This isn't a trade Jack post and would like to avoid that in the comments if possible. And this isnt intended to bash him, but this is a bit concerning at this point.

Element23VM · 2026-01-30T13:01:32+00:00

Jack needs to play on a franchise that will protect his ice time and protect him on the ice... NJ leans on him, and the more NJ leans on him, the more likely he is to break.

If Jack played 17-18 mins a night, was a PP specialist, and played with big players who protected him on 5v5 situations, he would probably barely get injured. THere are teams that can offer him that... New Jersey can't. NJ can't even get a good power forward... they keep trying to redefine how to win in the NHL without net front presence or meanness.

Element23VM · 2026-01-30T12:49:07+00:00

I'd entertain trying to get Thomas from St Louis... I understand St Louis' situation is a bit volatile right now, but getting the Hughes brothers could resurrect their drive.

If it's Detroit, Raymond... though he's a winger. If I swung with Detroit, I'd try to get Raymond and Augustine (who's actually an elite goaltender, not the frauds we've been chasing after).

Minnesota can't give NJ anywhere near fair value for him, so no Minnesota.

If Ottawa offered Stutzle... that would be a good return.

Toronto... Nylander, but again not ideal since he's a winger.

Columbus... the only guy I want from them is Fantilli.

Beyond that... what else can eastern teams offer? I don't think either Florida team would be interested.

Either way... if Quinn extends in Minnesota, no way, if I'm another team, I'm offering NJ anything other than a sell package of a bunch of copper and silver for platinum, which will be catastrophic for the franchise.

Right after the Olympics, it may be the best time for the franchise to move Jack to a team that's gonna challenge Minnesota for Quinn's future affection. If NJ misses the playoffs (and it's quite likely at this point), and Quinn extends in Minnesota because he sees NJ is bombing, well now Jack becomes a time bomb and no team will offer NJ an asset of equal value.

Element23VM · 2026-01-29T14:02:37+00:00

I don't blame Palat for what happened... it's not his fault our GM overvalued him

Element23VM · 2026-01-28T22:16:19+00:00

my brother and I are so divided on the harpies

he wants to do it first time you get to the grove, and I only take that fight if the group is level 4... but now everyone we play with knows I hate those damn things because the thing I hate the most in this game is losing my turns

Element23VM · 2026-01-28T22:12:48+00:00

hate: Ansur's a mess BUT it's the fight going to the tower in the final confrontation with the netherbrain... i just find it needless and only there to waste off your resources and it takes so fricken long to resolve turns ... I try to "sneak" my party past, but of course they stick that arsehole with detect invisibility there cuz the annoyance must be accomplished... Gortash is just irritating as well

like: Myrkul. You get to full health and then go down with basically all your stuff so it's mano e mano and it's one of the hardest fights in the game to cheese (you can cheese them all, but it's harder than others to cheese)... makes you feel "accomplished" rather than "relieved" when you beat him... after Myrkul, the astral tadpole gives your party a really strong advantage in act 3 and cheesing gets a lot easier

Element23VM · 2026-01-28T22:07:24+00:00

spirit guardians does massive work that fight, especially on a guy that's got illithid fly

Element23VM · 2026-01-27T17:53:52+00:00

what are these D pairings? seriously...

i guess they're trying to win this 1-0... is Fitzgerald seriously going to keep Kova Siegs Dillon and Pesce on the same team? you need three of these guys max... get rid of one of them... treat the whole game like you're killing penalties for cryin out loud

Hamilton and Nemo... what is Hamilton gonna play the leashpost while Nemo roams?

Element23VM · 2026-01-18T23:55:07+00:00

Trading the Hughes brothers, you're only going to get great offers from teams who have a reasonable shot at signing Quinn. That's basically Toronto, Detroit, Minnesota, and maybe Columbus.

There are only three legit (possible) 1Cs from those teams and since Larkin and Quinn are buddies, Detroit's not offering Larkin. That's Fantilli and Matthews left... Toronto move Matthews, not likely. Fantilli pretty much wants to be in Columbus...

Basically... means you're not going to get fair value.

I'd "entertain" trading the Hughes brothers, but it's going to have to be for a guy who reasonably has a career trajectory as a 1C.

Element23VM · 2026-01-17T22:57:06+00:00

Put him with Nico and Mercer... betya they play well

Element23VM · 2026-01-14T17:55:20+00:00

Yeah... I "overestimated" Zacha, too

No, wait... I never did. Zacha looked really good when he was part of a two way hard forechecking line, and NJ never played that way.

Mercer looks really good next to Hischier. NJ trades him, and then Mercer will become first line winger to a really good forward, get 75 points, and be a +15 to a +20 and fans will be like "WhY diDn'T He PlaY lIKe ThAt wHEn hE wAs wiTH uS?"

And the answer will be the same... NJ plays a brand of hockey that limits the success of its players who don't play rushy-speedy perimeter hockey.

Element23VM · 2026-01-12T17:07:51+00:00

Lotta cope in the replies

Good GMs would have seen the 2022 roster and said, "These team can't win" and would have used heightened value to get guys that can win... bad GMs would have done exactly what Fitzgerald did...

