If NSH does trade Forsberg, that's a solid return.

Forsberg is UFA next year - would be silly if we traded for him and he didn't re-sign

Maybe in a couple of years this forward group would be nasty, but it kinda looks like a Lottery team IMO. I understand Hughes is defensively underrated, but you still need to win board battles and be able to play against physical teams. This forward group looks undersized and weak. Just my opinion.

This team is not ready to make a trade like that one for forsberg

that's why it's not a massive package going the other way. Obviously you'd only do it if you thought you could re-sign him

I expect them to be a lot better next year. Wouldn't make the trade if they were bottom of the division by the TDL

lottery team? come on man. I agree they're small / soft up front but there's way too much talent there to not produce. D core is way better than years past and they have a legit starter and backup in nets.

yeah probably a bit much, this is a better return than NJ got for Hall as a rental at the deadline and he won a Hart not long before.

If you are just staring at Jack Hughes, it may look that way.
But there is plenty of size on this team.

They are just young, that's all

I'm actually very serious. There's more to the NHL than speed and skill. Yes Holtz and Dawson have skill. No argument there. That line will get dominated by 31 other NHL teams. I'm dead serious about that too. Just look at Jack Hughes. Literally a #1 OA pick and BY FAR the #1 OA pick too. It took time for him to develop into the player he is today and he'll continue to develop into a better player. That's not a knock on Jack Hughes. It's just reality. The NHL prime is not 19 or 20 years old. Neither Holtz nor Dawson have played a single NHL game and you're asking BOTH of them to play roles they've A.) never played before in their lives B.) do it together C.) Do it at an NHL caliber level D.) forget C, you're actually saying they'll dominate. That's just not realistic.

Why are you moving Yegor? He's a good center. #3Cs are important. Put Holtz up top?

The NHL doesn't typically turn on it's head over 1 summer.

Who on this team is phyiscal? Physical doesn't just mean hits. I get that. Just like defense doesn't mean hits or blocks. It can mean a lot of things like Hughes taking the puck away in transition. I just don't see plenty of size/physicality. I actually think this is one of the smallest teams in the NHL and VERY young. Literally 1 Devil forward is north of 200 lbs. This team trades for Forsberg...the most physical player.

Some of what you're saying is true, but you have to be joking if you think this forward group is lottery team caliber. Plenty of teams in the NHL rely on their skill to win. Where did I say Mercer and Holtz will dominate?

Also Yegor played the majority of last season on Hughes' wing, not sure what you're talking about putting him at 3C.

Who's saying the NHL is going to turn on its head? It's not like I'm saying NJ finishes 1st in the division here, I said they'll be better. Which they should be.

Maybe just the games I saw, Yegor was playing center. I'm not trying to suggest you're wrong on that. Maybe I'm also over reacting to the name of the post which targets a very young, undersized, and in experienced forward group. Are they talented. YES! But your comp of "plenty of teams in the NHL reply on their skill to win" while VERY TRUE doesn't truly fit this year. It'll take 3 more years in my opinion because you're trying to suggest those other teams like the EDMs, TORs, COLs, have an equivalent talent level...which they don't. Are you suggesting this team's talent is currently at the level of McDavid/Drai? Matthews/Marner/Tavares? MaC/Rant? They're not even close AND those guys have 5+ more years experience than Mercer/Holtz. Even if you win the jack pot with both players and get a Drai or Mac player...it's their rookie years. You could very well get 9 points like Draisaitl because rookies make mistakes.

NJD is on a good trajectory. This team needs a lot more size/grit/physicality...and most importantly...TIME before I start saying they're serious.

Here is our entire roster, names striped out, just height/weights, sorted by weight

6'6" 230 lbs
6'6" 230 lbs
6'4" 227 lbs
6'4" 225 lbs
6'3" 222 lbs

6'5" 220 lbs
5'11" 220 lbs
6'2" 218 lbs
6'3" 210 lbs
6'0" 210 lbs

6'3" 210 lbs
6'2" 205 lbs
6'4" 205 lbs
6'5" 205 lbs
6'2" 205 lbs

5'10" 200 lbs
5'11" 200 lbs
6'2" 196 lbs
6'3" 196 lbs
6'0" 195 lbs

6'2" 195 lbs
5'10" 195 lbs
6'1" 195 lbs
6'1" 193 lbs
6'2" 190 lbs

6'1" 187 lbs
6'0" 185 lbs
5'9" 185 lbs
6'0" 185 lbs
6'1" 181 lbs

6'0" 180 lbs
5'11" 180 lbs
6'0" 180 lbs
5'10" 175 lbs
6'1" 175 lbs

5'11" 175 lbs
6'0" 175 lbs
6'1" 175 lbs
5'10" 173 lbs

Or perhaps you'd like to see our forward line combos


6'3" 210 lbs --6'1" 175 lbs -- 5'10" 175 lbs
6'0" 195 lbs -- 5'11" 175 lbs -- 6'2" 196 lbs
6'1" 193 lbs -- 6'0" 180 lbs -- 5'10" 195 lbs
6'2" 195 lbs -- 6'2" 190 lbs -- 6'4" 227 lbs

As a blackhawks fan, I sure you can appreciate small forwards.
(and small players in general as Chicago has smallest NHL roster)

5'7" 165 lbs -- 5'8" 185 lbs -- 5'10" 177 lbs
6'2" 179 lbs -- 6'2" 201 lbs -- 6'0" 190 lbs
5'11" 174 lbs -- 6'4" 197 lbs -- 6'1" 170 lbs
6'4" 212 lbs -- 6'3" 200 lbs -- 6'0" 200 lbs

Devils likely 20 have about 3/4 inch and 9 lbs on Blackhawks likely 20.

I think we are OK

Sharangovich played a bunch of center early in the season.
Then they moved him to a kind of hybrid role with him at center and Zajac at RW during run of play....but Zajac taking face-offs.
Then he moved to Hughes' wing full-time.

He is a natural center, but was seriously outmatched on the dot last year.

I think the Hawks need more size and grit too. It's why I traded for Greenway in my last post. I can fully admit it's closer than I originally thought. You're also correct that having a small line isn't terrible. I see that they're playing well too. It's just that having that line together is a large part of specifically why I've targeted Greenway. As a side, I don't think Gaudette is a regular on that 3rd line though. As for the 4th...they're both the bruisers on each the CHI and NJD teams.

I would also add three things:
(1) As kids grow/develop, they will add a few pounds and play a heavier game. There was a graphic/stat we often saw last year for average age weighted by ice time and Devils had the youngest team in almost 20 years. Youth plays a softer game, time cures youth.

(2) Some of the Devils are still listed at their draft weights. For instance, we are often hearing how Hischier has added size since being drafted (was 6'1" 175 lbs at 2017 combine and still listed at same size). (On the flip side, Hughes never weighed in at combine and is likely still 150 lbs soaking wet but is listed at 175 lbs).

(3) Devils have some size that is also just off this roster: Foote (6'3" 196 lbs), Greer (6'3" 210 lbs), Zetterlund (5'11" 220 lbs)...and obviously Wood (6'2" 195 lbs) was traded in the above scenario. Its really just Hughes, Bratt and Tatar (and Bratt can be a tough customer at times).

I fully admitted #1. TIME was the #1 thing I said the NJD need. Agreed on #2. Agreed on #3. the NJD are in really good shape. It'll just take patience.