were talking about Kutcherov,
but like Tampa Bay was like Tampa Bay that impressive
that this year, I don't think so, Like obviously, like
McDavid's always in the conversation, but this isn't wasn't like
a student, Like wasn't McDavid hurt for part of the year.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Yeah, I mean any bad year for McDavid is probably
like top ten in the league, you know so.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
But yeah, no, I I I'm glad that Hella Buck
won it. I think it.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
I think it was the right move. He's the reason
that they were they win the President's Trophy. He did right,
they were. Yeah, he's the reason. Like he had such
a great season.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
All he needed to win.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
He could have been a devil.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I'll tell you what. He looks evil. If you look
at Hellibuck a little bit, Yeah, it almost looks like
he would have horns on his head.
Speaker 2 (16:28):
He looks like the guy. Did you ever watch the
Hunger Games movies?
Speaker 1 (16:32):
I don't watch movies.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Okay, so he kind of looks like the game maker
in the first one.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Mm hmm.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
People out there will know what I'm talking about. I
think he looks like the game maker. Hold on, let
me see if I can find a picture.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Well, yeah, I mean he looks evil. I just wish
he won that one four Nations game. Then I went
to with missus Wou in Boston that beautiful feb Worry night.
Actually the other day I was actually, wow, right, totally
(17:11):
Toy looks like that guy and with the last name
Hella Buck, how can he not be a New Jersey Devil.
But we we thought about that with Chatan you're years
ago or maybe Paul Ranger playing on the Rangers, Like,
how come it didn't happen?
Speaker 2 (17:30):
Apparently didn't Lou want Satan and Satan didn't want to
come or something.
Speaker 3 (17:34):
Is that what Satan said?
Speaker 1 (17:36):
You know what, I'll have to go back in time. Yeah,
I mean I probably heard that on the message board
somewhere back in those days.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
One of the things that's interesting about this, like a
lot of people talk about the players that are on
the Panthers. Now, you know Thomas Nosak just for Bequest,
Tavana Chak, dmit Youa Kolakov, all former Devils, but they
they all have played a very small role. Like cooler
(18:07):
Cob probably plays the biggest role, and that's it's.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Not that big.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
The guy who had the most in the former Devil
had the most impact on this team is Sonny Metow.
So Sonny Medaw was hired I believe he was hired
by lou Loula Morillo. But he's one of the foremost
analytics experts. He helps to put together I think, so yeah, Edmonton, Okay, yeah,
(18:31):
but he's like he's he's I think he's Bill Ziito's
right hand man and going to be a GM sooner
rather than later.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
But you know, it's one of those things.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
It's like, can you call it a fumble if you know,
these guys get hired in different organizations all the time
to better roles. So I don't want to say that
they fumble the bag, but it is interesting that this
guy who's just a savant at building rosters now or
it was part of the front office that does it
the best way.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
You know, he just lifted a cop after leaving New Jersey.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
So I just thought that's that's that's kind of an
interesting point with Sunny Meadow. But yeah, go to buckspet
Trucks dot com. I wrote, I think there are three
lessons to be learned from the Panthers. I also think
there's one lesson that you should not learn. I don't
think the Devils should go after gritty players. That's not
(19:31):
what the Panthers did. Sam Bennett wasn't a gritty player
when he got signed, when he got traded, he was.
He was a top talent. Sam Ryan Hurt wasn't a
gritty player when he got signed. He was a top scorer.
Deles need to get scores and teach them. Sheldon Key's system.
Sheldon keep has a pretty good system, some bit of
Paul Marae's with the ideal for checking. When the Devils
(19:54):
were rolling in November and December, they were four checking
like mad, closing a ton of turnovers in your face,
really not.
