New thread for Summer 2023 off-season.

UFAs: Severson, Graves, Haula, Tatar, Wood
RFAs: Bratt, Meier, Sharangovich, McLeod, Bastian, Bahl, Boqvist, Blackwood, etc
Draft: picks #58, #122, #154, #186, #218

Have at it….

Best guess at where our UFAs end up? (If not New Jersey)

Severson: Winnipeg
Graves: Florida
Tatar: Colorado
Haula: Detroit
Wood: Boston
Blackwood (RFA): Ottawa

Who do we want as our 3RD next season

Severson?
Walsh?
Nemec?
Sign a UFA dman?
Trade for one?

1. Severson on short-term deal without NTC
2. Vet like Justin Schultz
3. Severson on long-term deal without NTC
4. UFA/Walsh/Smith/Vilen battle
5. Nemec
6. Severson on long-term deal with NTC

9 game try out for Nemec?

Hopefully

What is a good "hockey trade" for Sharangovich?

Probably a 2nd or 3rd (depending on how dumb the opposing GM is) OR a one for one for a middle 6 forward a change of scenery kinda trade

Maybe a short-term dman (Tanev, Schultz, etc) or defensive 3C if Haula doesn’t return.

End of an era

Am bummed to see Severson gone. Although we kind of knew it was likely, it’s always weird when a guy who has been here that long departs.

I think Fitzy did well to maximize value in the return. I was expecting less.

Now, if he can do the same with Graves, it will be Fitzmagic indeed.

Big deadline tomorrow June 15th.

On top of being first day for buyouts, it’s also the deadline for team-elected arbitration. With Meier’s $10 million qualifying offer, we would have to formally ask for arbitration to get him down to $8.5m. Would be nice to save $1.5m but would also be a sign we are pessimistic at long term deal.

NJD has elected to take Meier to arbitration. Not a good sign, but they had to do it. This removes the 1-year, $10 million qualifying offer. If he goes through the whole process, he will likely be awarded about $8.5m (and can only be one-year deal). It also will take offer-sheets out of the picture.

So odds are a lot lower today that we extend him long-term. Most cases when team elects arbitration end in 1-year deal and a majority of them see the player playing elsewhere in 2 years.

(And he would not be able to extend long term until January).

Yikes

On the flip side, their words sound better than their actions

An old one worth viewing

https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/1961990

(Owned by the New York Times)

Whoa. Losing to NJD has been rough

On the Athletic, Corey Pronman did a 7-round mock draft. Here is who he had ending up with Devils…

58. Lenni Hameenaho, RW, Assat (FINLAND)
80. Gracyn Sawchyn, C, Seattle (WHL)
122. Paul Fischer, D, Usa U-18 (NTDP)
154. Emil Jarventie, LW, Ilves Jr. (FINLAND-JR.)
186. Hugo Hell, D, Farjestad Jr. (SWEDEN-JR.)
218. Luke Mittelstadt, D, Minnesota (BIG10)

Not bad. Guys I’d consider…

At #58…
-- Hunter Brzustewicz, D, Kitchener (OHL)
-- Jacob Fowler, G, Youngstown (USHL)
-- Nick Lardis, LW, Hamilton (OHL)

At #80…
-- William Whitelaw, RW, Youngstown (USHL)
-- Rasmus Kumpulainen, C, Pelicans Jr. (FINLAND-JR.)
-- Aram Minnetian, D, Usa U-18 (NTDP) <—NJD fan
-- Cameron Allen, D, Guelph (OHL)

At #122…
-- Jayson Shaugabay, RW, Warroad (HIGH-MN)
-- Stephen Peck, G, Avon Old Farms (HIGH-CT)

I would love to jump up and grab any of these guys…

29. STL: Charlie Stramel, C, Wisconsin (BIG10)
33. ANA: Anton Wahlberg, C, Malmo Jr. (SWEDEN-JR.)
34. CBJ: Mikhail Gulyayev, D, Omsk Jr. (RUSSIA-JR.)
35. CHI: Otto Stenberg, C, Frolunda Jr. (SWEDEN-JR.)

First time I have seen NJD connected to this deal…not sure I am buying it

PHI to STL: Hayes, Sanheim
STL to PHI: Krug, pick, prospect
PHI to NJD: Krug
NJD to PHI: “more assets”

https://twitter.com/iamhockey1/status/1672751623263617025

Well thats just dumb

Walsh for Bowers
Sharangovich + 3rd for Toffoli
Blackwood for a 6th

A for Fitz

Walsh = Bowers (meh)
Sharangovich + Severson rights = Toffoli (A)
Blackwood = 6th (A)

Walsh for Bowers wasn't great. Rather trade Walsh for like a 3rd and sign a prospect similar to Bowers in free agency

Dougie Hamilton
Timo Meier
Ondrej Palat
Tyler Toffoli
John Marino
Jonas Siegenthaler
Tomas Tatar
Ryan Graves
Erik Haula
Vitek Vanacek
Luke Hughes
Alex Holtz
Simon Nemec
Dawson Mercer

Tom Fitzgerald, you are a magician

With Walsh out the door, the only ? in the Devils lineup is 3RD

Nemec? Trade? UFA signing?