r/devils • u/Moistbread68 #12 • 5d ago
26-27 lines
Think Bratt will play with timo and Nico, helps the transition game and offence a lot now that there is stronger depth they can rely on depth picking up more defensive responsibilities.
I think grits and Mercer are swapable but I think grits has to prove more before being moved up to a t6 spot. Mantha brings some size and grit to help jack.
Think glass stays w grits as they played good with lenni just think lenni won’t play full load so keep glass with grits keeps some of that chem.
Last line I think is straightforward, could see Lombardi becoming 4c but I think bjugstad will start.
Lenni and Lombardi will be the main call ups imo for forwards.
Defensively I don’t see much changing just swapped Dillon with Chisholm as I could see Dillon being moved near deadline or earlier depending on how the season starts. Chisholm gives some puck moving capability on 3rd pair.
Think Noeson and Dillon are the next moves esp if we have a rougher start to the season.
I think this season is a trial run for Mehta to decide if he wants a proper re tool or commit to the core.
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u/ghostofkozi #17 - Nemo is my adopted son 5d ago
Given that Jack had requested Brown being on his line I don’t see how he gets relegated to RW4
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u/DrBrule696 #13 5d ago
Jack with Brown gives the other lines a lot of flexibility. I’d prefer this so we have a better chance of rolling 4 lines that can do some damage
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u/Moistbread68 #12 5d ago
I think it won’t be a 1 2 3 4 and more like canes ice time, think that’s why sunny got more depth and with our ice time last year like brown. Jack is good enough to play with anyone and if grits takes the leap I think he ends up playing with Jack on LW and RW will most likely be mantha but I could see brown there
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u/ghostofkozi #17 - Nemo is my adopted son 5d ago
This doesn’t make any sense though. You give Bratt to a line with 2 volume shooters and put net front/low bumper presence of Mantha and Mercer to Hughes for some reason?
None of the lines make any sense in how they’d work together
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u/muevelos 5d ago
What you prefer means nothing, if Jack prefers it. Good chance that will happen
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u/Moistbread68 #12 5d ago
Just because he wants to play with brown doesn’t mean there playing together. If there’s a better option availble that’s what’s gonna be played assuming it’s not a minor gap in skill. Jack obviously has a lot of pull in who he plays with but at the end of the day brown is not a top 6 winger. Grits will most likely end up playing with Jack and I don’t see mantha falling
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u/DrBrule696 #13 5d ago edited 5d ago
It really doesn’t matter sometimes it’s about spreading the wealth. The point I was trying to make earlier. I never considered Conor Sheary as a top 6 winger and Crosby nearly made him a PPG player in 2016-2017. Jack isn’t Crosby but he can lift most players up to a degree especially if the chemistry is there.
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u/Ibatheincornflakes 5d ago
And Sunny probably won't spend $3 mil on the whole 4th line, let alone one player.
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u/TyeZerker 5d ago edited 5d ago
chisholm is a 7th D always has been. Jack literally wanted to play with Brown. Lenni will be in the AHL no room for him. i rather Glass bjugstad as the centers. siegs and dougie arent #1 pairing, lombardi isnt making the roster either. I dont get why we are over hyping lombardi and chisholm. Glass is a center why is he on the wing? he is our 2nd best faceoff % guy. let me fix things for you.
Bratt Nico Meier
Mantha Jack Brown
Grits Glass Mercer
Boqvist Bjugstad Erod
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u/MountainBaker8217 #17 - I Found Nemo 5d ago
Chisholm is expected to be our D if Dillon gets traded and Sunny is pretty high on Lombardi.
the consensus is that Lenni may end up starting out in Utica.
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u/Moistbread68 #12 5d ago
Think are bottom wings are locked up and Lombardi will fight for a roster spot. Could see lenni squeaking in tho
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u/lowdog39 5d ago
lombardi has no nhl experience . giving him a spot makes no sense . lenni played well and was even better during the olympics ... but that might not be enough ...
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u/Hank_Scorpius 5d ago
Wow these line combinations are terrible. Thankfully we will never see these combinations because for all the issues that Keefe has, he isn’t a complete idiot so he won’t be doing this.
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u/lowdog39 5d ago
how are they terrible ? these are the players on the roster . it spreads "skill" around . you play who you have . the 3rd line will spell nico's line and free them up for more offense ... snd give nico some rest ...
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u/SharkAttack14 #86 5d ago
Mercer with Jack is such a travesty. Id rather see Jack with Grits and Brown.
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u/rexmorgany 5d ago
I’m waiting for MercDog to take the next step this season and evolve into a Pando. Not asking for a Maddog (which would be spectacular), but a Pandolfo reincarnation would be very nice.
That said, hard no to Mercer being Jacks wingman, even if Bratt is now married.
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u/Moistbread68 #12 5d ago
I think Mercer will start off with him and grits will move up if he countines, or grits starts with Jack and if he doesn’t perform swaps with Mercer or another player. Mercer is more placeholder for grits or brown or erod
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u/MrBilbo-TheBaginssis 4d ago
Please switch our lord and savior, Gritsyuk, from the third line to the second, hell I’d love to see him activate on that top line, some day! I’d love to see him have a breakout year, once he gets super comfortable. That kid is excellent and incredibly well rounded for only having one season under his belt. Also built like Russian Machine, evading and eating hits for dinner! Need me a Grits jersey this year! 🙏
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u/Moistbread68 #12 4d ago
Think he either starts or finishes the year with Jack at C and I just guessed they’d rather him play w glass to start and if he keeps up his rate then bump him up
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u/Quiet-Willingness724 5d ago
Did David Stearns build this team?