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Letting you breathe.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
Do you remember, like what was it like seven or
eight games in a row that they allowed less than
twenty shots. Yeah, in December. That's the style they need
to play off season. Well, honestly, it doesn't even matter
down the season.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
That's just the style.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
I think you're right. I think you're right, Nick, because
they played that style and for whatever reason after Christmas,
you know, they beat the Rangers on the twenty third,
on that Mattine game on a Monday, which still pisses
me off because of ESPN. But on the twenty seventh,
I believe we're twenty eighth on the road in Carolina
(20:35):
when uh, Marty nhis you know, when he was on
the team, was doing some bad acting and if whatever reason,
the Devil's just lost that that edge, that grit, which doesn't.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
Make any sense because they beat Carolina the night before.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yeah, something changed overnight where and then they just never
got to I don't know what happened. It's it's it's
the mystery of the century. I have no idea how
it happened, or why it happened, or what happened. They
just like forgot how to play hockey.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
I don't understand it.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
I I do blame Keith for not getting them out
of that rut. That's the one thing where I was like,
keep he got it, like he like he did a
good job of like sticking with what worked in the
first half of the season, and he did change it
once started working, but what he was doing it just
like never stuck. Like the offense just stayed in the mud.
(21:35):
And then the injury started piling up and nobody was consistent.
Like Meyer would finally get going, and then Nico would
go on a little bit of a cold streak, or
you know, Hughes was hurt, but like he'd go on
he was going to a small cold streak when Bratt
was at his back, you know, and it was on
the same lines, like they just couldn't get Like Pullot
would score like three goals and five nights, but it
(21:55):
would be like the five nights that Jack Hughes scored
like two goals total, you know, or to you know,
two goals in five games. It's it was tough getting
everybody on the scene rhythm, and when you finally got
secondary scoring, then the top lines would would dry out.
You know, Dawston Mercer would score a goal, but then
you know, Dawson Mercer and Paul Cottor would put something
(22:19):
in the back of the net. But then you wouldn't
get anything from Nico or Brad or Meyer.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
So it's.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
It was getting an offensive consistency is the most important
thing for this team. And of course I think that
going after players is the most important part, and trading
Hollow is important because you know, I my ideal off season.
I'm gonna write about this, my ideal off season. And
(22:46):
I'm not asking a lot when I say ideal, like
I'm trying to be realistic, Like, of course I'd love
for them to trade for McDavid and Jason Robertson and
and all these other you know, like whatever, make it
all work. My ideal off season trade for Jared McCann
of the Seattle Kracken signed Christian Devoak to to play
(23:11):
on that fourth line, whether you have him play center
or you have him played wing with you Ho Lacanon
lacking Lackham, La Chimo. What's the new guy's name, La Lantico.
It's Lamicico. Lamic coo U Ho lamicicob.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
That second rounder?
Speaker 2 (23:32):
No, the guy we just signed from Finland, Switzerland. We
just signed a guy eight hundred thousand dollars one way
deal used to play for the Canucks. Had it was
really good on the Canucks, like like really good for
a fourth liner. It was a really good fourth liner
for the Canucks. But I want Christian to Warak to
be the other guy, and then I want them to
(24:02):
I said this to the night. I can't remember who
the other person I want was. There's another center that
I want. I want to like really take centers. I
want centers because they don't. They have no depth at center,
and I think that you're gonna look really bad at
the end of the season if you saw it, like
(24:25):
it's bad to not have centers. And oh, I said,
get a guy like Rutger McGorty or the Kings Alex Lefroner.
I think the Kings Alex l'affronier has a lot of
really good metrics to show that he's on the present
pice of a decent breakout. I'm not talking about anthing huge,
(24:46):
but like fifteen to twenty goals. I think that this kid,
you know, he's he's generating a lot of offense on
his own and it's just not finishing. So he just
needs somebody to help him get over the top. So basically,
get a really good prospect, or you get a former
really good prospect who just hasn't done the NHL. Get
(25:06):
a really good center winging hybrid. So if you don't
get my Cann like i'd love Peterka, I'd love Brian Rust.