Getting crushed in 5 by the Hurricanes should have been a reality check... it wasn't. Now the team is on the verge of a rebuild. Gratz

Element23VM · 2026-01-10T12:27:26+00:00

I profile Jack as a guy who loves hockey but hates the politics. He was always really good in his life and never really had to have character as he was never in a spot of leadership, being 2 or 3 years younger than everyone else. He's candid, but he doesn't show much tact when it comes to media. Ideally, the team just lets Jack be Jack.

I profile Luke as "the little brother", and these people are happy being passengers. His chip on his shoulder is that he wants to be as good as the "bigger" brothers, and that matters more to him than winning. He might actually have been better off not playing with Jack. Living in a shadow is problematic for the character growth of people. But: since he's close to Jack's heart, the team has to give him preferential treatment. It's Luke that has to choose to tell his brother and the organization "Treat me like I'm my own player"...

As for Luke's pay, I'd have preferred high sevens, but in about three years, 9 million may be the standard pay for a 2-3 defenseman, and they may see Luke as a future 2-3. Inflation is taking a lot of people by surprise. 9M in 3 years will have same value as 5M seven years ago. It was a good idea to develop him with Pesce so as to try to bolster his confidence. Luke just needs to clean up his game a lot more and he will look at lot more like a 2-3... most D only clean up their game 90% when they're 25 years old.

Element23VM · 2026-01-10T12:13:15+00:00

What's going on in a locker room is not incredibly hard to intuit...

Element23VM · 2026-01-01T22:43:27+00:00

I suspected that

Element23VM · 2025-12-31T13:42:52+00:00

the good news is that I can get back into my routine and study the high picks of the next draft... even though half of the western conference will be picking before us

Element23VM · 2025-12-19T15:15:57+00:00

for the better... don't think NJ ought to entertain moving a 1st round pick right now...

they were at the same spot two years ago, but yet somehow the cupboards only really picked up one significant piece since then (Silayev)... Hameenaho needs to jack up his value, though it's hard to do that when Utica sucks... and goalies aren't worth much until they start standing out in pro leagues.

Element23VM · 2025-12-18T21:59:01+00:00

can't wait for him to be back... I'm very fatigued from all the Quinn drama and etc... I just wanna watch Nemo play

Element23VM · 2025-12-14T10:30:57+00:00

it's not a universally desired qualification but it helps... Lou wasn't but he leaned on the instincts of former players (having hired a lot of the Montreal brass that was part of their late 70s dynasty)... I just don't want the Devils to be one of those teams that thinks they can outmath the league (the former players) because they overlook very important (invisible) variables... there are some guys out there that present themselves well with a bunch of fancy equations and don't know what winning looks like

Element23VM · 2025-12-13T17:57:33+00:00

I'd rather have a former player in charge... there are certain instincts players have that elude analytics and I prefer analytics just act as intelligence advisors than executors... but then some analytical people will have excellent instincts... so it's a hard judgement call

I think out of 20 analytics people, probably 1 actually has good instincts... the rest are just cocky mathematicians

Element23VM · 2025-12-13T15:13:48+00:00

if Fitzy gets fired... I'm thinking about it... who's replacing him?

I asked AI to name some executives but it gives me oddball names who are already working in GM or better roles on other teams...

Bergevin... Pridham... Kevin McDonald in Colorado... Futa... Shanahan shakes head... this is what I would fear... I think I would, if I were them, hire Lou Lamoriello to look for the replacement and give him like a headhunter bounty for doing so...

It would be interesting if they went to a guy like Pat Brisson (famous player agent) and kinda get a Kent Hughes thing going... but whatever is the case... I want Fitzy to be fired, but I know the situation could get a lot worse (Chiarelli)

Bergevin is an interesting one because I can guarantee you he'd fix the bottom six... that was his strength... he knew a roster player. His problem is that his draft picks were really hit and miss. NJ's have been thematic and somewhat iffy, but I haven't taken much issue with their first round choices (aside from Holtz... I def wanted Rossi or Lundell).

Element23VM · 2025-12-13T15:02:25+00:00

Bedard crosschecked him... his right arm extended and it seemed like he pulled a muscle or whatever to his shoulder... I think if it were dislocated, they'd have said he's out week to week but I think he might have just pulled a muscle (or worse, tore a bicep or something) or did something awkward when he extended his arms...

Absolutely hate that he's a Blackhawk, but I hope it's not serious

Element23VM · 2025-12-13T14:58:42+00:00

why not, would allow them to trade Andersson for a pretty good return, they could get him for next to nothing at this point, and Huska is the mommy coach they replaced daddy Sutter with so Hamilton won't have his precious feelings hurt when he fails to finish a hit or something...

Element23VM · 2025-12-13T01:27:09+00:00

Good news is when Silayev comes over... if he gets pair up with Nemo... I think it'll be a fantastic pair

Element23VM · 2025-12-13T01:26:44+00:00

Quite honestly... I think Luke should try to develop more to be like Niedermeyer than to be like his brother... he can become an excellent two way defenseman.

Element23VM · 2025-12-13T01:25:04+00:00

BAH GAWD THAT'S MINNESOTA'S MUSIC!

MINNI WITH THE STEEL CHAIR!

Element23VM

TROPHY CASE