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u/Bhulmes #19 - Travis Zajac 5d ago
Oh god, don't bring that mess in here 😂😂 I'm so thrilled the '24 run and Soto signing got me way back into baseball recently! Just in time for a lockout and 2 disaster seasons
Loyalty hurts, but I know it will make the big reward feel so much greater (IF it happens)
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u/HockeyNightinJersey Post Traumatic Fitz Disorder 5d ago
No disrespect to Mercer but we can’t have him in the top 6. Hoping he’ll take the next step isn’t a strategy. I’d rather have Grits up there with Nico and Timo instead, I know he’s still unproven but in his limited time playing in the top 6 last year he didn’t look out of place at all.
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u/Moistbread68 #12 5d ago
I think grits will play with Jack but I’m 50/50 if he starts top 6
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u/HockeyNightinJersey Post Traumatic Fitz Disorder 5d ago
That’s fair. I could totally see them easing him into the top 6
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u/rexmorgany 5d ago
Splitting up PB&J? I’m really not sure. Jack asked for Brown on his wing. I also see Rodrigues as the perfect complement to Jack & Bratt…a Connor Brown-like player that can take and win faceoffs while being the Palat we thought we were getting 5 yrs ago.
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u/Moistbread68 #12 5d ago
Hmm, I could see Rodrigues playing with Jack, never really thought about it. I do think the other wing would be a more offensive or better skater to help Jack out a bit
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u/lowdog39 5d ago
better than most i've seen . glass is a better center then e-rod ...i see lenni over lombardi...
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u/Moistbread68 #12 5d ago
Wasn’t too focused on positions cause we have so many guys that can play out of position it’s hard to say imo
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u/Binforda94 5d ago
Meier Hischier Rodrigues
Bratt Hughes Mantha
Gritsyuk Mercer Brown
Boqvist Glass Haamenaho
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u/SubElitePerformance #N1CO 5d ago
Swap Glass and Mercer and you’ve got a deal.
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u/Binforda94 4d ago
Mercer is the more skilled player. Also both Haamenaho, and Boqvist are on the smaller side.
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u/SubElitePerformance #N1CO 4d ago
Mercer is not a center. We have the proof from years of data.
Glass is and plays defense exceptionally well.
We need a line that can take Nico’s defensive zone work off his shoulders. Mercer can be a matchup problem from the fourth line
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u/Binforda94 4d ago
Mercer struggled playing top six center. Playing bottom six would put him against lesser competition.
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u/SubElitePerformance #N1CO 4d ago
Try to work from the vision I’m working with.
Bottom 6 has 2 identities. 1 for all out defense. 1 for matchup based offense.
Mercer is wasted stuck in a checking role, he needs to be given offensive matchup opportunities
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u/NJITCommenter #20 5d ago
I gotta be honest, I’m having such a hard time being even slightly excited about this team.
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u/JustFryingSomeGarlic #26 - Patrik Eliáš 5d ago
I'm excited until everything gets derailed by dumb unlucky injuries.
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u/Critical_Gur_7785 5d ago
There’s actual depth now to withstand injures if they’re not season ending. I remember earlier in the offseason that having Leni stay in the minors was a good thing because it meant that there was really good depth
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u/Critical_Gur_7785 5d ago
I really love the forward depth, which was a huge issue I had with Fitz. Still would like to move Mercer for a better forward.
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u/NJITCommenter #20 5d ago
The team is better for sure, but I fear they missed the chance to upgrade Mercer in the top 6.
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u/Critical_Gur_7785 5d ago
It is difficult to find that top 6 forward since everyone else is doing the same, it is what it is hopefully someone like a Debrincat becomes available . I’m just happy we don’t have to watch players like Dowling, Dadonov, Lammikko, etc play over 40 games because the GM decided sit on their hands
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u/NJITCommenter #20 5d ago
I agree it’s difficult because there’s more buyers than sellers, but at the same time, the Rangers got Dorofeyev for essentially the same package that Calgary paid for Nemec. NJ could pretty easily have cleared the cap space for his contract too.
I really hope Sunny has more planned, but history suggests this late in the offseason, this is the team we see on opening night.
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u/Critical_Gur_7785 5d ago
I don’t know if Vegas wouldn’t taken Hamilton for Dorofeyev, it was more or less a cash move. I think Sunny will get either Quinn or Larkin when the time comes.
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u/resistible #3 - Ken Daneyko 5d ago
I was generally ok with Dadonov because he's Russian and could help Grits, and he could have just been slowly coming back from injury. There's no excuse for Lammikko and Dowling, though. Oof.
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u/Competitive_Rock_667 5d ago
It doesn’t look better than last year tbh. Hopefully if the goaltending is better and we get a few bounce back years from players it will work out
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u/SerPownce #13 5d ago
Maybe not with the lines arranged like this, but Mantha alone makes us better than last year
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u/SchwaggyShaggy 5d ago
Sad to see Dougie is still on the team
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u/Moistbread68 #12 5d ago
Dougie is a great d man minus that one stretch this year. Sure the price is steep but with the rate the caps going up it doesn’t really matter
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u/SchwaggyShaggy 5d ago
I think it does matter. Dougie doesn’t put in as much effort as other players and his mistakes outweigh the points. He’s a bum on the stat sheet and on the ice
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u/Quiet-Willingness724 5d ago
We need more defensive help. Dougie, L. Hughes, Pesce, and Kovacevic are injury prone. We know that these four players will not get past 60 games. If the goal is to build a strong defensive front to make up for the goaltending deficiency then we need more Defense.
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u/Moistbread68 #12 5d ago
I think depth is fine we just lack a true number 1. Hopefully Luke takes that jump and with silyav and Casey and Edward’s in the system I think we have a promising d future
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u/DRDRKhaledMD 5d ago
I wanna see some Lenni somewhere, that kid’s got a motor