If Barrett Hayton is available in Utah, a guy to
go after him, one of those guys. And then I'd
say get either a McGarty a lot like one of
(25:26):
those guys who's like a high pedigree prospect who hasn't
done in the NHL yet, And then get a guy
like Christian Devorak who can be you know, he's basically
gonna replace our Colla, but play in a fourth line role,
like the line you really wanted.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
A guy like er Calla to play m So that
would be like my ideal of just those three signings.
And then.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Because what I think you're good on defense, and I
would do something like sign cab Kan to be a
third goalie. Cocan is another devil's playing in the foota organization,
but he got stuck his HL teams too good, so
he didn't get to be the third goalie. The checkers are.
(26:17):
They were in the Color Cup final. I gotta this
fell on me, so I gotta move that.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
Well, you know it's copycat league, no pun intended. I
mean the Florida Panthers are that team and look are
they When they traded for Matthew could Chuck. It changed
the whole attitude.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
It did.
Speaker 2 (26:40):
It did, and hiring Pomerisee they went hand in hand
right at the same time. Yeah, So those two things
definitely were like the catalysts from changing them from a
team that could do really good in the regular season
to a team that could win a Stanley Cup.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
Can I ask you something, mm hmmm, do you think
the Devils are really going to make a move for
Quinn Hughes. I like joking. I like joking around talking
about it.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
This offseason, though I thought I thought it was there,
But I think cooler heads have prevailed mm hmm. Like
Fitzgerald would have had to call them like three weeks
ago and paid an exorbitant price. They would have had
to pay market for Quinn Hughes. And I think I
think Tom Fitzgerald sees what we all see, that he's
two years away from a from free agency and there's
(27:35):
a good likelihood that we could sign him for whatever price.
He'd just say, he's just gonna tell us what the
price is gonna be. We're gonna sign him without sending assets.
But if they called them and they offered what Nashville
asked for for Ryan O'Reilly, which is Mercer Nemets in
a first they rather for, might just be like all right,
(27:57):
especially with how Nemets played in the playoffs. I think
that it would be a really big piece for them
to get. I think Mercer is going to break out,
whether he's on the Devils or not. I think he's
gonna break out next year, to the point of like,
I think it's gonna be a twenty goal score again,
twenty twenty five goals, I guess, not breaking out. I
think he could be like a sixty point guy. I
(28:19):
think he can be really good.
Speaker 3 (28:22):
And then.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
I think you're looking at the whole the whole landscape
of the Devils. Like again, I like the defense. I
wanted to touch on the pilot part.
Speaker 3 (28:36):
Though. Plot's got a market, what a decent.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
Market too, So what market are you thinking.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
I think you could get a similar price that the
Ducks got for Dumlin, a second round pick in a
mid tier prospect. And I know it's different because that
is a deadline deal and this is during the offseason.
But Plots got term and I think that's people are
gonna Unlike with halla Plot, I don't think there's a
(29:09):
risk to a lot of people. I think people like
Pilot's game and I think that with the with the
cap going up at the precipice that it is. I
think that a team like Detroit would really like like
Steve Eisman, will have to have him back. I think
Tampa would, you know, these are the obvious ones, but
(29:29):
like I think Tampa would at least consider it. I
want to discount the Ducks because they just traded for Crider.
They have the money to do it, but I don't
think that's the type of move that they they would make.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
Are you and you know you look at like.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Chicago, who's a team that wants that veteran presence that's
gonna try to hit the.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
Cap for I think that Chicago.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Is going to be like near the top of his
no trade list. But Toronto is a team that I
think would be interested in him. Winnipeg is a team
I think would be interested in him. Boston is a
team that I think would be really interested in him. Uh,
(30:16):
Columbus is a team that I think would be really
interested in him. I think he's gonna have a market,
And I think a team would give up a second
round pick and a prospect like like their seventh best prospect,
seventh to tenth best project, which is what Harmon Traff
was to us.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
Again.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
And I think they're gonna take on the full contract
and be fine with it. But he's two years left, right,
two years left at six million?
