DVR'd the Michigan/Western Michigan game from Saturday and watched it last night (albeit only was paying attention to Merrill). Mac Bennett is hurt, so Michigan's poor defensive depth was exposed again. They ended up using 4 forwards on the PP, with Trouba manning the point on the 1st unit and Merrill on the 2nd.
Merrill was on the ice for WM's first goal. He got outmuscled for the puck a couple of times, but contained his man to the outside. The goal was a weak wrist shot from the point which got deflected on its way in. Michigan's goalie badly overplayed the initial shot and whiffed on the redirection. Very weak goal, but I didn't like seeing Merrill losing puck battles to a much smaller opponent.
Merrill was also on the ice for a PP against, but he saved a goal as the goalie was again way out of position. The WM had a gaping net to shoot at, but Merrill blocked the shot. WM would score about 10 seconds later in the sequence as the goalie still hadn't recovered.
Merrill looked confident handling the puck on the PP, but there just isn't any chemistry with the Michigan PP this year.
Duclair + Erne: Creative combination, unsure how either will do alone. Erne will probably do better than Duclair.
MacKinnon + Drouin: Should cycle. Don't. Need a good coach. MacKinnon will be good because he's got the physical skill to do well. Drouin gives the puck away a lot by trying too many moves.
I hope we can Erne somehow, but don't want to be in a position where we can draft him
where will merrill be playing next year? back in michigan? might not be a bad idea, maybe he can actually put a full season together. on the other hand maybe a change would help him out.
where will merrill be playing next year? back in michigan? might not be a bad idea, maybe he can actually put a full season together. on the other hand maybe a change would help him out.
I think it should be at the Devils camp to either make the team or play a season in Albany if the coaches do not think he is ready.
where will merrill be playing next year? back in michigan? might not be a bad idea, maybe he can actually put a full season together. on the other hand maybe a change would help him out.
I would think Merrill will turn pro. He suffered what could have been a career ending injury this season, so I have to imagine he wants to lock in $2.1 million in salary rather than risk getting nothing to play another year in college.
Merrill should be in Albany next season, I think. Not much left for him to learn in the NCAA. I feel bad for him that he hasn't really had a full season with Michigan for one reason or another.
Severson definitely could be the "offensive" d-man we have lacked since Neids left. Scarlett could be that guy too. Both have good upside. In a few years after the Marty era, the Devils should at least have a very solid d corp with all the young guys coming threw the pipeline.
Severson definitely could be the "offensive" d-man we have lacked since Neids left. Scarlett could be that guy too. Both have good upside. In a few years after the Marty era, the Devils should at least have a very solid d corp with all the young guys coming threw the pipeline.
You're ignoring Merrill, who probably has the biggest offensive potential of all of them.
Severson is rapidly becoming my favorite of our defense prospects, though. With Larsson, Merrill, Severson, Gelinas, Urbom, Burlon, Scarlett... we're stacked.