Speaker 3 (30:39):
Yep, you know.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
And I think that plot's gonna have a market. We're
bad at a time, Sam, but I want I don't
want to leave before you ask you this. Do you
think they're taking calls on Dougie?
Speaker 1 (30:58):
I think they're taking calls on anybody.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
Do you think they're making calls on Dougie.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Making I do believe, this is my opinion. I do
believe that they are kicking the tires, so to speak,
with Dougie, just based on Fitzgerald's mindset during that last
(31:35):
that last oppressor.
Speaker 3 (31:38):
What do you think he's worth? Can you get a
first round pick for Dougie Hamilton.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
To a desperate team? You might, You might be able to,
but it's not gonna be. It's gonna be one of
those teams that you know it's gonna be twenty through
thirty mm.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
So and if that's the case, you might have to
take a contract back. Yeah, I mean, like I wonder if.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
I mean they want to trade Dougie Hamilton.
Speaker 2 (32:13):
No, I think this is not the right year to
trade douget. I also think this is not the right
year to have a ton of cap space.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
But I also think that I believe Dougie Hamilton had
what Plot had with his deal cash up front.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
Am I correct on that he had cash in the middle,
cash in the middle, But I think a lot of
it has been paid out.
Speaker 3 (32:37):
He was getting paid, like, oh, it was twenty two
to twenty three. I wrote an.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Article about how everybody like they the Devil's what I think.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
It was like an eighty million dollars story, eighty one
million dollars salary cap that year.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
The Devils are paying ninety six million dollars in cash.
So there's a lot of guys that twenty two to
twenty three season like that. The the Devils needed all
of the playoff revenue that they got that year because
they were paying They.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Need the tax deductions as well.
Speaker 2 (33:08):
Yeah, you know they were, uh, they were getting hammered
trying to see his Uh. Yeah, so this year is
a big one. And then it's then it's done. So
he's getting a ten point five to five million dollar
signing bonus. Last year he had a ten million dollar
(33:33):
base paying a two point six million dollar So that's
the interesting thing. If the Devils trade him late, he
has a ten point five million dollar signing bonus and
a one million dollar salary. So the Devil's pay that
signing bonus and then trade his salary elsewhere. A team's
gonna get a nine million dollar cap hit but a
one million dollar salary. And then next year it's a
(33:57):
seven point four million dollars signing bonus, one million dollar
base pay, and the year after that it's a five million.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Dollar base pay. So you're really looking.
Speaker 2 (34:07):
At a lot of this money has been paid, you know,
because last year it was twelve point six million. Year
before I was twelve point six million. So yeah, it's
all in the middle. I actually I wrote that article
last year twenty three twenty four is where they paid
(34:32):
like ninety three million dollars they did not get. They
did not get the playoffs that year. I I think
you're right. I think they're at least asking what he's worth.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Yeah, there's there's there is nothing wrong of getting a
evaluation of one of your players on the on the
open trade market. There's nothing wrong with that as long
as it doesn't get leaked to the.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
Press, right right. Yeah, you don't want a guy to
feel that, you know the same.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
Yeah, And you.
Speaker 2 (35:20):
Don't want like Tom pastrow Is, He's done a lot
of good work rebuilding the reputation of the Devils and
having us be a destination for free agents that they'll
at least consider.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
You don't want to ruin that like the I don't.
Speaker 2 (35:37):
I think the Rangers are going to strike out in
free agency just because of how they've treated their players.
And you don't want to get into a position like that. Yeah,
because at least the Rangers have the gravitas of being
New York and playing Madison Square guard like you don't
have that.
Speaker 3 (35:54):
But the Devils have a lot going for them. I
know a lot of people are so down. I get it.
I get it, I get it, I get it, I
get it.
Speaker 2 (36:06):
I think this team. Do I think this team is
a contender today?
Speaker 1 (36:12):
No?
Speaker 2 (36:13):
Do I think this team? How many I wanted the
Devils to add five forwards. They've added two. They've just
they've subtracted one, but I kind of like built that in.
So they've added two. They added yuh, and then they
added grit Sick. Those were kind of the two easiest ones.
(36:37):
I need them to add three more difference makers. And
that's that's assuming that how many NAJO starts in the HL.
But I need I need a top six player so
that my can a rust A Paterca. I need a
third line center, like a good center, a good center,
(37:01):
one who can win face offs, one who can play
defensive matchups, one who.
Speaker 3 (37:05):
Could really play well.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
And you got to get that guy at like three million,
So like that's the hard part, and then you gotta
get a good fourth liner. That's why I think Devorak
would be really good. You know, he's really he really
bounced back with Montreal this year after just being a
devastatingly bad trade uh for them.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
But you know, there's a lot of.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
Really interesting players, definitely, But I don't want a ton
of cap space this year because I don't like free
agency outside of Marner. I think it's poison pill after
poison pill, and even Marner's kind of I mean, it's
a little bit of a.
Speaker 3 (37:47):
Place kidding me, no, no, not at fourteen million.
Speaker 1 (37:54):
Marner, I don't know. I think he's going to be
the next tailor Hole.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
Maybe Taylor Hall just playing in the Eastern Conference final,
though Martin's never done that.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
Yeah, well put mart On on the Carolina Hurricanes.
Speaker 3 (38:13):
Rod Brandon w you might be doing that. That might
be exactly what happens.
Speaker 2 (38:19):
But I don't want I don't want to spend time
million dollars in Sam Bennett, I don't want to spend Actually,
you know, before we leave, this is the last thing.
I'll say, what's the highest you'd go per year on
Brad Marshand? Because I know you like him.
Speaker 1 (38:35):
I'd give him what he wants.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
You'd give him ten I will.
Speaker 1 (38:41):
If we just spent this whole podcast talking about Tom
Fitzgerald going bold. That's going bold, and I think he's
worth every penny he's gonna make. He's gonna make everybody better.
(39:01):
He's gonna have that impact, that emotional impact on the team.
That's a leader right there. That's the guy we want
it all wanted in plot.
Speaker 2 (39:17):
It all depends on how injured kovi Sevich and Hughes are.
But if he traded Dougie and just turned that money
into Marshand, I mean.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
I'd really like it.
Speaker 2 (39:29):
For now, if you could get him at three and
twenty seven, you pay him nine million dollars a year,
I'll tell you.
Speaker 1 (39:41):
I'll tell you the Marshawn effect. Okay, this past season
Boston Bruins, when he was on the Boston Bruins and
they played on the Four Nations team for Team Canada,
he was a leader. He was definitely a leader that
locker room. Canada wins that tournament. He gets traded the
(40:07):
Florida Panthers back to back the back appearances in the
Stanley Cup Finals. They're exhausted nick the amount of games
that they played, they're injured. But as soon as you added
injected Marshawn in that lineup in that organization. Now, when
he first came there, I think he was hurt, Wasn't
(40:29):
that he didn't play right away?
Speaker 3 (40:31):
Right? Yeah, he got traded when he was one.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
But as soon as he got going, he even got
I truly believe he even got Matthew Kachuck going. We
heard all the injuries that he played with. But once
I'm telling you, there's certain special players in all sports
where even in football, you can have this one player
(40:58):
that you know may not show up on on the
statue whatever, but even the kicker kicks better for whatever
reason because of that player. And I think one of
those players.
Speaker 2 (41:09):
I'll tell a quick story about just how mindset changes.
I think this was the year that Cleveland won the
title in basketball. I think I'm pretty like I'm trying
to make sure that the dots are connected, or maybe
they went to the whatever Cleveland was floundering.
Speaker 3 (41:27):
And then they traded for I think.
Speaker 2 (41:32):
I think it was Timothy Moskoff, and Moscow wasn't the
best player in the world, but it was adding that
that trust from the front office and the impact that
that had in the locker room, and that took them
all the way to the NBA Finals. And Brad Marshan
(41:56):
would scare the living daylights out of me as a player,
just as like as a contract. But at the same
time it would scare me because of the injuries. Is
he going to like is his body gonna break down soon?
Is he trying to cash out because he's worried like
he feels it, he feels that his body is breaking down,
(42:20):
And that would be my concern. Is he gonna get
a major groin injury like pilot never looked the same.
Is he going to get a shoulder injury and just
lose his shot? That would be my concern.
Speaker 1 (42:32):
That's my concern with every player in this league, to
be honest.
Speaker 2 (42:35):
I know, but he's he's been injured, like he's he
gets a hip surgery every year.
Speaker 3 (42:41):
Yeah, like it's I mean, that's my.
Speaker 1 (42:43):
Concerns job to find a butcher going.
Speaker 2 (42:46):
But that's a bold move that I think what moved
the needle. I do think that's a needle. I think
Brad Marshan this I'm gonna sound crazy when I say this,
but I think Brad Marshan moves more needles than Sam Bennett.
Speaker 1 (42:59):
I I I agree with you. Sam Bennett is a
great player. But he's gonna get He's gonna get big money,
big money, and then you have to weigh in, you know,
the analytics, you know whatever, and by the capitologists will
(43:22):
go crazy over it.
Speaker 2 (43:25):
The last thing I'll say to everybody, look at how
Florida scored. Look at how Florida scored in that Stanley
Cup final. They didn't score a lot of dirty goals.
We scored a lot of skill for goals. And maybe
that that that rough and tumble nature opened up space
(43:46):
for them to take the shot. I think it's repeatable
by the roster you have with the Devils. The only
guy I'll listen to about like, I think Jack Hughes
is a hard news player. I think he does play
like that. I think he plays very similar to Marshand.
He's just much much much smaller as far as like frame, like,
(44:09):
he's much more slender. They've Jack Hughes put on twenty
pounds of muscle, which he can. He's he's out of
the sling, so he can lift and he can you know,
he can, he can work out. I think he can
play Brad Martian style. Not you know that Brad Marshand
is a special being, but I think he can play
that kind of style. Probably overstating a little bit. I
(44:38):
think he can play a style where he'll he's fearless,
you know where he'll he'll skate between hits because he
trusts his talent. Yeah, but the one I'll listen to
is Brat. I was a little concerned, Like every year
I've got like, it's fine, I get it. It's a
lot of luck in the playoffs, a lot of that.
Like this year, I was like this is now kind
(45:00):
of a trend where he hasn't really shown up to
that next level. Not saying I want a trade Brat,
I don't want to. I think that he's an important
cog in your team and he drives a lot the
regular season. You have to figure out why it's not
working in the postseason and if he needs to change,
(45:22):
like I think it's because he's tentative and would rather
pass than shoot. I think you just need to change
his mentality this season and just be like, make the
play that makes the most sense, don't be unselfish if
unselfish is not the right move. And you know sometimes
like he played, he had eighty hits, right or he
had ninety hits. He had just under one hundred hits
(45:43):
this year, so he's he's hitting people, but he got it.
Speaker 3 (45:46):
Like in the playoffs, you have to.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Come to play. And I know he had the shoulder injury,
but he has to come to play. So that's one
guy less. Two Lego was great in the playoffs. Timo
was great in the playoffs. I think you got pieces
and I think this defense can win in the playoffs,
and I think Jacob Marksham can win in the playoffs.
This Devil's team is built, right, it's just missing pieces.
(46:14):
If you get a McCann, if you get a Devorak,
if you get if you hit on the risk. And
that's the thing. Panthers hit on the risks. The Devils
have to hit on their risks. Whether it's McGroarty, whether
that's dij Peterka, you know, it's it's you gotta hit
(46:36):
on the risks.
Speaker 1 (46:38):
You know.
Speaker 2 (46:38):
Vegas took a chance on Holts. They thought that that
could be a guy that turns into Sam Bennett.
Speaker 1 (46:42):
Right.
Speaker 2 (46:44):
Didn't work out for them, But those are the types
of guys you gotta go after, like a Holts type.
It's crazy as it sounds to like sign up for
that again. I think those are the types you gotta
go after. There's a couple other you know, Oh, you know,
you know one other thing that I think would an
interesting thing to talk about Sam before we go, I go.
Speaker 3 (47:03):
I know, we got like one minute.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
Left, but I advocated for the Devils to offer sheet
Will Cooley from the Rangers.
Speaker 1 (47:13):
You said that on the last podcast.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
I believe, Oh I did.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
Okay, I wrote that before okay, Oh, I think I
wrote it after I said it. The other guy that
I think they should consider all offer sheet these only two.
I would even consider Simon Holstrom from the Islanders. I
think he's another guy that hasn't hit a ceiling yet.
It's kind of pretty far away from a ceiling. And
(47:36):
you could get him for like a first and a
third in the offer sheet and sign him for five
years and really like he looks. I think he's a
guy who could be a thirty goal scorer. I think
both of them, Cooley and Holstrom, I think could both
be thirty goal scorers in the right situation. Put him
next to Jack Hughes next year and they'll explode.
Speaker 1 (47:57):
And there you have it from Nick Vollano some pictureorks
dot com. So what are you plugging?
Speaker 2 (48:03):
So I'm gonna write about Wholstrom? Uh tonight or tomorrow.
I gotta see what's on the docket. Jenny Streeter is
writing a story about Eric Holla and just his impact
on the Devil's that's coming out tonight.
Speaker 1 (48:15):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (48:15):
John Bailey already wrote about Holla. He just wrote about
the trade as a as a newspiece. It's up in
Boxpittricks dot com. He also wrote about kind of that
dichotomy of Alexander Holton, Anton Londell and kind of the
mistake that that the twenty twenty draft ended up being.
Speaker 3 (48:34):
I wrote a bunch of stuff.
Speaker 2 (48:35):
I wrote about Luke Hughes and the mistake the Devils
can't make I wrote about.
Speaker 3 (48:39):
I already said that.
Speaker 2 (48:40):
I wrote about the three things that Devils need to
learn from the Panthers. Really interesting stuff, but just digging
into like the data. I'm gonna write about five trade
targets that I think the Devil should make. I'm gonna
write about free agency is gonna be nonsense. We're gonna
(49:00):
write a bunch of draft stuff of Jersey Joe just
put out his mock drafts. Go check that out. Uh,
he picked every Devil's pick. See see what he's picked out,
I wrote. Yeah, So there's there's gonna be There's gonna
be articles every single day, multiple articles every single day.
Speaker 3 (49:17):
Like I'm gonna try to.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
Get like at least three articles a day for you
people for the rest of the month.
Speaker 1 (49:24):
Through pitchforks dot com. Yeah, we'll have a covered draft
free agent frenzy. It's my favorite time of the year.
Speaker 3 (49:35):
Actually, we love it. Yes, take it in all right.
Speaker 1 (49:40):
Well, I want to Thank all those tuning in, seeing
a lot of familiar faces like Matt four Ted, Steve Engel,
Max Andrew Harvey. Lots of people all right, you gonna
get out of here, David, Oh yeah, tell them to
(50:01):
get yeah. David Decker of can Toyota Route forty six
and beautiful Ledgewood in New Jersey. Go to David Decker
and Tom Sam and Nick Sancha until next time. Let's
go Els,
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.